Fishing and hunting report for Jan. 20
Fishing
Missouri
NORFORK: 46 degrees, clearing, 16 feet high. Outlook: Bink’s Guide Service reports: stripers good on 1-ounce white Bink’s Spoons in 70 to 80 feet of water between the Highway 62 and Highway 101 bridges and trolling small swimbaits on the main lake; bass good on umbrella rigs along banks.
TANEYCOMO: Clear, high, fast current. Outlook: Lilleys’ Landing reports: brown, rainbow trout good on shad imitations, white marabou jigs near Cooper’s Creek, the Highway 65 bridge and Branson Landing.
SMITHVILLE: Mid-30s, clear, 2 feet high. Partially ice-covered. Outlook: Burton’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappies fair to good on jigs off the docks at Camp Branch Marina.
TRUMAN: High 30s, murky, 10 feet high. Ice in coves. Outlook: Cody’s Guide Service reports: all species poor. Below the dam: walleyes good on jigs.
BULL SHOALS: 45 degrees, murky, 26 feet high. Outlook: Buck Creek Boat Dock reports: Kentucky bass fair to good on jigs, plastic baits, Alabama Rigs in 12 feet of water in brush.
REED AREA: Low 30s, clear, ice on the lake. Outlook: Department of Conservation reports: all species poor. Light fishing pressure.
JACOMO: Mid-30s, clear, normal. Ice. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: all species poor.
LONGVIEW: Mid-30s, clear, normal. Ice. Outlook: Longview Marina reports: all species poor.
BLUE SPRINGS: Low to mid-30s, fairly clear, 1 foot high. Ice. Outlook: Forty Woods Bait and Tackle reports: all species poor.
POMME DE TERRE: Low 40s, murky, 17 feet high. Outlook: Muskie Guide Service reports: all species poor.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS: 40s, murky, near normal. Ice in coves. Outlook: Gier’s Bass Pro reports: all species poor.
STOCKTON: Mid-40s, clear, 13 feet high. Outlook: Stockton Lake Guide Service reports: all species poor.
TABLE ROCK: 48 degrees, clear, 5.6 feet high. Outlook: White River Outfitters reports: all species poor.
Kansas
WILSON: Mid-30s, clear, 10 feet low. Ice in coves. Outlook: Knothead’s reports: stripers fair to good on slab spoons in Lucas Point area.
EL DORADO: 35 degrees, clear, 1/2 -foot low. Outlook: Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reports: crappies fair to good on jigs in brush and along dropoffs;
LA CYGNE: Low 50s on the main lake, clear, 1 foot high. Outlook: Linn County Park reports: crappies fair to good on jigs, minnows along discharge gate on dam and sunken bridge.
COFFEY COUNTY: 69 degrees at the hot-water outlet, low 50s on the main lake, clear, normal. Outlook: Coffey County reports: largemouth, smallmouth bass fair.
CLINTON: High 30s, clear, 1 foot high. Ice. Outlook: Clinton Lake Marina reports: crappie was fair to good before ice formed, but now access is difficult.
PERRY: Low to mid-30s, fairly clear, 1 foot high. Thin ice on lake, but not safe for ice fishing. Outlook: Don and Tom’s Bait and Tackle reports: crappie fishing was very good over the weekend in main-lake brush (some limits were taken), but ice has formed and has made access difficult.
POMONA: High 30s, murky, 2.6 feet high. Most of lake is ice-covered, but not safe for ice fishing. Outlook: Lighthouse Bay Marina reports: crappies poor to fair on jigs off the marina docks.
MELVERN: 35 degrees, clear, normal. Partially ice-covered. Outlook: Melvern Lake Marina reports: crappies fair on ice jigs in 18 to 20 feet of water off the docks. Crappie fishing was good in main-lake brush before ice formed; now access is difficult.
HILLSDALE: 38 degrees, murky, normal. Ice in coves. Outlook: Jayhawk Marina reports: all species poor.
MILFORD: High 30s, fairly clear, normal. Ice in coves. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: all species poor.
TUTTLE CREEK: High 30s, murky, 1 1/2 feet low. Ice in coves. Outlook: Guide Vic Oertle reports: all species poor.
GLEN ELDER: High 30s, clear, 1 foot low. Thin ice on lake, but not safe for ice fishing. Outlook: Wayne’s Sporting Goods reports: all species poor.
Hunting
Missouri
Ice on most marshes; waterfowl numbers are declining rapidly.
Kansas
CHEYENNE BOTTOMS: 4,000 to 8,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 20,000 to 50,000 snow geese. Ice on marshes.
MARAIS DES CYGNES: Low numbers of waterfowl. Ice on marshes.
NEOSHO: 35,000 mallards; no geese. Marshes are mostly ice-covered.
FLINT HILLS: 1,200 ducks (mostly mallards); 200 dark geese. Ice on marshes.
QUIVIRA: 720 mallards; 130 snow geese. Ice on marshes.
MELVERN: 200 mallards; 400 Canada geese. Ice on marshes.
HILLSDALE: 200 to 700 ducks. Ice on marshes.
GLEN ELDER: 11,500 mallards, 32,000 divers. 308,000 snow geese, 12,000 dark geese. Lake and marshes have ice.
McPHERSON WETLANDS: 2,250 ducks (mostly mallards); 300 Canada geese. 95 percent ice-covered.
JAMESTOWN: 3,000 ducks (mostly mallards); 300 Canada geese. 100 percent ice-covered.
Brent Frazee: 816-234-4319, @fishboybrent
Brent’s best bet
Big brown trout have been caught at Lake Taneycomo, despite strong current. The stretch near the Highway 65 bridge, Bass Pro Shop and Cooper’s Creek have produced the best fishing.
This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 3:17 PM with the headline "Fishing and hunting report for Jan. 20."