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| Angler's from Minnesota, Wisconsin,
Indiana and Illinois are always pleasantly surprized
to see that what is under our water is big . . . real big! Largemouth
Bass, Crappie, White Bass, Stripers and Catfish are the main source
of excitement to Lake anglers and when one species isn't cooperating,
relax..... another one will. (continued below)
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| Types of Fish |
Spring |
Summer |
Fall |
Top sport fish. Widely distributed throughout the lake.
Fish in excess of 5 pounds abundant. |
Spring spawners, shoreline dwellers.
Biggest fish of the year taken in March. Best numbers of fish taken in
April and May. |
Fish concentrate in submerged timber
about 30 feet deep during daylight. Some move to the shoreline 10-20
feet deep at night. |
Fish return to shallows as water cools.
Night fishing is excellent in September and October. November is usually
the best daytime fall fishing month. |
Considered best battler once hooked. Located at lower
lake and upper reaches of main tributaries. |
Same as Largemouth. |
Same as Largemouth. |
Same as Largemouth, but some stay deep. |
Very scrappy like its cousin the Smallmouth. Schooling fish
in summer and fall. Abundant along entire main lake and major tributaries. |
Same as Largemouth. |
Heavy schooling fish locate on main
lake points in 20-30 feet of water. The action is usually very consistent. |
Same as Smallmouth, but catch rate is higher. |
Excellent table fare. Average fish is large due to 9-inch
minimum limit and the lake's immense forage base. |
Early spring spawners. March and April
best months. Wooded coves and main lake pockets with brush are best. |
Fish go deeper and
scatter. Best results fishing under lights at night. |
Look for dropoffs with timber in coves
and upper tributaries. |
Also excellent table fare. Big slabs over 3/4 pound are
common. Located all over lake, especially near boat docks. |
Late spring spawners
run back in major creeks and rivers. Look for other boats as an indication
fish are present. |
Some fish continue to spawn into June.
Fish are present near almost every tree and dock. The bigger ones are
deeper |
Lots of big fish on top
of submerged timber, 20-40 feet deep. |
Tremendous schools make annual runs to upper reaches of
main tributaries each spring. |
Schooling spring spawners. Fish run back
in major creeks and rivers. Look for other boats as an indication fish
are present. |
Look for large schools
chasing shad and minnows on the surface of the main lake. |
Difficult to locate at times, but still
in large schools. Some surface activity in early fall. Tend to frequent
deep flats in later fall. |
Very good table fare. Schooling fish are usually located in
coves and creeks. |
Late spring spawners.
Schooling fish taken in May on shallow structure in the main lake and
mouths of coves. Also live creek dwellers. |
Same locations as spring but look deeper,
20-30 feet in the lake. Holes in the creeks. |
Back to spring
locations. |
Excellent table fare. Located in coves, creeks and main lake
pockets. Basically a nocturnal fish. |
Late spring spawners. Fish start to move
in April, given a mild winter. Best production comes from trotlines,
juglines and limblines. |
Best rod and reel
fishing is at night on main lake, flats. Timbered coves are also productive.
Trotline harvest increases. |
Feeding activity falls with water
temperature. |
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LAKE OF THE OZARKS - Fishing (...continued) |
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The fishing season begins early on our Lake, about January 1, and it
ends late, December 31. No kidding! From then on the action gets hotter.
Knowledgeable anglers work cool spring waters using deep diving
crankbaits and jig-n-frog lures. As the lake warms up topwater lures
produce the explosive strikes that make grown men shake with
excitement. After the bass spawn, usually in late April or early May, the
plastic worm begins to replace the crankbaits and surface lures on the
business end of the fishing rod. Summer anglers find their bass around
deep points, drop offs and boat docks. And just when you think the
action's going to end, the cool weather of October and November brings the
bass back in the shallows for some more fast fishing action.
If Black Bass doesn't excite you, our White Bass fishing will. During
the early spring spawning runs experienced anglers often fill their 15-
fish limit in about as many casts. The summer months find the Whites
schooled up on shallow flats. Though the one to two pound Whites are
great table fare (and by the way, put up a rowdy battle) nothing strips line
from your reel like the Stripers and Hybrid Stripers which were first
stocked in Lake of the Ozarks in 1980. Six years later a state record 20.5
lb. hybrid was pulled from our waters.
Through effective management, regulation and stocking efforts of
the Missouri Department of Conservation, Lake of the Ozarks has provided
numbers of other state record catches over the past ten years including a
34 lb. drum, a 36 lb. buffalo, a 42 lb. muskie, a 91 lb. blue catfish (caught
in 1988) and a 111 lb. paddlefish.
Crappie fishing is another main event at the Lake. The length limit
is 9 inches. The spring spawn usually occurs in mid to late April. Local
anglers know the Crappie won't spawn until the Dogwoods bloom.
However, locals also know that the Crappie can always be found in the
Heated Fishing Docks. You would be surprized what you can catch
in February, March and late October and November.
Whether you are a serious pro looking for some outstanding bass
fishing or just look forward to a lazy day of relaxation and family fun,
Lake of the Ozarks has the ingredients for your fishing vacation.
For a special thrill, go after a paddlefish, also referred to as a
spoonbill. This rare fish is a bona fide remnant of the dinosaur age. It is
caught by blind snagging. Fisherpersons troll and jerk large hooks
attached to heavy lead sinkers or cast and retrieve the hooks by jerking.
Rods are generally short and stiff and reels are equipped with 80 to 100
pound test line. All paddlefish caught in Lake of the Ozarks must be 24
inches or longer from the eye to the fork of the tail. Paddlefish season is
March 15 to April 30. |
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