Fishing Lake of the Ozarks in Spring and Beyond

Although it's widely recognized as one of the best vacation destinations in the Midwest, Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks has also earned the reputation of being one of the best fisheries in the nation, too. Thousands of anglers return to the Lake time and time again to take to the waters in search of that next big catch.

The sheer size of this man-made reservoir can be difficult to comprehend: it covers over 54,000 acres with over 64 billion gallons of fish-filled water supplied by five tributaries, all enclosed within 1,150 miles of meandering shoreline. To put that in perspective, that's more shoreline than the entire Pacific coast of the state of California.

That's exactly what makes the Lake of the Ozarks one of the best destinations for anglers of all experience levels. With all that water, shoreline and natural and artificial habitat, as well as careful management, the fish populations flourish, making for a lot of line-tugging, fish-fighting fun throughout the entire year.

The most prevalent species at the Lake include largemouth and spotted bass; white bass; black and white crappie; hybrid white bass/stripers; bluegill; walleye; and channel, flathead and blue catfish, as well as paddlefish. But, arguably the most sought after are crappie and bass. The Lake hosts over 500 professional and amateur fishing tournaments each year, the most popular being the semi-annual spring and fall Big Bass Bash tournaments, which typically pay out a whopping $60,000 cash prize to the amateur that reels in the biggest fish.

Fishing has been a popular family activity at the Lake of the Ozarks for over 80 years. "If you're interested in catching your daily limits of sizable fish, the Lake of the Ozarks provides a wonderful opportunity to accomplish that,” says Jim Divincen, administrator for the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association. "It's also a great way to spend quality time with your family. Generations of families have grown up fishing here and continue to pass on the tradition to each new generation or addition to their families. In fact, some of my fondest memories are of fishing with my daughters on the Lake."

John Neporadny, a longtime Lake of the Ozarks resident and a member of the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, shares Divincen's enthusiasm for the Lake and believes it lives up to its billing as one of the best fisheries in the nation. "I've had the opportunity to fish many of the best rivers, natural lakes and reservoirs throughout the country and on many occasions I've discovered there is no place like home."

This former fishing guide and author of The Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide book continues, "Missouri has many fine fisheries, but I would have to rate Lake of the Ozarks as the best reservoir in the state for catching a variety of game fish. I believe that day in and day out, Lake of the Ozarks gives anglers an equal opportunity to catch bass, crappie, white bass or catfish."

FOUR-SEASON FUN

The autumn season is a favorite among anglers for the cooler temperatures, colorful fall foliage and productive fishing. The warmer weather and extended hours of daylight make spring and summer the most popular seasons with boaters and anglers alike, but that doesn't mean the fish stop biting in the fall and winter.

The cooler temperatures and vibrant fall foliage make fishing at the Lake in autumn both beautiful and productive. And, during the fall and winter seasons, many of the Lake-area resorts offer discounted rates on lodging, providing yet another reason to plan a fishing trip to the Lake of the Ozarks.

Those willing to layer up and brave the colder conditions, may have the largest payoff as some of the Lake's record-breaking fish have been caught during the winter months. And, a handful of Lake-area resorts feature enclosed heated fishing docks for catching crappie, some are even furnished with couches and TVs to ensure a comfortable and pleasurable winter fishing experience.

GOOD FISHING ATTRACTS GOOD FISHERMEN

The Lake area not only boasts a good number of trophy-size fish, but also a good number of national trophy-winning fishermen. Guido Hibdon, winner of the Bassmaster Classic and two-time BASS Angler of the year; Dion Hibdon, winner of the Bassmaster Classic and FLW Forrest Wood Cup; fishing legend Denny Brauer, the first ever angler to be featured on the Wheaties Box; Brian Maloney, FLW All-American National Champion; and Marcus Sykora, FLW All-American National Champion, all call the Lake of the Ozarks home. Clearly, there must be something in the water.

So, what makes the the Lake of the Ozarks so special and so attractive for professional anglers?

"The Lake is an unbelievable place to be for pro anglers because there are many different river systems, many different types of cover for the fish, and you have four distinct seasons, so fishing this lake prepares you for all sorts of scenarios,” says Sykora, who won the 2014 FLW All-American championship on Wilson Lake in Alabama. "You learn to excel at fishing in very shallow water; very deep water; in warm and cold weather; windy, rainy and sunny conditions; so you develop a unique sense for the different patterns and techniques you need to use for each given scenario. That, in my opinion, is why Lake of the Ozarks anglers tend to be so successful in big tournaments. Our home lake has prepared us well. And, that's also why the Lake attracts and produces so many great anglers."

TAKE IT FROM THOSE WHO KNOW

If you come to the Lake to do some fishing, it's never a bad idea to do a little research. There are many resources available to anglers providing information on the best locations, patterns, bait and more. A great online resource is www.BassingBob.com, where you can get current reports on water conditions and tips from local pros. In print, there's the Lake of the Ozarks Fishing News available for free at most bait shops and grocery stores around the Lake area, and several local newspapers also feature up-to-date fishing reports and tips as well.

But, you can always cut to the chase and hire a certified fishing guide. Local guides know the waters better than almost anyone and make for a relaxing and effortless fishing experience.  With one call, you can book these professionals, who will take you to the Lake's fishing "hot spots," and will also provide the boat and all the equipment needed for the excursion. All you have to do is show up and your guide will take care of the rest.

"A big lake like this can be intimidating for some people," says Ed Franko, owner of Big Ed's Guide Service in Lake Ozark. "Professional fishing guides make it easy and they maximize the quality of time a person spends on the water. Most of us are out on the Lake 250-plus days a year, so we know where the fish are and what they're biting. We also have some of the best equipment and a wealth of knowledge to ensure that people have a great experience here at the Lake of the Ozarks. Because, when you get down to it, it's all about the experience and a good guide can be the difference between a great fishing trip or an extremely frustrating one."

For a complete listing of Coast Guard-certified fishing guides in the area, visit www.FunLake.com

WHERE TO STAY AND WHERE TO PLAY

Many Lake-area resorts feature fishing docks for their guests' convenience and enjoyment. The Lake of the Ozarks has made a point of providing top-notch services for anglers for decades. So, if you're planning a trip to the Lake, know that many of the resorts at the Lake cater to anglers and their needs and offer fishing docks, submerged crappie beds and cleaning stations on location. And, as mentioned previously, some have heated fishing docks for comfortable winter fishing as well.

Public launching sites are available in the Lake area's two state parks - Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka State Park - as well as at full-service marinas and resorts around the Lake.  A lot of the same marinas and resorts also offer boat rentals.

Fishing licenses are required for most anglers in Missouri.  Licenses can be purchased at many Lake-area resorts, convenience stores and bait shops. For more information, including all rules and regulations, or to purchase your fishing license online, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation at  www.mdc.mo.gov/permits 

Whether fishing with buddies or family, time spent off the water can be as enjoyable as the time spent fishing. The Lake of the Ozarks, which was named the "Best Recreational Lake" in the Nation by readers of USA Today, has activities and events for every age and interest.  To learn more about these, plus dining and accommodations options, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) at 1-800-FUN-LAKE, or visit the CVB's award-winning website at www.FunLake.com 

Year-Round Fishing at Lake of the Ozarks

If your vacation luggage always includes a tackle box, Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks is the perfect year-round destination for you. The Lake includes 54,000 acres of fish-filled water and is fed by several rivers and their tributaries - the Osage River, the Big and Little Niangua arms, Gravois Arm and Grand Glaize Arm - so there is plenty of fishing fun for everyone. Crappie, bass and catfish are the most common catches, but other species, like walleye and bluegill, await anglers as well. Fishing is fun at the Lake for both serious sport fishers and casual enthusiasts of all age and skill levels. "If you're interested in catching your daily limits of large and small mouth bass, white bass, crappie and catfish, the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks provides a wonderful opportunity to accomplish that. Some of our family's fondest memories were created with one-on-one time fishing with our children," Jim Divincen, administrator for the Lake of the Ozarks Tri-County Lodging Association, said. Anytime is a great time for crappie fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks. Spring means spawning in the shallows at the Lake and nearly everyone can cast a minnow and bobber into the water and catch fish. In the summer, you'll have to fish in deeper waters or try night fishing for the best success. Dock fishing is great in fall, when crappie like to stay in tighter schools near the structures. Don't put away the tackle in the winter, either, as a number of the Lake area's smaller family-owned resorts offer heated fishing docks, perfect for catching crappie when the weather turns cooler. If bass are your target, the Lake of the Ozarks has plenty of largemouth, white and spotted, all of which can be caught year-round. In spring and fall, the Missouri Department of Conservation suggests the use of topwater baits, plastic worms, jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Winter is an excellent time to catch bass by slowly fishing jerkbaits off points or pea gravel banks. Spring and fall bass and crappie tournaments offer big purses, making a fun day on the water very profitable, as well. "We know about catching big fish in Central Missouri. We're blessed to have one of the top fisheries in the entire country here at the Lake of the Ozarks, hosting more than 500 fishing tournaments annually, primarily in the spring and fall," Divincen said. "We're also home to three of the BassMaster Classic Winners, Denny Brauer, the first ever fisherman to be featured on the Wheaties Box, and father and son winners Guido and Dion Hibdon." Channel, blue and flathead catfish all can be found at the Lake of the Ozarks. The best months for catching channel catfish are April through September, according to the Department of Conservation, though blue catfish remain active later into the fall and can be caught year-round.  Blue catfish tend toward the open water, so fishing in the mouths of coves and deep flats brings the best success. To catch channel catfish, keep bait on or near the bottom and stay near the shoreline. Use live bait and stay near large boulders or woody cover to land flathead catfish. The Lake of the Ozarks has made a point of providing top-notch services for anglers for decades. Public launching sites are available in the Lake area's two state parks - Lake of the Ozarks State Park and Ha Ha Tonka State Park - as well as at full-service marinas and resorts around the Lake.  Many of the same marinas and resorts offer boat rentals. Fishing guides make for a relaxing and effortless fishing experience. With one call, you can book these professionals, who will take you to the Lake's fishing "hot spots," and will also provide the boat and all the equipment needed for the excursion. Fishing licenses are required for most anglers in Missouri. For more information, or to apply online, visit the Missouri Department of Conservation at www.mdc.mo.gov/permits. Whether you're fishing with your buddies or your family, your time off the water can be as enjoyable as the time you spend fishing. The Lake of the Ozarks has activities and events for every age and interest.  To learn more about these, plus dining and accommodations options, call the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) at1-800-FUN-LAKE, or visit the CVB's award-winning website at www.FunLake.com.

Guest Blog: Bassing Bob on Fishing in March at Lake of the Ozarks

Fishing at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri during March can be one of the most productive times to enjoy and catch fish. During March the days are getting longer, the water temperatures will be warming up and the fish will be starting to move from their winter time holding areas and their metabolism will start get faster, therefore they will be on the hunt for food.

This winter however, has been one of the coldest in many years, the lake has been frozen for most of February and early March water temperatures are in the mid to upper 30’s, therefore the fishing in early March has been quite difficult to get the bass and crappie to bite. For the most part the bass are mostly on the bottom from 20’-30’ of water, holding inside of deep brush piles or suspended over very deep water, without much indication that they want to eat or move to chase a meal. The  crappie have also been more lethargic than usual for this time of the year, however they seem to be more catchable than the bass in deep brush piles and around dock brush piles.

In fact, many of the bass being caught are being caught on crappie jigs by fisherman fishing for crappie in brush piles. This is certainly an indication that brush piles are holding bass and the bass want their meal to be small and brought to them worked very slowly.

Bass tournaments the early part of March have seen weights being way down.   While it is not unusual to see 5 fish limit weights from 18-22 pounds this time of the year, winning weights have been in the 10-12 pound range, with many tournament anglers being shut out from catching a single fish, including me.

The cold water temperature bite that has been successful has been slow rolling a multi rig bait (ala the Alabama Rig), a rig that has multiple swim baits (3-5 baits) that imitate a small school of shad or bait fish. The successful fisherman have been working this style of rig slowly along the bottom in 15 to 30 feet of water or over the top of brush piles. It should be noted that the State of Missouri regulation for multi-rig baits is a total of 3 hooks, therefore for rigs that have capacity for more than three swim baits, you will need to either attach a spinner to the other wires of the rig or use what is referred to as dummy baits, swim baits with no hooks. These can be attached to the rig with a hitch hiker, a hitch hiker is a small screw like wire that the bait without a hook can be added to the rig.

As the water begins to warm, which it will in March, the bass fishing should really turn on.   As the water temperature starts to reach into the low, to mid and high 40’s which is likely through March, the fish will start to move and want to feed. They will start to feel that spring fever,  just as we do.  However, they also are going to start feeling the urge to spawn and/or get into the spawning areas to pre-stage for the spawn. While the spawn on Lake of the Ozarks does not really start to happen until about mid-late April and into May, the end of March as the water temperatures rise, the fish will start to migrate into the areas in preparation for the spawn.

Lake of the Ozarks Bass Fishing pro’s and experts recently met with BassingBob to discuss March bass fishing on the Lake of the Ozarks, this monthly meeting of experts is video taped each month and can be watched in it’s entirety on www.bassingbob.com. A monthly publication for March can also be found on the same web site.

In summary of the experts meeting, there is a lot of similarity amongst the experts regarding what baits to fish, locations and structure. The experts agree that during March the fish will begin to become more active as the water warms into the 40’s. They suggest fishing in and around secondary points that lead to spawning areas. As the fish are still a bit lethargic, it is key to fish slowly. Brush piles and docks around these areas will also hold catchable fish.   The experts pretty much agree on three primary baits to catch bass, a jerkbait, an Alabama Rig and a bottom bait, like a jig or creature bait. As the water begins to warm, fish should become catchable at the more common strike zone depths of 8’ – 15’ of water.  

The bass will also be found close to bait fish and they will likely be close to deep water but up on the flats and secondary points to feed.   It is often overlook at Lake of the Ozarks, that many fish also spawn on bluff ledges. These are often some of your biggest fish. These are often referred to as river fish, as these fish live full time along the river channels of Lake of the Ozarks. These fish will also start to feed and move more as the water temperatures warm. They will come up along the ledges of bluffs and on main lake points to feed. The baits to catch these fish are the same, a suspending jerk bait, Alabama Rig and bottom bait like a jig or creature bait. The jig/creature baits are very successful on bluff ledges by pulling the bait from ledge to ledge, often the fish will be relating to a drop off of a ledge and the bait will be eaten either as it is falling in front of them or being dragged in the bottom of a ledge. The very best jig and/or creature bait on Lake of the Ozarks is made my Crock-o-Gator Bait Company.

I would also encourage fisherman coming to the lake in March, whether you are an occasional angler or tournament angler, to hire a guide for a half a day or full day. March is a very tricky time of year, especially this year as we have had such severe cold water temperatures. My suggestion is to contact Jack Uxa of Jack’s Guide Service. Jack is a full time guide on the lake, he is the only multi species guide (crappie, bass, catfish, etc.). The Lake of the Ozarks bait and tackle stores are also another great place to find out what the fish are biting on, where to fish for the active fish, ect. My suggestions for bait stores on Lake of the Ozarks are Fitz Fishing, Tackle and Supplies, and Osage Bait and Tackle. Wayne, the owner of Fitz Fishing, is a veteran active tournament fisherman on Lake of the Ozarks and Bill at Osage Bait and Tackle has a great selection of fishing goods and always has an entourage of fishing guides and expert fisherman working at his store.

Finally, for videos, pictures, daily, weekly and monthly fishing reports, check out www.bassingbob.com.

Good fishing everyone.  Please feel free to contact me with questions or send me pics with your fishing report to bob@bassingbob.com.