Fishing Report

by John Neporadny, jnoutdoors.com

The Fishing Report

Your guide to catching fish at LOZ!

The lake level was 657.0, generation of 1,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) throughout the week for a level of 657.2 by the weekend. Surface temperature at Bagnell Dam was 46 degrees. Truman Lake was at the 706.3 level.

To Note: The Lower Lake is from the dam to the 22mile mark; Mid-Lake is from the 22- to 44-mile mark, the Upper Osage is from the 44-mile mark to the Route 65 Bridge.

Tournament Results: Steve Varner and Eric Dearduff won the Boat WRX Winter Bass Challenge last Saturday with five bass weighing 21.31 pounds.

Bagnell Dam spillway/Osage River

Water clarity: Clear. Black bass: Fair on jigs, Alabama rigs and jerkbaits along steep rocky banks. Crappie: Good on jigs and minnows along current breaks. Walleye: Good on swimbaits and minnows along current breaks.

Lower Lake

Water clarity: Clear. Black bass: Fair on Alabama rigs, swimbaits, jerkbaits and jigs in pockets and windy banks in coves. Crappie: Good on jerkbaits and jigs 10 to 20 feet deep along main lake points.

Gravois

Water clarity: Clear. Black bass: Fair on jerkbaits, jigs and crankbaits along channel banks in creeks, main and secondary points and brush piles around shad schools. Crappie: Good on jerkbaits and jigs along channel banks in creeks or suspended 3 to 20 feet deep in open water or around docks.

Mid-Lake

Water clarity: Stained. Black bass: Good on jerkbaits and Alabama rigs along 45-degree banks. Crappie: Excellent shooting jigs under docks on the main lake and in coves or on jerkbaits over brush piles.

Grand Glaize

Water clarity: Clear. Black bass: Fair on jerkbaits along 45-degree banks. Crappie: Good on jigs for fish suspended 7 to 12 feet deep around docks.

Niangua

Water clarity: Clear. Black bass: Slow on suspending stickbaits and finesse jigs along docks on main lake points and channel swings. Crappie: Slow on minnows 6 to 10 feet deep in brush.

Upper Osage

Water clarity: Stained. Black bass: Fair on jerkbaits and jigs along steep banks in creeks. Crappie: Good on jig and cork setups over brush piles 6 to 12 feet deep.

Truman Dam spillway

Water clarity: Muddy. Crappie: Good on jigs in the dead water channel. White bass: Good on jigs in the dead water channel. Walleye: Fair on jigs along the rock riprap

Sources Guide Alfred Chapman (573-465-3810), www.lakeozarkfishingguideservice.com; Big Ed’s Guide Service (573-692-6710) www.bigedsguideservice.com; Guide Jack Uxa (573-4342570) www.lakeoftheozarksfishingguide.com; Guide John Blankenbeker (573-280-1455); Guide Terry Blankenship (573480-2835); Guide Jim Dill (573-204-9005) www.jamesdillguideservice.com; Fitz Fishing (573-693-9299); Bryants Osage Outdoors (573-374-2278); Casey Scanlon (913-449-3176) and Cody’s Bait & Tackle (660-723-5115). Tournament Results— Thanks to www.bassingbob.com.