FISHING by John Neporandy, www.jnoutdoors.com
Fish from the bank
F
ishing from a boat allows you to cover a lot more of the Lake of the Ozarks’ 1,150 miles of shoreline but you can also find some good areas to fish from the bank. When conducting seminars on fishing Lake of the Ozarks, I have frequently been asked if the Lake has any good bank-fishing places. While most of the property around the Lake is privately owned, there are still some public areas which offer good fishing during certain times of the year for anglers who can’t afford to buy or rent a boat or hire a guide. The most convenient area to fish if you don’t have access to a boat is the dock of the resort of condominium where you are staying. The owners or caretakers of the property cater to their fishing guests by sinking brush piles near the docks and baiting the area with alfalfa or hay to attract minnows and baitfish, which draws in gamefish. These docks offer good fishing year-round for bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill and carp. The Lake also has numerous acres of public land, although a long walk might be required to reach the best bank-fishing spots. Most of the Lake’s public land is in the Lake of the Ozarks State Park. This area offers plenty of opportunities to fish from the bank, but you will probably have to do some hiking to avoid the crowds. Ha Ha Tonka State Park is another public area where you can catch a variety of fish from the bank. Largemouth bass, white bass, hybrid striped bass and walleye congregate in the March 11 - 24, 2022
pool where the Ha Ha Tonka spring waters flow into the Lake. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) access areas usually hold bass and crappie year-round. Bass favor the rock riprap next to the boat ramps and around the courtesy docks while crappie hang around the sunken brush piles near the courtesy docks. The MDC areas also have fishing docks for handicapped anglers, which are loaded with sunken brush. MDC access sites providing bank-fishing opportunities include the Gravois Mills Access off State Highway 5 in Gravois Mills; Coffman Beach Public Access on Lake Road Y-20 near Rocky Mount; Shawnee Bend Access off State Route TT near Sunrise Beach; Larry Gale Access off Lake Road AA-101D near Roach; Brown Bend Access off Lake Road FF-14 near Climax Springs; and Wigwam School Access off Lake Road 135-12 on Ivy Bend. The best year-round spot to catch fish from the bank is the spillway below Bagnell Dam on either the north or south bank of the Osage River. Fishing is allowed the full length of the spillway, except above the orange restriction line close to the dam. The spillway area is home to walleye, white bass and hybrids, crappie, bass and catfish. The best action for most species usually occurs when water is being released from the dam Call the Ameren Lake level information at 573365-9205 to find out which days the dam will be releasing water. You can fish at the Lake of the Ozarks without leaving the bank if you try these areas on your next fishing trip.
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VACATION NEWS 13
