Fishing

Fish from the bank

Fishing 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 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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FISHING Paddlefish season begins March 15

Snagging waters include Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Reservoir, Table Rock Lake.

Provided by MDC

Imagine catching a giant, prehistoric fish whose ancestors swam during the time of dinosaurs. That is a reality for thousands of paddlefish snaggers during Missouri’s annual spring paddlefish snagging season.

Paddlefish -- named for their large, paddle-shaped snouts -- are an ancient species that can grow to seven feet and weight more than 100 pounds.

According to MDC, the state’s major paddlefish snagging waters include Lake of the Ozarks, Harry S.

Truman Reservoir, and Table Rock Lake. A fishing permit is required, unless exempt. The daily limit is two paddlefish, and the possession limit is four. No person shall continue to snag after taking a daily limit of two paddlefish on these waters. This regulation is new for

Table Rock Lake.

The paddlefish snagging season for these and most other waters in the state runs March 15 through April 30. The season for the Mississippi River is March 15 through May 15 with a fall season of Sept. 15 through

Dec. 15.

A new regulation change established a statewide minimum length limit of 32 inches -- measured from eye to fork of tail -- for sport/recreational taking of paddlefish, up from the previous minimum length of 24 inches for most areas of the state.

The existing minimum length limit of 34 inches -- measured from eye to fork of tail -- will remain in effect for Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake, Harry S. Truman Reservoir, and their tributaries.

All paddlefish under the legal minimum length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. MDC offers these tips: • Use landing nets, not gaffs, which can kill young fish. • Wet hands before handling fish and avoid excessive handling. • Never put fingers in the gills or eyes. • Remove hooks carefully and get undersized fish back into the water as quickly as possible.

Extracted paddlefish eggs may not be possessed while on waters of the state or adjacent banks and may not be transported. Paddlefish eggs may not be bought, sold, or offered for sale.

Learn more about paddlefish, snagging regulations, snagging reports, and more at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/ fishing/species/paddlefish.