Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report for Apr. 6

Editors General Comments: Apr. 4 – 0600 Two generators on, Taneycomo is 707.7 and Table Rock 912.2. Were I a betting man I would estimate that is the level it will be held at for the rest of the day. Apr. 03 0530 Zero generators on, Taneycomo is at 701.6 and Table Rock at 912.3. Yesterday they put two on at about 0600 and held it at about 705.6 all day. During the week, because Empire Electric, Southwest Power Administration, and the City of Branson are working together to keep the Lake at about 701or less at the Branson Landing construction site in Branson, you can figure on about two generators and a level of 707-708 at the dam. According to recent news articles this will be the case for about two months.I guess we’ll see. Note: At 0600, even as this was being written they turned two on and the Lake is on its way back up.

Very little affects the fishing on Lake Taneycomo like the generation of power at the Table Rock Dam. Call 417-336-5083 for up to the moment information on generation and lake levels orclick here.

Trophy Trout Area: Special Regulations apply to the Trophy Trout Area running from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Click here for an overview of these regulations.

Fly Fishing Only by River Run Outfitters – Apr. 6 – With the water staying pretty constant, the fish are holding up in the normal high water places. We have had trips on the water every day and fishing has been very good. Saturday and Sunday they held the water at 705.5 or so and we were able to wade. Fishing was very good on red or hot pink San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers. Had to get the worms deep and they were taking the woolly on the drift or at the end on the swing. We were casting the woollies cross current, had one #1 split shot on about 16-18 inches up. Mending, and letting drift with the current. Actually caught very few stripping the woolly. Everyone caught 20-30 fish each afternoon. Nice fish from 14-18 inches. During the week, with the water at 707.7 or so and fishing out of the boats, we have done well on the zebra size 18 midges in rust and olive and the red size 16 red tunghead have been the best flies. Several 17 to 18 inch fish caught this past week.

Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop .-.Apr. 3 …Today 2 units were running at 705.4 feet high…We caught a few but decided to fish the edges with a lighter set up, smaller flies and floats, less weight and a little more shallow. Great action there too and some more quality fish caught as well approaching the 18″ mark. That was fun, even doing a little sight casting when we saw a target and were able to shoot one far enough ahead to get it in his zone. Black Soft Shelled Scuds were so good drifting deep and shallow. #16’s shallow and up to #12’s deep. B-52’s and Marlins were great. We caught a few on a 2-Smidge and a ginger/wine Crown Zebra on the edges. Black Soft Shelled either straight or UV versions are like candy….

Gary‘s Comments – Apr 3 – At 1100 with 2 generators on and a lake level of 707.5 went out for about an hour and a half.Drifted down from the Lookout Hole, the first big hole just downstream from the 21 mile marker, caught 12 Rainbows. Used a fly rod with s strike indicator set at about 6 feet with one BB shot about two feet up from the fly and 5x Orvis Mirage. Used a 100th ounce River Run Peach Fur Bug from Gary’s Big Four in the deeper water and a size 14 MiracleScud (Brown Flashback) in the shallower water.

Guide Bob Klein of “Bob’s Guide Service” – Apr. 3 – Things are still pretty much the same, the water flow has been steady and the fishing good to excellent. From Fall Creek to Short Creek use night crawlers and minnows. From Short Creek to Branson drift bubblegum and white power bait or night crawlers. From Branson to Rockaway Beach drift bubblegum power bait. As always, the following standard default techniques are producing fish:

Water Off Conditions (not generating power from Table Rock Dam) – Air injected night crawlers or Orange and Chartreuse Power Eggs, with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip. Fish them off the bottom with no heavier than 4 pound leader, size 8 or smaller hooks, and just enough split shot to cast. Place the shot so that the bait floats 12-18 inches off the bottom. Spin-A-Lures and Little Cleos have been working well.

Water On Conditions – Orange and Chartreuse Power eggs with the Chartreuse on shank of hook and the Orange on tip, white Power Eggs, bubble gum power bait, or inflated night crawlers bounced off the bottom using the standard “Lake Taneycomo Drift Rig.” which is readily available at all Marinas and most resorts on the Lake.

An excellent place to get your Lake Taneycomo Questions answered, or any question relating to the fishing and other outdoor topics in the Branson area, is the “Branson Outdoors Activities Forum” which is monitored by your editor and other local outdoor enthusiasts.