Editors General Comments: Mar. 30. Two Generators on, Taneycomo is at 707.5 and Table Rock is 912.5 Mar. 28 0530 Two Generators on, Taneycomo is at 707.8 and Table Rock is 912.8. Since the first of the year the days that the water has been off have been few and far between.Since Mar 23 the Tailwater level has not dropped much below 707 and has been as high as 711.
Very little affects the fishing on LakeTaneycomo 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 or click 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 Mar. 30 – 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. 60 fish days and less, depending on how many “pick and rolls” we have or just plain misses! Majority of the fish are in the 13-15 inch range with a few 17-18 inchers each day. The zebra size 18 midges in rust and olive and the size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge, (see “Gary Big Four“) have been the best flies. We’ve had a few opportunities to throw a holographic crackle back or a size 18 dark olive soft hackle in the slack water areas and pick up a few fish on those. Monday, the hot pink micro
Fly Fishing and Spin Fishing By Chartered Waters Guide Service and Fly Shop –Mar. 29…were using the 9′ Silstar spinning rods with #16 gray Razorbacks, tan #16 Mckenna Scuds, brown G-Bugs in #18, Marlins in #18 and #16 and a #18 rust Bit Scud was awesome today too. 5x Rio Fluoroflex Plus fluorocarbon tippet met the fly after 9′ 5X leaders. We fish about 10 – 16′ deep with 2 units running depending on lake depth and we were fishing about 14′ deep today. … switched the spin with the fly and back to the dam we went after a quick casting lesson. More great students with these guys and everyone picked it very quickly and they were quickly catching more fish with the fly rod than they were with the spinning if that was possible. Nothing topped Trey’s 20″er but many 16 – 18″ fish were caught today …
Mar. 26 – I had 2 half days back to back with the same family staying at Trout Hollow. Grandpa Orvis set these up for his daughter and grandchildren and it was Anne (mom) and John (18) in the morning starting with 9′ spinning rods deep drifting #16 gray and black Razorback scuds below a float….Wind wasn’t too bad today and the action kept things warm. Some great fish were caught today. 17 – 18″ rainbows and so fat at the girth I’d guess them to be in the 4 -5 lb range. The afternoon trip included two lovely young ladies, Cassidy (20) and Katie (14).…2 units of water all day long (yet fairly deep…707+) made for a pretty deep offering of bugs under an indicator. The girls got the cold and windy end of the day but hung tough till the end. Good action kept the interest peaked … these fishermen hauled in rainbows pushing 18″ this afternoon using a new black/gray Razorback Scud color combo in #16’s and #14’s (16’s better). The brown G-Bug was back in a #18 with great results. A #16 gray G-Bug (I can’t remember the last time I fished a gray one) was smoking them great as was a #16 rust E-Razorback Scud. A #18 ginger G-Bug caught a few too. The # 18 “Marlin” was very good. … It seemed the grays worked better up by the dam and the browns better down toward Fall Creek? A few bigger fish were hooked and pulled out. Smaller hooks will do that to you occasionally but I’ll take the hundreds of bites vs the dozens using bigger flies.
Gary’s Comments – Mar 29 – At 1200 with 2 generators and a lake level of 707.4 went out for an hour. In two drifts down from the Lookout Hole, the first big hole just downstream from the 21 mile marker, caught 9 Rainbows. Used a flyrod with s strike indicator set at about 7.5 feet, 5x Orvis Mirage and a size 12 Grey Scud pattern tied by Brett Rader. It was tied about 20 inches below a size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge. All the fish caught we caught on the bottom scud. Mar. 27 – At about 1200, as I looked out the window, I noticed a few fish rising down by the dock. Even though they were running about a generator, I though what the heck, and went down to the dock with the fly rod and fished from the dock. Because the fish were rising in shallow water between my dock and my upstream neighbor’s dock, I set up with a small foam indicator, Orvis Mirage 6 x tippet, and a size 16 Red Tungsten Bead Head Midge, from Gary’s Big Four, set at a depth of about 18 inches. Cast directly up stream to where the fish were rising and, as the midge drifted back stripped in line so I could maintain line control and set the hook on the strike. Caught about 8 in 35 minutes with three in the 14-16 inch range. Not being the best fly caster in the world, the wind blowing directly into my face made things a little more complicated than they probably should have been but, for the most part I just cast in between “gusts.” In any event, it was a blast and a great way to transition from the stress of reading the paper into nap mode.
Guide Bob Klein: Mar.27 – Bob Klein, of “Bob’s Guide Service“ says that 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
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.
Get Your Lake Taneycomo Questions Answered:Bob, Gary, Brett, and Stan will be monitoring the Outdoor Activities Forum on the Branson.Com Message Board . If you have any fishing questions on LakeTaneycomo just ask.Use the word “Taneycomo” in the Search Function and enter it in all your posts so they’ll show up.
