Missouri fishing report 9-18-08

CENTRAL REGION (573) 882-8388

LAKES

Binder: 79 degrees, high, dingy; channel catfish good on liver and stinkbaits; bluegill fair on river worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Bagnell Tailwater): 76 degrees, high, dingy; white bass good on light-colored soft plastics or Rooster Tails; black bass slow with some success using worms; crappie fair on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish fair using whole shad, cut shad, worms and stinkbaits. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Glaize): 78 degrees, high, dingy; white bass slow with some success on light-colored soft plastics or light-colored Rooster Tails; black bass slow with some success on worms and crankbaits; crappie slow with some success on minnows and crappie jigs; catfish fair using whole shad, cut shad or stinkbaits. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Gravois): 78 degrees, high, dingy; crappie slow with some success on minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Niangua): 78 degrees, high, dingy; black bass fair using topwater lures in early morning or at dusk using jig & pig; crappie good; catfish good using live baits or stinkbaits on trotlines; white bass fair trolling with Shad Raps or shad imitations. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Lake of the Ozarks (Osage): 78 degrees, dingy; black bass fair using topwater lures in early morning or at dusk using jig & pig; crappie good; catfish good using live baits or stinkbaits on trotlines; white bass fair trolling with Shad Raps or shad imitations. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Little Dixie: 79 degrees, high, dingy; largemouth bass fair on topwater lures; bluegill fair on worms; all other species slow; area is closed to all activity including fishing from 10:00pm to 4:00am. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

RIVERS

Lamine: 78 degrees, high, muddy; flood stage;all species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Missouri (Middle): 79 degrees, high, muddy; flood stage, all species slow.  (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Osage (lower, at Tuscumbia): 76 degrees, dingy; catfish good on cut baits; crappie fair using minnows and jigs; white bass fair on spinnerbaits when Lake of the Ozarks is releasing water; black bass slow with some success on dark purple and green plastic worms. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

KANSAS CITY REGION (816) 655-6254

LAKES

James A. Reed Area: 67 degrees, dingy; largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and redear sunfish fair; channel catfish good on nightcrawlers and cut baits in moving water. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Montrose: 73 degrees, high, dingy; catfish fair; crappie and black bass slow; all other species slow; fishing pressure light. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Schell-Osage (Atkinson Lake): 72 degrees, high, dingy; catfish and crappie good; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Schell-Osage (Schell Lake): 71 degrees, high, dingy; catfish and crappie good; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Smithville: 69 degrees, high, dingy; catfish good using nightcrawlers in the shallows; largemouth bass slow with some success using Brush Hogs and spinnerbaits near vegetation; walleye fair using minnows, worms, leeches and running crankbaits along points and flats; white bass fair using top water lures and Rattle Traps; crappie slow with some success using minnows and jigs in brush piles and bridge pillars; Smithville Lake Spillway: all species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Truman: 73 degrees, high, dingy; black bass good on plastic worms; catfish fair on trotlines using cut shad; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Truman Tailwaters: 73 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

RIVERS

Missouri River: high, muddy; catfish good using shad sides on trotlines and jug lines. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

NORTHEAST REGION (660) 785-2420

LAKES

Hunnewell: 67 degrees, normal, clear; channel catfish good on prepared baits; largemouth bass fair on crankbaits; bluegill fair on crickets and red worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Long Branch: 70 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish fair on leeches, nightcrawlers and stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Mark Twain: 70 degrees, high, muddy; crappie fair on jigs and minnows; channel catfish good on cut shad; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Sever: 73 degrees, high, muddy; crappie good on jigs; channel catfish good on dip baits; largemouth bass good on topwater lures; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Thomas Hill: 69 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie fair on minnows and jigs; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers; largemouth bass good on topwater lures; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

RIVERS

Mississippi (above St. Louis): 67 degrees, normal, muddy; channel catfish good on stinkbaits and nightcrawlers; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Salt (below Mark Twain): 68 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

NORTHWEST REGION (816) 271-3111

LAKES

Bilby Ranch Lake: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; crappie good over deep brush; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Mozingo: 70 degrees, normal, dingy; all species fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Paho: 67 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Pony Express: 68 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish good on worms; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

RIVERS

Grand: 76 degrees, falling, muddy; all species good. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Missouri (below Iowa line): 75 degrees, normal, dingy; flathead catfish good on live baits and worms; channel catfish good on dip baits and worms; blue catfish fair on cut baits; carp good on corn. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

OZARK REGION (417) 255-9561

LAKES

Bull Shoals (East): 70 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Norfork: 69 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

RIVERS

Big Piney (lower, Pulaski Co.): 70 degrees, high, muddy; no fishing activity to report; river is flooded. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Big Piney (Upper): 71 degrees, normal, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Bryant Creek: 66 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Current: 75 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Eleven Point: 60 degrees, normal, dingy; rainbow trout good on corn; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Gasconade (middle, Pulaski Co.): 72 degrees, high, muddy; no fishing activity to report; river is flooded. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Gasconade (upper): 67 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Jack’s Fork: high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

North Fork: 64 degrees, high, muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

SOUTHEAST REGION (573) 290-5858

LAKES

Clearwater Lake: 78 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Council Bluff: normal, clear; channel catfish fair on chicken liver; black bass fair on topwater lures and dark colored soft plastics during low light hours; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Cypress Lake: normal, dingy; fishing pressure light; all species slow; during teal season, September 6 to 21, lake closed to fishing until 1:00pm. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Duck Creek: 71 degrees, clear; bluegill good on crickets; black bass good on topwater lures. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Lake Girardeau: 79 degrees, clear; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Perry County Lake: 72 degrees, rising, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Robert DeLaney Lake: normal, channel catfish fair on natural baits and stinkbaits; bluegill and crappie fair on natural baits and jigs; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Wappapello: black bass good on crankbaits; crappie fair on minnows and jigs along the river channel; channel catfish fair on nightcrawlers and live baits on trotlines and jug lines at night; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

RIVERS

Black River (near Annapolis): 70 degrees, high, dingy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Castor River (above Zalma): normal, clear; all species fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Mississippi (below Charleston): rising, channel catfish and blue catfish fair on natural baits on pole & line and jug lines; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

St. Francis (above Wappapello): high, dingy; channel catfish good on large minnows; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

St. Francis (below Wappapello): 78 degrees, normal, dingy; channel catfish and flathead catfish good on trotlines and pole & line using stinkbaits or worms; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

SOUTHWEST REGION (417) 895-6881

LAKES

Bull Shoals (West): 75-78 degrees, high, clear; black bass good on spinnerbaits and jigs; walleye fair on jerkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Lake Taneycomo: 60 degrees, high, dingy; upper lake: trout fair on orange/chartreuse glo balls and black/chrome or blue/chrome Rapalas; lower lake:  trout fair on chartreuse/orange colored Power Baits. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

Pomme de Terre: 76 degrees, normal, dingy; black bass fair on plastic baits; crappie fair on jigs and minnows around structure 5 to 15 feet deep; white bass fair trolling white jigs close to surface; catfish fair on trotlines using cut baits and crayfish; walleye slow with some success trolling with crankbaits. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Stockton: 79 degrees, high, clear; bluegill good on worms and crickets; black bass good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits; crappie fair on minnows; walleye fair on crankbaits and nightcrawlers; catfish fair on cut shad or nightcrawlers. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Table Rock (James River arm): 74 degrees, high, muddy; water levels very high and muddy; all species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Table Rock (main lake): 74 degrees, high, clear; black bass and bluegill fair. (Report made on 9/17/2008)

RIVERS

Big Niangua: 77 degrees, all species fair; river currently 3 feet high and very muddy. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

James River (lower): 76 degrees, high, clear; all species fair. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

ST. LOUIS REGION (636) 300-1953

LAKES

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lake 33: 71 degrees, rising, muddy; black bass good; bluegill fair; channel catfish good on stinkbaits; all other species slow; catfish limit: 4; please remove litter. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes 3, 4, 5, 7, and 24: 70 degrees, rising, dingy; channel catfish good on stinkbaits; all other species fair; catfish limit: 4; please remove litter.
(Report made on 9/18/2008)

RIVERS
Big River: 70 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish fair on worms and stinkbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Bourbeuse (middle, lower, Franklin Co.): 70 degrees, high, dingy; channel catfish fair on cut baits, blood baits and worms; all other species slow with some success on worms. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Meramec (above Sullivan, Crawford Co.): 70 degrees, high, muddy; river is in flood stage. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Meramec (below Eureka): 70 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish fair on shad and cutbaits; all other species slow. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Missouri (below New Haven): 77 degrees, high, muddy; channel catfish fair on natural baits; all other species fair. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

TROUT PARKS

Bennett Spring State Park: 54 degrees, high, muddy; due to recent rains water has risen about 12 inches above normal and is very off colored; flow is strong:  successful lures and baits include: dry flies (#12 crackleback and # 18 griffiths gnat); jigs (black and yellow); mini-jigs (bedspread and John Deere); glo balls (original tri-color and white); also successful are Rooster Tails, red brassies, orange and pink Power Baits and orange and white plastic worms.
For current streamflow information check the streamflow gauge provided by USGS and DNR: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/uv/?site_no=06923500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060  (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Maramec Spring Park: 58 degrees, rising, water is a little high and murky; bright colors good; white and yellow baits and lures, green plastic legged jigs and worms working well. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Montauk State Park: 58 degrees, stream is slightly above normal and a little off color; fishing is good; use light line no heavier than 2 pound test for best results; in the fly zone: small dry flies, mini jigs and glo balls have been producing good numbers of fish; check at the lodge for the best colors and sizes; in the bait area: plastic eggs, worms and Power Baits in various colors have been working well; try drifting baits beneath a bobber with or without a sinker. (Report made on 9/18/2008)

Roaring River State Park: 58 degrees, the river flow is high and dingy, with no more rain in the forecast the water should gradually become more clear; plastic eggs, worms and marabou jigs are working well in zone 1; use more weight with swift water; check local fly shops for flies that are working well. For current or detailed information call 417-847-2430.
(Report made on 9/18/2008)