Table Rock Lake, MO

[John Harper]

I guess maybe I should post this in the Other Destinations, but not sure if it will get read.

Spending Thanksgiving week with my sister at TRL and St. Louis. They have a downstream trout fishery below the dam at TRL, with rainbows and browns I think. Possibly some tributary streams maybe with trout as well (I hope).

Has anyone been there or have any information for me? My sister's neighbor has fished there, so I will have some G2 on the area. Hope to bring the gear along if worth it.

She's got a big fast boat too, but it might be put away for the winter. More of a wakeboard style boat though.

John

[WanderingBlues]

I graduated high school near there. Beautiful lake with limestone bluffs. I used to throw spin baits for smallies and spotted bass and they were plentiful. Don't recall trout that much.

[tomsakai]

I graduated high school near there.

I knew there was something strange about you! Our daughter is going to Mizzou. She's getting strange too.

[WanderingBlues]

Watch Children of the Corn and you'll know.

[John Harper]

Yes, she has a place out on a point, perhaps I'll break out the old spin gear from shore.

John

[Jimbo Roberts]

Table Rock is a famous Smallmouth and Largemouth Fishery. If the boat is available use it. Or go to Lake Taneycomo and chase some of the huge Browns and Rainbows there. If you want to wade fish in Arkansas: the White, Little Red, Norkork , below Broken Bow in Oklahoma, or the numerous small creeks in southern Missouri. Go get them.

Jimbo

[John Harper]

I'm only there a couple days, then up to San Luis. I'll definitely do some research on those areas. It is a giant lake, holy cow.

John

[Jimbo Roberts]

Yeap, there are a bunch of big lakes in the Ozarks. Table Rock has been the site of many of the early BASS Tournaments. In the clear water lakes up there topwater fishing can be off the hook this time of year. My friends Billy and Bobby Murray made their reputations fishing those lakes.....
http://www.bassmaster.com/tips/first-cl ... s-topwater
Now this is conventional tackle but when Bass are on top or close to the surface flyfishing for Bass is just as easy and productive. Then again I also love throwing a Zara Spook and walking the dog myself. I spent many days back in the 80's and 90's tournament fishing. My favorite 2 lakes are Amistad and Falcon. You want to catch a 10ber you have a real good shot in those lakes. I fished a tournament at Falcon one year, we had a 5 fish limit that weighed 28lb and we came in 8th. The winner had 5 fish that weighed 42lbs. Then again I digress.....

Jimbo

[WadeK]

Where abouts on TRL? I have relatives in the area that could probably give good advice based on what section of the lake. I know typically the fall pattern is for the fish to move up into creek arms until the 1st hard freeze. Then they drop back to points near the mouths of those creeks and sit deep. Let me know the area you'll be and I'll see what I can come up with.

Tight lines,
Wade

[John Harper]

Where abouts on TRL? I have relatives in the area that could probably give good advice based on what section of the lake. I know typically the fall pattern is for the fish to move up into creek arms until the 1st hard freeze. Then they drop back to points near the mouths of those creeks and sit deep. Let me know the area you'll be and I'll see what I can come up with.

Tight lines,
Wade

She's south of Kimberling City, south of the bridge. Pokeberry Lane, Lampe, MO. Her house is out on a point, looks like a couple of bends in the lake and you can be near Table Rock Dam. I know the Taneycomo has browns and bows, there is a hatchery at the dam.

John

[Swanee]

This is a great time of year to be there. Anglers & Archery Outfitters took my wife and I out for some great sight fishing for big fish. I highly recommend the owner there. He has the best eyesight of any guide I've fished with and it amazes me how he can be succesful in an area that sees so many anglers.
If you get into the Bass Pro Shop in Branson, look up the manager of the Gun Dept. His name is Matt P. and is an old friend from Bakersfield and also a fly fisherman. He fishes at night on the full moon from 9:30 to 2 in the morning with big streamers. He usually knows what's going on around there.
Swanee

[John Harper]

Great information. My sister is kind of the black sheep, she does not like fishing. I must have dropped her on her head when she was a baby. I'll get ahold of the Anglers and Archery Outfitters. Not sure how much time I have there for guide fishing. I definitely am going to find out more, she's likely to retire there. Might have to convince her to have a speedboat and a fishing boat. Never know when guests will stop by, you know.

John

[WadeK]

Looks like she's just East of the 13. Gene says the 13 and 39 are where he roughly puts the Large Mouth vs Small Mouth lines. East of 13 is LM mostly. West of 39 is SM mostly. Between 13 and 39 is a pretty even mix. He's been getting some nice LM's on Shad based Crankbaits that dive to 10'. Unfortunately he doesn't FF. He suggested going to the creek arm off the SW bend downstream of her. Check the Nature Trails Road area.
As for "Might have to convince her to have a speedboat and a fishing boat." A nice Bass boat will get going pretty darn fast and you can (horror of horrors) ski behind one if the driver doesn't rip your arms off. She's close to Flippin AR, where Ranger Bass boats (the gold standard) are made.

Tight lines,
Wade

[John Harper]

Well, Table Rock Lake was pretty cool. In fact, freezing cool. Temperature never got above 31 degrees all day on Tuesday. I did check out the dam, dam visitor center, and the fish hatchery on the Taneycomo. Saw some huge rainbow broodstock and a few off duty guides fishing the tailwater of the hatchery. The lake is absolutely beautiful and looks extremely fishy, going to have to make another visit when a bit warmer.

It was so cold Wednesday there was steam mist coming off the lake and frozen seeps from the limestone formations everywhere that looked like terrestrial icicles. Drove into Branson and saw the Archery and Angler outfitters, but did not stop.

John

[philosofisher]

Crap! I've been doing a bad job of checking the boards, and now I am too late. But yes, John, someone on the board has fished TRL and Taneycomo. Someone on the board even lived on TRL throughout high school, in Kimberling City, and if you haven't guessed it by now, that someone is me! (Coincidence: while you were in my old stomping grounds I was passing by your current stomping grounds on my way to San Diego).

I'm afraid I wouldn't have been a lot of help in any case. I wasn't fishing during most my life in MO, and I only started fly fishing in my last two years there. As Jimbo noted, TRL is a terrific bass fishery, but you would have had a hard time realizing that this time of year, especially if trying to fly fish.

I fished Taneycomo a number of times before moving without much success. Recently, however, someone caught a 20 pound rainbow: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20131128/LIFE06/311280027/.

Had I checked the boards in time, I might have actually steered you toward Crane, about 30 miles north of Kimberling City, to fish Crane Creek. It's a small creek but it holds some nice size fish and it has a fascinating history that connects to CA. McClouds were introduced there near the turn of the 20th Century by railroad workers. Though it's a matter of some controversy whether or not it is a pure strain of McCloud that still reside there, locals still claim they are. In any case, they're awesome looking fish regardless. It's one of my favorite places. (I have some pics of it in the Introduce Yourself section of the forum).

I'll be going back to MO for the holidays. I plan on fishing the North Fork of the White and doing some cold weather camping with my friends (probably would have been too much a jaunt for you, but IMO it is the best fly fishing in the state). I'd like to make it to Crane too if the fish aren't spawning, but we'll see if time permits. I'm glad to hear you thought the lake and surrounding areas were beautiful. I miss it tremendously.