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Bank
Fishing At
Lake of the Ozarks
.
by
John Neporadny Jr.
Fishing from a boat allows
you to cover a lot more of
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
for my guide service, I was frequently 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 available 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 or condominium where you're 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 the gamefish. These docks offer good fishing year-round for bass,
crappie, catfish, bluegill and carp. During the spring, you can catch spawning
crappie and bass in the shallows behind or along the sides of the docks. These
fish also migrate to the shallow brush and behind the docks in the fall. During
summer, you can catch bass and crappie from the deeper brush piles off the end
of the docks. Working a plastic worm through brush piles 15 to 20 feet deep
around the resort docks at night offers bank anglers their best chance to catch
a big bass during the summer. Crappie can also be taken from the brush piles
under the dock lights at night. Tight-lining a variety of baits off these docks
produces plenty of channel catfish both during the day and at night. If you want
to have some fun fighting a big fish, drop a doughball in front of any carp you
see cruising the shallows.
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 bank fishing opportunities, but you'll probably
have to do some hiking to avoid the crowds. You can catch bass and crappie in
the coves during the spring, especially in the shallow brush piles and lay-down
logs along pea gravel banks. Catfish can also be taken from these same areas
when the fish move into the shallows to spawn in June. During the rest of the
summer, your best bet is to find areas close to deep water, such as along bluffs
or main lake drop-offs. Bluff pockets are ideal spots for bank anglers to catch
bass, crappie and catfish in the summertime.
HaHa
Tonka
State Park
is another public area where you can catch a variety of fish from the bank. In
early spring, largemouth bass, white bass, hybrid-striped bass and walleye
congregate in the pool where the HaHa Tonka spring waters flow into the lake.
The water next to the walking trail along the south bank of HaHa Tonka Cove has
brush piles and milfoil weeds, which hold plenty of bass and crappie in the
spring.
Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC) access areas usually hold bass year-round, especially in the
rock rip rap next to the boat ramps and around the courtesy docks. Sunken brush
piles in these areas also offer good crappie fishing in the spring when the fish
move shallow to spawn. Some of these areas also have docks set up for
handicapped anglers, which are loaded with sunken brush. MDC access sites
providing some bank fishing opportunities include the Gravois Mills Access off
State Highway 5 in Gravois Mills, Coffman Beach Public Access on Lake Road
Y-20-20 near
Rocky Mount
, the Shawnee Bend Access off State Route TT near
Sunrise
Beach
, and the Larry Gale Access off Lake Road AA--101D near Roach. Creeks flowing
into the
Lake of the Ozarks
can also be good areas to catch fish without a boat, especially in the
springtime when white bass make spawning runs up the streams. Before I started
guiding, I would wade the creeks and catch limits of white bass and some hefty
hybrids during the spawning runs in late April and early May. Access to these
streams is usually along a county road or state highway. Some of the better
spots to wade for spawning white bass in the springtime are the Gravois and
Little Gravois creeks, the swinging bridges area on the Grand Glaize Creek and
the State Route J bridge area on the Little Niangua River. The best year-round
spot to catch fish from the bank is the spillway below Bagnell Dam. American
Legion Post 229 owns the land on the south spillway bank and charges a fee to
fish there, while the AmerenUE power company owns the north bank where fishing
is free. Fishing is allowed the full length of the spillway, except in the area
above the orange restriction line close to the dam. In the early spring, you can
catch walleye when these tasty fish make a spawning run into the tailrace area.
White
bass and hybrids also migrate to the dam to spawn later in the spring. Crappie
remain in the rock riprap all year, but the best seasons to catch them are
spring and fall. Catfishing is good in the area throughout the warm months. The
best action for most species usually occurs when water is being released from
the dam. Call the AmerenUE lake level information number (365-9205) to find out
which days the dam will be releasing water. You can catch fish at
Lake of the Ozarks
without leaving the bank if you try these areas the next time you visit the
lake.
For
information on lodging and other facilities at the
Lake of the Ozarks
or to receive a free 152-page vacation guide, call the Lake of the Ozarks
Convention & Visitors Bureau at 1-800-FUN-LAKE or visit the Lake of the
Ozarks Convention and Visitors Bureau web site at funlake.com.
Copies of John Neporadny's
book, "THE Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide" area available by calling
573/365-4296 or visiting the web site www.jnoutdoors.com.
[ Up ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Bass Bunch Up In February ] [ Prime Time Crappie Fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks ] [ White Bass Runs Are Springtime Barrel of Fun ] [ Topwater Time At Lake of the Ozarks ] [ Bank Fishing At Lake of the Ozarks ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Is Great Place For Beginners ] [ Lake of the Ozarks Offers Plenty of Action After Dark ] [ Catching Fall Bass At Lake of the Ozarks ] [ Fall Tricks for Taking Lake of the Ozarks White Bass ] [ Tracking Fall Crappie Migration Route at the Lake of the Ozarks ] [ Winter Spots to Catch Lake of the Ozarks Crappie ]
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