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Our generation schedule here on Lake Taneycomo has been almost exactly the same every day for the month of August with very few exceptions.  The water is off every morning, while generation starts about 1 p.m. continuing until dark or after.  The flow is dictated by how hot it is on that day, meaning how much generation is needed to produce electricity.  So that being said, as fall temperatures arrive, we should see slower flows in the afternoon.  But I don't think the pattern of no generation in the mornings will change.
Our lake temperature is about 53 degrees while the dissolved oxygen content has plummeted to two parts per million (raw water coming through the turbines.)  This is normal for this time of year.  Liquid oxygen is injected into the turbines during generation, bringing the DO levels up to five ppm-plus.  This will continue until Table Rock "turns over" later in December.
While fishing Friday morning, I took water readings just above the Narrows in the trophy area and found the DO to be five ppm and the temperature 55 degrees.  I also found the trout I caught very strong and active.
There are reports that good-sized brown trout have arrived at the hatchery outlets below the dam.  This brown trout run should continue through the month of October, and with low lake levels in the system, we should see a lot of down water for ideal fly fishing conditions through the run this year.
Very good catches of browns and rainbows have been reported on stripping sculpin flies, wooly buggers, cracklebacks and soft hackles, as well as midges and scuds.  Egg flies should start showing up on the top of our lists for good flies to use later in September.  For night fly fishing, stripping a PMS, sculpins, leaches and other streamers should be hot for weeks to come.  Also use a glow indicator and a black mega worm or a black 1/50th ounce jig under it.
In and out of the trophy area, when the water is off, we're using a mop fly or mega worm in white, cream and peach under a float and good catching some nice browns as well as rainbows.  Also, the 50th-ounce black jig is out-producing most other colors of jigs, even in still, clear conditions.  The Zebra Midge is working most of the time under a float.  Good colors are black with red rib, red flash with red rib and root beer with black rib, all with a black tungsten head.  But there's a midge that's doing very well and that's the "snow cone" midge.  It's a white head and fished with black/red rib or black with gold rib.  Use size, but #18 to #20 in still condition and #14 to #16 if there's a chop.  Use 7x fluorocarbon tippet in most conditions, but if the water is running you can go to 6x.
Scuds are working fair when the water is off and good with it running.  The Provo rig is our guides' choice to drift flies.  Fish an egg and a scud combo with the scud on the bottom.
We usually get a fair topwater bite in the fall, and after a very good cicada bite in June, I thought this year our trout would be looking up more than past years.  I believe I’m right!
We’re seeing a lot of activity on top lately, along the banks and out in the middle of the lake.  And we’re also a good number of takes using hoppers, cicadas, beetles, ants and other terrestrial flies.  This bite should continue through October.
You can also drift a scud using a spin cast.  I just tie the fly at the end of the line and add a split shot 18 inches above it.  The size of the split shot depends on how much water is running.  Use two- or four-pound line.  And use a #14 to #18 size scud.
Drifting below the trophy area has been pretty good lately, especially down at Monkey Island.  I've found a good number of rainbows down there eager to eat.  I've used both Power Eggs (pink) and night crawlers and have done exceptionally well when the water is running.  I've also used minnows up in the area of the resort and caught some nice rainbows.  Use four-pound line.
Our guides have been catching big trout on jerk baits early and late in the day.  They are starting before daylight most mornings and the good bite ends before 7 a.m.  Starting about 5 p.m., the bite is good along any bluff bank and continues well into the night.



Look at the colors in this brown Darren Sadler caught the other day. Amazing!

We're heading into the fall season here on Lake Taneycomo, and trout fishing has been fairly decent for the most part.  It does seem like there are days when they just don't eat and then there are days they can't get enough food.  Who knows what triggers either mood, but it's sheer fun when they do bite.
I'm not going to harp on the hot weather.  Everyone has been in the same boat.  Even venturing out on our lake on these hot days has been pretty tough, even when the water is 51 degrees.  But we hope those days are about behind us -- at least enduring triple digits every day for a week or more. 
The high humidity has caused the lake to fog up mornings and evenings, which has made navigating a boat difficult.  But that should improve with milder temps and lower humidity.

The last few days of August we enjoyed cooler days, so the generation pattern has changed up a bit.  Cooler days means less water flow.  The generation has started later in the afternoon and stopped about dark.  As the days cool, my guess is that we'll see less and less generation.  Less power demand and low lake levels spell less water flow.
Mornings should see no real change since there has been no generation in the mornings all summer long.  Opera tors have run water most afternoons and evenings, so that is when we'll see the changes.
Black seems to be the color of choice, when it comes to jigs at least.  I've done very well using black, combining it with olive, sculpin and purple.  We've also had some reports that sculpin/peach is working pretty well, too.
I've been on a quest to fish areas of the lake that I don't routinely fish.  I started in the Cooper Creek Flats area and have worked my way down to Monkey Island, which is just above Branson/Hollister proper and the U.S. 65 Highway bridge.  The other part of my quest has been to use the lightest jig possible, which is a 1/32nd-ounce most of the time.  Of course, I'm had to use two-pound line ( Trilene Sensation ) to throw and drop the small jig down to the bottom, sometimes in as much as 24 feet of water.

I have rediscovered the Monkey Island Flats, an area just above the island that extends almost 500 yards.  The lake is about 20- to 24-feet deep before you get to the flat, where it shallows up to 7 to 10 feet.  Both rainbows and browns are schooling on those flats, and they really bite when the water is running.  I've found two big browns there, caught a couple of days apart.

I'm wanting to work my way down to the Branson Landing using this technique, as well as work bigger jigs around the docks.  You never know what I might find!  Maybe even a big bass!
There's a lot of pond weed breaking up and flowing down lake when the water starts running in the afternoons.  This can be pretty frustrating, especially when you're fishing off of a dock.  The best time to fish from a dock or the bank, of course, is when the water is not running.  Otherwise, take a nap!   Or tie jigs.
Night crawlers have been good for catching trout.  If the water is off, pump some air in them to float them off the bottom.  If it's running, no need.  I'd also suggest using two-pound line if the water is off.  Our water isn't real clear, but fishing something stationary in the water means the fish get a good look at what you're using.  Two-pound line will give you a better chance at getting bit.
Guide Steve Dickey is putting his clients on fish early in the day by using a black micro jig under a float in the trophy area.  He's using 6x tippet.  I don't know that he's using our micro jig, but I'd think ours would work fine.
Also working early in the mornings is the white mega worm under a float.  It caught this nice brown trout the other day.  The mega is made of a fluffy yarn material that really breathes and moves with the slightest touch.  That's why it works well when there's no water moving.
And the pink Berkley's power worm under a float is working below Fall Creek.  I've said this many times -- our guides make their living on the pink worm.  It flat catches trout on Taney!
When using these baits under a float, start by fishing them about four-feet deep.  Move the bait deeper when needed.
With the weather changing somewhat, cooler and less humid evenings mean less fog and enjoyable, short trips out jig fishing.  There are a lot of trout just below Fall Creek down to Short Creek, and I have been catching them on 1/32nd-ounce, two-pound line or 1/16th-ounce , four-pound line black jigs.  And it doesn't seem to matter whether the jig is on the bottom or not.

"Where have all the browns come from? " is a question we're hearing a lot last month.  On some of my evening trips, I'm catching as many brown trout as rainbows.  There does seem to be an abundance of smaller browns between 11- and 13-inches long. They are aggressive and fight really hard!  Last evening I caught one that had its adipose fin clipped, identifying it as a triploid.  That's a trout that was artificially made sterile to enhance its growth rate.
Remember, going into the fall season, dissolved oxygen levels are low on our tailwater, although the lake water temperature is a little cooler than normal at 51.5 degrees.  Fish, especially big fish, will get stressed by long fights and time out of the water.  It is most important that you KEEP YOUR CATCH IN THE WATER immediately after being caught.  Don't take it out to unhook it, admire it, photo it.  Leave it in the net, take it out to get a quick photo, put it back in the net till it's ready to swim off.
Photos courtesy of Facebook/Ozark Trout Runners.

Our fishing report for Lake Taneycomo could be a cookie cutter analogy of last month's report.  Our generation pattern is exactly the same, our water temperature is about the same, and the bite is also the same as in June and July.  The trout are locked into a daily pattern of eating and resting just like humans are.  They know when the water will start and when it will end.  It has not change day-to-day by more than an hour.
Generation starts anywhere from 1 to 2 p.m. each day and builds to a full four units within an hour.  Operators are shutting down at various times but fairly consistently from 9 to 10 p.m. late evening.  The water is off the rest of the night and the next morning.  If we get a reprieve in these hot temperatures during the day, they may lessen the flow a bit, but not much.  Water temperature is holding at about 49 degrees which is pretty awesome for the first of August.  It's usually into the lower 50's by now.  Water quality is good, too, with dissolved oxygen readings around eight parts per million.  I hope this means we'll have an easy fall season with no water quality issues in our tailwater. 
We're still seeing good numbers of trophy browns and rainbows being reported caught and released.  The interesting thing is that they're all not being caught on the same bait.  The list includes night crawlers, minnows, a few on Powerbait, pink PowerWorm, jerk baits, jigs, scuds and other various flies.  The most have been caught on evening/into-the-night guide trips using jerk baits and jigs.  We have a handful of guides who specialize in night fishing, targeting both trophy browns and rainbows.
In the evenings, as the water is dropping, the jerk bait bite is still pretty good, but the jig bite starts to get better.  Go from using an 1/8th-ounce jig to a smaller 1/16th-ounce jig in darker colors like black, brown, olive, sculpin, and the local favorite, purple.  When the water stops moving, go to a 1/32nd-ounce jig and two-pound line.  Let the jig fall to the bottom and then lift and drop it.  The takes have been hard and solid.
Lately, we've been sending a lot of people down towards the Branson Landing to fish.  There seems to be a large number of rainbows in front of and down from the Landing.  They are chasing spoons and spinners and taking jigs under a float.  And, of course, the pink worm under a float is hot down there, too.
Early morning fly or spin fishing using nymph flies, mop flies and small micro jigs under a float is working anywhere from Lilleys' Landing to Lookout Island.  The white mop worm or the black micro jig is catching quite a few trophy trout, especially browns in the trophy area. 
I've been boating in the evenings and throwing a white 3/32nd-ounce jig against the bluff bank across the lake from the resort and catching small browns and a few decent rainbows.  The browns, about 12 inches long and I presume from this year's stocking, are aggressive and hit hard.  They're fun to catch.
I've also been hitting the banks using hoppers and beetles (dry flies, fly fishing) and have had some success.  Any bluff bank in the shade is where I've found  both browns and rainbows interested in something on the surface.

It's time to celebrate!  Two things have happened this week that should cause any trout fishermen on Lake Taneycomo to rejoice.  The first is that Table Rock Lake has turned completely over -- our water is now a little colder and rich in oxygen.  Secondly, Table Rock Lake has dropped below its seasonal power pool, and generation has slowed to a minimal flow.  And I think we should start to see periods of no generation any day.
With the turn over, we're seeing some turbidity in our water again just like we witnessed a few weeks ago.  This is normal and will clear up in the coming weeks.
The life of our fish has been restored to normal.  They have been feeding more aggressively, and when hooked, fighting very hard.  Also now when releasing a fish, we don't have to worry so much about it surviving.  They should do fine if we are careful about how we handle them.
Quick reminder on catch and releasing trout:
Try not to touch the fish at all, but if you do, wet your hand or -- if using a rag -- wet the rag.  A dry rag will do a lot of damage to the fish, removing the slimy protection on their skin. If the hook is buried in the fish's mouth/throat, cut the line and leave the hook.  It has a better chance of surviving than if you were to try to remove the hook. Of course, don't keep trout out of the water very long.  We've seen a pretty good jig bite since the turnover.  I haven't identified the best color, but they seemed to be hitting darker colors better than light colors.  And with the water slowing down, I'm going to smaller sized jigs such as 1/16th- and 1/32nd-ounce.
We've been blessed with huge midge hatches during the day.  Fish come up and take them off the surface but not in big numbers.
The scud bite continues to be the best way to catch some good quality rainbows, both above and below Fall Creek.  Drift them on the bottom or use them under a float, as long as they're close to or on the bottom.  With the water running slower, I'd go to a smaller scud--- may be a #14 or #16 gray, tan or brown.
We're carrying minnows again.  I wouldn't be afraid to drift a minnow on the bottom for a big brown or even a rainbow.  Of course, night crawlers are working well.  Real, red salmon eggs have also been excellent off the dock the last couple of weeks, too.

Got to the launch early, foggier than heck when I got there.  Didn't have much choice but to idle over to a nearby point and start fishing, started out swimming a Keitech with the idea of catching smallmouth, but wasn't out to long before I started seeing a blow up to out in the deep water.  There wasn't a lot of top water striper activity, but it got to be enough that I couldn't take it any longer and had to give them a shot.
Had one blow up about 100 yards away, stood on the TM, got within casting distance, tossed the walking bait at the spot where the blow up occurred, gave it a twitch and man I tell you a stinking HUGE striper blew up on it, but missed, started walking the dog and it was like a pack of hungry piranhas were after that thing, had three quick explosions and misses and BOOM finally got one to grab it.  Went through the usual  tug of war and boated one that was in the 13-15. lb range.  Wrecked the front treble on my lure, so tied on another one, and when I tied it on I noticed my hands were shaking.  Many years of fishing but I guess I can still get excited at times.
Anyway, caught another one that was in the low teen range and a couple of 3 pounders to boot, all on the top water.  Also caught an 18" smallie that was near to the bank.  That dude grabbed about 4 feet of air a couple of times which was pretty neat to see.
For burned off, stripers went to parts unknown so I did some bass fishing, caught 10 bass, mostly smallies with a couple of spotted bass.  3 of the smallies were keeper sized.  Had the best bite on the c-rig with a UV Speed craw as bait.  Had quite a few bites, but they were just not eating it right - I think they have spawned, and are guarding nests or fry and are just messing with the baits.
Surface WT 66, water has a bit of a stain to it.

 

 

 
 

So CajunAngler and I headed North for our annual Spring Fishing Trip. This was a terrible year to decide to try a lake further north, but that’s how it goes.
I was pushing to go back to Oklahoma, but he bamboozled me with talknof catching a Musky. Pomme here we come. 
Sunday AM I’m driving thru snowy sub freezing temps with heavy clouds and a pretty stiff wind from NW. Things didn’t look so Great, but we’re hard headed and reasoned that the weather would steadily improve as the week wore on.
We stowed our gear inthe rental place and launched at an unimproved ramp in Decker Creek. Water temp was 51 or so. Water had a Lot of stain, but wasn’t muddy. Wind was brutal, but we bundled up. 
First freaking cast of the trip, Johnny catches a 4 plus LMB on an A rig. As it turns out, That was the only A rig fish on the week, but still. Fish was holding in 15 FOW on downside of wind blown point. 
We move inside the pocket a little bit and first freaking cast with a Wart he catches a 6 lb 9 oz Largemouth. I’m freaking out over the fast start and the quality of the fish he caught. Before too long, I got a > 3 lb Largie on a crank. 
Warts, RK’s, and the like would occasionally catch a fish the rest of the day. It was a grind, but quality of the fish was Excellent and we were Happy to be getting bit at all. We almost didn’t fish and assumed we might zero. We planned.on quitting a little early, but stayed to almost dark. 
Monday was colder and almost as windy, but no snow and no clouds. It felt a little warmer, but water temp was slow to respond. Fish were slow. Crankbait fish were not biting. Johnny got a Goo on a jerkbait to get us started. I got a non keeper on a Ned.
We headed into Quarry area to get out of wind. Johnny got a couple little guys on Ned. I was trying a GYCB 4 inch Twin Tail Hula Grub in 236. Throwing tight to rock wall and hopping it down the ledges. No much happening, but I stuck with it. So, I lifted it up after a cast and it felt heavy. A sharp lift up for the hookset and there was no response just got heavier and heavier. Johnny asked what was up and I honestly did not know. Finally, I got some slow kicks deeer and deeper under the boat so I knew I had something heavy. Eventually, I worked it up to the surface and we got a big flash of color as it drove down again and Johnny asked if that was a Musky. I realized it was a Musky. Holy Crap! I’ve got a Musky hooked up. 
Johnny got a big net out and helped me get the beast in the net. It had been caught before and didn’t look pristine. The fight was fairly subdued for a fish just under 38 inches which was good since I had 8 lbs line. Woot Woot! My day was made andda new fish added to Lifetime list. 
Monday afternoon we continued to search around and caught a few more fish primarily on Ned rigs. No more crankbait fish. Saw water temps approaching 56, but most places cooler. 
Tuesday Morning was warmer with fun temps forecast for afternoon. We packed shorts in the boat. We launched in Pittsburgh Public Use area. That ramp is fairly far up Lindley Creek. That ramp is long and steep with a poorly designed and executed turn around area. All parking on top of hill so there is a long walk back to boat. 
Another windy day, but out of south. It warmed nicely. The fish did not care. It was still a grind. 
Ran around lots of places, but finally Johnny said let’s go back to dirty water up river. We found warmer water and a few fish in some wood cover. I got a 4 lb ad a 3 lb LMB pitching Baby Brush Hogs, Johnny got a few chunky bass as well. We got to wear shorts. Life was Good. 
Wednesday the forecast was for even heavier winds from NW again with falling temps. We opted for lauching at Boliver and going as far up Pomme De Terre river as we dared.
we got a couple of nice fish in shallow dirty water off river channel. We kept heading up looking for a wind break and exploring the river. We went far enough that the water got clear and the river bottom got rocky. Johnny said no more when electronics said 2 FZoW under keel. We expected smallies, but caught everything else except smallies. Using a variety of baits we caught LMB, Drum, White Bass (Small), crappie, and a little walleye. It’s beautiful up there and we caught fish, but quality was gone. We talked it over during the day and decided to head in a little early and load up. We fished BSL Thursday and caught almost 30 bass with a lot of keepers including some smallies. 
All in all a good trip. Fishing was slow because of water temp, but quality was excellent. I know they must have good numbers of fish, but you would know it by the numbers we caught.
I was surprised at how small all the White Bass were. What’s the deal with that. 
I was stunned by the amount of used fishing line we caught with our lures. At least 11 times we got tangled in lost or discarded fishing line. 
Id love to go back to Pomme De Terre in early Summer or Fall.

Recently, as part of the National Association for Interpretation conference in Springfield, MO, I was able to tour the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, the oldest hatchery in operation in the United States.
Since 1888, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery has been using local spring water to raise many different species of fish including bass, bluegill, catfish and rainbow trout  — and even freshwater mussels like the endangered fatmucket mussel. Rainbow trout continue to be its most plentiful fish species, with about 250,000 stocked into our own Lake Taneycomo each year. The cool, spring water is perfect for raising trout. But perhaps the most interesting species of fish currently being raised at Neosho are two native, endangered species; the Topeka shiner and the pallid sturgeon. Restoration efforts are underway for both species.
Topeka shiners are a small minnow found in cold, clear streams. Their populations have declined due to habitat loss and pollution, and they have been on the endangered species list since 1998. The Neosho National Fish Hatchery now uses the raceways once designated for brown trout to raise Topeka shiners, which have successfully reproduced in the hatchery. In December, 2,200 young shiners were released into two prairie streams in Missouri.
Pallid sturgeon are an ancient, big river fish that thrive on bottom-feeding. Adults are collected each year and used at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery for spawning. Newly hatched pallid sturgeon are then kept at the hatchery for two years before being released into lower sections of the Missouri River, where they are native. Pallid sturgeon numbers have been declining mostly due to the manipulation of waterways through channelization and dams. More than 15,000 pallid sturgeon are raised each year at Neosho.
If you’re ever in Neosho — just an-hour-and-47-minute drive from Branson, you should stop at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery and learn more at the recently built visitor center. During our tour I was reminded of how fortunate we are to have such an incredible resource at our fingertips and of how fragile these species can be. Fishing is truly a privilege. With the continued help of our state and federal governments, Missourians will be able to enjoy seeing and fishing for a wide variety of species for years to come.

By Marideth Sisco
originally published in the West Plains Daily Quill, August 1989
There is a village In the river hollows east of West Plains that once was the center of civillzation on a wild American frontier. Now, most of the world has passed by the tiny hamlet of Thomasvllle. The casual passerby would quickly note that only the oldtlmers and memories remain. Or so it appears.
But in truth, life and memories continue side by side comfortably today in Thomasville -- the life enjoyed richly and the memories running deep for those whose names, and faces, are the same as first settled here in the long fertile valley of the Eleven Point River.
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