Phil Lilley

Looks like fun! Thanks for the report

We are enjoying a mild start to summer here on Lake Taneycomo. After a relatively dry spring, there's not much rain in our forecast. Our lakes are fairly low with the exception of Beaver Lake, which is a few feet high. Generation pattern? There isn't one. When I write a fishing report, I attempt to explain generation patterns because flows dictate how we fish on Taneycomo. As I sit here at my keyboard, I can't tell you why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decides how to manage the flows. But it appears the plan is to drop Beaver Lake and run water at Table Rock and Bull Shoals, like a pass through. But that will leave all our lakes at power pool (normal) levels at the start of summer. And summer is when the dams need to generate electricity for air conditioners. Our lake levels are normally a little high to help with this demand. So right now, operators are running water most days at flows anywhere from two to four units, especially in the afternoons. But some days they're leaving the water off in the mornings. Each day is different. But I predict in the near future we're going to see a lot of down water -- no generation -- because the weather forecast says mild temps will prevail and at some point, so all lakes will be at power pool. Our lake water temperatures are good, holding at about 47 degrees, and when I checked the oxygen content, it was about nine parts per million, which is excellent. Clarity is excellent and there hasn't really been a big moss issue as in previous years. Now there is a big push of moss when the water is kicked on after being off for a while. This is from algae growing on the bottom, when the water is off, which is then dislodged by the current. It clears out after a short time with very little issue. I'm seeing a good mayfly hatch late in the day but no surface action related to this event. No fish are taking dries except early and late in the day and they're taking midges. If the water is off or running up to one unit, I am doing very well using a zebra midge or micro jig under a float anywhere from 18-inches to five-feet deep. The best is a #14 red or black zebra or a sculpin, olive or brown micro jig. I'm using two-pound test or 6x tippet. Seek out the chop! If there's a riffle on the surface of the lake, fish it! But this technique is working even if the surface is glass. The Berkley Pink Worm under a float is working if the water is off. Best early in the day in the shadows but is using in the sun, go deeper. Two-pound is best. I could also say the same thing about using a mega worm under a float. Chartreuse has been hot with the white mega right behind it. The pink worm has to be fished below Fall Creek while the mega worm can be used anywhere including the trophy area. Jerk baits are hot! They are almost every summer. They're usually best when the water is running but not always. One of our guides, Jack Harris, had a trip this week early one morning in which is clients landed five trout all topping 20 inches on jerk baits. There was no water running. They were fishing in the trophy area. Some of the guides have started fishing at night. They start at dusk and fish until about midnight, throwing jerk baits for big trout. Duane Doty is the master at this, using his patented jerk baits. If the water is running, drifting bait or flies on the bottom is what most anglers do, including our guides. Night crawlers and Gulp eggs below the trophy area are working as well as scuds, pink worms and minnows. In the trophy area, scuds are king along with an egg fly or a san juan worm. View full article

Good report. I'm finally enjoying some fishing, although our pool still isn't finished. But most projects are now done and all we have to do is take care of people. Scuds. Almost anywhere in the trophy area. Just got off the water (3;30 pm). They turned the water on at 2:30ish instead of 4 like the schedule says. But it was good... narrows wet wading. They were taking a 18 gray scud while the water was rising. Headed to Lookout Island and fished behind it while it was coming up. Lots of moss but the fish didn't care. They ate a #12 zebra and a #14 scud. Back in the boat - gopro battery died. Spot locked on the inside bank - gravel bar below the tennis courts. Lots of NICE rainbows holding there. Site fishing, hooked a few nice ones, then a solid 20 inch rainbow. Wish the video worked! No pics.

Difficult on the food base too. Scuds don't do well.

Looks like we're in for an unusual summer fishing season here on Lake Taneycomo.  Normally this time of year, the lakes above us are pretty full.  They are not this spring because of a lack of big rains and the fact that the Corps has stayed on top of the rising lakes and kept them close to power pool. Today the schedule says no generation all day except for an hour of "fish water", a burst of current for about an hour this evening.  This probably will be the generation pattern at least through this holiday weekend. Docks and banks will be lined with anglers with the ideal conditions for still fishing.  And the fly rods have come out and are poised to fish things under an indicator like micro jigs, scuds and midges. With the big numbers of catch and release trophies recorded the last few months, it seems there are a lot of big trout to be caught in our lake.  With the water off, it may be easier for the novice fisherman to catch one of these.  We had 2 20-inch plus rainbows caught off the dock just yesterday, both released. View full article

I thought about that. I appreciate the offer.

I've turned ads off till I figure it out.

We can get them but you have to order on Mondays.

There's 3 designated areas I can place ads - header, footer and in posts. I disabled the post ads. See if that makes a difference.

That started after this last update. I went in and looked at the "advertising" settings and they haven't changed, or at least I haven't changed them in probably years. I need to go to the invision forum and see what others are saying. Maybe there's a way to cut down on them. They keep growing in numbers but I don't see an increase in revenue. It's dropped actually while hosting charges increase.

@Quillback I'm confused... is the OA outing tomorrow on or off?

Nice!

If you have a grill, I'll bring salmon

Bill is also taking his son Steven.

Man, there’s a new thought process at the Corp office. “Keep Table Rock below power pool at all cost!!” What happen to “water is gold” “running water over the spill gates is waisting resources” ? Don’t get me wrong… adding a little food to the upper end for a day or so? Yes!! Our big trout get even bigger. The high flow kicks up the bottom, cleans the moss out, kicks up sculpins and scuds making everything great. And I guess in a day or so- back to low flows and periods of no generation? Makes sense. Another day in the life of a tailwater. I just wish we had caddis like the White River.

https://www.weather.gov/sgf/lake_levels Says TR at 917.18 feet. Looks to be current.

Worth all the online gage down, does anyone know what the level is? They’re opening gates at the dam this morning. Running water “till the lake level drops to 917” but it’s hard to know how long when you don’t know the present level.

Sounds nice. Thanks for sharing.

Released...

Bill and I are in.

@Al Agnew will know!

They always make a pretty picture!