Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report

[Phil Lilley]

<p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/6-21-brown-500.jpg" width="400" height="218"></p>

<p>Trout fishing on Lake Taneycomo continues to be pretty good.&nbsp; It was tough getting out on the lake and fishing when the heat index was pushing 100 degrees but now that it’s cooler and looks to be nice and cool for the next week, people are getting out and enjoying the lake even during the day.</p>

<p>Generation patterns have changed starting this week.&nbsp; Water is starting to run at 8 a.m. and building to 4 units, 200 megawatts, by noon and running pretty much all day.&nbsp; I think we’re going to see this pattern for weeks to come, at least till Table Rock Lake is down past 920 feet.&nbsp; It’s now at 924.8 and is dropping 3 inches per day.&nbsp; You do the math.</p>

<p>I am still amazed at the size, quality and fight our rainbows have after the flood.&nbsp; We are catching thick, fat rainbows, mainly in the trophy area above Fall Creek everyday, all on flies and jigs.&nbsp; I’ve thrown a Rapala a couple of times but to be honest, I’ve thrown the wrong kind and haven’t done any good.&nbsp; I’ve been throwing a floating stick bait, shallow running and I think you need to throw a deep diver or sinking stick bait, like a CD-7 or 9 Rapala.</p>

<p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/6-14a-250.jpg" width="250" height="167" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right">From the cable down, white jigs are still doing very well when the water is running.&nbsp; Also dark jigs are doing good like sculpin, brown or olive plus combination colors like sculpin/orange and sculpin/ginger.&nbsp; Size of jig depends on how much water they’re running.&nbsp; If they’re just starting to generate and it’s not moving very fast, try a 1/16th or a 3/32nd-ounce but when they’re cranking the water, tie on a 1/8th-ounce.</p>

<p>The guides were drifting small, floating Rebel crank baits using drift rigs a few weeks ago when the gates were opened but not so much any more but I would try that.&nbsp; Some big browns are starting to be caught and I would think they’d go for something a little more meaty.</p>

<p>Steve Dickey, one of our guides, reports a change in the fly color he’s been using this week.&nbsp; He’s been doing better on brown scuds and lighter colored cream egg flies rather then the gray or olive scuds and dark roe colored eggs he’d been using last week.&nbsp; He’s drifting them under an Orvis thing-a-ma-bobber and fishing them about 9-feet deep in most places when the water is running.&nbsp; Best area to drift these flies is from the cable down to Lookout Island.&nbsp; He also said a hot pink San Juan worm is working good.&nbsp; Before the water starts, he’s fishing a #16 Zebra midge under an indicator 2-3 feet deep.&nbsp; He’s using a copper or gold head and either black thread or a P &amp; P (pearl &amp; primrose) style.</p>

<p>Yesterday, Steve struggled during the middle of the day, as well as everyone else that was fishing.&nbsp; The wind has been tough and the trout seem to take a nap or something when the sun is up high in the sky.&nbsp; So middle of the day might be slow for you.</p>

<p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/6-21c-250.jpg" width="250" height="188" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="left">Now we’ve been going out and fishing dry flies from Lookout down to the overhanging tree (a new landmark in the trophy area).&nbsp; The overhanging tree is just above the Narrows—it can’t be missed.&nbsp; It overhangs off the bluff side of the lake and when the water isn’t running, your path of travel takes you directly underneath the tree, through the channel.</p>

<p>Our trout, and I’m sure other species of fish all over, have taken special note of the big cicada hatch this year.&nbsp; This stretch of lake has been particularly good for fishing a cicada patterns because this bank is fairly shallow for a bluff bank and the current doesn’t eddie and swirl on other bluff banks down lake.&nbsp; My best success is where the current is moving steadily right against the bank and if there’s a overhanging tree there, it’s even better.</p>

<p>The cicadas are pretty much gone now but our trout are still looking up and to the surface for movement.&nbsp; We’ve changed from our cicada patterns to stimulators and other larger dry flies.&nbsp; Color and style don’t seem to make as much difference as size to these rainbows and browns.&nbsp; I’m using nothing less than a #4 or #2 fly with lots of body.&nbsp; The higher on the water it sits the better.</p>

<p>We’ve fished at all times of the day and the best seems to be the last 2 hours of the day.&nbsp; Morning is good till about noon but the afternoon hasn’t been very good.&nbsp; Now if it gets cloudy, I’d go anytime and try it.</p>

<p><img src="http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/images/2011/6-21d-250.jpg" width="250" height="192" hspace="5" vspace="5" align="right">Bill Babler says trout fishing is awesome!&nbsp; Bait fishing from Trout Hollow down to Lilleys’ using chartreuse Gulp eggs and night crawlers is producing better-than-average rainbows while from Monkey Island to Branson, the rainbows are quite a bit smaller.&nbsp; He thinks MDC stocked smaller rainbows last week.</p>

<p>With 2-4 generators running, drifting a white woolly or white jig the entire trophy area is very good, “better than it gets”.&nbsp; Also drifting a #12 or #10 gray scud and an egg fly combo.&nbsp; Bill has been fishing mainly from 6 to 10 a.m. on Taneycomo.</p>

<p>Down below Fall Creek, before they start running water, night crawlers has been the best live bait, injecting them with air and floating them off the bottom about 18 inches.&nbsp; When the water starts running, drift a Gulp combo using white and green or white and orange egg.&nbsp; The Berkley scented plastic worms in red or brown are doing good too.</p>

<p>Water temperature when the water is running is 51 and water is cloudy.</p>

[Gatorjet]

Great report Phil. I can't wait to get back down there an get in on some good fishing. The hip replacement surgery on the 7th went well. Now I have a lot of rehab to get to where I can get in the boat and fish again. Reports like this really help me to be diligent and work hard with my rehab exercises so I can get back soon.

The Gator will be roaring on Taney in no time!!!