Lilley's Lake Taneycomo fishing report, September 30

[Phil Lilley]

Generation patterns have been consistently moving more and more to the slow side.  The U.S. Corps of Army Engineers ran 45 megawatts, or a little less than one unit, for most of the month of September, all day and night, except for a short blast of water starting about 3 p.m. each day for up to a couple of hours.  But today may mark another move towards even less generation, running 16 mw of water this morning which is very strange.  It's strange because operators don't run that little of water very often.  The Corps has said in the past that small amounts of generation is very hard on the turbine props' blades, so not sure why the geneation has been dropped to 16 megawatts.

Beaver Lake is at 1125.25 feet, five feet above power pool.  It's dropping very slowly, and it appears operators are letting it run right through Table Rock and through Taneycomo.  That looks like that's the reason we're seeing consistently low flows here.

I would think that we should start seeing some down time in generation here pretty soon.  We will see.

Boating up lake with this flow is tricky past Fall Creek.  Even getting above the gravel bar at the mouth of Fall Creek is a little tough because the high water from this past spring has filled in the channel on the left side, and the bar itself is much shallower.  Then there are the big rocks out of the water on the creek side of the lake.  Go slow to be watchful before you blow up past the area.

The lake just above Fall Creek has filled in, too.  You have to steer back to the west side almost immediately above the gravel bar and stay on the west side until you get to the Narrows.  From there up everything is the same.

Bill Babler, fishing guide here on Lake Taneycomo, has reported catching good rainbows above Fall Creek using a #18 beaded scud and a micro egg under a float five- to six-feet deep.  He's using a small copper tungsten bead on the scud to get it down.  He said a split shot was too much weight and dragging the bottom was not an option.  The thick moss on the bottom was covering his flies.  He's using 6x fluorocarbon tippet.

Steve Dickey, another one of our guides, is fishing a beaded pink or red San Juan worm and a chartreuse  1/100th-ounce jig under a float below Fall Creek and doing well early in the mornings, before 9 a.m.

Below the dam, anglers are seeing good numbers of big browns that have moved up for their spawning run.  The run continues through the first of November.  Surprisingly, big browns will take a small scud about as well as our rainbows do.  The outlets are always a good place to find big trout, but that's not a secret, so  you'll find the outlets usually crowded.  But you'll also find good fish other places between and below the outlets -- and I think it's a bit more challenging to catch a fish away from the feeding trough and the crowds.

These browns, as well as rainbows, will also take San Juan Worms, Cracklebacks and hoppers.  At night they'll take streamers like the Hybernator, MoHair Leeches, Pine Squirrels, wooly buggers and mice on the surface.

Steve told me he's finding good trout still interested in a hopper along the banks.  He said the bigger pink hoppers thrown to the bank and hopped a few times are triggering big strikes.  He said a big brown came up on one last week so hard that it completely missed the fly.

Below Fall Creek, night crawlers are still the best live bait by far.  Berkley's yellow paste Powerbait has been good off the docks here, along with night crawlers.

If you're throwing a straight jig, no float, I'd suggest using two-pound line and a 3/32nd-ounce sculpin jig.  Ginger and sculpin/ginger have been good colors, too.

Trout Magnets are working early and late in the day under a float from six- to eight-feet deep.  Good colors have been pink, pink/white and chartreuse with good numbers caught from Monkey Island to down past the Branson Landing.

[marcus]

going to take my boat up there for the first time this weekend a little 16 foot fiberglass jon with a 50hp outboard will i be able to put in at the ramp closest to the dam or is the water to low to bring boats that far up looking at all the stuff online it seems like thats where props go to die 

 

[Phil Lilley]

You can put in up there no matter what the water level is but where you go from there is dictated by water levels.  You can go down for sure--up lake is another matter.  Not sure how to advise... just be careful if it's questionable.

[trythisonemv]

Be down Saturday eArly to try and get a brown . Hopefully water stays low enough to wade some. Should be there before dawn so maybe we will get lucky!

[Smallie Seeker]

Would bringing a kayak or canoe along with the 16' 50hp jon open up more options? 

I'd like to be able to use the trolling motor in the boat to do controlled drifts but I also want to be able to access the trophy area near the dam. 

[Phil Lilley]

Yes it would.  Good idea

[Smallie Seeker]

Well, work threw me a curve and I have to work this weekend. Looks like next weekend it is!

[Amery]

I would quit my job instead. 

[marcus]

i want phils job and i would still fish on my day off 

[brother dave]

I've used a canoe with oars on it to go down and back up during slower generation, with ease.

Good luck