March 30 Report

[Phil Lilley]

Recent rains have brought our lakes up in elevation again.  On Wednesday, 3/28, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened 5 gates and released water at a rate of 5,000 cubic feet per second, along with running water through 3 of its 4 turbines totallying 15,000 c.f.s..  The Corps is required to release 15,000 c.f.s of water if Table Rock rises above the spring time power pool level of 915 feet and they will continue releasing that amount until the lake is back down to that level.  On Thursday, mid day, the 4th turbine came back online and 4 flood gates were closed and one left open.

We are also watching Beaver Lake's level.  They typically hold Beaver's release until it gets above 1128 at which point they will release water to keep it from going any higher.  In the past, Beaver's lake level is held even at this high level until Table Rock and Bull Shoal's levels are equal to it's capacity, or I guess they think it's safe to start dropping Beaver.  I've never been real clear how they handle Beaver Lake.

It's all a little hard to understand but everything the Corps does in managing our lakes is mandated by congress.  Bottom line, we are going to see heavy generation on Lake Taneycomo for quite some time.  The question is what future rain may be heading this way and how would that affect additional releases over our flood gates.

Lake water temperature is about 45 degrees at the dam.

Four units of water is a lot of water and pretty intimidating to a lot of anglers.  There's no a whole lot you can do bank or dock fishing - the water is just too fast to present your bait or lure to the fish.  Boat fishing, on the other hand, can be very good.  The best way to catch trout when there's this much water is running is to drift with the current and drag something on or real close to the bottom.  That goes for anywhere on the lake -- at the dam or the Branson Landing area.

Trout will be heading to the creeks during high water.  Typically Turkey and Roark Creeks are prime targets for rainbows seeking less current and warmer water temperatures.  A few weeks ago, anglers found fishing in both creeks excellent including catching some bass, crappie and blue gills.  As of right now, they have not found the creeks.  There's a few in them to catch but not the big numbers like there were a couple weeks ago.

Generally, it takes these rainbows a few days to settle in to a flow pattern.  The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked a couple of days ago down in the Branson Landing area but so far our guides haven't located them.  They are looking...  Freshly stocked rainbows will stay together for a few days and are easy to catch.  We have had some anglers boat down and catch them around the Fish House, the floating restauant at the Landing.

Some of the trout people have caught and cleaned from below the dam are full of scuds so drifting #12 or #14 gray scuds is the go-to fly right now.  One complaint is that the trout below the dam aren't being aggressive right now.  This should change, I just don't know when.

I took a couple of guys up there yesterday afternoon and we found the rainbows biting but taking our jigs short.  We were getting bites but missing them.  Our guides reported that their clients were hooking fish but some of them were coming off before getting them to the boat, another sign of not being aggressive.  I had several rainbows follow my jig to the boat, just not acting like they wanted to engage.  This "attitude" is not uncommon at all... it's all part of fishing, and it will change.

We're going to keep at it and figure out what these trout want and report back. 

 

 

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[Phil Lilley]

Well... this wasn't supposed to be posted till I finished it.  Sorry about that. 

[Phil Lilley]

OK, I edited and updated the report.