Lilley's Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report, August 3

[Phil Lilley]

Our generation patterns on Lake Taneycomo have been almost identical for the past six weeks.  About 7,000 cubic feet per second of water flows from 9 p.m. until 1 p.m., then 12,000 c.f.s. flow from 1 p.m. until  9 p.m. It's been pretty easy to plan a fishing trip when the pattern is this consistent.  Trout fishing is pretty good early in the day until about 9 a.m., then it gets a little slower.  When the heavier water starts flowing, it gets really tough but not impossible.  Guess what I'm saying . . .  for the best fishing start early! 

Our water temperature has risen to almost 56 degrees since my last report, and the dissolved oxygen content is about 6.5 parts per million.  That's a little high for the first of August and the D.O. level is a little low, but manageable.  That may mean the fall season might get a little dicey, though.  Our water temperature should keep going up as more cold water is released from Table Rock, leaving warmer water to follow.  I believe we'll see water temps in the low to mid 60's by October.  Again, manageable but not ideal.  At least I don't think we'll see an event like in 2015 when the water coming from Table Rock was toxic and killing fish.

For now, our trout are feeding well and fighting hard.  The water has really cleared up, too.  We're thinking about going to two-pound line, especially if we start seeing slower generation.  Table Rock's level dropped below 918 feet today, well on its way to the power pool of 915 feet.  I really believe we'll start to see slower flows, if not no generation, especially in the mornings.

Captain Tony Weldele reports catching quality rainbows on the sculpin jig early in the mornings, both in and out of the trophy area.  He has been using four-pound line and either a 3/32- or a 1/16th-ounce jig throwing it straight with no float.

Captain Steve Dickey is using the pink power worm under a float, on two-pound line, about five- to seven-feet deep.  Clients have caught good fish from Fall Creek to Short Creek, then doing well down at the Branson Landing later in the mornings.

Captain Bill Babler is drifting night crawlers from Fall Creek to Trout Hollow and scoring big rainbows. too.

The area in front of the resort has been holding nice-sized rainbows.  We see boats drifting by catching trout, mainly on Berkley Power Eggs in white and orange.  The pink worm under a float is working here, too.

We've been drifting scuds in and out of the trophy area with good success.  A #14 gray or rainbow gray is the best, drifting with an egg fly or a San Juan worm.  Our buddy Dan Boone said he tried tying on a #14 Zebra Midge as a trailer behind his 1/8th-ounce jig yesterday and caught five rainbows on the midge.  I think he was trailing it by two or three feet.

Dan's group fished the last couple of days and said they did well on white jigs with red thread collars. 

Blake has been fly fishing using a scud under an indicator from Lookout Island down to Fall Creek and catching rainbows.  He's setting the float about four- seven-feet deep and adding a tiny split shot to drop it to the bottom.  He's using 6x tippet.

I've been trying the dry fly some but have only experienced one or two takes on them in an afternoon.  I've tried the Sofa Pillow, a big Simulator and a Riffle Fly.  My friend Kelly Hines said he saw big trout taking dragon flies off the surface against the bluffs in the trophy area last week, but I could get no takers.  I'll keep trying.

Marabou jigs have been working most of the time.  Steve said he's doing well fishing them under a float early in the morning from Lookout Island down, about four- to five-feet deep using 6x tippet.  He's using 1/100th-ounce jigs.

We're throwing the jigs mainly with four-pound line.  Sculpin ginger and white seem to be the best colors although black is doing okay, too.  If the water flows drop, we'll go to two-pound line and start throwing smaller, 1/16th- and 1/32-ounce jigs. 

 

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[Phil Lilley]

Each year, usually in August, restrictions are placed on generation because of low DO in Table Rock at 130 feet where we get our water. Those restrictions are now in place.
 

So if they run allot of water, say 4 full units, they have to inject liquid oxygen. that costs money and they don’t like spending money. 

 So we should start seeing less heavy generation very soon, especially with TR dropping below 918 today. 

[Phil Lilley]

 

[Phil Lilley]

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

What size tippet, @Phil Lilley?

[Phil Lilley]

The beetle - 3x

[MickinMO]

Would a siphon or use of the sluice gates be enough to make a difference with O2?

[netboy]

11 hours ago, MickinMO said:

Would a siphon or use of the sluice gates be enough to make a difference with O2?

I think a siphon would help, however the $$$ are probably not in the budget.

Here's a short article on the Norfork dam siphon which helped the water quality.

https://garverusa.com/services/federal/projects/steady-flow-for-trout-below

[Phil Lilley]