Lilley's Lake Taneycomo fishing report, June 1

[Phil Lilley]

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.

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[Gumboot]

Realizing the answer is "depends"... can I run a lund 1875 pro v bass on Tanney?

[Travis Swift]

20 hours ago, Gumboot said:

Realizing the answer is "depends"... can I run a lund 1875 pro v bass on Tanney?

absolutely.  Best thing to do though is stop at Lilleys and get a map and have them talk to you about water levels and running certain spots.

[Gumboot]

5 hours ago, Travis Swift said:

absolutely.  Best thing to do though is stop at Lilleys and get a map and have them talk to you about water levels and running certain spots.

Sounds like a plan.  Thanks.