MDC says there are plenty of bass in the lake.

[Quillback]

Here's their forecast for this year.  

Fishing for black bass should be excellent in 2024.  Largemouth bass are plentiful throughout the lake as a result of the high lake levels over the past several years.  An abundant year class of largemouth bass was produced in 2020 and these fish should reach the minimum length limit of 15” by spring 2024.  Quality largemouth bass are present in the lake as well.  The percentage of largemouth bass greater than or equal to 15” was 28% throughout the reservoir during the spring 2023 electrofishing surveys.  These surveys also revealed an abundance of spotted/Kentucky bass in the 11”-14” range, with nine percent of the spotted bass captured in the spring surveys exceeding the minimum length limit of 15”.   Smallmouth bass fishing should be good again in 2024 with good numbers of keeper size fish available.  Largemouth and spotted bass comprise the majority of the black bass population in the river arms, while smallmouth bass comprise a substantial segment of the black bass population in the main lake from the Highway 86 bridge to Campbell Point.  Anglers need to fish a variety of water depths and types to find bass. Outside of the spring spawning period and in the fall, bass are often found in deeper, offshore water. Extended main lake points, humps, and bluffs are productive areas. Jigs, spoons, and drop-shot rigs are effective during summer months in the 10-25 foot range or deeper, depending upon the depth of the thermocline.  Largemouth and smallmouth bass can typically be caught fishing on the bottom while spotted bass are commonly found suspended over deep water following schools of baitfish.  Good electronics can greatly increase your chances of finding suspended schools of spotted bass.  

Table Rock Lake | Missouri Department of Conservation (mo.gov)

[willyfish]

Thanks Quill. Always good to hear what the MDC has to say. All the species in the lake seem to be in good shape. 

[Champ188]

I've never seen an MDC report that said anything else. There are plenty. No need to supplement the population that is getting the literal heck beat outta them every weekend by tournaments. Again, there are plenty. Go fishing and don't bother us. 

[tjm]

If there is any problem with the bass population, the tournaments should be stopped and banned for at least a year  or three before any "supplementation" is considered. In any water that has natural reproduction of a native species, stocking should be a last ditch effort in restoration. Manage the population by limitation of harvest first. Count any fish taken into possession as harvested.

[Mitch f]

“Smallmouth bass fishing should be good AGAIN in 2024” 

so it was good in 2023? 
 

I haven’t seen a lot of big smallmouth in that lake in a long time.

I am pleased with that report on Largies 

[Lvn2Fish]

58 minutes ago, Mitch f said:

“Smallmouth bass fishing should be good AGAIN in 2024” 

so it was good in 2023? 
 

I haven’t seen a lot of big smallmouth in that lake in a long time.

I am pleased with that report on Largies 

How many times are you fishing the lake ? I’ve seen number of big smallmouth this winter especially . It used to be pretty rare to see tournaments down here won strictly on smallmouth . Now it’s pretty common to see 5 going 17+ pounds . Thats some nice sized brownies . 

[Mitch f]

2 minutes ago, Lvn2Fish said:

How many times are you fishing the lake ? I’ve seen number of big smallmouth this winter especially . It used to be pretty rare to see tournaments down here won strictly on smallmouth . Now it’s pretty common to see 5 going 17+ pounds . Thats some nice sized brownies . 

That’s not bad but no where near what it used to be.

[STLbassbuster]

Send this to Randy Blaukat! 😁