Lilley's Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report, June 1, 2024

[Phil Lilley]

It's been an interesting spring season for fishing on Lake Taneycomo.  If I had to script it, I'm not sure I could create a better scenario as far as the water conditions we've had so far.  We've seen up to nine gates opened at the dam, bringing in a lot of shad and other food for our trout.  Plus, the warm water has spurred some great, active trout feeding most days on white jigs, jerk baits and scud flies.  And then the cicadas started to hatch, providing some awesome dry fly fishing -- which will continue well into June.

We started the spring with very low lake conditions above and below our lake, but spring rains have caught us back up on rainfall, plus some.  The U.S. Corps of Army Engineers has not let Table Rock Lake rise too much, dumping water and maintaining the level at around 917 feet, which is our summer pool level.  With two turbines down for maintenance, anytime there was demand for more than 6,000 cubic feet per second flow, the Corps supplemented turbine flow with a flood-gate release, but that has ended with the turbines back online.  With present levels and rain in the forecast, I would say we're looking at at least mid to heavy generation most afternoons with lower to no generation in the mornings for the next few weeks.

While the flood gates were opened, the white jig and shad fly were definitely the best ways to catch trout up within three miles of the dam.  Since the gates have been closed for almost two weeks, the fish aren't really keying in on white, but you can still catch fish on white -- it's always a good color to use.  The same for jerk baits and big streamers.  Black, though, has taken back the lead as the best color to throw, with sculpin/ginger a close second.

Most of us have looked forward to this cicada hatch!  And it has not let us down.  The only slight disappointment has been the lack of multiple areas on the lake where our fish have targeted them.  From the dam down through the Narrows is by far the best area, with the bluff side from Fall Creek to Trout Hollow Resort  just okay.

Our guides have been making their living drifting night crawlers from Cooper Creek down to the Branson Landing with three to four units running.  We've seen some nice catches come in and heard of some brown trout caught and released, especially in the Monkey Island area.  The lake's current is much slower there, and it's easy to drift and bump the bait along the bottom.  I've also heard that the PowerBait Gulp Eggs are working in the pink/white combo.

Drifting scuds on the bottom has been good from the dam clear down to Trout Hollow Resort.  If the water is running pretty hard, you can get away with using a #12 gray or brown scud, but if it slows down to one or two units, drop the size down to a #14 or a #16.  Make sure you're bumping the bottom or you won't get bit.

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[Tom C]

My son and I just got back from a week at your place.   One of the best trips yet!  Fishing was fantastic, the bite was on, and catching them on cicadas was an awesome experience.  I finally entered the 20 inch club.  Over 2 hours this morning , we caught twenty+ fish in the upper 1/2 mile below the dam; they were all caught on an orange egg fly.; they weren't in the mood for scuds.  I have a reservation for November, but I'll have to find a way to get back before the cicada bite turns off!

Interestingly, Conservation Agents were up there inspecting every boat; checking licenses.  

Tom Ciolino

[Jighog]

Nice job Tom!!👍