Late March

[WestCentralFisher]

Was recently surprised with a 4 day, three night trip for my birthday in a cabin very close to the Beaver Lake tailwater in a month or so. While I am very excited, I am also aware of some pretty major league issues with hatcheries/stocking.

I plan to give it the old college try regardless, because why not, but I'm just curious what to expect on the continuum of "slightly less fish than usual but mostly fine" to "catching is largely non-existent". With the caveat that am pretty poor at fishing tailwaters anyway, so there is a fair chance I won't ever know the difference.

[Flysmallie]

I’ve only fished it a few times but always enjoyed it. Now it’s been a long time and I have also wondered if it was worth the trip. The good news is that you have a lot of options fairly close by if you have to adjust. 

[Devan S.]

They are back to stocking albeit I'm not sure how much. 

The biggest deal right now is that the water is very low. Table Rock Lake is low which means much of the water above the 62 bridge is inaccessible by boat unless generation and then you don't want to be caught.

Right now between the lower water, reduced stocking, and getting close to spring walleye. The trout are getting a bit of reprieve in the upper sections.  

Could start raining next week and everything I wrote be out the window though. 

[tjm]

@Devan S. is there one section or access that you'd recommend to a wade fisherman in these conditions? 

[Devan S.]

Basically any spot they stock. Bertrand ramp, Parker Bottoms, or the dam ramp. 

I haven't been down since right after the big freeze and I almost exclusively stumble around in the dark down there but any access above Bertrand should have a lot of open bank to move around and find fish. 

[WestCentralFisher]

Thanks Devan. Super helpful.

[ollie]

Yes, I have seen reports of stocking there as well. Like someone else said, Parkers Bottom, Bertrand, and at the ramp should all hold some fish.

[WestCentralFisher]

1 hour ago, ollie said:

Yes, I have seen reports of stocking there as well. Like someone else said, Parkers Bottom, Bertrand, and at the ramp should all hold some fish.

Great, thank you sir!

[rps]

At 907, the only boat traffic will be from Houseman ramp, and as Devan said they won't be going any farther than the 62 Bridge unless they have a specially designed boat with a jet drive.

If you can walk in to reach it, there are refrigerator size rocks in the stretch immediately upstream of the shallow section below the 62 bridge. When the lake is as low as now, those rocks will break the slight flow.

[tjm]

1 hour ago, rps said:

If you can walk in to reach it,

Where would one park to reach this area?