Fishing – Table Rock Lake

Major Species Present: Largemouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Speckled Bass, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Carp

Missouri’s Table Rock Lake is certainly famous. The lake is home to everything from major Bassmaster tournaments to cable TV shows. There is a reason for this. It is one of the best bass fishing lakes in the United States. The lake is home to nearly equal numbers of largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass. During the summer, look for largemouth in five to ten feet of water, and smallmouth and spotted bass in ten to thirty feet of water. The lake water is clear as gin; it is common to be able to see the bottom in fifteen feet of water. This requires two things. The first is the line of light. Eight-pound line is the norm, and you shouldn’t use anything much larger than ten-pound test monofilament. The second thing this clear water means is that you need to approach the bass as stealthily as possible. This means not flailing the rod unnecessarily, not hitting the tackle box on the boat, and not driving too close to the structure you plan to cast at. Soft plastics, such as tube baits and Carolina Rigged soft plastics, are the most popular way to fish the lake. Casting crankbaits and spinnerbaits is also a popular way of fishing.

There are other species in the lake besides black bass that are worth casting a line for. Walleye are well stocked in the lake and can be caught with trolling crankbaits as well as hooks and live baits such as minnows or night crawlers. Walleye tends to hold fifteen to twenty five feet of water in the summer. Night fishing is best during the warmer months. Another popular species on the lake is White Bass. The best time to catch these fighting fish is in the spring when they make their annual spawning. During the rest of the year, they can be trapped in waters approximately six meters deep. Catfish are also abundant everywhere in the lake. Channel catfish are the most common, but large blue catfish can also be caught. Rainbow trout can be found in deep water in the upper part of the lake in the White River Arm and Roaring River Arms. Trolling is the best method of fishing for trout in Table Rock Lake, but there are not enough of them to make fishing worthwhile. If you want to fish for trout, it’s best to take the time to drive to the White River or the Roaring River.

The crystal clear waters of Table Rock Lake are home to some of the best fishing in the Midwest. Whether you like smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, or catfish, this is a great lake for you.