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Your Mark Twain Lake Vacation Spot!
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Fishing Report, Lake Conditions
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Below is 2005 in review, along with a few of the many pictures taken during the year.
Date: 11/17/05 Lake Level : 599.8 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 50 - 54
There have not been a lot of fisherman out lately. It's deer hunting time with firearms, and will be until November 22. There were a lot of deer taken on opening weekend, it seemed to be mostly does and small bucks. However several trophy bucks have also been taken. The cold front that hit tuesday and the continued cold weather in the forecast is more like hunting weather should be. Duck hunting has been ok, and this cold front should push more into the area.
Crappie keepers have been slow. A fisherman can go out and catch small crappie all day long. The bigger crappie can be caught shallow near the bank in water anywhere from 3 - 8 feet deep, look for areas with good cover (log jams, fall downs) catch a few and move on. Go further up the branches, or work the back of coves. Also, some crappie can still be caught in deeper water, suspended anywhere from 6 - 12 feet deep, in water anywhere from 10 - 20 feet deep, around submerged cover. Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs have been the best bait.
Bass fishing has been slow.
Cat Fishing has been slow this week. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 11/11/05 Lake Level : 599.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 56 - 60
Today is Veterans Day, a special thanks to all Veterans for protecting our freedoms and way of life.
Crappie fishing is still pretty much like it has been the past few weeks. The better catches have been caught shallow near the bank in about 6 - 8 feet of water, further up the branches. Look for cover, the more cover the better, log jams and fallen timber are good sites to dip a minnow into. Some crappie can still be caught in deeper water, suspended anywhere from 6 - 12 feet deep, in water anywhere from 10 - 20 feet deep, around submerged cover.
Bass fishing has been fair, shallow near points using spinner baits.
Cat Fishing is still good for rod and reel fishermen, using nightcrawlers. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 11/03/05 Lake Level : 599.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 59 - 63
The better Crappie catches have been caught shallow near the bank. Look for cover, the more cover the better, log jams and fallen timber are good sites to dip a minnow into.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Cat Fishing is good. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 10/20/05 Lake Level : 600.1 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 65 - 68
The Crappie are scattered and as of today have slowed down considerably. Over the weekend the better size crappie were caught anywhere from 1 to 8 feet deep. Bluffs near river channels. Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing has been fair, although they have been mostly small.
Cat Fishing has slowed down somewhat.
White Bass fishing has been fair. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 10/13/05 Lake Level : 600.2 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 66 - 70
Crappie reports continue to be mixed. Most fishermen have been struggling. However, some of the better reports have the crappie being caught in 30 - 35 feet of water and being suspended about 20 - 25 feet deep. Some fishermen are catching them where you would expect them to be this time of year, up the rivers and creeks and shallow. Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Cat Fishing continues to be good.
White Bass fishing has been fair. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 10/07/05 Lake Level : 600.2 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 68 - 72
Crappie reports have been mixed, both in how good the fishing is and where they are being caught. The reports earlier in the week were pretty good, however it slowed down considerably since the cold front hit Wednesday night. Some fishermen had good fishing, catching them about 20 feet deep in the usual summer pattern. And other fishermen found their best fish in about 5 - 10 feet of water and going down about 2 feet deep. Once this front settles down it is expected to push the crappie even more toward a fall pattern. Minnows, or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing continues it's slow pattern. Although one fisherman reported catching some at about 10 feet deep suspended over deeper water, near points and the mouths of coves, with spinner baits.
Cat Fishing continues to be good. Channel catfish have been the most active, for both trot liners and rod and reel fishermen. Some flatheads are being caught.
White Bass fishing has been good. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 9/30/05 Lake Level : 600.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 70 - 74
Crappie reports have been poor this week. With the cool weather and water temps that have dropped considerably, this could signal the transition to a fall crappie pattern. A few fishermen have reported catching crappie inside coves and shallow. If you're not catching any fish where they've been hanging out for the summer, then try just inside coves off of main lake points, vary your depth, and then work you're way further in. Minnows are your best bet.
Bass fishing has been slow.
Cat Fishing has been good. Trot liners have been having a little better luck lately, gold fish or perch. The channel cat bite has been good for rod and reel fishermen using nightcrawlers or shad.
White Bass fishing has been good. Several fishermen that started out fishing for other species last weekend ended up targeting white bass. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 9/23/05 Lake Level : 600.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 79 - 82
Crappie reports continue to be spotty. Most fishermen have struggled, some have done good. The better reports have the crappie being caught in about 20 feet of water near the bottom. The best bait continues to be minnows. If using jigs, then tip them with minnows.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics or jigs around main lake points. The 21st Buddy Bass Tournament was held last weekend, the results and details can be read at the Mid America Outdoors website.
Cat Fishing has been good, especially for rod and reel fishermen. There has been an excellent early evening bite for channel cats, using nightcrawlers. Trotliners have been doing fair, using gold fish or perch.
White Bass fishing has been fair. There have been a few reports of fishermen catching good numbers of white bass. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 9/15/05 Lake Level : 600.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 79 - 82
The rivers feeding Mark Twain Lake are turning over. The 21st annual Bud-Light Bass Tournament is this weekend, good luck to all that enter.
Crappie reports have been spotty this week. It's still mostly small crappie, bigger ones have been more frequent the past week and a half. The weather fronts this week have messed with the fishing. The best reports have come off of the main lake points and tree lines, about 10 - 15 feet deep. Minnows have worked the best. If using jigs, then tip them with minnows.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics around main lake points.
Cat Fishing continues to be good. The rain this week has the rivers and creeks flowing. Nightcrawlers and cut shad have been the best bait for rod and reel fishermen, still catching mostly channel cats. Flatheads on trotline have been fair, using gold fish and perch.
White Bass fishing has been fair. There have been a few reports of fishermen catching good numbers of white bass. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 9/8/05 Lake Level : 601.1 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 82 - 85
The rivers feeding Mark Twain Lake are starting to turn over.
Crappie reports have been a better lately. A lot of small crappie are still being caught. However crappie at least 9 inches and better are becoming more common. The reports have been has varied as the fishermen that are catching them. Over the weekend we had several fishermen catching good size crappie 1 - 5 feet deep. It's as if some crappie are starting to move into a fall pattern. Lately the most consistent depth has been from 6 - 12 feet deep. The best bite has been near main lake points and banks with good tree cover. Minnows have been the best bait.
Bass fishing has been fair.
Cat Fishing has been good. Rod and reel fishermen have been catching channel cats using nightcrawlers and cut shad. Trot liners have been doing better lately, catching flatheads with gold fish and perch.
White Bass fishing has been good. There have been a few reports of fishermen catching good numbers of white bass. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 9/1/05 Lake Level : 601.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 82 - 85
This weekend will be the last major holiday for this summer. Have fun, but more importantly have safe fun. Happy Labor Day.
Crappie remains the same, there are lots of crappie being caught, just not lots of size to 'em. Expect to go through a lot of small crappie to get your keepers. The most consistent reports of better size crappie are coming from about 20 feet of water, near bluffs with lots of structure. Keep on the move. Jigs tipped with minnows, or jigs tipped with crappie nibbles.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics off of main lake points, in about 3 - 10 feet of water.
Cat Fishing has been fair. A lot of channel cats have been caught on rod and reel. Trot liners have been slow.
White Bass fishing has been slow. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 8/25/05 Lake Level : 601.4 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 83 - 86
Crappie fishing has been good. Expect to go through a lot of small crappie to get your keepers. The winning weight for last weekends CrappieMasters tournament was 7.38 for a 10 fish limit. Here is a link to the final results (scroll to the bottom of the page). The winners caught them out of the South Fork, while most of the other top teams caught theirs out of the North Fork. Some fishermen had success fishing in 6 - 12 feet of water, fishing the stained water, and other fishermen caught theirs in 8 - 15 feet of water. Locating submerged cover was key to finding crappie. Jigs tipped with minnows, or jigs tipped with crappie nibbles. The CrappieMasters Kids Rodeo was a blast, check out the pictures.
Bass fishing has been fair. Plastics off of main lake points, in about 3 - 10 feet of water.
Cat Fishing has been fair. A lot of channel cats have been caught on rod and reel, using chicken livers.
White Bass fishing has been fair. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 8/18/05 Lake Level : 601.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear, some stain in the upper reaches. Surface Water Temp: 83 - 86
Crappie fishing has been good. It is still mostly small crappie. The bigger crappie (9 - 11 inches) are out there, you need to keep on the move and find them. They've been caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep around tree covered areas. Several fishermen have reported catching crappie in the flats along tree rows. Minnows or minnow tipped jigs. The Crappie Masters tournament is this Saturday, August 20th. The Kids Fishing Rodeo will be in our pond, registration starts at 08:00 am. Bring the kids out, it will be fun.
Bass fishing has been good.
Cat Fishing has been very good. The rain over the weekend had the creeks and rivers flowing, which got the cats on the prowl. A lot of channel cats have been caught on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishermen have enjoyed a little better success catching flatheads.
White Bass fishing has been fair. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 8/11/05 Lake Level : 601.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 85 - 88
Crappie fishing has been good. Lots of crappie are being caught, there's just not lots of size to them for the most part. The bigger crappie (9 - 11 inches) are out there, you need to keep on the move and find them. They've been caught anywhere from 12 - 20 feet deep around tree covered areas. Minnows or minnow tipped jigs.
Bass fishing continues to be good. The best bite has been in the main lake, and they've been suspended anywhere from 4 - 12 feet deep over 20 - 40 feet of water. Deep diving crank baits or spinnerbaits.
Cat Fishing has been good. It is still mostly channels on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishermen have been catching channels using shad.
White Bass fishing has been hit and miss. Most reports are of individual white bass being caught. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 8/04/05 Lake Level : 601.8 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 85 - 88
Crappie fishing has taken an upswing since the weekend. Still lots and lots of small crappie being caught, however the number of crappie in the 9 inch range and better has increased. Main lake tree covered points and bluffs, next to the river channel. The best bite continues to be early in the morning, till about 9:00 am, and the last hour of daylight until about midnight. They've been caught anywhere from 12 - 18 feet deep. Minnows or minnow tipped jigs, or jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles.
Bass fishing continues to be good. They've been suspended anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep over 20+ feet of water. At least that's the report I've gotten today. The best bite continues to be in the main lake area. Carolina rigged plastic baits (worms, lizards, brush hogs) or jigs.
Cat Fishing has been good. It is still mostly channels on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishing has been tougher.
White Bass fishing has been hit and miss. Most reports are of individual white bass being caught.
Conservation Agent Bob Lyons has written a new article for the Conservation Corner. It deals with wildlife habitat, the importance of it, how to improve it on your land, and where to get financial assistance for it. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 7/28/05 Lake Level : 601.9 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84 - 87
The rain and break in the heat yesterday was very welcome, but the rain was not nearly enough. The lake continues to drop.
Crappie. The cold front yesterday slowed the crappie down, however it should get right back to where it was. The pattern has been the same as the previous week, with lots of small crappie being caught. The bigger ones are more scarce, however they are there, you just need to locate them and entice them to feed. The better areas continue to be tree covered points and bluffs, next to the river channel. The best bite has been early in the morning, till about 9:00 am, and the last couple hours of daylight. They've been caught anywhere from 12 - 20 feet deep. Minnows or minnow tipped jigs, or jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles.
Bass fishing continues to be good, however they've gone deeper. The best bite has been in the main lake area, in about 10 - 20 feet of water, using Carolina rigged plastic baits (worms, lizards, brush hogs) or jigs.
Cat Fishing continues to be good. Mostly channels on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishing has been tougher.
White Bass fishing is the same as last week, it's been good but sporadic. Most of the reports are of individual white bass being caught. Schools of white bass are still being spotted, but it has not been non stop action like a few weeks ago.
Conservation Agent Bob Lyons has written a new article for the Conservation Corner. It deals with wildlife habitat, the importance of it, how to improve it on your land, and where to get financial assistance for it. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 7/21/05 Lake Level : 602.5 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84 - 87
It's hot and dry, and the lake level continues to drop.
Crappie. This week has seen lots of small crappie being caught, the bigger ones have been more elusive. The better areas continue to be off of points, next to deep water near the river channel with good cover. Bridge piers are holding a lot of crappie. The best bite has been early in the morning, till about 10:00 am, and the last couple hours of daylight. They've been caught anywhere from 12 - 20 feet deep, drop your bait to the bottom and come up. Minnows or jigs, tipped with crappie nibbles.
Bass fishing continues to be good, however they've gone deeper. The best bite has been in the main lake area, about 15 - 20 feet deep, using plastic worms or jigs.
Cat Fishing has been fairly good. Mostly channels on rod and reel, using nightcrawlers or cut shad. Trot line and jug fishermen have been having a tougher way to go during the past week.
White Bass fishing has been good, but sporadic. We've received reports of a lot of individual white bass being caught. There have also been some reports of schools of white bass. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 7/14/05 Lake Level : 603.7 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84
The lake is lower than it has been for a while. A word of caution, some trees and underwater humps are emerging. If you are unfamiliar with the lake then make sure you get a good map that shows the river channels and depths. There is plenty of open water in the main lake and lower sections of the forks for cruising around in. This word of caution should apply to any body of water you choose to visit.
Crappie fishing is pretty much the same as it was last week. The crappie are in a summer pattern, and it's been mostly small crappie around 6 - 8 inches long being caught. Bigger crappie can be caught, you just have to go after them and keep on the move. If you 're catching nothing but small crappie, it's time to move on. Of course, if you've got kids that just want to catch fish and keep busy, then that should be no problem. Even small fish make for good childhood memories. The better areas seem to come off of points with good cover and within close proximity to the river channel. Bridge piers can keep a fisherman busy, there's just not much size to the crappie hanging around them. The best bite has been early in the morning, till about 10:00 am, and the last couple hours of daylight. They've been caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep, over deeper water. Some fishermen are finding the bigger crappie by trolling along tree lines next to river channels. This is a good way to cover a lot of territory and find holes along the way. Minnows or jigs, tipped with crappie nibbles.
Bass fishing has been very good. Crank baits, jigs and spinners have been good, worked near main lake points with good rock cover or brush piles. The best bite has been in shallow water about 2 - 5 feet deep.
Cat Fishing has slightly improved. Rod and reel fishermen have been catching channel cats in 4 - 10 feet of water near the river channels. Set line fishermen have been doing a little better as of late using goldfish. Nightcrawlers or cut shad for rod and reel fishermen, perch or goldfish for set lines.
White Bass fishing has been good. Points and shallows near deeper water, where the white bass can funnel the shad and feed. Watch for them busting the surface, toss a silver spoon or rattle trap into the feeding frenzy and use a fast retrieve. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 7/7/05 Lake Level : 604.7 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 82 - 85
Crappie fishing continues to be fair. The crappie are well settled into a summer pattern. The bigger crappie are there, and we continue to get reports of crappie in the 10 - 12 inch range. With that said, the bite has been slow and you need to keep on the move. Most reports have the keeper crappies coming in 2 - 3 out of a hole, and then it's time to move on and find a few more. Some fishermen are finding them by trolling alone tree lines next to river channels. This is a good way to cover a lot of territory and find holes along the way. The better areas seem to come off of points with good cover and within close proximity to the river channel. The best bite has been early in the morning, slacking off about 10:00 am, and later in the day till about dark. They've been caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet deep, over deeper water. Minnows or jigs, tipped with crappie nibbles.
Bass fishing continues to be very good. Crank baits and jigs have been the best lures, worked near points or rock cover, close to deeper water. Good catches of keeper size bass are being reported. Crank baits or spinners worked in 8 - 12 feet of water.
Cat Fishing has been slow. Nightcrawlers or cut shad for rod and reel fishermen, perch or goldfish for set lines.
White Bass fishing continues to be very good. Points and shallows near deeper water, where the white bass can funnel the shad and feed. Watch for them busting the surface, toss a silver spoon or rattle trap into the feeding frenzy and use a fast retrieve.
Several fishermen have commented on the numerous schools of shad this summer. This is indication of an excellent hatch and good news for all the other species that depend on shad as a food source. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 6/30/05 Lake Level : 605.1 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 84 - 87
The 4th of July holiday is this weekend. It's also blackberry picking time, and there's plenty of the thorny bushes around the lake. Have a fun and safe holiday.
Crappie fishing is fair. We've had several reports since the weekend of good size crappie being caught. It hasn't been fast and furious, but a limit can be had with patience and keeping on the move. The best bite has been early in the morning, slacking off about 10:00 am, and later in the day till about dark. The crappie are in a summer pattern, being caught anywhere from 8 - 15 feet over 25 feet of water. Nearby river channels seem to be helpful. Tight line minnows or jigs near bridge piers, bluffs or tree rows. Minnows or jigs, tipped with crappie nibbles.
Bass fishermen continue to enjoy very good fishing, with a lot of them reporting an all day bite. Crank baits and jigs have been the best lures, worked near points or rock cover, close to deeper water. Good catches of keeper size bass are being reported.
Cat Fishing has been fair. The catfish continue a slow down, but they're still biting, you just need to be a little more patient. Nightcrawlers or cut shad for rod and reel fishermen, perch or goldfish for set lines.
White Bass fishing has been very good. Points and shallows near deeper water, where the white bass can funnel the shad and feed. Watch for them to be busting the surface, toss a silver spoon or rattle trap into the feeding frenzy and use a fast retrieve.
Several fishermen have reported catching Walleye this year, and more so lately. Walleye were stocked early on and have never taken off in Mark Twain as it was hoped they would. These are welcome signs of them becoming more common and would be a tremendous addition to the fishery at Twain. One fisherman this past weekend reported catching 4 walleye, they kept 2 over 18 inches and released 2 that were about 17 inches. There has been some confusion over the length limit on walleye in Twain. At one time the length limit was 18 inches, however it has been lowered to 15 inches. Most of the walleye catches have been on crank baits by largemouth or white bass fishermen. Hopefully, at some point in the future, walleye will become a regular part of the fishing report.
Notable mentions: Bowfishermen have taken several Gar and Carp this past week. A lot of incidental catches of Drum are being reported. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 6/23/05 Lake Level : 606.9 (Click here for the most current lake level) Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear in the lower lake, stained in the upper lake. Surface Water Temp: 79 - 83
Summer is officially here, and the weather this week will back it up.
Crappie fishing is fair. The crappie have pretty much settled into a summer pattern. Most of the crappie being caught are on the small side. The bigger crappie are deeper, anywhere from 12 - 18 feet deep, near shelves close to the river channel. Tight line minnows or jigs near bridge piers, and bluffs, with good standing timber. Keep the bigger ones when you catch 'em and don't stay in one place too long. Revisit holes where you catch keepers, after giving them a little space to settle down. The usual bait/lure is minnows or jigs. Crappie nibbles can really help under these conditions.
Bass fishing continues to be very good. Numerous catches of keeper size bass have been reported. Almost every type of lure has been catching them.
Cat Fishing has been good. This is a slight downgrade from last week. We're still getting reports of cats being caught on both trot lines and rod and reels. However we haven't seen or heard of as many large cats being caught as we had been. Perch have been in short supply, goldfish are readily available.
The White Bass fishing has been very good. We've had several reports of fishermen locking onto schools of white bass that were gorging themselves on shad and making the surface boil. We keep hearing of more locations where they are being located. Most fishermen catching white bass, that I've talked to, have been enjoying the catch and release action, which is fast and furious when when it hits. Silver spoons. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 6/16/05 Lake Level : 608.3 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear in the lower lake, stained/very stained in the upper lake. Surface Water Temp: 76 - 79
June 17 - Water condition update, the upper lake areas of North Fork and Middle Fork are the most stained in color. The South Fork is stained, but not as much as the North and Middle. This is attributed to the recent weather fronts passing to the north of Mark Twain Lake.
Most of the Crappie being caught are small. Crappie fishing through the weekend was good, although most have been on the small side. They have been slower this week. The better catches have come off of a summer pattern. Tight lining minnows or jigs near bridge piers, and bluffs, with good standing timber. Some people know where honey holes are that on the surface wouldn't seem to have anything to offer. Holes like this come from spending many hours on the water. If using jigs, use the larger umbrella jig tipped with a minnow or crappie nibble.
Bass fishing continues to be very good. Numerous catches of keeper size bass have been reported. Plastic worms, jigs and crank baits have been the lures of choice lately. Primary main lake points and secondary points, working laydowns and timber.
Cat Fishing continues to be very good. Several flatheads, blues and channels have been caught this past week. The bigger flatheads and blues have been brought in on trot lines baited with perch. Bank fishermen have done best using nightcrawlers and cut shad.
The White Bass fishing has been good. We haven't had reports of fishermen finding the schools of whites, as have been getting over the past few weeks. However we are still hearing of several white bass being caught, some are incidental catches being caught by bass and crappie fishermen. _______________________________________________________________
Date: 6/9/05 Lake Level : 606.3 Normal Lake Level : 606 Water Condition: Clear Surface Water Temp: 74 - 77
The predominate Crappie catch continues to be small. The bigger ones can be had with patience and fishing deeper water. Some large crappie are being caught just off the bank, in the coves or near the bottom in 8 - 12 feet of water close to coves, and next to river channels where it drops off to deeper water. Some crappie have settled into a summer pattern near the bridge piers, and bluffs, with good standing timber. Minnows and jigs. If using jigs, use the larger umbrella jig tipped with a minnow or crappie nibble.
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