Lake of the Ozarks fishing conditions · Missouri

Sit it outno smallmouth bass window clears the bar in 36 hours

Smallmouth bass is the best bet here today.

Frost Advisory until Sunday 8 am

Right now: 53 for smallmouth bass, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Smallmouth bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

533 pm
53
53
536 pm
39
39
399 pm
39
39
39Sun
39
39
393 am
39
39
396 am
39
41
419 am
41
41
4912 pm
49
49
493 pm
41
39
396 pm
39
39
399 pm
39
39
39Mon
39
39

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: No reading
Wind: 0 mph
Flow: 806 cfs
Light: Daylight
Sky: Mostly Sunny
Air: 54°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 5% lit

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Missouri regulations for these waters.

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

53Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No smallmouth or largemouth under 15" (spotted bass 12"); 6 black bass a day combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No largemouth or smallmouth under 15" (spotted bass 12"); 6 black bass a day combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock and Truman

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

9" minimum · 15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No crappie under 9"; 15 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Lake of the Ozarks and Truman

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri: 10 channel catfish a day, no length limit. On Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Norfork the 10 is shared with blue and flathead catfish; the Mississippi River allows 20 channel and blue combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

47Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri: 15 white, yellow, striped and hybrid bass a day combined, no minimum, but only 4 of them over 18". Bull Shoals and Norfork allow 3 striped bass with a 20" minimum.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on striped bass

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

12Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Common carp is here Apr–Oct. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri: common, grass, bighead and silver carp may be kept in any number and do not count toward the nongame daily or possession limit.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Missouri

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp

The water

Water temperatureNo reading
River806 cfs · steady · +3% in 24 h
Barometer30.20 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:05 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:44 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 3:30 pm–4:30 pm
Major solunarTonight 10:00 pm–12:00 am
Minor solunarTomorrow 5:50 am–6:50 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Missouri Dept. of Conservation has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A sprawling 54,000-acre Osage River reservoir in central Missouri — largemouth and spotted bass around dock structure, plus crappie, catfish, and white bass.

WaterReservoir
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesMissouri
WhereCamden County · 38.1300, -92.6600

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Truman Lake41 mi · MissouriBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory

65Marginal

Table Rock Lake112 mi · MissouriBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory

65Marginal

Bull Shoals Lake118 mi · ArkansasBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory

59Marginal

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)127 mi · ArkansasNo window clears the barFrost Advisory

53Sit it out

Norfork River132 mi · ArkansasBest now until 7 pmFrost Advisory

65Marginal

Mississippi River (Grafton)134 mi · IllinoisBest now until 5 pm

92Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Lake of the Ozarks?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake of the Ozarks you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Lake of the Ozarks?

Lake of the Ozarks is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Lake of the Ozarks?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake of the Ozarks against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Lake of the Ozarks have?

Lake of the Ozarks has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Lake of the Ozarks?

state agency regulations apply at Lake of the Ozarks. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Lake of the Ozarks tidal water?

No. Lake of the Ozarks is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.