Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri: a look at the lake this week

Fall on the water means cool mornings, fewer boats and fish feeding up before winter. Lake of the Ozarks spreads over about 54,000 acres and roughly 1,150 miles of shoreline at full pool. At its deepest the lake reaches around 130 ft. Anglers come to Lake of the Ozarks for largemouth bass, crappie and catfish. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

Lake of the Ozarks, MO Houses. Photo: Ben Jacobson ( Kranar Drogin ), CC BY 2.5

Lake of the Ozarks, MO Condos. Photo: Ben Jacobson ( Kranar Drogin ), CC BY 2.5

On the water now

The surface reads 60°F (a few days ago). Largemouth bass on Lake of the Ozarks are a strong bet. The 60s are a sweet spot: bass are active, roam widely and will chase moving baits. Crappie here are a solid pick. In the 60s crappie spread out over brush and docks in the 8 to 15 ft range.

The weather

Friday has the gentlest weather: barely a breeze, sunny, topping out near 48°F. Highs slide from about 66°F to 48°F over the stretch, so dress in layers for the early start. Dress in layers: mornings on the water run colder than the forecast high suggests.

Where to go

The marked spot on Lake of the Ozarks is a wind-blown bank. Today's west wind pushes bait into this bank across open water. Expect white bass and largemouth bass there; try small swimbait or spinner, follow the birds.

Depth map of Lake of the Ozarks: shoreline, depth shading and contour lines, with today's free fishing spot — **Lake of the Ozarks lake bed.** Darker blue is deeper water. The star marks the free spot named in this report (wind-blown bank). Shading shows the shape of the bed, shallow to deep, not exact depths.

See this spot in 3-D

Plan a visit

Thursday is the best-rated day for the bite. Places to stay near the water are listed below if you want to make a weekend of it.