It’s a fishing day

Lake of the Ozarks fishing conditions · Missouri

Tomorrow, 1 pm–2 pmSmallmouth bass

The bite peaks at 74.

Log a trip here
Right now: 64 for smallmouth bass, marginalTap 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.

  1. 642 am
  2. 64
  3. 64
  4. 645 am
  5. 64
  6. 64
  7. 648 am
  8. 64
  9. 64
  10. 6411 am
  11. 66
  12. 66
  13. 662 pm
  14. 66
  15. 66
  16. 665 pm
  17. 66
  18. 64
  19. 648 pm
  20. 64
  21. 64
  22. 6411 pm
  23. 64Tue
  24. 64
  25. 642 am
  26. 64
  27. 64
  28. 645 am
  29. 64
  30. 64
  31. 648 am
  32. 64
  33. 66
  34. 6611 am
  35. 66
  36. 74
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Smallmouth bass range 55–78°

Wind
1 mph

From the southeast

Flow
879 cfs

steady · +0% in 24 h

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:30 am

Sky
Cloudy

No rain expected

Air
59°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

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

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri impoundments: 6 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, Truman, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Stockton are 15" for smallmouth and largemouth. Streams are 12" (15" on designated smallmouth streams), and south of the Missouri River stream bass must be released from Mar 1 until the fourth Saturday in May.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

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

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

68MarginalTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri impoundments: 6 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock, Truman, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Stockton are 15" for largemouth and smallmouth (12" spotted). Streams are 12", and south of the Missouri River stream bass must be released from Mar 1 until the fourth Saturday in May.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

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

Crappie

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

68MarginalTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

30 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri: 30 crappie a day, no statewide minimum. Lake of the Ozarks and Truman are 9" and 15 a day; Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Stockton are 10" and 15 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

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

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

68MarginalTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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

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

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

68MarginalTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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

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

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

68MarginalTomorrow, 1 pm–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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 8 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
  • River879 cfs · steady · +0% in 24 h
  • Barometer30.35 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:30 am
  • Sunset today6:18 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:40 am–8:40 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:10 pm–2:10 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:50 pm–6:50 pm

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.

Nearby

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

Truman Lake41 mi · MissouriBest tomorrow 11 am–2 pm
74Worth the trip
Table Rock Lake112 mi · MissouriBest today 2 pm–8 pm
74Worth the trip
Bull Shoals Lake118 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm
68Marginal
White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)127 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm
74Worth the trip
Norfork River132 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–8 pm
86Go
Mississippi River (Grafton)134 mi · IllinoisBest today 11 am–8 pm
74Worth the trip

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.