Truman Lake fishing conditions · Missouri

Tomorrow, 11 am–2 pmWalleye

The bite peaks at 74.

Right now: 64 for walleye, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Walleye, 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.

642 am
64
64
645 am
64
64
648 am
64
64
6611 am
66
66
662 pm
66
74
665 pm
64
64
648 pm
64
64
6411 pm
64Tue
64
642 am
64
64
645 am
64
64
648 am
66
66
7411 am
74
74

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

Water: No reading
Wind: 1 mph
Flow: 705.4 ft gauge height
Light: Dark
Sky: Mostly Cloudy
Air: 58°F
Barometer: Steady
Moon: 100% 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.

Walleye

Sander vitreus

74Worth the tripTomorrow, 11 am–2 pm

Water

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

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

15" minimum · 4 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Missouri: 15" minimum, 4 walleye and sauger a day combined. Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork, Wappapello, Long Branch and the Current and Eleven Point rivers are 18"; the Mississippi River has no minimum and allows 8.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Missouri

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

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

68MarginalTomorrow, 11 am–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

Pomoxis spp.

68MarginalTomorrow, 11 am–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

Ictalurus punctatus

68MarginalTomorrow, 11 am–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

Morone saxatilis

68MarginalTomorrow, 11 am–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

Cyprinus carpio

68MarginalTomorrow, 11 am–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
River705.4 ft gauge height · steady
Barometer30.33 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunrise today7:33 am
Sunset today6:21 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 55,000-acre reservoir above Lake of the Ozarks, full of flooded timber — outstanding crappie and largemouth, plus catfish and walleye.

WaterReservoir
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesMissouri
WhereBenton County · 38.2700, -93.4000

Nearby

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

Lake of the Ozarks41 mi · MissouriBest tomorrow 1 pm–2 pm

74Worth the trip

Table Rock Lake115 mi · MissouriBest today 2 pm–8 pm

74Worth the trip

Beaver Lake130 mi · ArkansasNo window clears the bar

33Sit it out

Bull Shoals Lake136 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm

68Marginal

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)144 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm

74Worth the trip

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees146 mi · OklahomaBest now until 6 pm

80Worth the trip

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Truman Lake?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Truman Lake?

Truman Lake is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Walleye, 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 Truman Lake?

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 Truman Lake 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 Truman Lake have?

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

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Truman Lake?

state agency regulations apply at Truman Lake. 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 Truman Lake tidal water?

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