Annual Prospects Report
Lake Taneycomo is primarily a trout fishery. Approximately 90 percent of the fish that anglers catch are rainbow trout, with brown trout comprising another 6 to 7 percent of the catch. A limited fishery for other species is present within the lower part of the lake, primarily below Rockaway Beach. Rainbow and brown trout populations in Lake Taneycomo are maintained through releases of hatchery-reared trout. Approximately 560,000 rainbow trout and 15,000 brown trout are stocked annually into Lake Taneycomo. The first 1.5 miles of Lake Taneycomo is heavily influenced by hydropower releases. During heavy generation periods, this reach contains deep, swift-moving water. Safe fishing is restricted to shoreline areas and drifting in boats at these times. During non-generation periods, the entire area becomes a series of shallow, slow-moving pools interspersed with a few short, shallow riffles. Boating is difficult and hazardous under these conditions and nearly all anglers either wade or fish from the bank. Deeper water limits further downstream wade fishing and boat fishing becomes progressively more popular downstream. Cooper Creek Access, Rockaway Beach Access, and Empire Electric Park each have covered public fishing docks that are accessible to disabled users. Several fishing docks are also available to the public in the Branson Lakeside RV Park and along the lakefront at the Branson Landing. Numerous privately-owned docks and resorts offer additional fishing access.
Table Rock Dam to Fall Creek: Due to bait restrictions and a 12”-20” protected slot limit, this area consistently maintains a higher fish density than the portions of the lake below Fall Creek. Here, anglers are required to immediately release all rainbow trout between 12” and 20". Quality sized rainbow trout are abundant in this area as a result of the slot limit and have increased even more in recent years. When surveyed in June 2023, the percentage of rainbow trout greater than 13" and 16” in this reach was 73% and 30%, respectively. In addition, three percent of the rainbow trout sampled were greater than 20 inches. Only artificial lures and flies may be used in the upper three miles from Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek. Soft plastics and natural and scented baits are prohibited in this area. No trout are stocked within this reach; however, densities remain high due to low harvest and fish immigration. Fly fishing is a popular form of angling in this part of the lake and scuds, sow bugs, and soft hackles are popular fly patterns. Fishing at night with streamers and stickbaits are effective methods for catching the larger sized trout in this area.
Below Fall Creek: Due to increased harvest and shorter retention time, the size structure of rainbow trout within this area reflects a put-and-take fishery. Stock size (>11”) rainbow trout usually comprise the majority of the population below Fall Creek, however 53% of rainbow trout sampled in this area in June 2023 were greater than 13" and 21% were greater than 16”. Routine stockings keep fish densities adequate throughout this area and the absence of a length limit for rainbow trout in this area improves the likelihood of keeping a limit of trout. Fishing with natural and scented baits is popular in this area in addition to artificial lures and flies.
Brown trout numbers in Lake Taneycomo are lower compared to previous years, but quality size fish are available. During the June 2023 electrofishing sample, 86% of the brown trout were greater than 13", 45% were greater than 16”, and 17% were greater than the minimum length limit of 20”. Two new state record brown trout were caught out of Lake Taneycomo in 2019. The first record weighing 34 pounds, 10 ounces was caught in February 2019 and the most recent record weighing 40 pounds, 6 ounces was caught in September 2019. Anglers also caught and released multiple rainbow and brown trout up to 30 inches in 2022 and 2023.
All three species of black bass are present in Lake Taneycomo, however largemouth bass comprise the majority of the black bass population. Electrofishing surveys conducted on the lower end of the lake indicate that a high-quality population of largemouth bass exists. In the spring 2023 survey, 81% of the largemouth bass sampled were greater than 12" and 59% were greater than 15". Five percent of largemouth bass captured during these surveys were greater than 20”. Most of the bass fishing takes place in the warmer water of the lower lake, mainly below Rockaway Beach. Quality bluegill fishing opportunities exist in the lower lake as well. Approximately 11% of bluegill sampled in 2023 were greater than 6”. Redear sunfish are also plentiful in the lower lake with a good percentage of fish above 9”. A fair population of black crappie are present in the lake and can provide good fishing in the winter and spring. Bass, crappie and sunfish are typically caught in higher numbers in the creek arms and larger coves in the spring and summer and move to areas on the main lake in the winter. If warmer water is released through the flood gates of Table Rock Dam, walleye, smallmouth bass, and white bass can be caught below the dam.
Predominant benthic invertebrates include three primary taxa: Amphipoda (scuds), Isopoda (sowbugs), and Chironomidae (midge larvae). Sculpins and crayfish are also important food items for larger trout. Due to low dissolved oxygen conditions present in Lake Taneycomo in the fall, anglers should attempt to minimize the time that they fight and handle fish caught below the dam to ensure the health of the fish. All anglers fishing in Lake Taneycomo upstream from the Highway 65 bridge near Branson are required to have a trout permit and a trout permit is required for all anglers lakewide in order to possess trout. The daily limit of trout is four (4) with a possession limit of eight (8). Of these, only one (1) fish in the daily limit and two (2) fish in the possession limit may be brown trout, and the minimum length limit for brown trout throughout the lake is 20". Fishing for fish other than trout is subject to statewide regulations for impoundments.
