What is it like fishing Table Rock Lake in the fall?
It’s October the 10th as I write this, and we have been experiencing some very warm weather here in the Ozarks. However, things are getting to ready to change quickly. For example, today’s forecast calls for temperatures to start in the 70’s this morning and end with a high near 90 degrees this afternoon. But tomorrow, this all changes when a cold front comes in and pushes lows into the 40’s and highs in the 50’s. We can expect this cooling trend to continue as fall progresses.
By now you are wondering why I am giving you a forecast. The reason is, it is an important factor when fishing Table Rock Lake in the fall. The current surface water temperature on Table Rock Lake is 77 degrees. With the coming cooler weather, the water temperature will soon drop into the high 60’s and lower 70′. This will get the shad migrating into the back of coves and will result in some great topwater fishing! This is definitely one of my favorite times to fish Table Rock lake.
Topwater baits such as River2Sea’s Whopper Plopper, Lucky Craft’s Gunfish and Zoom’s Flukes will all take their share of fish. Don’t forget to tie on a square bill crankbait for those times when the fish quit coming to the surface. Fall is also a great time to fish a jig as the bass get into the creeks where there are lay-downs and other cover. Keep moving and follow the baitfish as this will be where the bass are. Good luck!