It’s that time again! The white bass are running on Table Rock Lake. They are in the river arms and are being caught on just about anything that is white with a swimming action. Mepps spinners, mid-depth Crankbaits, A-Rigs and Jerkbaits are all taking their share of these voracious feeders!
This should continue for the next few weeks and will only get better as the water continues to warm. Fish for White Bass in the upper end of the James River Arm where the River narrows and there are flats. That’s where you will find them feeding in large numbers.
The water temperature in the James River is in the upper 40’s and still heavily stained from the recent rains in the area. Water from Cape Fair to Point 13 is stained with water anywhere south of this point being muddy. This includes the creeks that are located between Cape Fair and the Point 13 area.
As a result of the water temperature and color, the bass are still located on points and bluff ends. The Corp is generating power at the dam and pulling water from the lake. This is resulting in a subtle current flow around main lake points and bluffs and this is where the majority of the fish are holding.
Though the forecast is for cold weather in the Ozarks today, they are also forecasting temperatures in the 80’s by next weekend. This, combined with a lot of sunshine should help warm the surface temperature of the lake and improve the fishing. With the Corp pulling water, the mudline should continue to move towards the dam and improve water quality in the James River arm.
It should be noted that there is a lot of debris in the water right now including logs that are partially submerged. Special care should be taken when navigating any part of the lake at this time!
On another note, a reminder that the first annual ARC of the Ozarks tournament will take place April 28th. We are putting on this tournament to provide revenue for the ARC’s Summer Camp activities. We would like to see everyone come out for this and support this great cause. It should be a great time with a bar-b-que afterwards, door prizes and raffles. Even if you don’t fish tournaments, come see us!
