07/29/2026
Fishing Report 7-28-2026 @topfans
Truman Lake- Jordan Leer-Angler’s Edge Guide Service
Crappie-Good. Fish the mainlake flats with minnows vertical jigging or troll crankbaits at 1.5 mph in 8-20 ft of water
Catfish-Fair. Mainlake flats on the lower end 5-18 ft. Drifting or trolling from .5-.8 mph working Fresh shad for bait. Jug lines set in the same depth with fresh shad producing as well. 3-8 ft of water on the upper ends
White bass-Good. Casting 3 inch swimbaits on the points and humps from 10-17 ft
Walleye-Fair. Fish mainlake flats, points and humps from 5-15ft of water drop shotting minnows and night crawlers. Casting 3" swimbaits on mainlake points working as well
LOZ Fishing Report Mike Marfell
Lake Level is 659.30’, so 0.70’ below Summer pool so lake has raised 0.20’ from last week. Water Color is good slight stain in most areas of the lake.
Very little water generation over the last week, making the bite window smaller than if the lake had flow.
The Summer pattern will sound like a broken record until get to the fall transition. If they are pulling water concentrate on the Main Lake points, Bluff ends and deeper brush on secondary points with a BIG Texas rigged worm, ¾ -1 oz jig, or a swimbait. You can still catch these fish without current but the ”bite window” is small and you may need to use forward facing sonar and a more finesse technique like a drop shot, minnow style bait or even a wacky rigged worm.
Been a little better shallow bite in the backs of creeks, but the best bite has still been main lake on steeper banks and Main Lake Channel swings. Shakey head with a finesse worm, Drop Shot, @ a wobble jig head with your favorite creature style bait.
Main Lake docks, especially those on Bluffs or steeper banks are also a good option and you can just keep bouncing from bluff to bluff docks and you will likely hoit one that is loaded with bait and if so just pick it apart. Jig, Jerk bait, flutter spoon, swimbait & chatter bait are all good options.
Topwater bite is getting a little better but still VERY spotty and really only been decent and 1st light or at dusk, but have one handy if they do come up schooling close by…you can pick up a few fish real fast if that happens!
If you are fishing WAY up the river say 70-92mm the bite has been SHALLOW docks and SHALLOW wood with your favorite flipping bait. Mince is a Jig or a Tube in 3/8-1/2oz….color does not matter as long as it has some Greenpumpkin 😊
It is LOZ in the summer time so if you can make it down in the week vs weekend the fishing is usually a bit better and WAY easier to navigate 😊
Wear your life Jacket and kill switch and stay safe out there on LOZ
Table Rock – Phillip Stone-Stone’s guide service
Bass-fair. With surface temperature at 90 degrees, the bass are concentrated near the thermocline. Look for submerged trees that top out in 25-32ft of water on bluff ends or in the middle of the bigger creeks. Best baits this week have been a drop shot or jigging spoons.
Walleye-fair. The Walleye are still holding on the main lake pea gravel points in 28-32ft of water. Dragging a nightcrawler on the bottom has been producing some nice fish.
Taneycomo – Phillip Stone-Stone’s guide service
Early in the morning the trout are feeding up on midges. A #16 midge 4ft under a float has been best. Later in the morning when the current is on, drift an egg and scud for best results.
Below Fall Creek, drifting a nightcrawler has been the best technique for numbers of trout.
Mark Twain - Jason Kiser Mark Twain Fishing intel
water temp is 81 to 83 degrees, clarity slightly stained to stained.
Crappie – fishing is slow a lot of d***s all on the habitat cubes and brush piles. Keepers are hard to come by, minnows are working the best.
Bass – Starting to move out into their summer pattern. Lake points in 5 to 10 feet of water. Soft Texas rigged plastics.
Catfish – No report
Walleye – are being caught on crankbaits on the flats around rocks.
Shelbyville – Steve Welch
The lake is falling fast, about 3-4in. per day. Currently 9ft. over summer pool. Water temps are running 83-84 and the lake is gin clear. There is a strong thermocline developing. This has all the fish in the top 15ft. of water column.
“CRAPPIE”
Last week just hammering the crappie on top of the Shelbyville cubes 18-22ft. deep hovering minnows over them. Then the water temp. rose drastically and overnight everything that deep was gone. That is when I started to see a thermocline start to develop.
With all the crappie the top ten ft. of water column this brings new challenges. Until we get another 6ft. off the top new tactics will come into play.
Standing timber knows no depth change. We are spending part of the day pushing up to standing timber with a weight above a number four hook and a minnow. Livescope shows you if fish are on the tops of these submerged trees. fishing about 8-12ft. down in water about 15-25ft.
The other part of the day we are trolling both minnow rigs and crankbaits under my 14ft. umbrella. Clients are loving it and I kind of like it to. Something different and with my new depthfinders and remote for my Quest I set in the back and watch rods go off left and right. All the while watching Livescope 70ft.in front and 70ft. behind us at the same time on my 9217xsv. I have two Livescopes one on the front and one on the rear. I can see our baits while trolling to track depths and relationship to bait and crappie. Extremely handy.
“WHITE BASS”
We are trolling different areas for white bass. Hard bottom areas like sunken islands or parking lots. Finding food is not the problem it is everywhere on the north end. As the lake drops these hard fighting fish will be easier to find with my spoons.
Carlyle and Local Lakes– Eric Morey
Thermocline is setting in on the lakes and full summer patterns are here.
Soft plastics and deep cranking points and lay downs for largemouth are good ways to catch them now.
The crappie are setting up on brush and structure in deeper water where the structure comes up above the thermocline and there are also some good schools of black crappie roaming open water now too.
The bluegill and redear bite is good with the bluegill are schooling and very active and the redear are still hanging relatively shallow but like to hang in the mud on the bottom.
The catfish are biting on fresh cut bait and creek channels and shallow pockets are good early morning and late evening and the points are good during the day
Mississippi and Missouri River
Will Ash : they are officially off spawn and eating everything. Water levels are stabilizing as is the fishing.
Wally Maier : Fish are feeding up in the main channel. Bumping has been pretty good bite & some being caught drifting Catching on mooneye and skips
Cameron Mank : Fishing has been picking up. A lot of active and feeding fish on ledges in fast current. Mostly been catching them on Asian carp and skipjack.
Rend – Fred Mooney
Lakes at 405.7 and dropping .. water temps 81.. crappie are in summer patterns on main lake but can also catch them in 6-7’ in the timber .. drop shot a minnow or a micro atx lure has been our best option.
Southern Illinois Lakes – Gabe Montgomery
Water temps are in the high 80’s and most lakes are normal water color. There is a solid offshore bite targeting schools of bass roaming around and busting shad. Most topwater and small swimbaits will catch fish in this scenario. Something else that is going on has to do with the thermocline and water quality.
Some lakes in the heat of the summer stratify and the most oxygenated water is very shallow. This will concentrate bass in less than 5 feet of water even when water temps are in the 90’s. Don’t sleep on this pattern. A chatterbait, square bill crankbait and swim jig can be the ticket.
Stay hydrated if you are fishing mid day. It’s dangerous out there. Tight lines n keep it classy.
