The Rock

About the lake~

Table Rock was created in August of 1958, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Table Rock Dam across the White River creating Table Rock Lake. Spanning more than 43,00 acres and 745 miles of shoreline at normal power pool. (915.0). At the top of the flood control pool (931.0) the lake claims over 52,000 surface acres and 857 miles of shoreline. The average depth of the lake is 74' deep with a maximum depth of 240'. The original purpose of the reservoir was for flood control on White River along with Beaver, Powersite, and Bull Shoal's Dam. Creating Table Rock lake created one of the nations greatest  Bass fishing lakes. 50 years later, Table Rock has remained to be rated as one of the top ten best bass fisheries in the nation.

The Bass~

Table Rock is home to three Bass species. Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted (Kentucky) Bass . A fourth being a cross breed between a Smallmouth and Spotted Bass known as a Meanmouth that's becoming common as well.. All species are present throughout the lake, but certain areas attract and support healthier numbers for each.                                                              
 Largemouth Bass roam shallow to the deep waters from one end of the lake to the other. There are three major river arms that feed Table Rock supporting great numbers of these. The Kings, James and Long Creek Arms that Largemouth love to call home for their stained shallower water and abundance of forage. Largemouth Bass are the true "Lunker" fish sought after year around as a trophy catch or tournaments winners. One of the better times to catch the Largemouth's are in the pre-spawn months from February into late April when these enormous females are hungry.
 

Spotted (Kentucky) Bass thrive in Table Rock Lake making up a good percentage of the Bass population living throughout the lake. Table Rock is a Spotted bass haven. For a good part of the year these guys like to hang out in the deep waters of Table Rock Lake. With it's deep clear water and abundance of threadfin shad, the lakes lower end supports the best numbers and sizes of Spotted Bass, make summer and winter ideal time to catch these feisty critters.

Smallmouth Bass populations on Table Rock Lake are greater than ever. Certainly the best numbers are found on Table's Rock Lake's  main lake body. Around the Dam and Kimberling City to the Campbell Point area roughly 30 miles up lake hold the best possibilities to catch Smallmouth Bass. With the population on the rise more are being caught in the river arms today. Table Rock Lake's abundant crayfish are a high part of their diet. Table Rock Lake's Smallmouth Bass can be caught throughout the year, but better times to fish for them are in the Spring and Fall when the cooler water temperatures lure them in shallower water. Nothing can be as rewarding as reeling in one of these turbo charged bronze fighters. 

Other Species~
Table Rock is a premier Bass impoundment, but is also home to many other species of game fish. Early winter through mid-spring  offer great Crappie fishing. White Crappie dominates the population though Black Crappie are present. The three major river arms hold the best numbers of Crappie. There is a 10'' minimum  length limit on Crappie with plenty of 14''-16'' slab sized fish. Springtime on the lake also hosts fantastic White Bass runs. Schools of thousands of the fish make a journey into the river arms to make their annual spawn. The end of February until late spring is a great time to catch these guys on their spawning runs. From Summer to late fall they can be caught throughout the lake feeding on shad on the surface or spoon fishing out deeper. Currently Table Rock is loaded with White Bass. Sizes varies year- to- year and season- to -season. White Bass up to two pounds are common with schools of 3-4lb White Bass available.  Walleye are present in Table Rock as well. The population is growing over the past years with stocking and natural reproduction on the rise. Walleye also make runs up the river arms to spawn, usually beginning in late February lasting into mid- spring.
Catfish do well all over the lake. Channel and Flathead typically spawn in late spring through early summer making it the best time to catch them in a variety of methods including trot lines, jug lines to rod and reel. Paddlefish are stocked in Table Rock Lake attracting angler's from all over the country looking for a fish 60 to 100lbs or over. The giant fish make runs up the James River arm in the spring time. Opening day of grabbing season begins March 15th. 

Table Rock Lake Map

Bass fishing Table Rock throughout the year. A brief description of fishing patterns and techniques we may use.

Winter~ 
Winter Bass fishing on Table Rock Lake is fantastic. It may be cold out but the fishing is typically hot. Water temperatures usually range from lower to mid 40's. The main lake will not freeze over, the river arms may seldom freeze slightly, but the ice won't stay long. The lack of pleasure boaters and decrease in the amount of fishing pressure creates a productive outing for Table Rock Lake anglers. A good portion of wintertime fishing is deep, vertical fishing with spoons or grubs. Locating the baitfish is key to this presentation.  Along with good electronics, seagulls and other birds of prey are useful in indicating where the bait and fish are. Typically the fish are caught 35'-45' deep but varies at times. Like many other lakes Table Rock Lake endures heavy shad kills in late winter due to the cold water making it the perfect time to throw a stickbait imitating a dying shad. Little warming trends will have the fish moving up shallower seeking warmer water and following food. Smaller finesse jigs and crawdad colored crainkbaits work well on rocky banks and channel swings. More often than not a slower presentation of most baits result in more bites. 

Spring~
Spring is a wonderful time to fish on Table Rock Lake. With the cold winter air leaving and water temperatures heating up the Bass are on the move up from their deep winter haunts thinking about two things-eating and spawning. Fish begin staging up close to where they will  be spawning shortly.  This is when the stick bait bite may be at its best and one of the most likely times to catch a monster Largemouth Bass.  The bite picks up quicker in the river arms typically where the water will warm quicker  . Spinnerbaits and crainkbaits usually excel in the warming trend.  Pre spawn Bass are aggressive but can get a severe case of lock-jaw when high pressure cold fronts move in, but usually the fronts won't last long. This is also one of the premiere times for Smallmouth Bass  fishing on Table Rock Lake. Pre spawn Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass begin to position on shallow gravel flat banks and points looking for food. A swimmings grub is hard to beat at this time and under the right conditions can bring a ton of fish to the boat. During and after the height of the spawn finesse fishing comes into play. Spinning reels with light line fishing shallow may be essential to get a bite. A lot of fish are caught using a shaky head finesse worm,  split shot or small Carolina rigged plastics drug on bottom anywhere from extremely shallow to 20' deep or so. Post spawn Bass fishing is another wonderful  feature all by it's self. Spawning and making babies is somewhat rough and stressful  on fish and they require a bit of rest afterwards. When this is over look out! This may be the best time to catch fish on top water baits  nearby the former spawning areas, which is a thrill to see a bass come out of the water to bite your lure. Fishing in the river arms really gets good at this time as Bass begin to switch from spring time to summer modes. Carolina rigs, football jigs, swimbaits and deep diving crainkbaits all can be very productive at this point. 

Summer~
The long hot days of summer is still a great time to get some fishing in here on Table Rock Lake. Most of the best fishing time is naturally early and late. Night fishing can be a blast at times and give you a chance to fish while out of the daytime heat. Early in the morning top water activity can be good. Schools of spotted bass and white bass may be active chasing baitfish breaking the surface.  The river arms, with the more stained, shallower water are often more productive in the daylight hours. Bass really relate to structure at this time. Wood cover, timber, brush piles, deeper boat docks and areas close to deep water are prime summer zones. Carolina rigs, football jigs and Texas rigged plastic worms are all good summer baits. On the main body of Table Rock Lake, where the water is generally clearer, most fishing is done vertically. The bass are deeper and most likely to be found around the thermocline. Averages for summer thermoclines are 38'-48' deep varying. Spotted Bass are more commonly caught on a drop-shot, spoon or live bait. Kentucky Spotted Bass will be schooled up together in the deeper water in and around structure.  Main lake humps, long flat gravel points, and drop off's with cover are often good locations. Bass may also be suspended fish over real deep water in the same water column relating to standing timber, deep boat docks or other hiding cover. 

Fall~
Fall can bring some of the best fishing here on the lake. Cooler air, shorter days and falling water temperatures  get bass and bait on the move. Early in the fall fishing is similar to summer time patterns. Usually in September with a few cool mornings and maybe a cold snap, Table Rock  Smallmouth  Bass begin to get fired up on the main lake gravel banks. This is another great time to catch some big Smallmouth Bass. Football head jigs are the most productive lure for taking Smallmouth Bass. Fishing gets better and better as the surface temperatures drop as fish begin feeding up for the winter months. Some of the best tournament weights are brought in later in the fall. Deep fishing for Kentucky's can remain good typically until the later parts of October when the thermocline dissolves scattering the fish. Like warming in the spring, the water cools quicker in the river arms than the main lake bringing on a great spinnerbait or buzzbait bite. Shad will begin migrating towards the backs of the creeks and the Bass are sure to follow. With the water temperatures dipping into the mid 50's is a great time to catch quality size Largemouth or Smallmouth up shallow. Crawdad colored crainkbaits are sure to get a Bass' attention no matter what part of the lake you're on. Jig fishing around this time can be hard to beat. 

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