Paddlefish: Snagging Report and Advisories

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Report for March 28, 2024

Report for Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks, the Osage River (below Bagnell Dam) and Table Rock Lake

General Conditions

One of the criticisms I hear about the paddlefish report is that it’s the same information every week. In many ways this is true, it is rare for the report see major changes from week to week unless a significant event occurs, such as changes in water releases from the dams or a rain event. To allow weekly readers to quickly see the changes, I am adding a “What’s New” paragraph summarizing the changes from the previous week’s report.

What’s New: Snagging success has seemed to slow down a little since opening weekend, but anglers on Table Rock and Truman Lake are still having some success. Colder weather and a lack of rain have led to stabilized or dropping water levels and temperatures on all three large reservoirs. Some reports indicate fish may be moving back downstream. Reports from the upper reaches of Truman Lake above Taberville indicate snagging has slowed down a lot. All three reservoirs could use some rain/flow to get fish moving again.

Truman Lake still has good numbers of fish from Osceola through Roscoe, though reports indicate fishing has slowed down a lot once you get to Taberville and above. I was out at Talley Bend this morning (March 28th) and four guys boated 8 fish. There are some quality fish down that way, but if you’re a beginner you are probably going to have better success farther upstream where there should be more fish. As paddlefish move upstream, larger numbers of small fish are typically on the front end of the migration whereas smaller numbers of large fish are on the back end of the migration.

Water temperatures in the upper Osage arm of Truman Lake were in the mid to upper 50s this past week. These warm water temperatures led to good numbers of fish reported from Osceola to Taberville. There have been multiple reports of fish at or near the 100-pound mark being caught during the first week. There seem to be good numbers of fish just over 34” compared to previous years.

Snaggers on Table Rock Lake have reported mixed results. I have heard mixed reports from Table Rock Lake, but the primary sources I rely on for this report say snagging slowed down after opening weekend, but anglers are still finding some fish. The best concentrations of fish are from Bridgeport to Walnut Spring on the James River arm. Fishing above Walnut Springs is very slow. The water temperature in the James River was still reported to be in the low 50s.

Fishing on Lake of the Ozarks has continued to be slow. Little to no flow has resulted in paddlefish being scattered and not as schooled up in the lower stretches as fish normally are this time of the year. Water temperature was in the low 50s in both the Niangua and Osage arms.

On the Osage River in Miller County below highway 54 bridge snagging has been very slow. Very few paddlefish are being caught. Most snaggers are fishing between Hwy 54 and the golf course, but are not seeing a lot of paddlefish on their fish finders. Water temperature was in the mid-40s and there was little flow over the past week. If you are snagging on the Osage River below Bagnell Dam, please remember snagging is not allowed between Bagnell Dam and the Hwy 54 bridge.

There has been some confusion about the paddlefish length limits. Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake, Truman Lake and their tributaries have a 34” minimum length limit. The rest of the state has a 32” minimum length limit.

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Permits Required
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Unless exempt, you must possess a valid fishing permit if you are snagging or driving the boat used for snagging.

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Reminder
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Do not clean paddlefish while you are on the water.

The head, tail, and skin must remain attached to all fish that have length limits while those fish are on the water.

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Public Ramps
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  • Talley Bend Access: go upstream towards Horseshoe Bend and up towards the Walker Hole/ Weaubleau Creek and above towards Osceola OR downstream towards Fox Run.
  • Brush Creek Access: Closed until further notice
  • Crowes Crossing: to downstream towards Walker Hole/ Weaubleau Creek and below OR upstream towards Roscoe and/or go up the Sac River a couple of miles.
  • City of Osceola: go upstream towards Roscoe and/or go up the Sac River a couple of miles OR go downstream towards Brush Creek Access and down to Walker Hole/ Weaubleau Creek. This has become a popular bank snagging area, please be courteous of the bank snaggers.
  • Sac River Access/Highway 82: go down stream towards the Osage, snagging the last couple of miles of the Sac, then continue on toward Osceola and below OR go up towards the Roscoe Access and above.
  • Roscoe Access: go downstream to where the Sac and Osage meet, then go up the Sac River a couple of miles or continue downstream towards Osceola OR go upstream towards Taberville and above.
  • Taberville: go downstream towards Roscoe and below OR go upstream towards the cut and above.
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  • Browns Bend (around MM61.5): I've been told when the water is low, it can be difficult to get from the ramp to the lake since the cove is somewhat shallow and this isn't a very large ramp, so not a lot of parking spaces. Go upstream between MM61 and MM65 and above OR downstream towards MM50. 
    • Caution: With the low lake levels some people, especially the snaggers with deeper, V-bottom boats and pontoons, find it difficult to get out of the cove. Be sure to always use caution.
  • Wigwam School Access (MM66.2): go downstream towards MM62 and below OR upstream towards MM72 – Big Buffalo Creek.
  • Warsaw (Drake) Harbor Access: you must go below the Highway 65 Bridge before you start snagging. Go downstream and start snagging below the Highway 65 Bridge (about MM89.5) and below.
  • Bledsoe Ferry Access you must go below the Highway 65 Bridge before you start snagging. Go downstream and start snagging below the Highway 65 Bridge (about MM89.5) and below.
  • Larry Gale Access — Niangua Arm: go downstream to where the Little Niangua joins the big Niangua or upstream toward Highway 54.

There are numerous private ramps that you can pay to launch from.

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  • Bagnell Dam Access: you must go below the Highway 54 Bridge before you can start snagging.
  • Bonnots Mill Access: go up or downstream. Occasionally we see snaggers out in the Missouri River.
  • Mari-Osa Access: go downstream below the Highway 63 bridge towards Bonnots Mill and below, OR upstream towards the lock and dam.
  • Pikes Camp Access: go upstream a couple of miles, OR downstream towards the lock and dam.
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  • Cape Fair Access: go upstream towards Bridgeport.
  • Bridgeport Access: go downstream towards Cape Fair or upstream towards Walnut Spring.
  • Walnut Spring Access: go downstream towards Bridgeport or upstream towards McCord Bend.
  • Blunks Access: go downstream toward McCord Bend or upstream toward Cox.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Blunks.
  • Cox Access: go downstream towards McCord Bend or upstream towards Kerr.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Cox.
  • Kerr Access: go downstream towards Cox or upstream towards Hootentown.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Kerr.
  • Hootentown Access: go downstream towards Kerr or fish the deep hole in front of the access.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Hootentown and it is difficult to boat more than a few miles above Hootentown, except during high water.
  • Shelvin Rock Access: bank snagging is more common at this access.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Shelvin Rock. A limited area is available to navigate to by jet boat, a large bedrock shelf upstream prevents boating further upstream during low water.
  • Delaware Town Access: bank snagging is more common at this access.
    • Caution: a jet boat, canoe, or kayak is needed when launching at Delaware Town.
  • Tailwaters Access (Springfield City Utilities): bank snagging below Lake Springfield Dam is most common here.
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Dial 1-800-392-1111 anytime to report illegal activity

Your identity will remain anonymous, and a reward is possible depending on successful prosecution of the case.

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Use a large net to land all paddlefish safely.

Using a gaff to land paddlefish can injure or kill sublegal paddlefish, making you subject to a penalty.

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  • You can keep the silver jaw tags on legal-sized fish — we will just need a picture of the tag to verify the number.
  • Report sublegal paddlefish, but please do not remove the tags.

Call 573-579-6825 or email.

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Alerts and Reminders
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Please dispose of waste responsibly when cleaning paddlefish. We receive several nuisance complaints of fish-cleaning waste on the banks around the accesses. Fish-cleaning waste should be deposited in deep water, where it cannot end up washing on to the bank or concentrated in one area. As a reminder, the head, tail and skin must remain attached to all fish for which length limits are established while those fish are on the waters to which length limits apply or until the fish have been checked by an agent of the department.

In addition to using trash receptacles, disposing of fish-cleaning waste back into the water is allowed. Fish-cleaning waste should not be allowed to pile up near the water’s edge. It should be discarded into deeper water or in the flowing part of the stream. It is important to remember that the Wildlife Code of Missouri prohibits the transportation of extricated paddlefish eggs, so extracted paddlefish eggs cannot be transported out into deeper water for disposal.

Please be considerate, and responsibly dispose of fish-cleansing waste and help keep access areas clean for everyone to enjoy. 

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Snagging is very dependent on environmental conditions - photoperiod, water temperature and flow. As daylight gets longer, paddlefish will start congregating in deep holes. Then as water temperatures reach 50-55F and there is an increase in flow, paddlefish migrate upstream to spawn. The increase in flow is what triggers them to make the spawning run. As the water temperature and flow increase, the fish will move upstream in the reservoir or river. 

If we get a dry spring without much rain, snagging may not be as good as it has been in the past, and the fish will tend to remain lower in the reservoirs or rivers. On the other hand, if we have a very wet spring, fish will move up higher in the reservoirs or rivers. In some areas, snagging may be very difficult or hazardous if flooding occurs. During flooding events paddlefish will move out of the heavy flows to wait until flows come down. When reservoirs and rivers are rising due to heavy rains, logs and other debris can float downstream, and boaters need to be careful.

Typically, snagging tends to be good opening day, and then it often slows down. Early in the season, water temperatures are cool, and fish tend to be scattered out and lower in the reservoirs or rivers. Harvest is primarily made up of “local” fish, smaller males and immature females. Males make spawning migrations before females, with more and larger females showing up when water temperatures are 55F and greater. It is the increase in flow that will get the fish moving - think warm spring rains! Remember as water temperature and flow increase snagging improves!

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Check the paddlefish regulations

  • Please remember — on Lake of the Ozarks and its tributaries, the Osage River below U.S. Highway 54, on Truman Lake and its tributaries, and on Table Rock Lake — no person shall continue to snag, snare, or grab for any species after taking a daily limit of two (2) paddlefish.
  • Once two legal paddlefish are caught, they are to be retained by the angler and included in their daily limit.
  • Once you’ve taken your second fish, you are done snagging for the day.
  • Unless exempt, you must possess a valid fishing permit if you are snagging or driving the boat used for snagging.
  • Extracted paddlefish eggs may not be possessed while on the water or adjacent banks and may not be transported. Paddlefish eggs may not be bought, sold, or offered for sale.
  • Do not clean paddlefish while you are on the water. The head, tail, and skin must remain attached to all fish that have length limits while those fish are on the water.
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MDC maintains the paddlefish populations in Truman Lake, Lake of the Ozarks, and Table Rock Lake with annual stockings of fingerlings from MDC’s Blind Pony Hatchery. It takes paddlefish seven to eight years to grow to legal size. In 2016 more than 314,000-foot-long fingerlings were stocked — MDC’s largest stocking of paddlefish. These fish will be large enough to harvest beginning in 2023, with a few becoming legal in 2022. As these fish grow, snaggers will catch a lot of these sublegal fish. It is extremely important to release all sublegal fish unharmed immediately and gently because they are the fish that you will be harvesting over the next several years!

The Code states that sublegal paddlefish must be returned unharmed immediately after being caught!

  • Take care when removing hooks and get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible.
  • Be sure that your hands are wet before handling and avoid excessive handling.
  • Do not pass fish around for photos.
  • Hold fish firmly to avoid dropping them, and never put your fingers in the gills or eyes.
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Thank you to all the snaggers who have reported tagged paddlefish. Please continue to report all tagged paddlefish that you catch.

  • You can keep the silver jaw tags on legal-sized fish — we will just need a picture of the tag to verify the number.
  • Report sublegal paddlefish, but please do not remove the tags.

Continuing to report tagged paddlefish will help us monitor and better manage paddlefish. Together we can keep paddlefish snagging great for many years to come.

To report tagged fish, call 573-579-6825.

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Unlike other species of fish in Missouri, the catch and release of legal paddlefish, any fish of legal length, is not permitted. In other words, once a legal paddlefish is caught, that fish is to be retained or kept by the angler and included in their daily limit; these fish cannot be released. However, all sublegal (fish less than the legal length limit) paddlefish must be released unharmed immediately. Once two legal paddlefish are caught, they are to be retained by the angler and included in their daily limit.

Please remember that on Lake of the Ozarks and its tributaries, Osage River below U.S. Highway 54, Truman Lake and its tributaries, and Table Rock Lake no person shall continue to snag, snare, or grab for any species after taking a daily limit of two (2) paddlefish. Be sure to check the Wildlife Code of Missouri for paddlefish regulations.

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We are continuing to see more bank snaggers, especially on Truman Lake. When operating a boat near bank snaggers please be considerate of them. Please slow down and give them space; running into their line risks pulling them into the water. Everyone needs to stay safe. When snagging on private property be sure to obtain permission from the landowner.

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If you have any questions call 660-885-8179 x 4953 or email Chris Brooke.

Dial 1-800-392-1111 anytime to report illegal activity

In 2013, Conservation Agents broke up an international paddlefish trafficking operation in Warsaw. This group of poachers stole a lot of fish from legal snaggers. We aren’t sure what effect that this illegal activity has had on Missouri's paddlefish population. If you see or suspect illegal snagging activity, please report it immediately. Your identity will remain anonymous, and a reward is possible depending on successful prosecution of the case. Visit our Operation Game Thief page for more details.