Conditions
Surface temps are running 74–82°F lake-wide, with the warmest readings in the back ends of the Sac and Tebo arms. Water clarity varies — the Osage Arm stays relatively clear, while the Sac River Arm carries its typical stain. Lake levels are in normal summer operating range. Afternoon thunderstorms have been cycling through west-central Missouri; check the National Weather Service before heading out, especially if you're running the main lake or the Grand River Arm.
Crappie Report
The spawn is finished and has been for several weeks. Crappie have made their post-spawn move and are now holding on deep brush piles, submerged timber edges, and creek-channel breaks in 15–25 ft of water. This is classic early-summer behavior — don't waste time probing the shallows.
Electronics make a big difference right now. If you're on a brush pile and marking fish but not getting bites, drop a 1/16 oz jig tipped with a 2" curly-tail in chartreuse or white and slow your presentation down. Minnows continue to out-produce plastics on tough-bite days. Try long-lining crappie rigs off the back of a slow-moving boat along main-lake creek channels if you don't have brush piles marked — it covers water efficiently.
The Grand River Arm off Bucksaw is holding solid numbers in the flooded timber at 18–22 ft. The Osage Arm near Sterett Creek has good concentrations on main-lake points where the channel swings close to structure. The Tebo Arm remains one of the quieter options with crappie stacked in the deeper timber pockets — worth the run if you want less company. Expect to work through some smaller fish to find the slabs; the 10–14" class is mixed in with a lot of 8–9" fish.
Bass Report
Largemouth are doing exactly what they should be doing in mid-June — not much during the heat of the day, and actively feeding in low-light windows. Early morning is the time. Walking baits, chuggers, and hollow-body frogs over shallow flooded vegetation and along riprap banks are producing strikes before 8 a.m. By mid-morning, those fish push off the bank and the topwater bite dies.
Mid-day, shift to flipping and pitching soft plastics into shaded brush and timber edges in 6–12 ft. The Pomme de Terre Arm has flat structure that holds fish through the day if you can find the right depth break. Main-lake riprap banks on the Osage Arm — especially near Warsaw — hold fish that will respond to a slow-rolled swimbait or Carolina-rigged creature bait.
Catfish Report
Channel cats are active and willing right now. Cut shad and chicken liver fished on the bottom along the main river channel ledges and creek mouths are producing consistent action through the evening hours. The Osage and Grand River main channels are reliable starting points. Night fishing off marina docks and lighted piers has been a traditional summer pattern here, and June is a great time to try it — bring plenty of cut bait and keep your lines near the bottom in 10–20 ft.
Flatheads are in the heavy timber and brush of the Grand and Sac arms. Live bait — a 4–6" bluegill or creek chub — fished near bottom in timber-heavy areas after dark is the best approach.
Where to Fish This Week
- Grand River Arm near Bucksaw — Deep timber at 18–22 ft for crappie; flooded cover along the edges for bass in early morning.
- Osage Arm near Sterett Creek — Main-lake points and riprap for crappie and bass; channel ledges for catfish in the evening.
- Tebo Arm — Quieter water, good deep timber crappie bite, less pressure than the main lake on weekends.
Pro Tip
If your crappie numbers drop off on a brush pile, don't move immediately — drop your jig to the bottom of the school and "stair-step" it up through the fish one foot at a time. Post-spawn crappie suspend at specific depths and ignore anything outside that zone. Mark the depth where you get a strike, then repeat it. One productive depth can load the boat fast once you dial it in.