Frosty Fall Fishing at Lake of the Ozarks: Shad Patterns, Bass Bites, and Crappie Slabs

Artificial Lure here with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report for November 3, 2025. Fall’s finally taken hold—lows dipping below freezing overnight, so dress for brisk mornings and frost on the dock. The sunrise was at 6:43 AM, and we’ll see sunset at 5:05 PM. With daylight on the wane, plan those outings to hit the key feeding windows.

We’re sitting just past the first quarter moon—a Waxing Gibbous today, lining up prime major bite times from about 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM and again 5:48 PM to 7:48 PM, with a minor mid-day window 12:59 PM to 2:59 PM. According to FishingReminder, fish activity is moderate, but those feeding periods should be productive, especially as temperatures hover mid-40s in the morning and crest toward the upper 50s under mostly clear skies by afternoon.

On the water, the lake’s still cooling—reports from the region put surface temps about 55 degrees. This colder snap is bringing shad in closer to the banks and the backs of coves, lighting up the classic fall patterns. The best bite is happening around boat docks and brushpiles, a tactic that delivers season after season, as Major League Fishing regularly points out.

Bass fishing is the main attraction right now. Over the past week, local tournaments and social media have seen plenty of 2- to 4-pound largemouths showing up in anglers' bags, with the occasional kicker pushing past five pounds. Don’t overlook the spotted bass either—they’re schooling in deeper pockets and along main lake points.

For presentation, now’s the time to downsize and key in on shad-imitating baits. According to seasoned pro Tommy Biffle, you can’t go wrong with small swimbaits like the 3- to 4-inch Keitech Easy Shiner in a shad pattern, rigged on a 1/4- to 3/8-ounce ball head. Toss jerkbaits along shaded docks and brush, especially the old-school silver and black or something with a little chartreuse for stained water. Spinnerbaits in white or baitfish hues are catching fish around windy main lake points—slow roll 'em along rock transitions.

If the topwater bite’s on, especially mid-morning when the sun warms the surface, try a Zara Spook or Whopper Plopper along the edge of large docks. Just remember, as the wind picks up, bass push even tighter to cover and may hit more aggressively.

For crappie, anglers are still pulling good numbers. The latest from the OzarkAnglers forum says folks are catching quality slabs—11 and 13 inches common—by slow-trolling crankbaits along deeper brush in the Gravois and Niangua arms. A few walleye have been mixed in, running 20 to 21 inches; they’re biting best early with shad-imitating jigs or small crankbaits.

Catfish action slows but stays steady—focus on cut shad or live sunfish fished on the bottom around channel swings or deeper flats at night.

Hot spots this week:
- The Grand Glaize arm—hit docks just upstream from the Highway 54 bridge where the bait’s stacked up.
- Coffman Bend area for early-morning crappie around submerged brush and deep docks.
- Main lake points near the 14- to 18-mile mark are turning up quality bass, especially when the wind’s right.

Be mindful—lake traffic’s way down, but check your running lights if you’re out early or late. The freeze warning remains in effect tonight, so watch out for icy ramps and dock planks first thing.

Thanks for tuning in to this Lake of the Ozarks fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for the latest local tips and on-the-water news. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Here with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing
report from November third, twenty twenty five. Falls finally taken
hold lows dipping below freezing overnight, so dress for brisk
mornings and frost on the dock. The sunrise was at
six forty three am, and we'll see sunset at five
o five pm. With daylight on the wane, plan those

(00:20):
outings to hit the key feeding windows. We're sitting just
past the first quarter moon a waxing gibbus today, lining
up prime major bite times from about five thirty am
to seven thirty am, and again five forty eight pm
to seven forty eight pm, with a minor midday window
twelve fifty nine pm to two fifty nine pm. According

(00:42):
to Fishing Reminder, fish activity is moderate, but those feeding
periods should be productive, especially as temperatures hover mid forties
in the morning and crest toward the upper fifties under
mostly clear skies by afternoon. On the water, the lake
still cooling. Reports from the region put surface tempts about
fifty five d. This colder snap is bringing shadd in

(01:02):
closer to the banks and the backs of coves, lighting
up the classic fall patters the best bite is happening
around boat docks and brush piles, a tactic that delivers
season after season. As Major League Fishing regularly points out,
bass fishing is the main attraction right now. Over the
past week, local tournaments and social media have seen plenty
of two to four pounds largemouths showing up in angler's bags,

(01:26):
with the occasional kicker pushing past five pounds. Don't overlook
the spotted bass either. They're schooling in deeper pockets and
along main lake points. For presentation, now's the time to
downsize and key in on shad innitating dates. According to
season pro Tommy Biffle, you can't go wrong with small
swim baits like the three to four age key Tech

(01:47):
Easy Shiner in a shad pattern rigged on a one
quarter to three ahounce ball head. Tossed jerk baits along
shaded docks and brush, especially the old school silver and
black or something with a little chartreuse for stained water,
spinner baits in white or bait fish shoes, or catching
fish around windy main lake points, slow roll them along
rock transitions. If the top water bites on, especially mid

(02:11):
morning when the sun warms the surface, try a tzara
spook or whopper plopper along the edge of large docks.
Just remember as the wind picks up bast push even
tighter to cover and may hit more aggressively. For crappy
anglers are still pulling good numbers. The latest from the
Ozark Angler's forum says folks are catching quality slabs eleven

(02:33):
and thirteen inches common by slow trolling crankbaits along deeper
brush in the Grovoi and Nangua arms. A few Wali
have been mixed in running twenty to twenty one inches.
They're biting best early with shad emitting jigs or small crankbaits.
Catfish action slows but stays steady. Focus on cut shad

(02:54):
or live sunfish fished on the bottom around channel swings
or deeper flats at night hot spots. This week, the
Grand Glaze Arm hit docks just upstream from the Highway
fifty four bridge, where the baits stacked up Kaufman Bend area.
For early morning crappy around submerged brush and deep docks,
main lake points near the fourteen to eighteen mile mark,

(03:16):
or turning up quality bass, especially when the wind's right.
Be mindful lake traffic's way down, but check your running
lights if you're out early or late. The freeze warning

(03:47):
remains in effect tonight, so watch out for icy ramps
and doc planks. First thing, thanks for tuning into this
Lake of the Ozarks fishing report. Don't forget to subscribe
for the latest local tips and on the water news.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet please dot ai