Lake of the Ozarks May 31, 2025 Fishing Report: Largemouth, Crappie, and Catfish Bites

Good morning from the Lake of the Ozarks—this is Artificial Lure with your May 31, 2025, fishing report.

We’re coming off a stretch of solid late-spring weather. Overnight temps have been in the upper 50s to low 60s, with afternoons pushing into the upper 70s. The air this morning’s crisp and still, but there’s rain pushed off ‘til later in the weekend, so it’s a fine day to be on the water. Sunrise hit at 5:45 a.m., and sunset will light up the main channel at 8:25 p.m. Being an inland reservoir, Lake of the Ozarks doesn’t have true tides, so fish activity is driven more by temperature, light, and recent weather than anything.

Water’s at full pool and clarity’s improving—especially in the lower lake and around the Toll Bridge to the Dam area, where you can spot bass beds if the sun’s just right. Water temps are running in the low to mid-70s, and that’s got black bass moving into classic early post-spawn patterns. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, you’ll want to target both shallow banks and the first drop-offs near spawning pockets—the bass are still tight to docks, points, and riprap[7].

Both largemouth and spotted bass are biting. Best luck this week has come with topwater baits in the morning—think walking baits and poppers in shad or bone colors, especially around docks and shaded banks. After the sun’s up, switch over to jigs, finesse worms, and creature baits worked slow along brush piles or rocky points. On windier afternoons, a crankbait in a chartreuse or natural shad pattern is getting reaction bites.

Crappie fishing is slower than years past because of those back-to-back drought years, but you can still find slabs—both black and white crappie—on brush piles and submerged cover in 8–15 feet of water. Small jigs from 1/32 to 1/8 ounce or live minnows are your best bet. Concentrate around the mouths of coves and main lake points, especially in the Glaize and Niangua Arms[7]. Visit the Missouri Department of Conservation’s brush pile map for structure locations.

Catfish are heating up, with both channel and blue cats starting to move shallow for late spring. Cut shad, nightcrawlers, and stink baits fished in creek mouths and muddy flats or below main lake docks are producing good numbers. White bass are fair; toss small spoons or in-line spinners on windy points.

For hot spots, the lower lake—from the Toll Bridge to Bagnell Dam—is crystal clear and producing the most consistent bass numbers. The mouth of the Niangua Arm is another winner, and Linn Creek’s brush piles are holding some solid crappie. For catfish, check the flats around Coffman Bend and the main river channel swings.

Thanks for tuning in—don’t forget to subscribe for up-to-date fishing news and tips all season long. This has been a Quiet Please Production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning from the Lake of the Ozarks. This is
artificial lure with your May thirty, first, twenty twenty five
fishing report. We're coming off a stretch of solid late
spring weather. Overnight temps have been in the upper fifties
to low sixties, with afternoons pushing into the upper seventies.
The air. This morning's crisp and still, but there's rain

(00:20):
pushed off till later in the weekend, so it's a
fine day to be on the water. Sunrise hit at
five forty five am and sunset will light up the
main channel at eight twenty five pm. Being an inland reservoir,
Lake of the Ozarks doesn't have true tides, so fish
activity is driven more by temperature, light, and recent weather

(00:42):
than anything. Water's at full pool and clarities improving, especially
in the lower lake and around the toll bridge to
the dam area, where you can spot bass beds if
the sun's just right. Water temps are running in the
low to mid seventies, and that's got black bass moving
into classic early post spot patterns. According to the Missouri

(01:02):
Department of Conservation, You'll want to target both shallow banks
and the first drop offs near spawning pockets. The bass
are still tight to docks, points and riprap. Both large
mouth and spotted bass are biting. Best luck this week
has come with top water baits in the morning, think
walking baits and poppers in shad or bone colors, especially

(01:24):
around docks and shaded banks. After the sun's up, switch
over to jigs, finesse worms and creature baits worked slow
along brush piles or rocky points on windier afternoons. A
crank bait in a chartreuse or natural shad pattern is
getting reaction bites. Crappy fishing is slower than years past
because of those back to back drought years, but you

(01:46):
can still find slabs both black and white crappy on
brush piles and submerged cover in eight to fifteen feet
of water. Small jigs from one thirty half to an
eighth ounce or live minnows are your best bet. Trade
around the mouths of coves and main lake points, especially
in the glaze and aeneangua arms. Visit the Missouri Department

(02:07):
of Conservation's brush pile map for structure locations. Catfish are
heating up, with both channel and blue cats starting to
move shallow for late spring cut shad. Night crawlers and
stink baits fished in creek mouths and muddy flats or
below main lake docks are producing good numbers. White bass
are fair. Toss small spoons or inline spinners on windy

(02:30):
points for hotspots. The lower lake from the Toll Bridge
to Bagnell Dam is crystal clear and producing the most
consistent bass numbers. The mouth of the Niangua Arm is
another winner, and Lynn Creek's brush piles are holding some
solid crappy. For catfish, check the flats around Kaufman Bend
and the main river channel swings. Thanks for tuning in.

(02:52):
Don't forget to subscribe for up to date fishing news
and tips all season long. This has been a quiet
please production. For more check out quiet please dot a
I and that is it for to day. Hit the
subscribe button and never miss out. Keep those tips up
in lines wet. This has been a quite pleased production
with the help of AI. Thanks for listening.