Lake Taneycomo is a man-made lake or reservoir on the White River in the Ozark Mountains of Taney County, Missouri. Its clear, cold waters provide anglers a year-round fast-action trout fishery.
Water Levels Can Change Drastically
There is a dam called Table Rock Dam that feeds the waters of Lake Taneycomo. A power company uses this as a way to serve the community with electricity, so the water levels can fluctuate based on how much power the electric company needs. At times, water levels can be low with little current, however, that can all change in an instant and water levels can get much higher and the current much faster.
The Water is Cold Year-Roud
Because the dam pulls water from the bottom of Table Rock Lake, the waters are cool on Lake Taneycomo year-round. Water temperatures should be in the upper 40s or low 50s throughout the entire year, which is one of the main reasons why the trout fishery has been so good here for so long.
Primary Species of Fish
Rainbow Trout & Brown Trout
Rainbow trout make up the majority of the fishery on Lake Taneycomo. The lake is stocked with tons of rainbow trout, which makes it fairly easy for anglers to catch their limit on a consistent basis. If you want to target bigger trout, you can fish for brown trout. You won’t find the brown trout here in as big of numbers as the rainbows, but there are enough of them in there to consistently catch some fish if you know what you are doing.
Secondary Species of Fish
Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Walleye & White Bass
The upper part of the lake is where you are going to find more rainbow trout and brown trout. You can find some other fish in the lake too, especially in the warmer part of the lake, mainly below Rockaway Beach. Largemouth bass are the most common bass, however, smallmouth and spotted bass are present as well. Bluegill, crappie, walleye and white bass can be found in the lake too.
Special Regulations
There are special regulations on Lake Taneycomo. We recommend that you confirm with the Missouri Department of Conservation before fishing these waters. As of 3/28/2018, this is what we saw.
Must also have trout permit upstream of U.S. Highway 65 bridge to fish for any species.
Within 760 feet below Table Rock Dam:
No fishing is allowed.
From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek:
Rainbow trout: 12 to 20 inches protected slot length limit
Pole and line fishing only
Only flies and artificial lures may be used, and soft plastic baits and natural and scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species.
From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to U.S. Highway 65 bridge:
Fishing permit (unless exempt) and a trout permit are required to fish for any species.
Different Parts of Lake Taneycomo
Lake Taneycomo fishes different based on where you fish on it.
Near the Closed Zone
From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek, you can experience some of the best fishing for bigger trout on Lake Taneycomo. Due to the special regulations in this part of the river, expect to find bigger rainbow trout and brown trout here. They may not always be easy to catch, but lots of quality fish make their home in this water of Lake Taneycomo.
Upper Lake
The upper lake is what most people think of when they come to Lake Taneycomo. It is trout country with tons of rainbow trout and some nice brown trout too. The generation levels can drastically affect the fishing up here. Expect to find colder water temperatures up here, especially when the electric company is generating power.
Lower Lake
The lower lake will have the warmest water temperatures and this is the area where you will find more of the secondary species that are listed for this lake. Bass fishing isn’t very popular on this lake, but this is the section to fish if you want to target them. Sunfish, crappie and white bass can be found in this section too.
