FISHING GUIDE · BRANSON, MISSOURI

Lake Taneycomo (Branson, Missouri) Fishing Guide

Lake Taneycomo is a cold tailwater lake below Table Rock Dam where rainbow and brown trout are the main fish. The upper 3 miles from the dam to Fall Creek are a trophy area with a protected slot on rainbows and flies and artificial lures only, while the lower lake is mostly put-and-take. Water level and current change fast with power generation at Table Rock Dam, so check the schedule before you fish.

📍 Branson, Missouri, on the White River. The lake runs from Table Rock Dam down to Powersite (Ozark Beach) Dam at Forsyth. Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery sits just below Table Rock Dam, six miles southwest of Branson on Highway 165.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Ozarks & Mid-South map →

Quick facts

Powersite Dam created Lake Taneycomo in 1913; Table Rock Dam was built just upstream in 1958 and turned it into a cold-water lake.
Cold water comes from about 160 feet below the surface of Table Rock Lake, so the lake stays cold all year.
MDC stocks about 560,000 rainbow trout and 15,000 brown trout a year; about 90% of the catch is rainbows.
Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery raises 350,000-400,000 pounds of trout a year, and about 80% goes to Taneycomo.
In September 2024 MDC found 20% of brown trout sampled were over the 20-inch minimum.

What you can catch

Rainbow trout
About 90% of the catch; protected 12-20 inch slot from the dam to Fall Creek.
Brown trout
Stocked yearly; 20-inch minimum, only 1 per day.
Largemouth bass
In the lower lake; in spring 2025, 72% sampled were over 15 inches.
White bass
Can show up below the dam when warm water spills through the flood gates.
Walleye
Can show up below the dam when the flood gates are open.
Smallmouth bass
Can show up below the dam when the flood gates are open.
Crappie and sunfish
Black crappie, bluegill and redear in the lower lake below Rockaway Beach.

Month by month

January	Cold-water trout fishing all year; check the Table Rock generation schedule.
February	Trout fishing; wade the upper lake when generators are off.
March	Trout fishing; check the Table Rock schedule daily.
April	Trout fishing; if flood gates open, warm water can bring white bass and walleye below the dam.
May	Trout fishing; largemouth bass active in the lower lake.
June	Trout fishing; fish early on hot days.
July	Trout fishing; dissolved oxygen starts to drop later in summer.
August	Low oxygen below the dam; keep fights short and handle fish quickly.
September	Low oxygen continues; release fish fast.
October	Low oxygen in fall; minimize fight and handling time.
November	Cooler weather; trout fishing all season.
December	Trout fishing; fewer crowds.

Tips

Check the Southwestern Power Administration schedule for Table Rock (TRD) before you go; releases can change without warning.
When generators run the upper lake is deep and fast; fish from the bank or drift in a boat.
When generators are off the upper lake is shallow pools and riffles, good for wading.
Match the food: scuds, sowbugs, midge larvae, sculpins and crayfish.
Visit the Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery education center (Tue-Sat, 9-5) below the dam.

Rules and license

Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) · Official rules page ↗

Missouri fishing permit (unless exempt) plus a trout permit required to fish for any species from Table Rock Dam to the Highway 65 bridge; a trout permit is also needed to keep trout anywhere on the lake.
Daily limit: 4 trout combined, only 1 brown trout; possession 8 (2 browns).
Brown trout: 20-inch minimum length.
Dam to mouth of Fall Creek: rainbows 12-20 inches must be released; flies and artificial lures only; no soft plastics, natural or scented baits.
No fishing within 760 feet below Table Rock Dam.
Porous-soled (felt) waders are prohibited.
Keep trout with head, tail and skin on where length limits apply.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 17 boat ramps and 4 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Bent Hook Marina
Château Marina
Cricket Creek Marina
Jackson Hollow Boat Launch
Table Rock State Park Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.