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FISHING GUIDE · MISSOURI & ARKANSAS
Table Rock Lake Fishing Guide
Table Rock is a big, clear Ozark lake with three kinds of black bass: largemouth, smallmouth and spotted. MDC expects black bass fishing to be excellent in 2026. It also has good walleye, crappie, bluegill, catfish and paddlefish.
📍 Southwest Missouri and north Arkansas, on the White River. Missouri counties: Taney, Stone and Barry. Arkansas: Carroll and Boone (Kings River and Long Creek arms). Dam is about 8 miles southwest of Branson, MO. Nearby: Branson, Hollister, Shell Knob and Cape Fair, MO.
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
- Surface area: 43,100 acres at normal pool (about 52,300 at top of flood pool).
- Dam finished in 1958. Run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Very deep, clear water. Maximum depth about 220 feet.
- More than 1,400 fish habitat structures added 2007-2013, plus 751 brush piles rebuilt or added 2022-2024.
- New Missouri state record yellow bass: 2 lb 7 oz, caught May 13, 2026, on Table Rock.
What you can catch
- largemouth bass
Plenty of 15-18 inch fish; common in the river arms. - smallmouth bass
Big share of bass on the main lake from the Hwy 86 bridge to Campbell Point. - spotted bass
Very common but slow-growing; MDC wants anglers to keep them. - crappie
Best in the James, Kings and Long Creek arms, spring and fall. - walleye
Good in 2026. Run up the river arms around early March. - white bass
Best in March, far up the tributaries. - bluegill and catfish
Bluegill best late May to early July; channel and flathead cats abundant.
Month by month
| January | Bass on main-lake points, humps and bluffs. Drop shot 25-30 ft, jigs, spoons, float-and-fly. |
|---|---|
| February | Late winter: jerkbaits, Alabama rigs and small swimbaits. Trolling for white bass starts. |
| March | Pre-spawn when water hits about 45 F. White bass and walleye run up the arms. Paddlefish season opens Mar 15. |
| April | Spawn when water is 55-65 F, in 12 ft or less. Crappie in brush. Paddlefish season ends Apr 30. |
| May | Late spawn and post-spawn. Bluegill start late May. Catfish good in late spring. |
| June | Summer offshore: jigs, spoons and drop shots on points, humps and bluffs at 10-25 ft or deeper. |
| July | Same deep pattern. Spotted bass suspend near bait. Walleye on deep points and channel swings. |
| August | Deep summer pattern. White bass on spoons over gravel flats 25-50 ft. |
| September | Bass still deep, starting to follow shad as water cools. |
| October | Fall: bass move up shallower with shad. Crappie bite picks up in the arms. |
| November | Fall crappie on small jigs and minnows near brush. Bass on points and channel swings. |
| December | Winter. Bass move to main-lake points, humps and bluff ends. Crappie on deep brush and docks. |
Tips
- The lake is clear. Use light line and a drop shot; it works all year.
- Outside the spring spawn and fall, look for bass offshore on long points, humps and bluffs.
- Find the man-made brush piles with MDC's Where to Fish page or the free MO Fishing App.
- A good fish finder matters, especially for suspended spotted bass and shad.
- In cold water, fish slow. Bass will not chase fast baits.
Rules and license
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC); Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for the Arkansas part · Official rules page ↗
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass: 15-inch minimum.
- Spotted bass: 12-inch minimum on Table Rock, starting April 30, 2026 (was 15 inches).
- Black bass: 6 per day, 12 in possession, all three kinds combined.
- Crappie: 10-inch legal size.
- Paddlefish: harvest March 15-April 30, 2 per day, 34-inch minimum.
- White River Border Lakes Permit ($10): lets Missouri and Arkansas residents fish the other state's part of Table Rock. You still need your home-state fishing permit. Trout not included.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 23 boat ramps and 4 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Bent Hook Marina
- Château Marina
- Cricket Creek Marina
- Jackson Hollow Boat Launch
- Kerr Access
- Lower Flat Creek Access
- Ralph Cox Memorial Access
- Table Rock State Park Marina
Sources
- https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/fishing-prospects/reports/table-rock-lake-prospect-report
- https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/mdc-announces-new-spotted-bass-regulations-table-rock-lake
- https://mdc.mo.gov/node/251155
- https://mdc.mo.gov/permits/white-river-border-lakes-permit
- https://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/barry-county-man-catches-new-state-record-yellow-bass-using-tried-true-method
- https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/Table-Rock-Dam-and-Lake-6610
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Rock_Lake
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.