Fishing The Tri-Lakes Area – Branson, Missouri

So…you are asking where are the Tri-Lakes, simple, they are in Missouri and what are the three lakes; Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals. The next question you might have is where these are located within Missouri…and the answer, Branson. Over the 4^th of July Vickie and I were in the Branson area, in fact, we camped at our favorite campground, Table Rock State Park. Table Rock sits just south of Branson and borders the vast Table Rock Lake. To get info go to www.mostateparks.com.

OK…here is a big secret, water is critical to fishing; yes, I know this is overstating the very simple but in Missouri the water levels make the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly of successful fishing. This spring was a record setter in the Branson and southern Missouri area and frankly even a few months later it is still affecting the fishing in the area. I don’t have the space and might go a long way toward writing a book if I could, but the White River System is all tied together; it starts with Beaver (Arkansas), then moves to Taneycomo (short for Taney County Missouri), then flows into Bull Shoals (Arkansas and Missouri), then into Norfork Lake and tailwater (Arkansas) and lastly Greers Ferry and the Little Red River (Arkansas). This is one giant piece of water that is controlled by the massive Southwest Power. Any generation or production of electricity is scheduled and operated by SWP (866-494-1993). The bottom line is that all of this water and the dams that it lies within…have to be regulated as one big lake and the more rain, the more releasing of water. The flood control is regulated by the Army Corps of Engineers and this past spring they had so much water in the Branson and Table Rock area that they had to release water through all 5 flood gates and in doing so actually flooded many homes and businesses downstream, in fact, the Bass Pro at Branson Landing had about 4 feet of water flow into the store. SWP at Table Rock can generate anywhere from zero units to up to four units and when full generation is needed due to large electricity usage, lake levels at Taneycomo can rise up to nine feet…so a wadable and fishable Taneycomo can turn into a raging torrent in a matter of a few minutes…oh, and you can guess that not only does this mess with fishing, but it can be very dangerous.

So, what does this mean…when the conditions are right, the fishing in the Branson area is awesome! Specifically Taneycomo is a trout mecca. However when it is hot and wet, like it was this spring and summer, then fly fishing Taneycomo has to be done from a boat. This 4^th of July week the folks at Table Rock Dam generated around the clock; no down time for us waders. Now here is where it might get a little confusing, you can wade fish if they are only running one or maybe two generators…but during my week there they went down to only two generators from 12 midnight to about 6 or 7am. That doesn’t give a guy much daylight to work with and wading in the dark with newly developed holes…well, let’s say that I am not that brave.

So, you are coming to Branson and want to trout fish. A couple things are possible…call the SWP number above and follow the automated directions and you can tell what the ‘schedule’ is for the day of, and the day following.  If you catch it right you can wade the lake (Taneycomo) and have a great day. If however you want to fish and need a little help…call my buddy Darryl at River Run Outfitters (877-699-FISH). Darryl and I met a few years back as he helped me with a specific fly and I have stopped in each year and we continue to discuss new flies, etc… He is very knowledgeable and frankly a great guy that can and will teach you how to catch trout. For sure…give the fly shop a call for info and stop in while in Branson as River Run is a fantastic fly shop with a great group of friendly people and a wide variety of fly-fishing necessities.

Another alternative is the Branson Landing area…Branson Landing is the large outdoor shopping area that is adjacent to Taneycomo on the east side of Branson. The area has a park that has several fishing docks which can be fished by anyone. The past two summers I have parked on the north end of the mall and plopped myself into my float tube and fished the lake while Vickie shopped…can you think of a more perfect combination? This past trip I fished for two hours and while I didn’t catch a trout…I did catch a nice Wiper and watched as boats, people and even planes flooded by; it was two hours of entertainment and a beautiful night. There was a pair of water planes landing and taking off right next to me and directly in front of the Branson Landing shopping area. When you combine this with the Branson Belle, the large paddle boat and all the other pleasure and fishing boats…it was a busy night.

The next time you are in the Branson area, bring along your fishing equipment so while not shopping or going to a show…you can hit the lake or river…or lake, OK, I am confused, but what I do know is that you will have a great experience and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.