Lake of the Ozarks Spring Fishing Report - Bass, Crappie, and More Biting Strong

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report for Friday, April 18th, 2025. The spring bite here is firing up, and local anglers are seeing plenty of action across the lake.

Sunrise hit at 6:29 a.m. this morning, with sunset set for 7:48 p.m. There’s no tide on the Ozarks, so no need to worry about tidal swings. The water is still a few feet below summer pool, sitting around 656 feet, and there’s a good color in most parts of the lake, with a bit more stain up river and clearer water towards the dam. Surface temps are holding in the mid-50s, and we’ve had a mix of breezy, cool mornings and warm afternoons – classic spring weather, with a lot of fish on the move and setting up to spawn[1][5].

Bass are the big talk thanks to the Big Bass Bash this week. An 8-pound bruiser took the early lead, and plenty of 2- to 5-pounders are showing up. Bass are shallow, staging and spawning in pea-gravel pockets and around docks. Jigs in green pumpkin, brown, or black and blue are getting bites, especially 5/16 to 1/2 ounce for working both shallow and deeper docks. Brush piles near points are also producing. A chartreuse and black square bill or a classic Wiggle Wart cranked along rock and chunk banks gets their attention with the dirtier water. Don’t overlook a jerkbait either – a Smithwick Rogue or Megabass in shad or chromes can really shine on windy points or secondary points, especially in clearer water. Low-light hours are best for topwater plugs around shallow docks. Hot spots are around the Gravois Arm and lower Glaize, and the shallower coves off the main Osage channel[1][9][10].

Crappie fishing is getting better by the day. Most fish are moving up shallow and getting ready to spawn, especially in the upper lake and backs of coves. The best bite is on small jigs, 1/16 to 1/8 ounce, in chartreuse or with a chartreuse tail, worked under a bobber around brush and laydowns in 5 feet or less. Minnows are working too, especially if you suspend them under a fixed bobber. The stained water is helping, making the fish more aggressive near the banks. Folks fishing the Gravoi Arm and up the Niangua are finding good numbers, with several limits of crappie caught this week, most in the 9- to 12-inch range[1][3][10].

White bass are running up the tributaries – try the Little Niangua, Niangua, Gravois, and Grand Glaize arms. Small spinners and jerkbaits are working well. Catfish are waking up, biting on cut shad or nightcrawlers, especially off deeper docks and channel swings. The Bagnell Dam spillway is a solid bank spot for a mix of species, from white bass and crappie to walleye and channel cats[7][10].

If you’re looking for hot spots, the upper Gravois Arm is a crappie magnet this week, while the lower Glaize and main lake points near the 6 to 10 mile markers are putting up solid bass bags. Don’t forget to check brush piles near points and docks – those are holding both bass and crappie.

That’s the latest from Lake of the Ozarks. Get out there, stay safe, and tight lines!