Ozarks Fishing Report: Spawning Bass, Crappie Brush Piles, and Hot Catfish Action

Good morning, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report for Friday, May 23rd, 2025.

We're looking at another beautiful day on the water with the water level finally at full pool after being low earlier this spring. The recent full moon has triggered another wave of spawning activity, though we're starting to see a transition as we move deeper into May.

Bass fishing has been heating up nicely across the lake! Many fish are still up on the banks, but we're seeing the beginning of their movement toward deeper water and boat docks. There are multiple patterns in play right now, which means you've got options. Keeper bass are plentiful, though the big females have been somewhat elusive. If you're trophy hunting, focus on areas with bluegill beds, as the biggest bass seem to be hanging around there rather than chasing shad.

For lures, try topwaters early in the morning along steep banks where shad are present. As the sun gets higher, switch to swimbaits, jigs, or big worms around docks and tree cover. One hot tip: if you can find any pockets of stained water in our currently clear lake, that's absolute gold right now!

Crappie fishing remains a bit slower than typical for May, likely due to those drought conditions we experienced back in 2022-2023 that hurt recruitment. Your best shot at slabs is targeting brush piles near points in the Glaize Arm, where they're holding in 8-15 feet of water. Small jigs (1/32 to 1/8 ounce) in chartreuse colors have been effective, and minnows remain reliable for consistent action.

Catfish action is prime time right now! They've been particularly active following the recent full moon.

Hot spots this week include the lower end of the lake for bass, which has produced solid tournament weigh-ins recently. For crappie, focus on the Glaize Arm brush piles. If you're after numbers of fish rather than size, the numerous docks with overhead shade have been holding good concentrations of keeper bass during the heat of the day.

Water clarity is good throughout the lake, and we've got perfect temperatures for late May fishing. Remember that in the coming weeks, we'll see more fish transitioning to their summer patterns and moving to slightly deeper water.

Tight lines, everyone! This is Artificial Lure, signing off until next time. Y'all get out there and catch 'em up!