"Springtime Bite Heats Up at Lake of the Ozarks: Bass, Crappie, and More on the Bite"

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Sunday, April 20th, 2025 fishing report for Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri.

It is prime springtime here in the Ozarks, and the bite is firing up all over the lake. Sunrise hit around 6:25 a.m. and sunset will be just after 7:50 p.m., giving us a good long day to be on the water. No tidal swings to worry about here since we are an inland lake, but water levels are running a few feet below summer pool at about 656 feet, so be mindful when running near shallow points and docks.

Speaking of weather, the last week has been mostly stable with mild warming trends, keeping water temps in the mid-50s across most of the lake. We’ve finally seen a little stained water moving in, which has really turned on those shallow bites—especially after a run of clearer conditions earlier in the month.

Bass action is hot right now. The Big Bass Bash kicked off this weekend, and already an 8-pounder has been weighed in, so big fish are moving up. Largemouth are staging for the spawn, many holding near pea gravel and chunk rock banks in 2 to 6 feet of water. Top lures this week have been half-ounce spinnerbaits with white or chartreuse skirts, black and blue or green pumpkin jigs, and shallow crankbaits. If you hit the backs of coves near Gravois Arm and Linn Creek, you can intercept bass moving up with creature baits or Texas-rigged soft plastics.

Crappie fishing is getting better by the day. Anglers are reporting easy limits of healthy 10 to 12-inch crappie, particularly around brush piles, docks, and secondary points in 4 to 8 feet of water. Many crappie are heavy with eggs and pushing up to spawn, especially on gravel banks. The ticket lately has been 2.8-inch Keitech swimbaits or small tubes tipped with a chartreuse tail. Dipping minnows under slip bobbers has also put numbers in the boat, particularly up in the Grand Glaize and Niangua arms where the water is stained but not muddy.

For bait, stick with live minnows or jigs in natural shad or bright colors like chartreuse and white for crappie. Bass are hitting on soft plastics and spinnerbaits, while swimbaits and jerkbaits in shad patterns are catching some bonus white bass.

Couple hot spots to check out: Gravios Arm for both bass and crappie, and the backs of coves in Osage 10–30 mile marker range. Try working around the larger docks with brush piles sunk nearby.

Overall, fish are active and there is good variety right now—bass, crappie, and even a few bonus cats and white bass reported this week. Stay safe, tight lines, and enjoy the best of spring here on Lake of the Ozarks!