Truman Lake in Missouri is a great destination for fishing, boating, camping, water sports or simply enjoying nature. Truman is the largest man-made lake in Missouri, and offers a vast variety of fish to satisfy any angler. Whether you like to jig off the bottom from a boat, tempt bass with top water bait using a fly rod, bottom fish for the giant catfish, or fish from the bank with a bobber for crappie, you can do it all at Truman Lake.
Truman Lake is a dam reservoir covering 55,600 acres of fishing paradise. In early spring the crappie spawn and will bite on minnows, worms or jigs. A light line and small hook is best when fishing for crappie, as they won’t grab your hook and run with it like a bass will. They daintily nibble at it, teasing you with gentle bobs of your cork. If you get too anxious and grab your pole to set the hook, you’ll rip it right out of their mouths. It takes a gentle hand to pull in a crappie.
I’ve fished on Truman Lake most of my life. I even fished on it when it was just a river, and the idea of a dam was just that...an idea. I spent my teens fishing from an old runabout boat with a Mercury outboard that was as fickle as the fish. Sometimes it would run like a dream and we’d fly across the lake in pursuit of the best cove to fish in. Other times it would barely run, and we’d putt across the lake not getting too far from the boat ramp in case it died completely and we’d have to row back. We’d water ski behind that old boat on old wooden skis, jumping waves back and forth until our arms were exhausted. I remember once when I was skiing we ran out of gas. We had another tank so I just stayed in the water until it was switched so I could fly again. While waiting, a school of shad went by with me being smack in the middle of them. Little fish were flopping all around me, brushing past me and I was freaking out. I wasn’t worried about the little fish swimming around me; I was worried about the bigger fish that was chasing them. I was almost walking on water before we were going again.
My Dad, my sister and I would haul into the old truck, launch the boat and cruise along until we’d find a spot that looked promising, usually next to a couple of big of trees submerged in the lake. We would tie up to the tree and fish for a while, and then move on to the next. We’ve fished in temps so cold you could barely work your reel, in rain so hard the fish were drier than we were, and in sun so hot nothing was biting but flies. I remember one time we weren’t having much luck, so I decided to dig around in Dad’s old tackle box. It was like a treasure hunt with old wooden lures, plastic worms, and jigs of all colors. I found a neat little jig that resembled a bee. I decided I’d give it a try, so I tied it on and dropped my line to jig from the bottom. Wham! I got a huge bite! But I was too slow and missed it. Every time I dropped my line I got a hit, and every time I’d miss. After about 7 times of doing that, my Dad wanted to see the jig. The whole hook was gone, probably broke off years ago. The missing shank explained why I couldn’t set the hook. Of course it was the only jig we had like it, and obviously the only bait the fish were interested in that day.
Tying up to the old trees can be a hazard in itself. I remember once it was my job to grab hold of the tree and tie us off. My sister had the privilege of driving the boat, and she came in too fast. We hit the tree so hard I don’t know what kept it from plunging over into the water. We were lucky she didn’t knock a hole into the boat. I remember another time we pulled up to a tree nice and easy and tied off when Dad told us to untie. We were confused, we hadn’t even dropped a line yet, but we did as told. After we pulled away, he informed us a huge snake was sunning in the limbs of that tree.
All the shoreline timber on Truman Lake creates a haven for the fish. However for me, it translates to lots of opportunities for snagging up. I was the champion of snagging my line. When fishing in the boat I wasn’t allowed to cast because I had buried a hook in my mother’s forehead once. But even dropping a line straight down, I’d still get hung up in something. My Dad always said I could fish in a bath tub and get hung up. I can remember one fishing trip where I lost every hook we had and finally just had to call it quits. To this day, I’m still decorating the lake for the fish with my hooks, jigs and bobbers.
Now days I prefer to fish from the bank. You can drive down about any gravel road around Truman Lake and find a nice little cove to bank fish from, or you can fish below the dam. The quiet coves are my favorite place to fish. Most times there is no one else around, and only the occasional boat comes by. My family and I like to pack a picnic lunch and spend the day. There is nothing as relaxing as spending the day flipping a line while listening to the birds sing and insects buzz. If you’re luck you may spot the occasional eagle soar over head, or glimpse a big fish defying gravity with a jump.
Truman Lake will always have a special place in my heart. My parents took me as a child, and I in turn have taken my child to Truman to fish, camp, hike and swim. It’s a great place to go for making memories and relaxing. Plus the fishing is pretty good too!