Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake, one of three power-supply lakes built on the main stem of the White River, lies in southwest Missouri along the Arkansas border. The 52,300-acre lake, which has quietly become one of Missouri's premier bass-fishing lakes, hosts numerous bass tournaments each year and attracts bass anglers from all over the country.

Table Rock produced an outstanding year-class of largemouth bass in 2002 -- the largest since 1999, according to MDC fisheries management biologist Bill Anderson. It's expected that these fish will provide great bass fishing in 2006, with good numbers of bass longer than 15 inches, the lake's minimum-length limit. Surveys also show that the fertile James River and the Kings River arms support the lake's highest localized bass populations and the fastest growth rates.

The Corps maintains access points around the lake. Check out accesses on: the James River Arm at Cape Fair, Missouri, off Highway 76; Aunts Creek off Highway 13 and county road 00; and at the mouth at Joe Bald Creek, off Highway 13.

Get your map of the lake by writing to the Table Rock Resident Office, Corps of Engineers, PO Box 1109, Branson, MO 65616, or call (417) 334-4101. For additional information, call the MDC at (417) 895-6880.

Truman Lake
Harry S. Truman Dam and Lake was completed in 1979. Since then, it has become one of Missouri's best bass-fishing lakes. When full (in its flood pool), Truman swells to more than 209,000 surface-acres; most of the time, however, it holds about 55,600.

Therein lies the secret to this great bass fishery: Truman receives inflows from three major river systems: the South Grand, Pomme de Terre and Osage rivers. These drain the agricultural prairielands of west-central Missouri and eastern Kansas such that spring rains swell the lake, flooding its large shallow flats each year.

This highly productive lake supports one of the best largemouth bass populations in Missouri. Truman's bass spawns are consistent, annually providing strong year-classes. This year biologists predict good numbers of large bass for anglers. Intermediate-sized bass are numerous and keep anglers catching and releasing fish as they seek their trophy wallhangers.

The Corps provides numerous fishing accesses around Truman Lake. In the spring, when the lake has spread out into the flood pool, you can access some great fishing from; Roscoe Access, just off Highway 82 and county road E; Berry Bend Access, off county road Z; and Osceola Access, off Highway 13. Also check out: Sparrowfoot Access, off county road T; Cooper Creek Access, off Highway 52 and Highway 13; Bucksaw Access, off county road U; Fairfield access, off Highway 83 and county road K; and Osage Bluff Access, in the Pomme de Terre Arm.

Get your map and additional information about Harry S. Truman Lake from the Harry S. Truman Project Office, COE, Route 2, Box 29A, Warsaw, MO 65355, or call (816) 438-7317. For additional information, call the MDC at (660) 530-5500.

Lake Of The Ozarks
Downstream from Truman Lake and Dam sits Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri's second-oldest power-supply lake (Lake Taneycomo is the oldest). Lake of the Ozarks differs from all other large lakes in Missouri because of its age and the extensive shoreline development around the lake.