Vance Branch

Truman Reservoir was formed in 1979 with the completion of the Harry S. Truman Dam, which impounded the Osage River. Initially planned to provide much-needed flood control to the region, the dam also generates electricity. Unlike it’s next-door neighbor, Lake of the Ozarks, the vast majority of the reservoir remains undeveloped, natural forest. This rustic setting may be one of the reasons that Truman has become one of the most popular angling destinations in Missouri. The reservoir boasts strong fisheries for several species. Among the most popular targets for anglers are largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, walleye and hybrid striped bass, though other fish receive good pressure as well. One interesting aspect of the reservoir is its paddlefish population, which creates a relatively rare opportunity for anglers to snag this large, pre-historic fish.

In the main basin, gizzard shad, brook silversides, various minnows and miscellaneous bluegill/sunfish comprise the bulk of the forage base, along with young-of-the-year of all species, though crayfish are also available in the creeks that flow into the reservoir.

In late winter and early spring, the black bass species relate to main-reservoir and secondary points. Once the water warms, bass spawn in the backs of coves and the warmer creeks on the upper end of the reservoir. Further increases in water temperature drive bass to the deeper water on the main basin, though they return to the coves and creeks as temperatures drop in fall. In spring, crappie head into the tributaries in the upper end of the reservoir to shallow, gravel slopes. Summer water temperatures encourage them to head back to the lower end of the reservoir, eventually moving onto stump-covered flats. In fall, crappie begin to transition toward bluffs and creek channels, holding near timber. As temperatures continue to fall and winter comes, crappie school near steep points and bluffs, remaining close to timber. Still, some crappie can be caught in shallow water, even in the cold of winter. White bass and hybrids perform similar seasonal movements. Generally, both species go on a spawning run in Truman’s larger tributaries in April and May, though this run can happen in March if temperatures permit it. After the spawn, hybrids and white bass head to the lower reservoir where they relate to humps and points through summer. In fall, they move toward the surface to feed on schools of shad that form at this time. Usually, these schools move windward to shallow points. Hybrids and white bass follow the schools through winter as well, staying close by as the shad move to the warm water provided by the larger creeks. In early spring, walleye head into the upper-reservoir tributaries for their spawning run, returning to the lower reservoir by the tail end of spring. As temperatures rise, they move to the humps and points off the main basin.