Crappie Fishing

Crappie fishing on Lake of the Ozarks

Name: Mike's Guide Service
Address: 14 Pointe Ct, Lake Ozark, MO, 65049, US
Telephone: 314-517-3520
Price range: $400-$800

Crappie are what Mike is known for. They are most of what he fishes, most of what he posts, and the reason a lot of people call him in the first place.

An angler on the boat holding a slab crappie caught on Lake of the Ozarks

Why Mike

A crappie specialist

He is on this water constantly: Ten thousand hours on one lake, most days of the year. Mike knows which brush is holding fish this week, not which brush held them last spring.
You are fishing, not searching: The boat goes to spots that produced yesterday. When one stops producing, you leave it and go to the next. That is most of what you are paying for.
Crappie for beginners: The bites come often and the fish are not heavy, so kids and first-timers do well on them. It is the species Mike puts nervous anglers on.
He can see the fish: Garmin LiveScope on the bow shows the brush pile and the crappie sitting on it in real time, and your jig dropping down to them. Nobody is guessing whether a spot is holding fish. Mike turns the screen so you can watch them eat.

When to come

Crappie through the year

Crappie are catchable here every month. Which month you pick changes where they are and how the day feels.

March – May

Spring

The best weeks of the year, and the ones that book up first. Water climbs out of the 40s, the lake fills toward full pool, and crappie move up onto shallow brush and dock cables to spawn. The backs of the coves stain up and hold fish you can almost reach from the boat. High numbers, close in, and the easiest crappie fishing a first-timer will ever get.

June – August

Summer

The slowest stretch of the year for crappie, and worth knowing before you book. Warm water pushes them deep onto brush, and the bite is short — the first couple of hours after daylight, then it shuts down. Mike can still put you on some, but if crappie are the whole point of your trip, spring or fall will treat you far better. Summer is bass season on this lake. If July is when you can come, that is the trip to book.

September – November

Fall

Cooling water pushes shad back into the creek arms and the crappie follow them. Fish move shallower again to feed ahead of winter, and you get spring-like days with a fraction of the boat traffic. It is the quietest good fishing of the year, and the most underrated time to come.

December – February

Winter

Crappie group up tight in deep water off creek channels and main-lake structure. Fewer bites than spring, but the fish that come over the side are often the best of the year and you will have the lake close to yourself. Dress warmer than you think — the boat moves, and the wind finds you.

Where we fish for them

Crappie here live around cover, and this lake is full of it. Thousands of private docks with brush sunk underneath them. Brush piles Mike has watched for years and knows the depth of by heart. Most trips end with a limit in the cooler — fifteen crappie per person, the daily limit on this lake.

What the day looks like

You will move. Mike runs between brush piles and docks rather than sitting on one spot hoping.
Rods, jigs and bait are already rigged and on the boat.
One or two anglers, so nobody is waiting for a turn or crossing lines.
Mike cleans your catch before you head home.

What to expect on the day

A landing net filled with crappie after a morning on Lake of the Ozarks

Common questions

Before you book

When is the best time to come for crappie?: April, if you want the most fish and the shallowest water. October if you would rather have the lake to yourself and still catch plenty. Both book up, April earlier than you would expect.
Can we keep what we catch?: Crappie are excellent eating and most people take some home. Mike will tell you what is legal to keep that day and cleans your fish before you leave.
Are crappie a good fish for kids?: The best on this lake. They bite often, they are light enough for a child to reel in without help, and a slow hour is rare in spring or fall.

Every question, answered

“Had a great day with Mike. We took home 17 crappies. He went over and above by cleaning them for us.”

Lisa B. · 4 years ago · on Google

Let’s get you on some crappie

Trips run four, six or eight hours at a flat $100 an hour. Call or text and Mike will tell you straight what the fish are doing.

Book a trip 314-517-3520

Full rates & booking details