Lake of the Ozarks Mid-December Fishing Report: Bass, Crappie, and Lure Recommendations

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report. We don’t worry about tides here in mid‑Missouri — the dam keeps water levels fairly steady — so your “tide” is really **generation and wind**. When Bagnell’s pushing water and you’ve got a little chop, the bite’s been best along main‑lake structure and the first third of the creeks. Weather-wise, the National Weather Service is calling for a classic early‑December pattern: morning temps starting out cold in the upper 20s to low 30s, climbing into the 40s to low 50s by afternoon with a light northwest breeze and high, thin clouds. Sunrise is right around 7 a.m., sunset just after 4:45 p.m., so you’ve got a tight window of prime light. Fish activity has shifted full‑on winter mode, but they’re chewing if you slow down. Local marina chatter and recent guide trips around Osage Beach and Shawnee Bend report **solid numbers of keeper largemouth** with a few 4‑ to 5‑pounders mixed in, plus bonus spotted bass and the occasional crappie limit. Most bass are coming from 10–25 feet on channel swings, bluff ends, and secondary points just inside main‑lake pockets. Best lures right now: - For bass: **finesse jig** in green pumpkin or Missouri craw, **Alabama rig** with 3–3.8" shad‑style swimbaits, **jerkbaits** in Table Rock shad or ghost minnow, and a **Rapala‑style crank** bumping rock in 8–12 feet. - For crappie: 1/16–1/8 oz **marabou jigs** or small plastics in monkey milk and chartreuse, or a minnow under a slip float. Best bait: - Bass: small **shiners** or chubs on a Carolina or split‑shot rig if they won’t touch artificials. - Crappie: **live minnows** on brush piles and condo piles in 15–25 feet off main creek channels. Couple of hot spots to put on your list: - **Gravois Arm**: Work the channel swings and bluff ends near Indian Creek and around the 3–6‑mile markers. Jerkbait and A‑rig have both been putting fish in the boat. - **Niangua Arm**: From Linn Creek up toward the 5‑mile marker, target steeper chunk‑rock banks and secondary points. Drag a finesse jig or a shaky head painfully slow. Midday has been outfishing daybreak; let that sun warm the rocks a bit, then hit those 45‑degree banks and transitions. Watch your graph — a lot of the better fish are glued to the bottom or just off shad balls, so don’t be afraid to fish almost vertical with a jig or A‑rig. That’s your Lake of the Ozarks report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.