Lake Ozarks Fishing Report October 27, 2025: Crappie Crush, Bass Bite Hot, Catfish Chewing

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report for Monday, October 27, 2025. Yesterday’s wild swing in weather left the water cooling off quick and the bite firing up across much of the lake. We started the day with temps in the upper 40s and it’s shaping up sunny and dry, topping out around 59, with a light west wind set to back off by evening. Sunrise was at 7:28 a.m., and sunset will be at 6:18 p.m., giving you a solid window of daylight to get on the action. With Lake of the Ozarks not being tidal, you don’t have to factor in tides, but today’s lunar calendar is working in your favor—peak fish activity lined up just after sunrise and again in the afternoon between 2 and 4 p.m. That evening window just ahead of sunset should keep the action going strong, especially for bass and crappie. Water temps have slid back into the low 60s, and the fall bite is on the upswing. According to the Lake of the Ozarks Missouri Daily Fishing Report, the crappie are stacking up around brush piles and dock pillars, hitting hard on small jigs in blue and chartreuse, as well as minnows. The main lake and mouths of coves—especially at about 12–18 feet—are producing good numbers, with anglers getting limits of solid 10–12" slabs in just a couple hours this past weekend. Folks drift-fishing with live minnows under a slip bobber at about 10 feet did best. Black bass are feeding heavy up shallow first thing, especially along secondary points and chunk rock banks. The go-to pattern has been a mix of squarebill crankbaits in crawdad or shad patterns, plus topwater walking baits in the low-light hours. Craw-pattern jigs, especially E-Factor pitchin’ jigs with green pumpkin trailers, are boating some nice largemouth to 4 pounds, while swimbaits like the Swimbait Garage Hyper Shad counted for several 3–5 pounders at the Osage arm this week, according to Major League Fishing’s recent updates. As for catfish, they’re still biting strong along the channel breaks and around bridge pillars. Best bet has been fresh cut shad or live bluegill on medium-heavy gear—several fish over 20 pounds have been caught between the Niangua and Gravois Arms. If you’re looking for hot spots today, don’t miss: - **Point 2 and the mouth of Anderson Hollow Cove:** Consistent action for crappie and easy access for boats and shore anglers both. - **Big Niangua Arm near Larry Gale Access:** Bass are holding on shallow brush and rock, and crappie are thick in submerged structure. - *Bonus:* The Gravois Arm is overlooked but catfish are stacked near the deeper bends and bridge pilings. For baits and lures, grab these before you head out: - **Crappie:** 1/16 oz. blue/chartreuse jigs, live minnows. - **Bass:** Squarebill crankbaits (craw or shad), topwater walkers, green pumpkin football or pitchin’ jigs, mid-size swimbaits. - **Catfish:** Fresh cut shad, live bluegill or nightcrawlers, fished on slip rigs near the bottom. Boat traffic is way down, and water clarity is good ex This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.