Good morning Lake of the Ozarks anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your November 26, 2025, fishing report. The Ozarks are draped in that true late-fall feel—quiet coves, chilly breeze, and that hint of winter knocking at the shoreline.

Sunrise rolled in at 6:41 AM and sunset will be at 6:04 PM, making for about 11 hours and 23 minutes of daylight today. No tides here in the heartland, but you’ll want to time your outings around solunar peaks: today’s major feeding windows run 12:28 AM to 2:28 AM and 12:53 PM to 2:53 PM, with minor flurries from 7:06 AM to 8:06 AM and 7:50 PM to 8:50 PM. Even with cooler temps—you’re looking at mid-50s for highs, light winds, and dry skies—the fish are still holding active, especially as the crescent moon begins its subtle build, currently sitting at about 4%[SolunarForecast].

Bass action has been the big headline lately. According to Major League Fishing, anglers are boating good numbers of largemouth and spotted bass, with the occasional smallmouth coming in from the lower end and around rocky main lake points. Most successful patterns lately have revolved around the Alabama rig. The pros are “throwing the rig or a jerkbait on the lower end,” especially where water clarity holds and baitfish are kicking up. In brush or along secondary, chunk-rock points, the Alabama rig has produced, especially once the sun warms things a touch after 11 AM[Major League Fishing].

If you’re into jerkbaits, the Megabass Vision 110+1 in pro blue is a proven winner, notably near the mouth of the Gravois Arm. Football jigs—like a 3/4-ounce Crock-O-Gator Football Jig paired with a NetBait Paca Chunk—are catching those deeper fish holding tight to bottom cover. Some have also been scoring with deep-diving crankbaits, but only when worked slow and with patience[Major League Fishing].

Crappie are a classic Lake of the Ozarks fall treat, and dock shooting is still producing. Locals are noticing that crappie have gotten sharper, hiding deeper in shade, but they’re still catchable with small plastics and hair jigs, especially on the deeper docks near creek channel swings. Downsize baits and use light line for your best shot[Youtuber “These Dock Crappie Are SMART!”].

As temperatures dip into the 40s overnight, fish are moving slightly deeper mid-morning but can still be found moving up as the day warms. Don’t forget to try finesse plastics—Ned rigs with Z-Man GrubZ or CrawZ have produced aggressive strikes from both bass and the occasional big crappie. Anglers posting reviews at Discount Tackle call them “deadly for bass” and “magic for larger bass,” especially when fished slow along rocky banks or around isolated brush.

For bait, if you prefer live options, minnows remain strong for both crappie and spotted bass, but most are relying on artificials to cover more water this time of year.

Top hot spots this week:
- Gravois Arm: For mixed bags on jerkbaits and A-rigs, focus just off main-lake points and secondary ledges near deeper brush.
- Little Niangua River Arm: Spring-fed and running warmer than the main lake, this arm is holding active fish—especially bass moving between deep holes and shallow flats. Best late morning and just before sunset.

One more thing—your best bet is to fish patient and slow as these lake fish start prepping for their winter haunts. Stay safe, dress warm, and remember—sometimes the best bite comes on that last cast.

Thanks for tuning in with Artificial Lure here on your Lake of the Ozarks fishing report. Make sure you subscribe for updates, and as always, this has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI