Tell me about Mak Twain

[pgottshall]

I've heard some about Mark Twain, and am wondering if it's worth a 3hour drive from IL, and a MO lisence. The stories I've heard include the DNR videotaping & catching folks double-dipping on the limits. I've also heard about 14" Crappies.

What can you tell me about the lake? Are there cabins there? How big is the lake? What are the limits? How big is the average Crappie? Are there Walleye? Catfish? White Bass?

Any insight you have would be greatly appreciated.

Convince me!!!

[Jigging15]

Never fished it before but here it is a pretty lake and looks and fishes a lot like Truman. Google Mark twain lake and there is some very informative sites about the lake. South Fork resort has a good dite with great fishing reports that go back a couple years. What I like is below each report people can add in there reports. So lots of good information there. Two or three places with cabins and motel style lodging there. One place even has a huge water park and stuff for kids.

[BarryG]

Right now it's 22ft high and probably muddy enough to walk on! I talked to a retired buddy up there tonight and he said there is alot of junk in the water. He said he hasn't been on the lake this week with the high winds and more than 6" of rain they had since Monday! There are several places around the lake...but none on the lake. There are CO's up there alot, along with the Water Patrol. Average crappie size is about 8" but sometimes you can get some nice ones. There are walleye in the lake but not alot. They catch alot of nice cats there. Most whites I have seen up there have been on the smaller side. I hope this helps! :D

This is a pretty nice place to stay not too far from the lake!
South Fork Resort at Mark Twain Lake

[CrappieCoz]

I stopped at South Fork ramp Thursday and if you were to put your boat in there you will need to roll up your pant legs. I saw a guy putting his boat in and not only was the boat in the water but so was his truck. I then went to Robert Allen and the high water ramp was open with a courtesy dock but the normal ramp was closed.
Water looked muddy and trashy on Elk Fork. Water looked good at South Fork and Robert Allen, just high. Now, I wasn't on the water so it may be different on the water.

[CrappieBen]

Water suprising clear considering heavy rain. could see jig 18-20" deep yesterday. letting a lot of water out now, but will be slow going down. prob. 7-12" in. per day after crest some time to day. Big tourney, crappie, today we'll see results and know more after that.

[mongo82]

As to the walleye, if some of you can remember, somewhere back in the late 80's or early 90's they had a big fish kill, so they restocked the lake with 345,000 fingerling bass,crappie,catfish ect. When it came to walleye 12,000,000 that's 12 million at least that's what I remember. I always thought they where trying to make a walleye lake! So Mark Twain should hold a bunch of walleye....Speaking of that we use to have a club tournament on Mark Twain ( for Bass ) about three times a year and someone would always come up with a nice walleye.

[Smitty 79]

My mom caught a 17 inch walleye up there early this summer
we were trollin crankbaits
we did catch a few nice crappie one went 13 1/2 but most we kept were 9-10 and had to weed though a bunch of dinks to get em

[CrappieCoz]

Looks like they will be getting some more heavy rain this evening. Water will still be arisen.

[south point]

smitty wasnt lying about the walleye or the crappie! and the fish werent biting while we were there!the water is not very muddy at all, considering the rain they have had. with vis about 1 -2 ft, thats not bad for twain. lots of underwater boating hazards, just take your time and you'll be fine. mostly stickups, with the ocasional shallow point. limitfor crappie is 15 with no length limit,not sure on the length limit or poss. limit for waleye. this year we see alot of dinks per keeper. but the fishing has been pretty good all around, we have not been totally skunked in years.sometimes we limit out but we usually take home 1 limit per 2 fishermen, but those fish are nice. usually a 14+ or two, some 12-13s and the rest 10-12. my best fish landed there was 15.5, and have lost some bigger. lots of ramps, campgrounds, and cabins. small water park on the ne side of the lake, not bad. lots of baitshops. only two marinas, no other boatdocks other that the docks at the ramps. most of the land around the lake is public, seems like good huntin, but ive never tried. leaving at 4am for robert allen, will post results tomarrow

[pgottshall]

thanks for the comments everyone. sounds like a great lake.