Long Branch Lake, Mo

[Phoenix Guy]

Anyone ever been there??? Need some info..

 

[Fishes in trees]

I fished there once a few years ago.  It was in June or July, I forget which, definitely post spawn.  Previously I had fished it a couple of times in the late 80's.  As I recall, the facilities were good.  Ice and sandwiches were relatively close.  There was a good ramp, with plenty of parking.  Bathrooms were clean. Bring your own TP and handi-wipes.

 

As far as the lake goes, I remember a main lake area and then two long arms.  It is a decent sized lake (5000 acres or so, but I could be way wrong on the size).   Banks were mostly clay/mud.  There were some rocks, more so on the main lake area as compared to the arms, but there weren't alot of rocks anywhere.

 

There was some standing timber, I guess there used to be much more, there were many stumps right at the water line or a couple of inches either way.  I thought that the water color was dingy to muddy, visibility was often a foot or less.   Wasn't using a secchi disc then so I don't have a number.

 

My approach to summer fishing at the time was to stay pretty shallow, throw reaction baits like a spinner bait or square bill, and hope for pods of active fish.  The plan didn't work that day.  I think I caught two fish all day, on a square bill, off a stump, in 5 or so feet of water.  I remember it being tough fishing, a pretty lake, for the most part, but tough fishing.  I say for the most part because a couple of the more remote coves seemed to be a garbage dumping area..

 

Anyway, it has been a number of years since I've been there, I have better lakes closer and if I want to drive my big motor alot, I will just go to Truman.

 

If I had to fish it now, this time of year, I would stay out of the creeks and stay on main lake points in 10 to 30 feet of water with jigs or jika rigs or something else slow.