Guided Fishing Trips
Whether you’re looking for a last minute, fun activity while visiting Branson or travel to our lake area exclusively to fish one of our lakes, our professional fishing guides offer short or long fishing trips for the whole family. Considering the Missouri Department of Conservation stocks about 550,000 trout in Lake Taneycomo, catching trout is relatively easy even for the novice angler. Our Taneycomo fishing guides have all the equipment and expertise to provide a fun day catching fish.
Guided Fishing Trips Include:
- Professional guide boat
- The perfect rods and reels to catch trout
- Bait, lures, and flies
- Life jackets
- Fish cleaning and packaging
It is your choice to fish with fly rods or spincast gear; both types of trips are available, depending on which guide you go with. Some specialize in fly fishing trips so if you want to fly fish, make sure you find a guide that does that.
All of our guides are insured and provide the boat and equipment for your trip. Each one is USGS Approved with an OUPV Coast Guard Captain’s License to commercially guide on the White River System of Lakes.
1-2 People
Guided Fishing Trip-
$450 for 6 Hours
3 People
Guided Fishing Trip-
$535.00 for 6 Hours
4 People
Guided Fishing Trip-
$620.00 for 6 Hours
What Time Do Guide Trips Start?
Depending on the time of year, guided trips usually start very close to sunrise in the morning. Afternoon trips start anywhere from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., depending on the client’s and guide’s schedule. On most trips, the client is to meet their guide here at the resort. Please come a little early if you need a fishing license.
For larger groups please call for rates. There is an option to rent a pontoon in which a guide can take only up to 6 people. His USCG license does not permit him to take more than 6.
Things To Consider
- Taneycomo is a cold water lake averaging about 50 degrees year round. The water in the summer is actually the coldest so early morning trips can be pretty chilly. Bring at least a sweatshirt, even if the forecast calls for triple digit temps during the day.
- If you’re going to keep fish, you should have a plan to transport your catch back home. Bring a cooler and ice. Your guide will clean and bag your trout.
- We strongly encourage catch and release for our trophy trout. If you get lucky enough to catch a trophy, you have many anglers to thank for releasing it before you. Your guide will help you take good pictures of your catch and even measure your trophy if you want to get a replica made.
- If you catch a 20-inch or larger trout and release it, Lilleys’ Landing will issue you an official Catch & Release Certificate, a C&R Patch and a nice C&R bronze pin. You will also be featured on our website. Ask your guide about it!
Wade Trips and Drift Boat Trips also Available.
Meet Our Guides





My interest in fly fishing began at the age of 10. My first fly rod was a nine-foot bark stripped willow branch with eyelets, pilfered from a Zebco rod and taped onto the blank. I spent many hours, every day, out in the backyard learning and mastering the art of fly casting with my rudimentary piece of equipment. A few years later, at the age of 13, my interest in fly tying started to develop. I started with primitive chenille and hackle wooly buggers and duck quill coachman flies resembling deformed wasps. I have certainly come a long way since those simple days of barnyard flies and the unrefined stick that I proudly called a fly rod.
I cut my trout teeth in the late 70’s at Bennett Springs and Montauk State Parks in Missouri. In my late teens, after reading an article in an outdoor magazine about the tremendous fishery of Lake Taneycomo, I was driven to experience the legendary tailwater fishing opportunities.
In 2006, I logged over 2500 hours on the water, day and night, including one stretch of 39 hours straight, all while still maintaining a full time job. I started moonlighting for a local fly shop, picking up guide trips in the evenings and on weekends. At this point in time, I concluded that a mainstream job might be getting in the way of what I really enjoyed doing- fishing.
By 2007, I found myself in Alaska on a fishing adventure of a lifetime. At the end of the week, I had secured a position as a guide at Naknek River Camp, in Katmai National Park, Western Alaska. That is where I spent my summers, helping clients live their dreams chasing all five Pacific Salmon, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling, and Giant Rainbows, along with some of the world’s most intense bear viewing, thrown in on the side.
Now that I guide full-time on Lake Taneycomo, my intent is more than just taking a person fishing for a day. I would rather educate clients about the water being fished, the species pursued, and, then, by sharpening their learning curve, making it possible for them to return, without a guide, for a productive fishing trip. I enjoy and take great pride in sharing the information, knowledge and experiences I have learned from my countless hours on the water to help others create great memories of fantastic fishing adventures.






Growing up, I dreamed of being a professional bass fisherman, hitting the lakes and ponds around Topeka KS as often as possible, often skipping school. The pro gig never happened, but college, marriage, and kids allowed for recreational fishing. Life settled down, so I ramped up my fly fishing experience by fishing Taneycomo, the White River, and out West often. When possible, I fished saltwater, warm and cold water all over the country, but spent most of my time fishing Taneycomo. I realized I loved taking and teaching people to fly fish, so I started to help teach Orvis fly fishing classes and, about 5 years ago, started taking Veterans from Project Healing Waters fly fishing. I got my USCG captain’s credentials and started guiding commercially.
I exclusively fly fish out of a Mako Pro Skiff 19 center console. Its deck and stability are well suited for fly fishing. I will tailor your guide trip to your experience level. If you are a beginner, you will learn the basics that can be applied on other trout waters. Experienced folks will get on fish using the usual nymphing techniques, but we can also mix things up by chucking streamers.

FLW :
- CAREER EARNINGS: $574,262
- CUP APPEARANCES: 4
- YEARS AS FLW TOUR PRO: 8
- CAREER WINS: 3
BASS:
- CAREER EARNINGS: $72,869
- CAREER TOP 10 FINISHES:6
CENTRAL PRO-AM:
- CAREER EARNINGS: $78,000
- CAREER TOURNAMENT WINS :6
HEARTLAND PRO-AM:
- CAREER EARNINGS: $61,000
- CAREER TOURNAMENT WINS :6
CAREER BOAT WINNINGS: 12+
Local Career Winnings on Bullshoals and Tablerock Lake



- 2nd Place 2010 FLW College Fishing Regional Championship Lake Monroe Indiana 25k
- 10th place 2011 FLW College Fishing National Championship Kentucky Lake
- 2011 FLW College Fishing All-American Team
- 1st place 2019 Major League Fishing Bass Fishing League Regional Championship Grand Lake Oklahoma 50k
- 2020 Major League Fishing All-American qualifier Lake Hartwell South Carolina
- Over 20 top 10s in FLW tournaments across the Midwest