2023 Shell Knob Vacation Guide

SHELL KNOB

MISSOURI

“I don’t always get towed, but when I do, I prefer”TowBoat US”

YEAR-ROUND FISHING

Shell Knob on Table Rock Lake offers year-round fishing opportunities. With proper planning, anglers can find success whatever the season or weather.

Yes, January is usually cold. But fish still feed, particularly on those warmer, January thaw days. Fish slow and deep with spoons, jigs or drop-shot rigs to catch spotted, largemouth or small mouth bass schooled up off long points.

February presents an opportunity for the large walleye that make Table Rock their home. Run up the tributary arms of Long Creek, the James or the Kings and slow-troll crank baits or live minnows near the gravel flats that walleye use for spawning. Try stop-and-go jerk baits for early bass.

In March, the white bass begin to run up the lake tributaries. Trolling small crank baits, spinners or flashy spoons will attract these feisty fish. This time of year is also prime for finding the big bass that move up on points prior to spawning. Spinner baits, swim baits or large jigs may help you catch the fish of a lifetime. March brings the opening of paddle fish season with the chance to snag one of these filter feeders over one hundred pounds.

The absolute best time to catch bass on Table Rock is April. This is prime spawning season. The fish are shallow and active. Almost any lure will produce, targeting gravel spawning banks or flooded bushes. If the weather turns cold, back off and fish a little deeper and slower. May continues with excellent bass fishing. Crappie are staged up under docks and on flooded brush piles. Once you find the right spot, numbers of crappie can be taken on small jigs and spinners or live bait.

June is top water month. Working poppers, chuggers or walkers across wooded flats or parallel to bluff walls can bring exciting catches of bass of all sizes, particularly at dawn and dusk. June is also the time Table Rock’s shad spawn, so using baits that imitate these food fish will often produce well.

The warmer weather of July activates the catfish. Particularly at night, flathead and channel cat move up on flats to feed. The best baits are prepared baits, liver or worms still-fished on heavy gear. For the kids, bluegill are easy to catch on small live bait rigs off docks or along brushy shorelines.

August is a great time to night fish. Catfish and walleye are feeding regularly. Bass can be particularly aggressive at night on spinner baits and top waters. Plan your night outing properly with the right gear and a safety plan.

As cooler temperatures approach in September, the fish respond. Black bass will move up the tributaries and feed on massive schools of shad. Fan casting small crank baits across flats can yield impressive catches. This is also a great time of year to bow fish. Non-game fish like carp, gar and drum can be sighted and taken in shallow water.

October is a transition period and presents multiple angling opportunities with the right preparation. Most fish are still active; bass will take spinner baits, crappie small jigs, and walleye will chase crank baits. Adapt to the weather conditions and modify your approach based on what the fish are telling you.

Give thanks that on Table Rock, November is quiet and productive. Surprisingly, some top waters like buzz baits work well for bass. Under cooler conditions fish deeper with spoons and swim baits. On those warmer days use spinner baits and crank baits for bass and walleye. Treat yourself to a gift by fishing The Rock in December. Try cranks and jigs on rocky forty-five degree banks. On warmer days look for fish congregating in the backs of coves or staged up on points. For the adventurous, take advantage of the snowstorm phenomenon, known for producing good catches. Or try for walleye by trolling minnow imitators or minnow rigs where channels run close to flats. Whatever fish you’re seeking or whatever your angling skill, Shell Knob on Table Rock Lake can provide both a pleasant outdoor experience and a successful fishing trip any time of year.

CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER

- OUR EVENTSOCTOBER 14

SMALL TOWN PRESS

One of the things that make Shell Knob a community is our very own Shell Knob newspaper. Started in 1979 by Jeannie and Glenn Jones with help from Bill and Joella Lock, the Knob Rock Rattler has served this community for over forty years. So what’s in a name? Knob refers to Shell Knob, Rock to Table Rock Lake, and Rattler for a unique, fun monogram.

Owner and publisher Jeannie Jones moved with her husband to Shell Knob in 1978. They saw the need for a local paper to serve the community and provide an advertising medium for local businesses. The first edition was a typed, single page flyer. Jeannie and Glenn made 500 copies and mailed them to local residents. Initially intended to be a monthly, local acceptance soon created a need for a weekly paper. And despite Glenn’s death in 1984, it has remained a weekly ever since.

“The Rattler gives the entire community a voice,” Jeannie says. “Individuals, businesses, churches and organizations can all participate and keep our community informed through the paper. Without it, we really wouldn’t know about all the happenings in Shell Knob.”

Like all print media, the Knob Rock Rattler has faced challenges of internet competition, rising postage and increasing printing costs. But despite these hurdles, the Rattler stays active and relevant by giving a voice to the community and providing a link that connects Shell Knob residents and visitors.

Not intended to be a “newsy” publication, the Rattler fills its pages with local ads, church and organization news, information on fishing and enjoying the lake, local history, and school news. Stacked between all this reporting are the ever-popular “Smiles” to lend another positive aspect to both the paper and the town.

Whether you’re a local or a visitor, the Knob Rock Rattler is essential to knowing what’s happening in our town; a single source for entertainment, information and education. Many things make Shell Knob a community. The Rattler is part of the glue that bonds us together and makes us vibrant.

HELP KEEP IT CLEAN

No ecologist had to tell an Ozarker he lived in a land where the air was fresh and pure and had to be nurtured to remain so. He knew that, as well as methods of protecting the land that was his means of livelihood. He didn't have to read weighty tomes to comprehend that the crystal-clear. Free running waters were a priceless heritage. He worked to keep them that way for his children and generations to come. He understood harmony between man and nature.

Today, in Shell Knob region, every effort is made by the native and newcomer alike to keep the area in its naturally beautiful state. Their vigilance is shared by the Army Corps of Engineers, who have spearheaded the effort to keep the waters clean and unpolluted, and the shoreline free of eyesores to detract from its wild splendor. These efforts have paid off in unspoiled scenic beauty, superb waters and near perfect ecological conditions.

This was proved recently when a panel of experts from the U.S. Department of the Interior listed the Ozarks as one of the seven best places to live in the nation. These environmentalists cited areas where the air and water were pollution free and the year 'round climate moderate, and the Ozarks placed high on the list. They cited mild winters, the early arrival and late staying power of good weather and the lack of major polluting industries as reasons why the area was ideal for settlement. Recently voted number one lake in the US of A.

While this signal honor impressed the Ozarker, it didn't create the stir it might have in other regions. He's always known he had a good thing going, and he kept right on with his efforts to keep it good and enlist the cooperation of newcomers and visitors to the area.

If you could ask an Ozarker for his ideas on ecology, he might well say: 'Friend, we need your help, to keep our land clean and water clear. Please, pick up your trash; there are receptacles everywhere to dispose of it. Keep the waters running free; don't clog them with garbage, cans, bottles, all kinds of floating jetsam. If you could see a handsome fish, floating dead on the water, a plastic bag protruding from its mouth, you'd know how important this is. If you stop at a roadside table to have a family picnic along the way and find it littered with trash, its beauty and function marred by careless people before you, you'd know the wisdom of ecology. Look, see, learn, help. Remember, this land is your land, this land is my land." If everyone practices ecology in its true and basic sense, the Shell Knob Central Crossing region will continue to be a beautiful and blessed place to visit and to live.

CCC PARK CAPTURES SHELL KNOB HISTORY

Multiple pieces make up the mosaic of a town’s history. For Shell Knob, several of those pieces are captured at our CCC Park. In the early 1800s, the Ozarks was a mysterious place, wreathed in thick forests and veined by swift-running, clear rivers. First Nations people hunted the hills and valleys and prairies. A few settlers maintained a rugged life in their log cabins hewn out of the wilderness.

On July 4, 1935 CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Camp 3753 was established at the base of Shell Knob Mountain. The CCC was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal with the intent of putting young men to work, providing income for Depression-stricken families and completing rural building projects. Shell Knob’s Camp generally housed about 175 young men, many from surrounding communities. The CCC boys built an extensive compound and went to work improving the countryside.

Some of the accomplishments of the Shell Knob Camp include: planted 2.5 million tree seedlings, fought 620 wildfires, helped build five fire towers (Wilderness at Lampe, Sugar Camp, Lohmer, Piney and Shell Knob on top of

Shell Knob Mountain), stocked bass into White River, surveyed and constructed fourteen miles of road and improved others including what is today 39-1 and Sugar Camp Road, and installed telephone poles and lines in the region. For several years, the CCC Camp had the only telephone available in Shell Knob.

When the Mark Twain National Forest was formed in 1939, the CCC Camp was included within its boundaries and came under control of the U.S. Forest Service. The Shell Knob CCC Camp was closed in 1941. Shell Knob remained a somewhat isolated community until the construction of Table Rock Lake and the Central Crossing Bridge in the 1950s. With completion of the lake, Shell Knob became a thriving lake community. The camp sat mostly unused until 1989 when the Shell Knob Lions Club contracted with the Forest Service to improve the property.

The Lions set to work building a covered pavilion and tennis/basketball court. They erected a large, multiple structure playground and built a walkway with a spectacular view out over Table Rock Lake. The Lions installed lighting and arranged a water source for the new park. The community and visitors embraced the park. The CCC Park has became a popular venue for family picnics, weddings, Easter egg hunts and pickle ball competitions.

The historic significance and popularity of the CCC area is notable to Shell Knob’s past and future. The Lions encourage all Shell Knobbers and visitors to this beautiful area to use and protect the CCC Park, an important outdoor site for Shell Knob. The CCC pavilion can be reserved for use through www.recreation.gov and searching under 65747.

Big Creek Resort 417-858-6405 or 877-273-3535

Fish ‘N Fun: 417-858-6290

Hickory Hollow Resort: 417-858-6606

Indian Hills Resort: 417-858-6243

Kings Harbor Resort 417-858-6171 or 800-658-0299

Lunker Landing Resort 417-858-6717 or 800-242-8745

Pla-Port Resort 417-858-6303 or 877-858-6303

Rod N Reel Resort: 417-671-3004

POPULATION 1,240

AREA WEATHER (Averages)

Rainfall 41” per year

Snowfall

10” per year

Spring temperature 67 day; 43 nights

Summer temperature

.88 day; 64 nights

Autumn temperature 69 day; 45 nights

Winter temperature

LAND & HOMES (Averages)

45 day; 24 nights

Lake front home $300,000 & up

Lakeview home

$300,000 - $700,000

Non-lake home $100,000 - $400,000

Lakefront lot

$60,000 - $200,000

Lakeview lot. $125,000 - $300,000

Non-lake lot

These prices are averages; homes are available in a variety of price ranges.

$15,000 - $100,000

- AREA NUMBERS -

A MBULANCE, SHERIFF, FIRE DEPARTMENT (Emergency) .................................. 911

ANIMAL SHELTER : Haven of the Ozarks ..................................................... 417-835-3647

AUTOMOBILE/BOAT/DRIVER’S REGISTRATION

Aurora ......................................................................................................... 417-678-3003 Branson West 417-272-8815 Cassville 417-847-3471

BUSINESS LICENSE

Barry County Tax Collector ......................................................................... 417-847-2113

Stone County Tax Collector ......................................................................... 417-357-6124

CCC PARK RESERVATIONS .............................................................. 877-444-6777

CHURCHES

Bridgeway Assembly of God 417-858-3770

Central Community United Methodist Church ............................................. 417-858-6707

Church of Christ 417-858-3839

First Baptist Church..................................................................................... 417-858-3496

First Christian Church 417-858-8200

Grace Community Fellowship ..................................................................... 417-858-1700

Holy Family Catholic Church 417-858-2518

Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses ........................................................ 417-858-6926

Lakeside Christian Church 417-858-8500

Lohmer Full Gospel Church ........................................................................ 417-858-1232

Peace Lutheran Church 417-858-3900

Trinity Presbyterian Church ......................................................................... 417-858-3902

Viola Baptist Church 417-858-2597

COMMUNITY & REUNION FACILITIES

Central Community United Methodist Church ............................................. 417-858-6707

Kings Harbor Resort Meeting Room 417-858-6171

Shell Knob Community Park ....................................................................... 417-858-3300

Shell Knob Recreation Area (CCC Park) 877-444-6777

Shell Knob School ....................................................................................... 417-858-6743

Shell Knob Senior Center 417-858-9728

Shell Knob-Viola Community Building ......................................................... 417-858-6647

CORPS OF ENGINEERS (Branson) .................................................... 417-334-410 1

COUNTY COURTHOUSE

Barry County: Cassville 417-847-2561

Stone County: Galena ................................................................................. 417-357-6127

ELECTRIC

Barry Electric Cooperative 417-847-2131

Carroll Electric Cooperative 800-432-9720

EMERGENCY SERVICES

Fire Department 417-858-3560 Highway Patrol

800-525-5555 Poison Regional Poison Center

Sheriff’s Department: Barry County

800-366-8888

417-847-6556

Sheriff’s Department: Stone County 417-857-6116

Suicide Hotline 800-273-8255 Water Patrol 573-751-3333

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Barry County. 417-847-2114 Stone County 417-357-6134

HOSPITAL

Mercy’s Hospital - Berryville

870-423-3355

Mercy’s Hospital - Cassville

417-858-3618

417-847-6000 LIBRARY

Branson

417-334-4156 Monett 417-235-7877 POST OFFICE

417-858-6952

417-268-1230

- ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

The associate members listed below are a huge part of the expansion, development and promotion of the Shell knob area along with its businesses.

IT IS WITH MUCH GRATITUDE THAT WE SHARE THEIR NAMES WITH EVERYONE. Judi Fouser

John and Carolyn Coonrod Steve and Marilyn McSpadden Jeannne Lawrence Chloe Gibbons

David and Susan Mohler Howard Trimble Ron Jester

Scott and Tracy Kapanke Jerry Thomovsky Steve and Kari Vitt Jeff Knappen

Bob and Michelle Mosley Sandy and Earl Dill Ron Tresnak Marcella Osgood Carla Zubko Mark Armfield Linda Trotter Judy Reynolds

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

BARRY COUNTY MUSEUM

Exhibits items related to the Ozarks and Barry County. Located on the grounds are the one-room Black School House, the Edens Cabin, and catch-and-release pond. barrycomuseum.org

COSMIC CAVERN – BERRYVILLE, AR

In addition to a guided walking cave tour, you’ll find gem panning and a fossil dig. The cave features two bottomless lakes and a 9-foot soda straw. cosmiccavern.com

DOGWOOD CANYON NATURE CENTER – LAMPE, MO

10,000-acre nature preserve offering hiking, biking, fishing, tram tours, and cafe. dogwoodcanyon.org

GOLDEN PIONEER MUSEUM – GOLDEN, MO

Artifacts of early native Americans and settlers. Collections of pocket watches, baseball cards, guns, and lunch boxes, Civil War battlefield items, and rare mineral items.

PINEY CREEK WILDERNESS – SHELL KNOB, MO

Mark Twain National Forest and surrounding acres used for hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, bird watching, and primitive camping. Hunting and ATVing are allowed in restricted areas.

PEA RIDGE NATIONAL MILITARY PARK – PEA RIDGE, AR

Large, intact former Civil War battlefield, with hiking and horseback riding trails and a small museum. nps.gov/per

ROARING RIVER STATE PARK – CASSVILLE, M0

Trout fish, swim, hike, picnic, and visit the premier trout hatchery in a breathtaking setting. mostateparks.com

Traveling south on Highway 39, at Scenic View, one sees the prominent hill of Shell Knob standing like a sentinel in the midst of this beautiful Ozark valley. To those who see it for the first time, it is breathtaking. To those returning, it is a "welcome home."

In 1835, Henry and Elizabeth Schell built a river bank trading post near the confluence of the White and Kings rivers. The Schells stayed only a few years, but it was long enough for map makers to name the nearby knob after them. It wasn't until the 1920s that a postal worker inadvertently left the "c" out when registering the post office name. Since the Schells were long gone, no one protested the error.

In the 1890s, pearls were discovered in the clams of the White River. The shells provided the basis for another industry-the manufacture of pearl buttons. The population of the area grew slowly until the 1920s, when it was discovered that the soil was suitable for growing tomatoes.

Canning factories were built in Viola, Shell Knob and Jenkins. The area where the White and Kings rivers met had long attracted tourists, and float trips were offered to the brave and adventurous. Construction on the dam began in the 1950s, enticing a new, more mobile population to enjoy the beauty of the Ozarks and the newly filled lake. The Central Crossing bridge at Shell Knob made this a hub for people exploring both sides of the lake.

The region has enjoyed steady growth since the 1960s as people have discovered that their vacations never have to end. Many moved here to raise children in a safe, friendly community. Others found Shell Knob an ideal place for retirement.

We invite you to come to the Shell Knob area and enjoy our peaceful, relaxing playground on Table Rock Lake in Ozark Mountain Country.