How to use our fishing calendar
Planning your next fishing trip in Poplar Bluff, United States ? Today is a excellent day for fishing. Our comprehensive fishing almanac combines our popular solunar tables, moon times, sunrise and sunset times, and a 7-day fishing calendar so you always know the best fishing times in your area. We analyse major and minor solunar bite times, rate each day on a five-star scale, and pair it with localized weather forecasts so you can quickly tell whether today is a good day to fish without juggling multiple tabs. Be sure to bookmark this page so you never miss a bite. view bite times...
- Check our unique Solunar Clock for precise solunar tables and the best moon phases.
- Use the forecast calendar section to sync bite times with major weather changes.
- Analyze the forecasted weather conditions, such as wind, barometric pressure and rain to plan your fishing session.
- Jump to the 7-Day Fishing Calendar for an extended fishing forecast, then explore nearby fishing spots on the interactive map.
Fishing in Poplar Bluff, Missouri centers around the Black River, Lake Wappapello, and a network of Ozark foothill ponds and creeks, offering diverse freshwater angling. Local anglers target everything from trophy largemouth bass and crappie to river smallmouth, catfish, and panfish in clear, structure-rich waters. The area’s mix of flowing river current and standing timber-filled reservoirs creates year-round opportunities for bank and boat fishermen alike. read more...
Sun and Moon Times
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Nautical Twilight begins:Sunrise:
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Sunset:Nautical Twilight ends:
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Moonrise:
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Visibility:1%
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New Moon
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Distance to earth:363,765 kmProximity:98.4 %
Moon Phases for Poplar Bluff
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excellent Day
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major Time:12:05 am - 02:05 am
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minor Time:
04:50 am -
06:50 am
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major Time:12:42 pm - 02:42 pm
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minor Time:08:34 pm - 10:34 pm
Current Fishing Weather
Wind Speed and Direction
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Wind Direction and Speed are one of the most important aspects for choosing a fishing spot. An offshore wind can help land-based anglers with longer casting distances, while an onshore wind will make kayak fishing safer. Often fish will also move to certain feeding areas depending on the wind direction. Check out the long term wind forecast at the charts below.
Fishing Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure:
Change since midnight:
Trend for next 6 hours:
Atmospheric or Barometric Pressure affects fish activity. The best fishing can be had on a rising barometer and also the time just before it is falling. A steady barometer in the higher ranges can also mean good fishing. A falling or low barometer reading without much change is usually not a very good time for fishing.
UV Effect on Fishing
As a rule of thumb, the higher the UV index, the deeper fish will move. Shallow water fishing is best done at times with a low UV index. When the UV is high, stick to early mornings, late evenings and shaded areas. The effect is less noticable in deeper water, but often a higher UV index can produce good results in the deep.
7 Day Fishing Weather
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Fishing Overview Poplar Bluff
Poplar Bluff fishing revolves around the Black River, nearby Lake Wappapello, and scattered Ozark ponds and creeks that give anglers a wide variety of water types. The Black River flows right by town, offering current-oriented bass and catfish fishing, while Wappapello to the north draws crappie and largemouth anglers to its stump fields and coves. Clearer feeder creeks and farm ponds around Poplar Bluff hold dependable populations of bluegill, redear, and smaller bass that are ideal when river conditions are tough.
Seasonal patterns drive success here. In late winter and early spring, crappie and largemouth bass stage along channel edges, brush, and standing timber on Lake Wappapello and oxbows off the Black River. Light jigs in 1/32–1/8 oz tipped with small plastics or minnows produce best when fished slowly around visible wood. As water temps push into the 60s, bass move shallow; look for flooded bushes, rocky banks, and laydowns. Spinnerbaits, squarebill crankbaits, and weightless soft-plastic stickbaits work well in stained water common after spring rains.
Summer around Poplar Bluff means early and late windows for active fish. On the Black River, target smallmouth and spotted bass around current breaks, boulders, and shaded banks. Wading or floating sections with light spinning gear and 1/8–1/4 oz finesse jigs, small topwaters, and soft-plastic craws is a productive approach. On Wappapello and smaller lakes, bass slide to main-lake points, brush piles, and deeper channel swings during the day. Carolina rigs, deep-diving crankbaits, and big worms dragged slowly along the bottom are reliable, while nighttime fishing with buzzbaits and black spinnerbaits over shallow flats can be excellent in the heat.
Catfish are a staple in the Poplar Bluff area. Channel and blue catfish hold along deeper bends, riprap, and the base of drop-offs in the Black River and Wappapello. Cut shad, skipjack, or nightcrawlers on slip-sinker rigs work well when anchored just upstream of productive structure so the bait settles into the strike zone. Flathead catfish prefer live bait such as sunfish or bullheads positioned tight to logjams, undercut banks, and rock piles, especially from late spring through early fall.
Fall brings some of the best multi-species action. As water cools, schools of shad migrate shallow and into creek arms on Wappapello and side channels on the Black River. Follow the bait with medium-diving crankbaits, swim jigs, and small Alabama rigs for bass and white bass. Crappie stack up on vertical cover like standing timber and brush piles in 8–15 feet; use vertical presentations with small tube jigs or marabou jigs, pausing frequently to trigger bites.
For bank anglers in the Poplar Bluff area, focus on accessible riprap, bridge crossings, and public boat ramps where contour changes and scattered cover concentrate fish. Simple setups—slip bobbers with minnows for crappie, bottom rigs with worms for panfish and drum, or medium spinnerbaits for cruising bass—consistently produce. Small ponds and conservation lakes shine when the river is high or muddy; downsizing tackle to 4–8 lb line and compact lures often turns tough conditions into steady action.
- Key waters: Black River near Poplar Bluff, Lake Wappapello, local ponds and creeks
- Primary tactics: wood-oriented fishing, current seams, and shad-following patterns
- Core lures: jigs, soft plastics, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, live and cut bait
By matching presentations to season, water clarity, and local structure, anglers around Poplar Bluff can consistently find quality bass, crappie, catfish, and panfish across this productive corner of southeast Missouri.
Interactive Fishing Map for the greater Poplar Bluff area
We found a total of 40 potential fishing spots nearby Poplar Bluff. Below you can find them organized on a map. Points, Headlands, Reefs, Islands, Channels, etc can all be productive fishing spots. As these are user submitted spots, there might be some errors in the exact location. You also need to cross check local fishing regulations. Some of the spots might be in or around marine reserves or other locations that cannot be fished. If you click on a location marker it will bring up some details and a quick link to google search, satellite maps and fishing times. Tip: Click/Tap on a new area to load more fishing spots.
Palmer Slough - 1.58996952095km , Pike Creek - 3.03528577435km , Mengo Slough - 4.68492829782km , Wren Lake Dam - 4.8436037324km , Hewlett Lake Dam - 4.89403218993km , Tamaro Oaks Dam - 5.29093487887km , Harwell Creek - 5.53319387993km , Mononame 646 Dam - 5.90482649654km , Carpenter Lake - 6.04910491515km , Caney Slough - 6.22963761979km , Mononame 667 Dam - 6.32946099995km , Chamberlain Dam - 6.36410138191km , Holloway Lake Dam - 6.54377318889km , Lake Shore Acres Dam - 6.5887887304km , Lake Lockloma Dam - 7.28507873712km , Elbow Pond (historical) - 7.67015095083km , Rolling Hills Estates Lake Dam - 8.24463568453km , Agee Creek - 9.00154261866km , Resniks Lake Dam - 9.16090895054km , Franklin Creek - 9.54135252896km , Hoedapp Creek - 9.75297518909km , Dobbs Creek - 9.76486314446km , Russell Lake Dam - 9.79545334575km , Lake Christene Dam - 9.80022549184km , Kenner Spring Branch - 10.0566309867km , Catherine Slough - 10.43508475304km , West Prong Indian Creek - 11.20219407899km , East Prong Indian Creek - 11.20219407899km , Oak Brier Estates Dam - 11.83660813647km , Blue Spring Slough - 12.14759399223km , Panther Run Slough (historical) - 12.17681733325km , Tenmile Creek - 12.3417446158km , Panther Run Slough - 12.67452587376km , Widow Creek - 12.73076132574km , Lake Slough - 13.77263040078km , Big Island - 13.80609075524km , Aldridge Creek - 13.96682183977km , Hartman Creek - 14.03337738314km , Cross Slough - 14.09982924312km , Procter Branch - 14.31986535881km
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