The Best Fishing Spots in Missouri
Missouri is a great destination for freshwater fishing, offering rivers, lakes and clear Ozark streams where anglers can find a wide variety of species. Popular targets include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish like bluegill and crappie, stocked trout in coldwater streams and parks, river channel catfish and flathead catfish, seasonal walleye and sauger, and occasional muskellunge in select reservoirs. Prime waters include the Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake, Truman Lake, Mark Twain Lake, the Missouri River and the Mississippi River.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Bull Shoals Lake
Straddling the Missouri–Arkansas line, this deep, clear impoundment holds quality largemouth, smallmouth, walleye, and crappie; work pea gravel and bluff ends with finesse rigs and jerkbaits, with consistent action around Theodosia , Powersite , and Point Lookout .
Current River
Spring-fed clarity and steady flow provide superb smallmouth bass fishing plus sections with rainbow and brown trout; target shade lines, root wads, and gravel bars with tubes and spinners, with favorite stretches around Montauk , Pulltite , and Two Rivers .
Eleven Point River
A National Wild and Scenic River with cool spring influences, the Eleven Point holds smallmouth bass, goggle-eye, and select trout reaches; focus on deep pools, shoals, and woody cover, with popular access near Greer Spring , Turner Mill , and Riverton .
Bennett Spring
A classic spring-fed trout fishery that feeds the Niangua River , Bennett Spring is stocked and managed for rainbow trout with opportunities for browns; drift micro-jigs and nymphs in clear runs or cast inline spinners in deeper pools near Bennett Spring State Park .
Gasconade River
A long, twisting Ozark river noted for wild smallmouth bass, plus goggle-eye and catfish; topwater in low light and soft plastics in current breaks excel, with well-loved floats near Hazelgreen , St. Robert , and Rich Fountain access points.
Harry S Truman Reservoir
Known as Truman Lake, flooded timber and creek arms produce stellar crappie, largemouth bass, and spring paddlefish snagging, while channels harbor big blue and flathead catfish; try brush piles, standing timber, and current breaks near Warsaw and the Osage Arm .
Lake Taneycomo
A cold, river-like tailwater below Table Rock Dam , Taneycomo is renowned for rainbow trout and trophy brown trout; drift nymphs and small jigs in generation flows or cast spinners and stickbaits during low water, with prime access around Branson and Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery .
Lake of the Ozarks
A sprawling reservoir with endless coves and main-lake points, Lake of the Ozarks is famed for largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, and trophy blue catfish; spring crankbaits and jigs shine on gravel points, summer night fishing produces catfish on cut bait, and fall shad migrations ignite topwater action, especially around Osage Beach and the Niangua Arm .
Longview Lake
A suburban Kansas City reservoir known for accessible largemouth bass, crappie, and channel catfish; flip docks and weed edges, troll cranks along the main channel, and fish chicken liver or cut bait near Longview Marina and O’Donnell Park .
Mark Twain Lake
A north-central reservoir famous for slab crappie, solid largemouth bass, and catfish; focus on standing timber, brush, and riprap with jigs and minnows, and troll crankbaits along channel swings near Indian Creek , South Fork , and Ray Behrens areas.
Meramec River
A classic Ozark stream offering smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and seasonal trout in cooler reaches; hit riffles and boulder pockets with topwater and soft plastics, and work deeper pools for catfish, with popular floats near Sullivan , Meramec State Park , and Onondaga Cave .
Missouri River
This big river offers powerful runs of blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, and seasonal white bass and walleye; target wing dikes and current seams with cut bait or heavy jigs, with productive stretches near Kansas City , Jefferson City , and St. Charles .
Niangua River
Below Bennett Spring , the Niangua offers a mix of trout and smallmouth bass; work riffles with spinners and small jigs for trout and probe deeper bends for bronzebacks, with favorite sections around Lebanon and Windyville .
Pomme de Terre Lake
Known for strong musky alongside largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish; cast big bucktails and glide baits along weedlines and timber, and jig brush piles for crappie near Hermitage , Pittsburg , and the Pomme de Terre River Arm .
Roaring River
Emerging from Roaring River Spring in the state park near Cassville , this stream is beloved for rainbow trout and periodic brown trout; light line, small spoons, and natural presentations excel in the clear water along designated fishing zones.
Smithville Lake
Kansas City’s premier lake for crappie, largemouth bass, and catfish; work the standing timber and docks with jigs, and drift cut bait along channels, with convenient access near Little Platte Park , Crows Creek , and Camp Branch .
Stockton Lake
A wind-swept highland reservoir best known for walleye, smallmouth bass, and strong crappie numbers; troll crawler harnesses on flats, pitch tubes to rock transitions, and vertical jig timber in coves near Orleans Trail , Sac River Arm , and Cedar Ridge .
Table Rock Lake
Clear, rocky Ozark water supports strong populations of smallmouth bass, spotted bass, largemouth, and walleye; finesse plastics on gravel flats, deep drop-shotting in summer, and spring swimbaits around schools of shad are staples, with consistent action near Kimberling City , Indian Point , and Eagle Rock .
Wappapello Lake
Shallow and stump-filled, Wappapello excels for crappie, largemouth bass, and bluegill, with steady catfish action; pitch jigs to wood, run spinnerbaits on windblown banks, and soak cut bait in channels near Chaonia , Greenville , and Redman Creek .
Mississippi River
Along Missouri’s eastern border, the Mississippi’s side channels and wing dams hold giant blue and flathead catfish, plus walleye, sauger, and white bass; heavy rigs excel in tailwaters and eddies, with popular access near Hannibal , St. Louis , and Cape Girardeau .