Best flathead catfish lakes in Missouri
10 Missouri waters hold flathead catfish. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.
- Lake of the Ozarks — 130 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Harry S. Truman Reservoir — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Gasconade River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Channel Catfish
- Stockton Lake — 100 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
- Mark Twain Lake — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
- Meramec River — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout
- Missouri River — 40 ft max · Sauger, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Blue Catfish
- Osage River — 30 ft max · Walleye, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Wappapello Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Clearwater Lake — 42 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
When to fish flathead catfish in Missouri
- Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
- Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.
Also in Missouri: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best brown trout lakes
Flathead Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Georgia · West Virginia · South Carolina