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2-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing pond. The lake tops out around 18 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 2 acres of water rimmed by 0.2 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.1) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. 66% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The water lies in Linn County. The nearest mapped water is Fountain Grove Conservation Area, 4 mi to the southeast.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 18 ft, wintering in 5 to 18 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 15 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
3 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 15 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Missouri waters are set by the Missouri Department of Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Fountain Grove Conservation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Fountain Grove Conservation Area is about 18 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie on Fountain Grove Conservation Area.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Fountain Grove Conservation Area is regulated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check the official Missouri regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Fountain Grove Conservation Area 4 mi · Little Compton Lake Conservation Area 14 mi · Brookfield City Lake 18 mi · Marceline City Lake 20 mi · Poosey Conservation Area 22 mi · Crowder State Park Lake 30 mi · Jamesport Community Lake 32 mi · Lake Wooldridge 32 mi · Hamilton City Lake 37 mi · Missouri River 38 mi · Thomas Hill Reservoir 39 mi · The Wayne Helton Memorial Wildlife Area 43 mi
See how Fountain Grove Conservation Area stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.