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Missouri’s longest river. Smallmouth, goggle-eye and cats. The river tops out around 12 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 33,372 acres of water rimmed by 445.5 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 17.4) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Figure 110.3 mi of water from one end to the other, 20.8 mi at the beam. The water lies in Pulaski County. For a second option, Big Piney River lies 27 mi south.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 20.1), a rock pile in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 20.1) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 20.1) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 1.1) (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 1.1) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), a creek channel in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. 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.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 1.1) (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 3 to 12 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 4 to 12 ft, winter 4 to 12 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 20.1). It's a rock pile holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 20.1) (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Wing dam row (mile 223.0) (7 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & night | Wing dam row (mile 223.0) (7 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Wing dam row (mile 223.0) (7 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 12 ft covers summer, 4 to 12 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), a creek channel in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) |
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for summer flathead catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Wing dam row (mile 223.0) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) |
In spring, longnose gar run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 1 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 12 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for fall longnose gar. Time it for midday and the evening. You won't need more than a rope lure or a small white spinner most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | open water | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8) (9 ft) |
60 pieces of structure are mapped here — Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8), around 9 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Missouri Department of Conservation — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Gasconade River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Gasconade River is about 12 ft (4 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, channel catfish, flathead catfish, longnose gar on Gasconade River.
Riffle & run (mile 20.1) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Gasconade River 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.
Big Piney River 27 mi · Osage River 32 mi · Bagnell Tailwater 36 mi · Hough Park Lake 41 mi · Scrivner Road Conservation Area 42 mi · Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area 44 mi · Niangua River 45 mi · Binder Community Lake 46 mi · Lake of the Ozarks 53 mi · Mark Twain National Forest 58 mi · Manito Lake Conservation Area 60 mi · Meramec River 63 mi
See how Gasconade River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best smallmouth bass lakes in Missouri · best walleye lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps or 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.