Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area Depth Map (Henry County, MO)

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Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area, MO

Max 13 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

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Fishing Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area: what the data says

6-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 13 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 6 acres, worked by 1.2 miles of shoreline. The 3.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other. Henry County claims this one. If the bite dies, Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area is 0 mi to the southwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	4 to 13 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	3 to 13 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	4 to 13 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 13 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 13 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 11 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	4 to 13 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (11 ft)
Fall	4 to 13 ft	dusk	Deep basin (11 ft)
Winter	4 to 13 ft	midday	Deep basin (11 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area

Spring bluegill on Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 3 to 13 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 13 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.

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	3 to 13 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	4 to 13 ft	midday	Break off the point (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	4 to 13 ft	midday	Deep basin (11 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area

Spring crappie on Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 13 ft, and by winter most fish are in 4 to 13 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 11 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).

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	4 to 13 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	4 to 13 ft	dawn	Break off the point (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	4 to 13 ft	midday	Deep basin (11 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 11 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 11 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area fishing regulations

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 Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area?

Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area is about 13 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.

What fish are in Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie on Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Haysler A. Poague 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area?

Fishing on Haysler A. Poague 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.

Nearby waters

Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 0 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 0 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 0 mi · Montrose Conservation Area 10 mi · Harry S. Truman Reservoir 22 mi · Hazel Hill Community Lake 30 mi · Schell-Osage Conservation Area 31 mi · Butler City Lake 34 mi · Edwin A. Pape Lake 38 mi · Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area 40 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 41 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 41 mi

See how Haysler A. Poague 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

More water nearby: Henry County fishing maps (5 charts). 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.