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40-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 40 acres of water rimmed by 1.7 miles of bank. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.9) — enough points and pockets to pattern. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Call it 0.4 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Jackson County. For a second option, James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area lies 1 mi west.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 11 ft before dropping to 3 to 11 ft for winter. 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 11 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 11 ft through summer, 3 to 11 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 11 ft before dropping to 3 to 11 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
| 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 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 11 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 11 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 9 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 9 ft down.
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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is about 11 ft (3 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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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.
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 James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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.
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 1 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 1 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 1 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 1 mi · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area 2 mi · Lake Jacomo 5 mi · Blue Springs Lake 8 mi · Longview Lake 9 mi · Hazel Hill Community Lake 29 mi · Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area 29 mi · New Olathe Lake 30 mi, KS · Wyandotte County Lake 31 mi, KS
See how James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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: Jackson County fishing maps (9 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.