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Fishing James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area: what the data says
38-acre lake near undefined. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 11 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 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. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 11 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 11 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 9 ft that scores prime in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
Spring bluegill on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 11 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
Spring crappie on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 11 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 11 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
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.
What fish are in James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area.
Where is the best fishing spot on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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.
When is the best time to fish James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife 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.
Nearby waters
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area · James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area · Lake Jacomo
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
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