Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
28-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 10 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
Traced from the shoreline, James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area runs 28 acres with 1.6 miles of edge. An index of 2.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Every acre of it sits shallower than ~15 ft: one big littoral zone, cover and forage throughout. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.4 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Jackson County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area, 1 mi east of here.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Break off the point (5 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 3 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 9 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Deep basin (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 10 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 10 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 | 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 10 ft before dropping to 3 to 10 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Deep basin (9 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 9 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 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 10 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. The interactive chart above rates every 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 1 mi · Lake Jacomo 6 mi · Blue Springs Lake 8 mi · Longview Lake 8 mi · New Olathe Lake 29 mi, KS · Hazel Hill Community Lake 29 mi · Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area 30 mi · 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.