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Fishing James River: what the data says
The classic Galena smallmouth float into Table Rock. The river tops out around 9 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.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at James River
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 7 ft, rated good for winter smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at James River
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Best bite is 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at James River
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Longnose Gar fishing at James River
In spring, longnose gar run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for longnose gar in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in midday and the evening. Tie on a rope lure or a small white spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | midday | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 9 ft | midday & dusk | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.1): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.6): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 8.1): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 9.9): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 11.8): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 13.6): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 15.8): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 18.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 20.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 22.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 24.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 27.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is James River?
James River is about 9 ft 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 River?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, longnose gar on James River.
Where is the best fishing spot on James River?
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish James River?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Taneycomo · Table Rock Lake · Fellows Lake · Stockton Lake · Bull Shoals Lake · Pomme de Terre Lake
See how James River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best smallmouth bass lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri · best longnose gar lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.