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1-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing pond. The lake tops out around 15 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Lake Paho Conservation Area runs 1 acres with 0.2 miles of edge. Its 1.3 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. The water lies in Mercer County. For a second option, Lake Paho lies 2 mi southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Shoreline break (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 13 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) |
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| 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 | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shoreline break (7 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| 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 | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline break (7 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shoreline break (7 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (13 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 3 structure features on Lake Paho Conservation Area; the deepest is Deep basin at about 13 ft.
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 Lake Paho Conservation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Lake Paho Conservation Area is about 15 ft (5 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 Lake Paho 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.
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 Lake Paho 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.
Lake Paho 2 mi · Nine Eagles Lake 13 mi, IA · The Wayne Helton Memorial Wildlife Area 16 mi · Slip Bluff Lake 18 mi, IA · North Bethany City Reservoir 20 mi · Harrison County Lake 22 mi · Crowder State Park Lake 23 mi · Little River Watershed Lake 24 mi, IA · Bob White Lake 24 mi, IA · Corydon Reservoir 28 mi, IA · Jamesport Community Lake 31 mi · Humeston Reservoir 32 mi, IA
See how Lake Paho 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
Browse all Missouri fishing maps. 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.