Little Dixie Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MO)

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Lake depth chart

Little Dixie Lake, MO

Max 42 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 5 – Nov 15 · the Midwest edition — a ~10° drop off summer temps starts it mid-September and it builds as the water falls through the 60s; gizzard shad tolerate cold, so it outlasts the southern threadfin version

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageMar 15 – May 31 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMay 1 – Jun 30 · in ~8 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 20 – Aug 5 · in ~9 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Little Dixie Lake

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Fishing Little Dixie Lake: what the data says

195-acre lake in Callaway County, Missouri. The lake tops out around 42 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.

On the chart, Little Dixie Lake draws 187 acres inside 5 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.6 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 71% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 1.4 mi end to end and 0.5 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Callaway County. For a second option, A. Perry Philips Park Lake lies 9 mi west.

Blue Catfish fishing at Little Dixie Lake

Early season blue catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 13 to 42 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 36 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Break off the point (19 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (36 ft)
Fall	13 to 42 ft	dusk	Deep basin (36 ft)
Winter	13 to 42 ft	midday	Deep basin (36 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Little Dixie Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (19 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Little Dixie Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 36 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (19 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (19 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (36 ft)

Common Carp fishing at Little Dixie Lake

Spring puts common carp in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)
Winter	10 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (36 ft)

Crappie fishing at Little Dixie Lake

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 36 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (19 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (19 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (36 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Little Dixie Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 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.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (19 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (11 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (19 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Notable structure

Count 7 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 36 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 36 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 19 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Secondary point: point, around 11 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 6 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Little Dixie Lake fishing regulations

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 Little Dixie Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Little Dixie Lake?

Little Dixie Lake is about 42 ft (13 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 Little Dixie Lake?

Anglers target blue catfish, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, largemouth bass on Little Dixie Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Little Dixie Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 36 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Little Dixie Lake?

For blue catfish, 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Little Dixie Lake?

Fishing on Little Dixie Lake 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.

Nearby waters

A. Perry Philips Park Lake 9 mi · Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area 15 mi · Lakeview Park Lake 21 mi · Teal Lake 21 mi · Binder Community Lake 24 mi · Hough Park Lake 26 mi · Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area 29 mi · Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area 30 mi · Wellsville Lake Conservation Area 31 mi · Scrivner Road Conservation Area 33 mi · D. C. Rogers Lake 36 mi · Peters Lake 37 mi

See how Little Dixie Lake 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 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.