Manito Lake Conservation Area Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MO)

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Lake depth chart

Manito Lake Conservation Area, MO

Max 28 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 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

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

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 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.

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Recent catches at Manito Lake Conservation Area

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Manito Lake Conservation Area on the board.

Fishing Manito Lake Conservation Area: what the data says

75-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 28 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Traced from the shoreline, Manito Lake Conservation Area runs 75 acres with 2.6 miles of edge. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 2.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 68% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 0.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.5 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Moniteau County. For a second option, Scrivner Road Conservation Area lies 23 mi east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Manito Lake Conservation Area

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	8 to 28 ft	midday	Break off the point (13 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Manito Lake Conservation Area

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 28 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 24 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Fall	8 to 28 ft	dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Winter	8 to 28 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Manito Lake Conservation Area

Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. 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 small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.

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	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (13 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Manito Lake Conservation Area

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 8 to 28 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 24 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

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	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (13 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	8 to 28 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

The chart marks 7 structure features on Manito Lake Conservation Area; the deepest is Deep basin at about 24 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 12 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Manito Lake Conservation Area 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 Manito Lake Conservation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Manito Lake Conservation Area?

Manito Lake Conservation Area is about 28 ft (9 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 Manito Lake Conservation Area?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie on Manito Lake Conservation 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.

Where is the best fishing spot on Manito Lake 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.

When is the best time to fish Manito Lake Conservation 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Manito Lake Conservation Area?

Fishing on Manito Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Scrivner Road Conservation Area 23 mi · Binder Community Lake 27 mi · Bagnell Tailwater 29 mi · Osage River 30 mi · Lake of the Ozarks 32 mi · Hough Park Lake 34 mi · A. Perry Philips Park Lake 35 mi · D. C. Rogers Lake 40 mi · Peters Lake 40 mi · Little Dixie Lake 43 mi · Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area 43 mi · Blind Pony Lake 43 mi

See how Manito Lake 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 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.