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160-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 29 ft. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 160 acres of water rimmed by 5.2 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.9, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. About 62% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 1.4 mi long by 0.7 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Chariton County. The nearest mapped water is Brookfield City Lake, 9 mi to the north.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 29 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 29 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around 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 | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 9 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | dusk | open water | |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 40 ft | midday | open water |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 | open water | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | open water | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 9 to 29 ft. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) 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 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | open water | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 29 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 35 ft | midday | open water | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Marceline City Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 28 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 Marceline City Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Marceline City Lake is about 29 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie on Marceline City Lake. 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.
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 Marceline City 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.
Brookfield City Lake 9 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 16 mi · Little Compton Lake Conservation Area 18 mi · Thomas Hill Reservoir 20 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 20 mi · Long Branch Lake 27 mi · Lake Wooldridge 30 mi · Peters Lake 37 mi · D. C. Rogers Lake 38 mi · Forest Lake 40 mi · Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area 41 mi · Poosey Conservation Area 41 mi
See how Marceline City 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. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center New Marceline City Lake near Marceline, Missouri, 2021 (NAVD88; 0% measured, 93% source-interpolated). 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.