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18,600-acre reservoir near Perry. The lake tops out around 70 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 22,618 acres, worked by 355.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. The 16.9 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 82% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 16.6 mi end to end and 11.1 mi across at its widest. Monroe County claims this one. Vandalia Community Lake sits 22 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Old creek channel. It's a creek channel holding about 35 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (17 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (32 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for white bass & hybrids tight to the bank in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Indian Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Indian Creek inflow (7 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (35 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Spring puts blue catfish in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 35 ft, rated prime for summer blue catfish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Indian Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (35 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (35 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Old creek channel (35 ft) |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Indian Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Indian Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Indian Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (35 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (35 ft) |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 35 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Indian Creek inflow (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (35 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (35 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Old creek channel (35 ft) |
Mark Twain Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 30 structure features on Mark Twain Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 60 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
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 Mark Twain Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Mark Twain Lake is about 70 ft (21 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 crappie, largemouth bass, white bass & hybrids, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, walleye on Mark Twain Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 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 crappie, 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 Mark Twain 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.
Vandalia Community Lake 22 mi · Teal Lake 24 mi · Lakeview Park Lake 24 mi · Wellsville Lake Conservation Area 34 mi · Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area 40 mi · Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area 40 mi · Little Dixie Lake 44 mi · Long Branch Lake 44 mi · Thomas Hill Reservoir 46 mi · A. Perry Philips Park Lake 50 mi · Siloam Springs Lake 52 mi, IL · D. C. Rogers Lake 55 mi
See how Mark Twain Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best walleye lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill 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.