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Trout up top, smallmouth the rest of the way to St. Louis. The river tops out around 12 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. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
The drawn water covers 15,558 acres wrapped in 307.4 miles of bank — 3 islands included. A development index of 17.6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 72.6 mi, about 19 mi across. Franklin County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Big River, is 19 mi to the southeast.
Spring smallmouth bass on Meramec River hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 4 to 12 ft in summer, 4 to 12 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Riffle & run (mile 19.1) — rock pile, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 19.1) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 19.1) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 4 to 12 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 9 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 13.0): a current seam around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 13.0) (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 4 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 9 ft that grades prime for summer. 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 | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Even in summer they hold at 3 to 12 ft; winter keeps them in 4 to 12 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) — creek channel, 9 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Wing dam row (mile 153.1) (7 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) |
Come spring, look for common carp tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 2 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8): a creek channel around 9 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | open water | |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8) (9 ft) |
Meramec River also holds freshwater drum (3 to 12 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer), brown trout (4 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 60 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Outside-bend hole (mile 0.8), sits near 9 ft.
Access data: Missouri Department of Conservation — Access Sites. 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 Meramec River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Meramec River is about 12 ft (4 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, channel catfish, flathead catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, longnose gar, brown trout on Meramec River.
Riffle & run (mile 19.1) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth 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 Meramec River 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.
Big River 19 mi · Council Bluff Lake 37 mi · Creve Coeur Lake 40 mi · Ben Branch Lake Conservation Area 51 mi · Baldwin Lake 58 mi, IL · Gasconade River 63 mi · Mark Twain National Forest 63 mi · Wellsville Lake Conservation Area 64 mi · Hough Park Lake 70 mi · Vandalia Community Lake 75 mi · Osage River 75 mi · Big Piney River 76 mi
See how Meramec River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best smallmouth bass lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri · best rainbow trout 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.