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Kansas City to Glasgow. Trophy blue cat water; fish the wing-dike scour holes. The river tops out around 40 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
On the chart, Missouri River draws 28,483 acres inside 268.1 miles of shoreline. A development index of 11.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 42% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 92.9 mi, about 15.5 mi across. The water lies in Carroll County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Higginsville City Lake, 14 mi south of here.
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 12 to 40 ft one. Start at Kaw Point confluence. It's a creek channel holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Hearth and Home Development Company Lake Dam tailrace (34 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Tailout eddy (mile 19.1), an eddy pocket in the 22 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Fall channel catfish concentrate at Kaw Point confluence, a prime-rated creek channel around 30 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: freshwater drum in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 12 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Kaw Point confluence, a creek channel in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for freshwater drum in summer. Plan around the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | midday | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Tailout eddy (mile 19.1), an eddy pocket in the 22 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: longnose gar in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 1 to 12 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Tailout eddy (mile 19.1), an eddy pocket in the 22 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for midday and the evening. Summer baits: a rope lure or a small white spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Grand River confluence (Brunswick) (20 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Kaw Point confluence (30 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) (22 ft) |
Missouri River also holds sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 232 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Waverly wing dikes, sits near 35 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 Missouri River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Missouri River is about 40 ft (12 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 blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar, sauger on Missouri River.
Kaw Point confluence is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
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.
Fishing on Missouri 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.
Higginsville City Lake 14 mi · Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area 19 mi · Edwin A. Pape Lake 23 mi · Lake Wooldridge 24 mi · Blind Pony Lake 24 mi · Hazel Hill Community Lake 29 mi · Little Compton Lake Conservation Area 30 mi · Blue Springs Lake 37 mi · Hamilton City Lake 38 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 38 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 38 mi · Lake Jacomo 38 mi
See how Missouri River stacks up: best channel catfish lakes in Missouri · best flathead catfish lakes in Missouri · best blue catfish lakes in Missouri · best freshwater drum 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.