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Fishing Missouri River: what the data says
Kansas City to Glasgow. trophy blue cat water; fish the wing-dike scour holes. The river tops out around 40 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Blue Catfish fishing at Missouri River
Spring blue catfish on Missouri River hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 12 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Kaw Point confluence, a creek channel in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Missouri River
Spring flathead catfish on Missouri River hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for summer flathead catfish. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Missouri River
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Kaw Point confluence: a creek channel around 30 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Freshwater Drum fishing at Missouri River
In spring, freshwater drum run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 12 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Kaw Point confluence: a creek channel around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening. Summer baits: a jig + crawler combo or a small crankbait (slow) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jig + curly tail (bounced), Small blade bait |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dusk | Jig + crawler combo, Small crankbait (slow) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait (vertical), Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (slow) |
Common Carp fishing at Missouri River
In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 30 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter common carp. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday |
Longnose Gar fishing at Missouri River
In spring, longnose gar run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 1 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Tailout eddy (mile 19.1) is the standout, a eddy pocket at roughly 22 ft, rated prime for winter longnose gar. Best bite is midday and the evening. Tie on a rope lure or a small white spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
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.
Notable structure
- Waverly wing dikes: creek channel, around 35 ft
- Hearth and Home Development Company Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 34 ft
- Wellington-Napoleon Watershed Structure D-21b Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 34 ft
- Little Sni-A-Bar Watershed Structure Number 23 Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 34 ft
- Tabo Creek Watershed Structure A-23 Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 34 ft
- Kaw Point confluence: creek channel, around 30 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 13.1): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 76.4): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam (mile 76.7): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 78.4): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 75.4): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 73.3): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam row (mile 74.4): wing dam, around 24 ft
- Wing dam (mile 75.0): wing dam, around 24 ft
Common questions
How deep is Missouri River?
Missouri River is about 40 ft 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 Missouri River?
Anglers target sauger, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Missouri River.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Missouri River?
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.
Nearby waters
Blue Springs Lake · Lake Jacomo · Smithville Lake · Longview Lake · Harry S. Truman Reservoir · Thomas Hill Reservoir
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 every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.