Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Trout below Bennett Spring, smallmouth beyond. The river tops out around 9 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 1,505 acres of water rimmed by 103.5 miles of bank. A development index of 19 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. End to end it runs roughly 17.6 mi, about 6.6 mi across. You'll find it in Laclede County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake of the Ozarks, 21 mi north of here.
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 9 ft covers summer, 2 to 9 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Current seam (mile 0.6), a current seam in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 9 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 9 ft, and they winter in 3 to 9 ft. Spring smallmouth bass concentrate at Current seam (mile 0.6), a prime-rated current seam around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 9 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5) (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5) (7 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: longnose gar in 2 to 9 ft. The depth story barely changes: 1 to 9 ft through summer, 3 to 9 ft in winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5), a creek channel in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for longnose gar in fall. Plan around midday and the evening in the warm months. 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 9 ft | midday | open water | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 9 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5) (7 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5) (7 ft) |
Spring brown trout on Niangua River hold shallow, usually 1 to 9 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 9 ft in summer, 1 to 9 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 0.6) — current seam, 5 ft, prime for summer. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | dusk & dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 9 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 0.6) (5 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Niangua River carries 16 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 2.5), about 7 ft down.
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 Niangua River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Niangua River is about 9 ft (3 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 rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, longnose gar, brown trout on Niangua River.
Current seam (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, 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 Niangua 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.
Lake of the Ozarks 21 mi · Pomme de Terre Lake 26 mi · Bagnell Tailwater 27 mi · Fellows Lake 43 mi · Harry S. Truman Reservoir 45 mi · Gasconade River 45 mi · Osage River 46 mi · Valley Water Mill Lake 47 mi · Big Piney River 49 mi · Scrivner Road Conservation Area 50 mi · Manito Lake Conservation Area 51 mi · Stockton Lake 51 mi
See how Niangua River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best smallmouth bass lakes in Missouri · best rainbow trout lakes in Missouri · best longnose gar 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.