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Fishing Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area: what the data says
2-acre lake near undefined. MDC-managed public fishing pond. The lake tops out around 15 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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area
Spring largemouth bass on Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Crappie fishing at Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 13 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area?
Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area is about 15 ft (5 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.
What fish are in Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area.
Where is the best fishing spot on Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area?
For largemouth 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.
Nearby waters
Smithville Lake · Pony Express Lake · Grindstone Lake · Century Lake · Eagle Lake · Pony Express Lake Conservation Area
See how Ronald and Maude Hartell Conservation Area stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
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