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4,950-acre reservoir near Moberly. Power-plant lake; the warm water keeps winter fish biting. The lake tops out around 45 ft. The chart is a model: real shoreline, published maximum depth, interpolated in between. A planning tool, never a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Traced from the shoreline, Thomas Hill Reservoir runs 4,439 acres with 55.5 miles of edge — one island included. An index of 5.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 69% of this chart, as modeled. End to end it runs roughly 8.2 mi, about 3.3 mi across. You'll find it in Randolph County. For a second option, Long Branch Lake lies 15 mi northeast.
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Summer crappie concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 23 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring 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 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 14 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 23 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 14 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Middle Fork Little Chariton River inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Middle Fork Little Chariton River inflow (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (38 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: common carp sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | Old creek channel (23 ft) |
Thomas Hill Reservoir also holds freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 15 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 38 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 Thomas Hill Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Thomas Hill Reservoir is about 45 ft (14 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 crappie, largemouth bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, bluegill, common carp, freshwater drum, white bass & hybrids on Thomas Hill Reservoir.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For crappie, 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 Thomas Hill Reservoir 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.
Long Branch Lake 15 mi · Marceline City Lake 20 mi · Brookfield City Lake 25 mi · Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area 27 mi · Peters Lake 31 mi · D. C. Rogers Lake 31 mi · Little Compton Lake Conservation Area 35 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 35 mi · Fountain Grove Conservation Area 39 mi · Forest Lake 39 mi · Lake Wooldridge 40 mi · Rocky Fork Lakes Conservation Area 41 mi
See how Thomas Hill Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best bluegill lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish 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.