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Fishing Harry S. Truman Reservoir: what the data says
55,600-acre reservoir near Warsaw. Missouri’s biggest lake. flooded timber crappie heaven. The lake tops out around 90 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Crappie fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Blue Catfish fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 45 ft, rated prime for winter 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 | 20 to 45 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Osage River inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. 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 |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Harry S. Truman Reservoir
In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Osage River inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for white bass & hybrids in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Harry S. Truman Reservoir also holds walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 80 ft
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 77 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 60 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 45 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 41 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 23 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 20 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 15 ft
- Marina / dock area: dock line, around 10 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 10 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 10 ft
Common questions
How deep is Harry S. Truman Reservoir?
Harry S. Truman Reservoir is about 90 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 Harry S. Truman Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, walleye, crappie, channel catfish, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Harry S. Truman Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Harry S. Truman Reservoir?
Old creek channel is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 45 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Harry S. Truman Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
Pomme de Terre Lake · Lake of the Ozarks · Stockton Lake · Niangua River · Fellows Lake · Missouri River
See how Harry S. Truman Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Missouri · best walleye lakes in Missouri · best crappie lakes in Missouri · best channel catfish lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.