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55,600-acre reservoir near Warsaw. Missouri’s biggest lake. Flooded timber crappie heaven. The lake tops out around 90 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 50,568 acres, worked by 590.3 miles of shoreline — 6 islands included. With a shoreline index of 18.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 82% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 35.6 mi end to end and 27 mi across at its widest. It sits in St. Clair County. Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area sits 21 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 45 ft, rated prime for fall blue catfish. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Osage River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (45 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) |
When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 45 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Osage River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Osage River inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Osage River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Osage River inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (45 ft) |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Osage River inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Osage River inflow (8 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (23 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | 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.
Structure-wise the chart holds 45 features, led in depth by Deepest basin at roughly 80 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 Harry S. Truman Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Harry S. Truman Reservoir is about 90 ft (27 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, blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass, white bass & hybrids, walleye, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar 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. 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 Harry S. Truman 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.
Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 21 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 22 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 22 mi · Haysler A. Poague Conservation Area 22 mi · Montrose Conservation Area 23 mi · Pomme de Terre Lake 28 mi · Schell-Osage Conservation Area 31 mi · Lake of the Ozarks 32 mi · Stockton Lake 45 mi · Niangua River 45 mi · Hazel Hill Community Lake 46 mi · Butler City Lake 48 mi
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 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.