Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area Depth Map (MO)

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Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area, MO

Max 40 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area on the board.

Fishing Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area: what the data says

37-acre lake in Missouri. MDC-managed public fishing lake. The lake tops out around 40 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Drawn out, this is 36 acres of water rimmed by 3.6 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 4.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 69% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 1.2 mi, about 0.4 mi across. The water lies in Pemiscot County. For a second option, Twin Borrow Pits Conservation Area lies 4 mi northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

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 (18 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (18 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (18 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (34 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

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 (18 ft)	Tiny spoon

Crappie fishing at Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 34 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

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	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (18 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (34 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 34 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 34 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 18 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area fishing regulations

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 Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?

Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area is about 40 ft (12 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 Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, crappie on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?

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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area?

Fishing on Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area 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.

Nearby waters

Twin Borrow Pits Conservation Area 4 mi · Reelfoot Lake 17 mi, TN · Seven Island Conservation Area 28 mi · Nolen Blue Hole 41 mi · Robert G. Delaney Lake Conservation Area 47 mi · Gibson County Lake 48 mi, TN · General Watkins Conservation Area 52 mi · Duck Creek Conservation Area 56 mi · Wappapello Lake 59 mi · Mississippi River - Memphis 62 mi, TN/AR/MS · Lake Girardeau 68 mi · Ripley Lake 77 mi

See how Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island 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

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.