Kayak Bass Fishing - MISSOURI

[Cyklops99]

OK, are there ANY decent small lakes, creeks, etc within an hour of St. Louis? 

 

I spent most of late last year at Perry County Lake, and Bismark CA (DiSalvo lake) and did fair.... Occasionally hitting big river where the jet boats couldnt reach.. but never caught a lot.. one 3lb largemouth. thats about it. 

 

This year due to a a variety of crap I am just now able to get out sometimes, and have hit Perry lake again, caught 1 dink in 4 hours, I drove two hours to Jack Floyd Memorial lake, in Bowling Green, MO and shoulda just stayed home.  I caught 3 miniscule bass. 

 

I dont typically fish with anyone, so putting in at one spot, and taking out at another is typically off the table. I'd love to do it, but not really an option. 

 

Im conidering Council bluff, i've only fished it once, an didnt do well. 

 

for those who fish Jacks fork, Bourbese, Current and all the usual yak spots, where do you put in/take out from?  

 

My yak isnt the best, big and bulky... pereption striker, angler 11.5 (gets the job done tho) 

 

I am not wanting to kayak on Mark Twain Lake, Table Rock, or any of the larger lakes... i like smaller bodies of water 

[Scott F]

Contact the Missouri Smallmouth Alliance. I think they are based just outside of St Louis. They fish Missouri rivers. I'm sure they can help you out if you don't mind catching smallmouth. 

[scaleface]

Theres a lake by Bowling Green that is not accessible by car . Kayak users pull their kayaks up the dam . I have talked to  two of them and they say it is a fantastic lake . I'm to old and out of shape to do that . Its a large dam and appears to be a 50 acre lake .

 

There are two lakes actually , for the Bowling Green water supply . One has a boat ramp and gets fished a lot more .

[Cyklops99]

Yeah I actually drove out to the one next to that lake and pretty much wasted my time. Caught 3-4 dinks. I saw this lake tho.. that's a big big drag for a 100 lb yak

[scaleface]

Rt J reservoir  by Twain is a good lake and you might get your pb there .

 

Vandalia has two lakes . One I have fished and caught a  whole bunch of dinks . The other I havent fished . Its next to a limestone quarry and I heard it has huge crappie . If thats true it should have huge bass . Driving to it there a sign that has the fishing regulations on it . All that is listed are channel cats LOL .. I have a gut feeling there are some big bass it it .

 

Ted Shanks use to have a lot of big bass / But since the 96 flood , I havent caught anything . I havent fished it for years now and it may have recovered .

 

I dont know if this will work.This is a google Earth link. The Vndalia reservoir is hard to find .  https://earth.google.com/web/@39.37492531,-91.4105908,215.82566515a,1813.3065319d,35y,-0h,0t,0r

[Cyklops99]

ive never heard of Rte J, ill have to check it out tho... quite a haul from my house but looks like a decent lake.  I've not tried any of the others, thanks. 

[MO_LMB]

Do you have a push cart for your kayak? You can make one pretty cheaply if not. I find it comes in rather handy. 

 

I would say part of the challenge is learning the lake. Pick one or two lakes and just focus on those instead of hopping all around. You'll learn where the bass are relating to much easier after several trips to the same lake and get some milk run spots you can mark. 

 

If you want a quick trip, close to STL, I'd say River's Edge Park if you have a cart to pull your yak. Can also try Creve Ceour lake or Mallard. 

For river, I'd say the Meramec is a good spot. The farther you go the better... Sand Ford, Red Horse. 

There's also the lakes on the IL side as well: Baldwin, Coffeen, Rend, Carlyle. 

 

Bottom line is it's fishing. You can't expect to go to some lake you've never been and just tear it up unless you stumble upon some great day where they are happily munchin. When you get to new water everything looks good and like it will hold fish, but you have to fish it several times to know where the fish actually stay in that body of water.  Gotta put in some work and find areas and baits that work for that lake. That's why I'd recommend picking one or two and just focus on those. I've got lakes where I've caught multiple 7lbs + fish, but there's been days when all I get are dinks. Just part of the process. 

[Cyklops99]

great advice, thanks. 

[scaleface]

Did you know  there was another dam below Mark Twain lake that has a good bass population . Google Earth it . Its several miles long with a light current most of the time . Two boat ramps . One below Mark twain and another at Cincinnati Landing on a gravel road .  Very scenic in Autumn and the bass bite well there late October early November .

[evilcatfish]

As mentioned above, illinois provides some pretty good options close to StL, frank Holten and horseshoe are very close and offer surprisingly decent fishing, at least in my experience. 

[moguy1973]

A good lake in Illinois for kayak fishing is Coffeen.  It's a power plant lake so it's got warm water year round.  It's a little bigger than some that you've fished but it's got a great fish population.

 

Another is Lincoln Co lake in Cuivre River St. Park.  It's a nice small lake for a kayak and rather deep for the size of the lake.

 

Other than what has been said St. Louis doesn't have that great of lake fishing opportunities.  Rivers are where it's at.  I've caught 4lb smallies out of the Meramec as close to St Louis as Eureka.  They are there, you just have to find them.

[pawpaw]

On 6/11/2017 at 10:31 AM, scaleface said:

Theres a lake by Bowling Green that is not accessible by car . Kayak users pull their kayaks up the dam . I have talked to  two of them and they say it is a fantastic lake . I'm to old and out of shape to do that . Its a large dam and appears to be a 50 acre lake .

 

There are two lakes actually , for the Bowling Green water supply . One has a boat ramp and gets fished a lot more .

Yep! You fished the wrong lake.

I recommend going back and dragging your yak up the hill to West lake. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

[evilcatfish]

17 hours ago, moguy1973 said:

A good lake in Illinois for kayak fishing is Coffeen.  It's a power plant lake so it's got warm water year round.  It's a little bigger than some that you've fished but it's got a great fish population.

 

Another is Lincoln Co lake in Cuivre River St. Park.  It's a nice small lake for a kayak and rather deep for the size of the lake.

 

Other than what has been said St. Louis doesn't have that great of lake fishing opportunities.  Rivers are where it's at.  I've caught 4lb smallies out of the Meramec as close to St Louis as Eureka.  They are there, you just have to find them.

Shhh....there are no smallmouth in St. Louis county ...  

[Fishes in trees]

Years ago, when I lived in the Columbia area there was an area called Whetstone which was the next exit past Fulton, about a 40 minute drive for me - that would be around an hour drive from St. Louis, depending . .   Anyway, that area had a dozen or so small to medium sized ponds and 2 larger lakes, one of which for sure had a boat ramp.   I went there several times and caught a few fish each time - pretty lake .

[Hawghead]

No fish in the Bowling Green lake.  Chances are me and my brother are the ones you talked if the guys were in kayaks.  

 

I repeat, NO FISH IN THE D@MN Lake.