Maple Leaf Lake, Mo

[Missouribassman95]

Has anyone fished this lake? I kinda want to this summer but don't know if the bass fishing is good or not. I've read some reports, but that was from 2006.

[Mid-MO]

I used to fish it quite a bit. It's got a lot of grass and standing timber and some lily pads in it. The conservation department also put a lot of stuff in it when they built it (humps, rock, brush, etc). Two of the three arms they left most of the timber standing.

There used to be some decent fish in it (Edwin A. Pape was always better for big fish). They had a fish kill out there a few years ago and the last time I was there (sometime last year) I saw 3 or 4 decent size dead bass on the surface - don't know if they had another one or not.

You should be able to get ahold of the fisheries report from the Dept of Conservation and they will give the outlook on the bass fishing for this year in it.

[Missouribassman95]

Did you fish from shore or on a boat? Cause I'm a bank beater.

[Fishes in trees]

I can remember a time 2002-2003 when you could go to Maple Leaf in the middle of the week,catch 30 or so fish and half of them would be 15" keepers or over. I saw several 7 and 8 lb fish during that time. Then word got out, it got popular, many small bass clubs held tournaments there and after 2003 the fishing slacked off there big time. The last few times I fishes there, keepers were non existant. I don't go there any more. Also, it is very close to I-70, the last time I went there I had some stuff stolen from my truck and so did a couple of other guys. I've heard from other guys that it has a decent catfish population and it is popular with bank fishermen. It is more or less set up for bank fishing.