Fishing Report For Wappapello Lake, MO
By Rick Seaman
June 14, 2025
Fishing Reports
Popular Fish Species Wappapello Lake, MO
Largemouth Bass






Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Good
The bulk of the bass here have spawned, although there are some late spawners just completing the progress. Most of the bigger bass caught here in the last month were females. Bass here feed on gizzard shad, threadfin shad, small sunfish and crawfish. With water temperatures in the 70's now, the bass are feeding heavily outside spawning bays. They are holding on points and ledges 10 to 15 feet deep, and moving shallow for short periods to feed. Most anglers are catching bass on rocky shores and around vegetation. Soon, they will move deeper as the water warms, and feed on shad 20 to 30 feet deep. Small swimbaits working at all depths, vibrating jigs and crankbaits are effective shallow, jerkbaits are getting bites just away from shore and wacky-rigged stick worms are catching wary bass from shallow to 25 feet.
Channel Catfish


Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good
There is a very healthy population of channel cats here, and they are starting their spawn ritual, which begins once water temperatures rise to the mid 70's. There are lots of 1 1/2 to 3 pound channel catfish being caught, and double-digit channel cats are not uncommon. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Fishing early in the morning, or late in the day until midnight often produces the best fishing activity as these are prime feeding times. Road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Boats give ideal access many of these river channels, but anglers fishing from the bank are catching them as well. The area from People's Creek, across the face of the dam to Redman Creek is producing some good catches. Fishing with cut bait or nightcrawlers, using slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs to keep the bait close to the bottom, is a popular technique.
Black Crappie - White Crappie



Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good
This Winter, crappie fishing was just fair, even throughout the spawn, when they were quite shallow. Expect to find crappie now in 5 to 10 feet of water. White crappie are running a bit larger than black crappie, but both species are here in decent numbers. Brush piles, wood and vegetation are a good place to cast small crappie jigs or live minnows. Once the hot Summer sun warms the shallows, crappie retreat to depths of 20 to 30 feet or deeper. Light tackle with 6 lb to 8 lb line is ideal. Anglers are reporting good success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, especially once they move out of the shallows.
Fishing Video
Fish species to fish for...
Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, redear sunfish and warmouth at Wappapello Lake in Missouri.

Wappapello Lake is an 8,400-acre lake with over 175 miles of shoreline. in the southeast of the state. Bass, crappie and catfish are popular species here. Numerous areas around the lake are accessible for fishing from the bank.
Primary fish species to catch
Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.
Today's Weather & Forecast
Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings
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Marinas
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Fishing License
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Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".

Contact Information
Wappapello Lake
Lake Wappapello State Park
MO-172
Williamsville, MO 63967
573 297-3232
Fishing lakes in each state.
061425
Wappapello Lake, Missouri Report
MISSOURI


Information about fishing lakes in MO.
Lake Wappapello offers great crappie and sunfish fishing.