Bedell Lake Fishing Guide, Phelps County, Missouri

• Overview

  Bedell Lake is one of the Phelps County waters in Missouri. Elevation runs to 991 feet. It covers about 6 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Phelps County are larger. Nearest town is Saint James, 1.2 miles off. For a city, Columbia is 78 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bedell Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Species logged across Phelps County include rainbow darter, rainbow trout and longear sunfish. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Bedell Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 77°F and January at 30°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Bedell Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Wheelgate Lake, 1.9 miles away. Signs at Bedell Lake carry more weight than any list.