Fishing at Bowling Green Reservoir, Pike County, Missouri

• Overview

  Missouri holds Bowling Green Reservoir, in Pike County. Open valley runs right down to the water. At about 43 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Among the waters listed for Pike County, none is wider. Bowling Green is the closest town at 2.4 miles. Columbia sits 69 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bowling Green Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Species logged across Pike County include orangethroat darter, bluegill, green sunfish and red shiner. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Bowling Green Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 77°F for July and 26°F for January. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Bowling Green Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Old Lake is 0.6 miles off. For Bowling Green Reservoir in particular, ask before you travel.