Cedar Lake in Cape Girardeau County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, sits Cedar Lake. The country round it is mixed woodland from end to end. At about 28 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Missouri listings. For supplies, Jackson is 8.6 miles out. It is 85 miles to St. Louis, the nearest city. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Fish documented in Cape Girardeau County include common carp, bluegill, longear sunfish, green sunfish and johnny darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Cedar Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 78°F; by January the average is down near 31°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. The season on Cedar Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. For the carp, bait a margin spot and sit on it; corn and bread still work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Cedar Lake, 8.2 miles out. Check the position at Cedar Lake before loading the car.