Cedar Lake Fishing in Franklin County, Missouri

• Overview

  Missouri holds Cedar Lake, in Franklin County. The country round it is mixed woodland from end to end. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. It lies lower than most water we list in Missouri. Saint Clair at 5.7 miles is the nearest place to stop. St. Louis sits 41 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Cedar Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Franklin County include longear sunfish, orangethroat darter, bluegill and greenside darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Cedar Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 78°F; by January the average is down near 30°F. In milder years the surface never sets. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Cedar Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Old Cove gives a made launch, half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Leo Politte and John Lynch Lake at 4 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Cedar Lake if anything is unclear.