Chester Jenkins Lake Fishing near Fair Grove, Missouri

• Overview

  Chester Jenkins Lake is one of the Polk County listings for Missouri. The setting is mixed woodland. At roughly 12 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Missouri listings. Fair Grove lies 7.1 miles from the water. Then Willard, 13 miles, and Strafford, 14 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Chester Jenkins Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. County-wide records name fantail darter, greenside darter, logperch and Missouri saddled darter. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The near bank of Chester Jenkins Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 78°F and January near 31°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It holds true on Chester Jenkins Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Fellows Lake, 8.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Chester Jenkins Lake are worth checking on the day.