Fishing City Park Lake in Crawford County, Missouri

• Overview

  Set in Crawford County, Missouri, this is City Park Lake. The bank is 968 feet above sea level. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 1.2 miles from Sullivan. For a city, St. Louis is 61 miles off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on City Park Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name rainbow darter, smallmouth bass and longear sunfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. City Park Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 77°F in July and bottom out at 29°F in January. A lid forms in a hard winter only. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Plan any trip to City Park Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Public data records a pier about 110 yards out. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Nolie Lake North at 5.3 miles is the nearest alternative. For City Park Lake in particular, ask before you travel.