Conception Abbey Reservoir, Missouri: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Conception Abbey Reservoir falls in Nodaway County, part of Missouri. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 7 acres — small enough to read in one session. Compared with other Missouri water on our list, it sits high. Stanberry is the closest place, 7.8 miles off. For a city, Kansas City is 78 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Conception Abbey Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. County-wide records name channel catfish, stonecat, flathead catfish and black crappie. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Conception Abbey Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 77°F and January at 24°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid March. Averages suggest open water from about mid March through to roughly late December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Conception Abbey Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Lochridge Farms Lake is 8.2 miles distant. What applies at Conception Abbey Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.