Elmer Foree Lake, Missouri: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Audrain County, Missouri, sits Elmer Foree Lake. Height above sea level is 764 feet. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Audrain County are larger. Vandalia sits 9.3 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Columbia, 43 miles distant. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Elmer Foree Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Fish documented in Audrain County include johnny darter, green sunfish, black bullhead and bluegill. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Elmer Foree Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 77°F; by January the average is down near 26°F. In milder years the surface never sets. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Anyone fishing Elmer Foree Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Vandalia Lake is 4.2 miles distant. Check the position on Elmer Foree Lake before loading the car.