Fishing Lake Nell in Jackson County, Missouri

• Overview

  You will find Lake Nell in Jackson County, Missouri. This is farm and woodlot ground. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The nearest town is Greenwood, 2.2 miles away. Then Lee's Summit, 3.7 miles, and Lake Winnebago, 3.9 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lake Nell

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Jackson County, recorded fish include bluegill, channel catfish, green sunfish and common carp. The county list is broader than any single water. Take Lake Nell a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 27°F in January to roughly 78°F in July. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Lake Nell.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. A pier half a mile from here gives a platform over deeper water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Cottontail Lake is 0.5 miles off. None of that is settled for Lake Nell in what we hold.