Fishing Land of Lakes Reservoir in Lafayette County, Missouri

• Overview

  Land of Lakes Reservoir sits in Lafayette County, out in Missouri. Everything around it is farm and woodlot. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. You are 3.2 miles from Odessa. East Independence is the closest city, 25 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Land of Lakes Reservoir

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Survey and observation records for Lafayette County include rainbow smelt, bluegill and channel catfish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Land of Lakes Reservoir the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 78°F and January near 26°F on the long-run figures. The calendar is generous: something works in nearly every month. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Land of Lakes Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lake Venita sits 3.4 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Land of Lakes Reservoir in what we hold.