Matthews Lake Fishing Guide, Crawford County, Missouri

• Overview

  Set in Crawford County, Matthews Lake is a Missouri water. It sits in mixed woodland country. It covers about 7 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Cuba, is 4.7 miles away. Then Bourbon, 6.3 miles, and Steelville, 10 miles. Neighbouring water: Holmstrom North Lake lies 1.6 miles on, Kemp Lake 3 miles away, Pine Lake lies 4 miles on, Castanis Lake 5.3 miles away and Weisel Lake lies 5.9 miles on. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Matthews Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Fish documented in Crawford County include rainbow darter, smallmouth bass, longear sunfish, meramec saddled darter and greenside darter. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Matthews Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 77°F, with January the cold end at about 29°F. The season stretches long at both ends here. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Matthews Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Holmstrom North Lake is 1.6 miles off. The position on Matthews Lake is worth confirming on the day.