Pilot Knob Lake near Ironton: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Out in Saint Francois County, Missouri, sits Pilot Knob Lake. The water sits 1,073 feet up. Surface area is around 163 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.7 miles, small enough to learn in a day. By surface area it heads our Saint Francois County listings. For a base, Ironton sits 4.2 miles out. St. Louis sits 71 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Pilot Knob 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. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Fish documented in Saint Francois County include rainbow darter, greenside darter, fantail darter, orangethroat darter and longear sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Pilot Knob Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 76°F, with January the cold end at about 30°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. At Pilot Knob Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Iron Mountain Lake is 3.2 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Pilot Knob Lake for certain.