Pinewoods Lake in Carter County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Pinewoods Lake falls in Carter County, part of Missouri. The surface lies 787 feet up. Roughly 32 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The nearest town is Piedmont, 17 miles away. It is 122 miles to St. Louis, the nearest city. Within a short drive: Lake Hogan roughly 6.8 miles, Miller Lake (12 miles), Clearwater Lake roughly 15 miles, Deer Run Lake (16 miles) and Shore Acres Lake roughly 20 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Pinewoods Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name rainbow darter, current darter, longear sunfish, smallmouth bass and banded darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Pinewoods Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 78°F on average, January about 31°F. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Pinewoods Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A pier 150 yards from here gives a platform over deeper water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Lake Hogan, 6.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Pinewoods Lake is worth confirming on the day.