Rainbow Lake Fishing in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri

• Overview

  Missouri holds Rainbow Lake, in Sainte Genevieve County. It sits at 781 feet above sea level. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 2.7 miles on foot. The nearest town is Farmington, 9.6 miles away. Esther is 14 miles and Flat River 15 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Fish documented in Sainte Genevieve County include longear sunfish, rainbow darter, bluegill, fantail darter and slender madtom. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Rainbow Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 30°F in January to roughly 77°F in July. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. That is the shape of the year on Rainbow Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Pineview Lake, 3.9 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Rainbow Lake for certain.