Fishing Scott Shaffer Lake Number 7 in Lewis County, Missouri

• Overview

  Scott Shaffer Lake Number 7 is a Lewis County water, in Missouri. The water sits 571 feet up. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is Canton, 7 miles away. It is 85 miles to Columbia, the nearest city. Round about: Solter Lake 0.9 miles off, Tracy Lake (0.9 miles), Garkie Lake Section 32 1 mile off, Garkie Lake Section 8 (1.4 miles) and Lake O'Vaughn 1.5 miles off. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Scott Shaffer Lake Number 7

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Across Lewis County, recorded fish include green sunfish, johnny darter and slenderhead darter. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish this water where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 77°F and January near 24°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early March. Ice usually gives way near early March, and forms again about late December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Catfish want bait on the bottom: cut bait or worms, a simple running rig, and patience after dark. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Solter Lake is 0.9 miles off. Check the position on this water before loading the car.