Spring Lake, Missouri: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Spring Lake lies in Jefferson County, Missouri. The water sits 564 feet up. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is De Soto, 2 miles away. The nearest city of size is St. Louis, 39 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end. It gives up fish to patience rather than to gear.

• Where to Fish on Spring Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Jefferson County records list orangethroat darter, longear sunfish, rainbow darter and bluegill among the fish reported. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Anyone new to Spring Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 78°F, while January sits near 30°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. It sets the rhythm of the year at Spring Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Lake Briarwood, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Spring Lake.