Wellsville Lake in Montgomery County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Wellsville Lake is a Montgomery County water, Missouri side. The surroundings are rolling hill. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Among the waters listed for Montgomery County, none is wider. Supplies mean a trip to Wellsville, 2.5 miles off. Montgomery City is 5.6 miles away, with Mexico at 19 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Wellsville Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Montgomery County names orangethroat darter, fantail darter, bluegill, slender madtom and green sunfish. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The shape of Wellsville Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 77°F, the coldest about 27°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. That is the shape of the year on Wellsville Lake. Wind direction changes which bank is worth fishing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is a slipway at Wellsville Lake Boat Ramp, roughly half a mile off. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Ki-Wi Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Signs at Wellsville Lake carry more weight than any list.