Woods Lake Fishing near Excelsior Springs, Missouri

• Overview

  Woods Lake lies within the bounds of Ray County, Missouri. Country round the bank runs to rolling hill. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Ray County list. Nearest place of any size is Excelsior Springs, 3.5 miles away. Lawson follows at 7 miles, then Albany at 8.7 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Woods Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Records held for Ray County cover bluegill, orangethroat darter and green sunfish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At Woods Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 77°F; by January the average is down near 26°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Time your trip to Woods Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Number 165 Reservoir, 1.6 miles away. Check the position at Woods Lake before loading the car.