Stockton Lake

Stockton Lake is a 24,900-acre U. S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir located in Cedar, Dade and Polk counties in southwestern Missouri.  Crappie fishing should be good in 2025.  White Crappie made up 62% of the fish in this year’s netting surveys.  Anglers will likely notice more keeper white crappie throughout the spring and early summer of 2025.  White crappie size structure was good with 53% of the fish collected in the sample over the 10-inch minimum length limit and 6% were twelve inches or longer.  There also appears to be an abundance of fish in the 9.5-inch range that should provide more keepers in the future.  Many of these fish will reach the 10-inch minimum length limit by late summer/fall of 2025.  Black Crappie size structure was fair with 29% of the fish collected over the 10-inch minimum length limit and 1% twelve inches or longer. There also appears to be a sizeable year class of sublegal fish in the 7 to 9-inch range that that should provide good fishing down the road.  Crappie are often caught using small jigs or minnows around brush structure.  The Corps of Engineers and the Missouri Department of Conservation have created and replenished over 500 fish attractors at Stockton Lake.  All maintained fish attractor locations can be found at Fish Attractor GPX Files | Missouri Department of Conservation (mo.gov).  Some of the attractors are marked with green signs on the lake shore.  For those without GPS technology, attractors can be found using a sonar fish finder around 20 feet of water (at lake water elevation of 867) just in front of signs.

Fishing for black bass could be poor to fair in 2025.  Largemouth bass are the most numerous black bass species in Stockton Lake, especially in the upper portions of the lake.  Spotted bass and smallmouth bass are present throughout the lake, but make up larger percentages of the population in the lower portion of the lake (closer to the dam).  A new regulation went into effect on March 1, 2019; the spotted bass minimum length limit was changed from 15 inches to 12 inches.  In survey’s conducted in the spring of 2024 overall catch rates were below the long-term average.  Approximately 22% of the largemouth bass captured during the surveys were over the 15-inch minimum length limit. On a positive note, surveys conducted in 2023 and 2024 revealed an increase in juvenile largemouth bass.  This could lead to improved fishing in the future.  Approximately 37 % of the spotted bass captured in these surveys were over the 12-inch minimum length limit.  Anglers continue to report an improvement in smallmouth bass fishing on the lower end of the lake in recent years. 

Walleye fishing should be good to excellent in 2025.  Walleyes are stocked in Stockton Lake at 1-2 inches in size and typically grow to 15 inches in two years.  In 2012 the Stockton Lake walleye stocking regime was changed from a biennial (every other year) stocking to an annual stocking.  We have not missed a walleye stocking since 2011. A surplus of hatchery produced fish allowed for higher stocking rates four out of the last five years. With the increase in stocking rates, anglers might notice an abundance of both legal and sublegal walleye in 2025.  Electrofishing surveys conducted in the spring of 2024 produced catch rates well below the long-term average.  However, poor weather conditions likely impacted the surveys. Size structure was decent with approximately 83% of the fish captured over the 15-inch minimum length limit and 14% of fish at least 18 inches or longer.  Techniques used for walleye angling depend upon the time of year and the confidence anglers have with different methods.  In the spring and fall, walleye are often found along the dam, in coves, and in shallow water. Walleye are often caught on suspending jerk baits in these areas.  During the summer season, it is important to fish for walleyes at or around the depth of the thermocline.  Walleye are often caught using nightcrawlers or minnows bounced along the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water during mid-summer.  Trolling deep running or suspending crankbaits or casting these baits along the shoreline and windswept main lake points can be equally effective at certain times of the year.  Be sure to use good release practices on sub-legal fish, which will increase the chances of the fish’s survival.

White bass fishing should continue to be good to excellent in 2025.  There is a high-density white bass population in the lake and recruitment has remained consistent throughout the last several years.  Spring white bass spawning runs occur near or in the lake’s tributary streams from mid-March to the end of April.  During July and August anglers can often find white bass chasing schools of shad in the early morning and late evening hours on the main lake open water areas.  In the fall, angling efforts should be concentrated on windy main lake points or banks.  Shallow crankbaits, rooster tails, swimbaits, and white jigs are good choices for catching white bass.  Both flathead and channel catfish are present in the lake and at times will provide good fishing.  Channel catfish are abundant, and size structure appears to be excellent. Flathead catfish are much less abundant and more difficult to catch. The highest concentrations of both channel and flathead catfish are up the major tributary arms in the upper end of the lake. Mid-May to mid-June is usually the best time to fish for catfish.  Trotlines or jug lines baited with live baits are the method of choice for most flathead anglers.  Bluegill fishing should be fair to good on Stockton in 2025.  Good numbers of 6 to 8-inch bluegills are common.  Bluegill fishing is usually best during the summer months using small portions of nightcrawlers or crickets around structure 15 to 20 foot deep.  The many bridge pillars throughout the lake are a great place to escape the summer sun and get into some good bluegill fishing.