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 2026.  White Crappie made up 73% of the fish in this year’s netting surveys.  Anglers will likely notice good numbers of keeper white crappie throughout 2026.  White crappie size structure was good with 45% of the fish collected in the sample over the 10-inch minimum length limit and 12% were twelve inches or longer.  There also appears to be an abundance of fish in the 9 to 9.5-inch range that should provide more keepers in the future.  Many of these smaller fish will reach the 10-inch minimum length limit by late summer/fall of 2026.  Black Crappie size structure was good with 67% of the fish collected over the 10-inch minimum length limit and just under 1% were twelve inches or longer.  Anglers might notice more keeper black crappie throughout 2026. 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 should be fair in 2026.  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.  Surveys conducted on both lake arms in the spring of 2025 revealed catch rates that were below the long-term average.  Size structure was good with approximately 26% of the largemouth bass captured during the surveys over the 15-inch minimum length limit.  Approximately 46 % of the spotted bass captured in these surveys were over the 12-inch  minimum length limit.  Smallmouth bass typically make up only a small portion of our sample; however, 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 2026.  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 six years. With the increase in stocking rates, anglers might notice an abundance of keeper walleye in 2026.  Electrofishing surveys conducted in the spring of 2025 produced catch rates slightly below the long-term average.  Size structure was good with approximately 89% of the fish captured over the 15-inch minimum length limit and 38% 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 2026.  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 2026.  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 feet deep.  The many bridge pillars throughout the lake are a great place to escape the summer sun and get into some good bluegill fishing.