Deepest lakes in Missouri: 6 lakes ranked by depth

Deepest first

1. Table Rock Lake

Table Rock Lake spreads over 43,100 acres of water. It holds largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and walleye. It goes down to about 220 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Table Rock Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake of the Ozarks

Lake of the Ozarks covers 54,000 acres of water. It holds largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and white bass. At about 130 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Lake of the Ozarks today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Mark Twain Lake

Mark Twain Lake covers 18,600 acres of water. The lake is about 5.6 miles north of Monroe City. It is the Salt River behind Clarence Cannon Dam. It holds catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and walleye. It goes down to about 85 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Mark Twain Lake was created by damming the Salt River and is named after the Missouri-born author Mark Twain.

Mark Twain Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Truman Lake

Truman Lake covers 55,600 acres of water. Crappie, largemouth bass, catfish and white bass are the draw. It goes down to about 80 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Truman Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Lake Jacomo

At 970 acres, Lake Jacomo is small enough to learn in a few trips. The lake is about 2.2 miles northeast of Blue Springs. Expect crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass and catfish. It goes down to about 53 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Lake Jacomo is a Jackson County Parks reservoir within Fleming Park that opened in 1959.

Lake Jacomo today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Wappapello Lake

Wappapello Lake spreads over 8,400 acres. It lies about 3.2 miles northwest of Greenville. It is the St. Francis River behind Wappapello Dam. Expect white bass, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill. At about 47 ft at its deepest, it warms quickly in spring. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look. Wappapello Lake was built by damming the St. Francis River and is one of the older Corps of Engineers reservoirs in Missouri.

Wappapello Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Fishing deep water

Deep lakes reward slow, vertical fishing: drop a jig or a spoon to the depth where fish show on the sonar and work it right there. In spring and fall the fish come shallow and any method works.