Truman Lake
A huge reservoir full of standing timber. It's one of the best crappie lakes in the Midwest and also has bass and big catfish.
Species
Fishery rating out of 5.
Crappie
Brush piles, docks and standing timber. Minnows or small jigs.
Largemouth Bass
Weeds, docks and wood in the shallows.
Blue Catfish
Deep channel edges. Fresh cut shad. Big fish in winter.
White Bass
Schools chasing shad in open water, and spring river runs.
Walleye
Points, flats and reefs at low light. Jigs and live bait early, crankbaits and crawler harnesses in summer.
When they bite
Month-by-month activity for each target species.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crappie | ||||||||||||
| Largemouth Bass | ||||||||||||
| Blue Catfish | ||||||||||||
| White Bass |
Boat launches
1 launch sites. Fees and hours change, so confirm before you go.
- More public accessPublicSee the MDC or lake website for all ramps and feesDirections ↗
Size & creel limits
Minimum size and daily limit for each species in Truman Lake are published by the state. Look up the current size and creel limits for this lake directly: Missouri Department of Conservation ↗
Bait & tackle nearby
Closest shops to the lake and its boat launches. Call ahead for live bait and hours.
- Cody's Bait and TackleNearby31046 Cold Spring Ave, Warsaw(660) 723-5115Directions ↗
Local tips
- Flooded timber is everywhere. Run carefully.
- Water levels swing a lot with flood control.
- Crappie stack on timber edges in spring and fall.
Angler reports
Water temp, what's biting, and anything else other anglers should know about Truman Lake.
View on interactive map
Zoom and pan on a street, satellite or terrain map. Red pins are boat launches.