Stockton Lake is a clear-water 25,000-acre reservoir 50 miles northwest of Springfield. It’s loaded with fish, so you’ll find plenty of angling opportunities.
Stockton Lake (or Stockton Reservoir) also offers many other fun activities for the whole family.
In this article, we will walk through how to catch the reservoir’s favorite gamefish species, including some Stockton Lake fishing hot spots and fishing tips for each species during different seasons. And we’ll give you a little help to start planning your trip.
Let’s get casting!
Stockton Lake Bass Fishing
With three species of black bass, bass fishing is one of the biggest draws to the lake, especially since it has a large number of quality bass.
To make this article easier to follow, I’ll discuss the general life cycle of bass and then break down how to catch each species.
In the spring (March-May), bass move shallow, create nests and spawn.
They’re aggressive during this time, but only when defending their nests in rocky, hard-bottom areas. Their nests often look like bright round spots, so they’re easy to spot in the clear water of Stockton Lake.
Once finished, bass feed ferociously to gain the weight they lose during spawning. This post-spawn period is one of the best times to go fishing because they’ll eat just about anything.
After that short window has ended, the bass often move to deeper, cooler water at the beginning of summer. However, there are still fish that will remain shallow in shady areas and around cover.
Most bass will feed on shad during the hottest months of the year in 15-30 feet of water or around the thermocline (where the water changes from warm to cool). If your electronics don’t show the thermocline, ask at the nearest bait shop.
As fall sets in, bass follow the baitfish back to the shallows and begin feeding heavily; this is another one of my favorite times of the year to fish because the bass are so aggressive.
During the colder winter months, bass primarily stay in deeper water with more stable temperatures. However, they occasionally move shallow to feed on warm days.
Now that we know the general yearly cycle of black bass, let’s talk specifics about each species and where you’ll find them in the lake.
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass are the biggest of the three species and are what you’ll most often catch in the shallows. There are many lunkers in Stockton Lake, with some exceeding 5 pounds, so be ready for bigger bass.
If you want to target largies specifically, I recommend wetting a line on the upper portions of the lake. However, you’ll find them widely distributed across the lake since they’re the most abundant black bass species.
As I mentioned, largies tend to inhabit shallow areas, which means shallow weed beds, brush piles, and rip rap around one of the three bridges are the best structures to begin on. You’ll also find largemouths holding on creek and river channel ledges.
My favorite clear water lures for largemouth bass are a Texas- or wacky-rigged Senko, swim jig, spinnerbait, and a soft plastic swimbait.
Generally, I keep my color selection to look as natural as possible. I use lots of translucent, white, chrome, and green pumpkin. However, a bright pink worm around bedded fish works very well in the spring.
Spotted Bass
Spotted bass don’t grow as big as largemouth bass, but they often out-compete them in open water. There are special rules for spots on Stockon Lake, so be sure you’ve carefully studied the local regulations.
The lower portion of the lake is where you’ll find the most spotted bass, but you may run across a few here and there all over the reservoir. Spots thrive in open water, so if you really want to find them schooled up, plan to fish offshore around ledges and deeper structures.
Swimbaits, jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are all excellent power-fishing techniques when spots are aggressively feeding.
Once the bite slows down, a fluke on a drop shot, finesse jig, or a Carolina rig are my go-to presentations for finding another hungry school.
I use the same colors for spotted bass as I do for largemouth, except I tend to stick with chrome, white, pearl, and translucent since shad are the spots’ primary food source.
Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass are the hardest-fighting black bass species, even though they’re not the biggest, and you can’t change my mind!
They also are primarily found on the lower portion of the lake. Often, you’ll find them in-between spotted bass and largemouth bass territories at mid-depths around rock piles and weed lines.
I recommend downsizing your lures so that they can fit them in their mouth better. However, I generally use the same styles of lure.
Crappie Fishing
Not only are black bass a big draw to Stockton Lake, but the crappie fishing is some of the best in Missouri. Both species of this tasty fish are found in the reservoir, and though they have slightly different preferences for water conditions, you’re likely to catch them in similar spots.
White crappie can handle murkier water better than black crappie, but since the water is clear throughout the lake, there’s not much reason to target one species over the other.
Once you understand the yearly cycle of crappie, you’ll have a better idea of when, where, and how to catch them.
In the spring, crappie spawn in shallow areas with rocks, laydowns or brush, and other hard surfaces. This is when they’ll be closest to the shore, so if you’re a bank angler, this is the best time of year to catch them.
Once crappie spawn, they move to deeper brush piles in 20-30 feet of water for the summer. During the fall and winter, they’ll migrate between the deeper brush piles and patrolling flats for food, depending on the weather conditions.
The best crappie bait is live minnows, no matter what time of year you’re fishing. However, I also love using crappie jigs, small crankbaits, and spinners to catch crappie.
Trolling over the tops of the brush piles using crankbaits is a great way to locate a school of hungry fish, especially if you don’t have a fancy fish finder.
In my experience, crappie respond well to bright colors like chartreuse and pink in clear water. I also like to use natural colors, like green pumpkin, clear, and white.
Stockon Lake Walleye
Another tasty fish that swims in Stockton Lake, some might say even tastier than crappie, is walleye. These toothy species are among the most elusive fish in the lake, but once you find them, it’s gratifying, especially at the dinner table.
Stockton Lake walleye fishing is about as good as it gets in Missouri, and once you learn the tips and tricks below, you’ll be armed with enough know-how to outfish many of the locals. It all starts, once again, with understanding the life cycle of this species.
Walleye spawn in early spring along rip rap and rocky shorelines; this means the bridges that cross the lake are excellent places to begin fishing.
The spring spawning season is the best time to catch them from the shore. You’ll likely need a boat to find them the rest of the year.
Once spawned, walleye spend most of their time in deeper holes along channel ledges on summer days.
They’ll move onto shallow flats to feed at night because their large eyes make them very sensitive to the sunlight. This habit means fishing before the sun rises and after it sets are the best times to catch walleye.
During the fall, walleye will follow their food back to the shallows, still primarily feeding at low-light hours. As winter sets in, they’re once again most often found in deep holes.
Trolling and drifting are the most popular ways to locate and catch walleye.
The best bait for walleye is live minnows or earthworms. Lures also work well; my favorite walleye rigs are swimbaits, jigs, crawler harnesses, bottom bouncers, and deep-diving crankbaits.
I’ve found that walleye are similar to crappie in their color preferences; they like bright colors, including pink and chartreuse, but don’t overlook natural colors like white, translucent, and green pumpkin.
Catch More Walleye
Catfish Fishing
If you want something easier to find than walleye, try catfish.
Two popular species of catfish are found all over Stockton Lake. However, channel catfish are much more abundant than flathead catfish.
To increase your chances of success, you should understand the spawning cycle of catfish. The best time to fish for them is before they spawn in mid-May through June because they’re hungry and trying to bulk up before they don’t eat for a while.
During their spawn, they look for holes and depressions in shallow water. They’ll focus heavily on rocky and rip rap banks to spawn along.
After they spawn, they move to deeper holes and channels to begin feeding once again. They’ll spend most of the summer in the creek and river channels during the day and feeding on the flats at night.
As fall and winter approach, catfish feed heavily along the shallows in preparation for the cold months.
While both species have a similar life cycle, you can do a few things differently to target one species over the other.
Channel Catfish
Channel cats are the smaller of the two species found in Stockton Lake but are also the most abundant and sure are good eating. The upper portions and large coves are where you’ll find the most channel catfish.
I prefer to use prepared baits (like stink baits), chicken liver, and small chunks of fresh-cut bait to target channel cats. Earthworms and hot dogs are two other baits that I often use when nothing else is getting bites.
I’ve had the best luck using a Carolina or slip-sinker rig with 6/0 hooks on a rod and reel. My daughter loves to set jugs and trotlines for channel cats with me too.
Flathead Catfish
Flatheads get much larger than channel cats, but they’re less common in Stockton Lake. I’d most likely fish here for channel cats and being satisfied with the bonus flathead.
Live baits work best for flatheads, especially live bluegill. However, cut bait also works.
Most people use jugs and trotlines to catch flatheads, but rod and reel anglers do catch the occasional flathead.
If you’re specifically targeting giant flatheads with live bait, I recommend increasing the size of your baits and hooks to have a fighting chance at landing a big one.
White Bass Fishing
One of my favorite fish to catch, solely based on how hard they fight, is white bass, which some anglers know as sand bass.
White bass spawn around the same time as walleye and generally in the same areas. In the spring, they’ll migrate up the creeks and rivers to find suitable spawning sites, and this is the best time to catch them from the shore.
Once they’ve spawned, they move back to the channels and main lake to patrol the open water in search of shad.
During the fall, they’ll follow the shad back to the shallows to feed up for the cold winter months.
Since shad are their primary food source, I use shiny and white lures. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and crappie jigs are my favorite lures to catch white bass.
During the spring, I mainly cast towards a target, like a rocky bank or brush pile, but in the summer, I switch to trolling using a crankbait or spoon to cover more water and locate the sand bass.
Catch More White Bass
We’ve identified the top white bass fishing lakes and rivers in Missouri.
Here are my top tips to catching more white bass.
Bluegill Fishing
The best way to introduce anyone to fishing, especially kids, is to take them bluegill fishing.
These spunky panfish are all around the lake in the shallows, so you won’t need a boat to catch them. Plus, they’re very aggressive, especially when using live worms as bait.
You’ll usually see bluegill swimming around, so you won’t have to guess whether they’re in the area. Once you find one, there’s likely more nearby.
You can eat bluegill, especially the filet-worthy ones the size of your hand or larger. Many anglers usually use them for live bait or simply practice catch and release.
Catch More Bluegill
We have the best fishing tips to catch bluegill and other sunfish.
Planning Your Trip
Now that you know how to catch the most popular fish in the reservoir, it’s time to start planning your trip to Stockton Lake. Below you’ll find the boat ramps, public access areas, and locations you can stay the night.
If you don’t want to go it alone, there are several Stockton Lake fishing guides who book trips for the top species.
Boat Ramps & Lake Access
Due to the lake’s large size, there are tons of boat ramps and public access areas. However, not all of them allow you to fish at these locations, so read the signs and regulations.
You’ll find multiple boat ramps no matter what part of the lake you stay on.
Here are a few of the most common:
- Stockton Public Use Area boat ramp is on the lake’s northwest corner, near the city of Stockton.
- Hawker Point boat launch ramp is mid-lake on the west side.
- Stockton State Park boat ramp is in the southwest section of the lake on the east side.
- Masters Park boat launch is near mid-lake on the north side.
There are also several marinas scattered around the lake.
Places to Stay
Many campgrounds are on various portions of the lake, including Stockton State Park.
Don’t worry if camping isn’t your style; there are many hotels and motels in the nearby towns surrounding Stockton Lake. You’ll have the most options if you stay in Springfield, but you’ll have to travel a bit to reach the lake.