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Gasconade River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Missouri’s crooked river: the Gasconade winds 280 miles of smallmouth and catfish through the Ozarks.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
530 cfs
Air / High
97 / 98 F
Wind
ESE 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06934000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Gasconade River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 530 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind ESE around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 98. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 100 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Gasconade River near Rich Fountain.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06934000.

6418621,082530 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp97 F
High / Low98 / 73 F
WindESE 5-8 mph
Pressure1011.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain17% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:39 / 19:32
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 98/73 F, wind 8 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 8 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Gasconade River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Gasconade River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Gasconade River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 97 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 96 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 96 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Missouri requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Missouri license. Smallmouth special management areas have specific length limits: check current MDC regulations.

Access

Public accesses and outfitter put-ins throughout; gravel bar camping is traditional on Missouri float rivers.

About this water

A 280-mile Ozark river to the Missouri River at Gasconade, Missouri: one of the most sinuous rivers in the country.

Fishing Gasconade River: the full guide

The crookedest river

The Gasconade River winds about 280 miles through the Missouri Ozarks to the Missouri River, following a course so sinuous that it covers roughly half that distance in straight-line terms. It is a classic Ozark float river: gravel bars, bluff pools, spring branches and wood, holding smallmouth bass, rock bass, catfish and, in the lower reaches, larger river species.

Smallmouth and goggle-eye

Smallmouth are the target through the middle and upper river: work the bluff pools, current seams and wood with tubes, crankbaits and topwater from a canoe or johnboat. Rock bass, known locally as goggle-eye, are abundant and provide steady action for anglers who appreciate them. Special management areas protect the better smallmouth reaches.

Catfish and the lower river

Channel and flathead catfish grow large in the deeper holes, particularly toward the Missouri River confluence: live bait and cut bait fished on the bottom at night in summer. The lower river is broader and slower, holding larger fish generally. Spring rises can blow the river out quickly given the Ozark watershed.

Ozark logistics

Public accesses and outfitters serve the river throughout, with float trips the standard approach and gravel bar camping a tradition. Waynesville, Vienna and Hermann frame the different reaches. The Gasconade sees less traffic than the Current or Jacks Fork, which is much of its appeal for anglers.

Common questions

What is a goggle-eye?

The local name for rock bass: abundant in the Gasconade and excellent on light tackle.

Is it crowded?

Less than the Current or Jacks Fork: the Gasconade sees fewer floaters, which anglers appreciate.

Where are the big catfish?

The deeper holes in the lower river toward the Missouri confluence, fished at night with live and cut bait.

Is fishing good at Gasconade River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake of the Ozarks60 miBennett Spring68 miMeramec River69 miNiangua River70 miMark Twain Lake80 miPomme de Terre Lake84 mi
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