Share your catch
US

Mark Twain Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Mark Twain Lake: 18,600 acres behind the Corps' Clarence Cannon Dam in northeast Missouri, fished for crappie, largemouth, white bass and big blue and flathead catfish.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~74 F est.
Air / High
77 / 77 F
Wind
S 8 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Mark Twain Lake offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 8 mph, falling pressure near 1021 hPa and a high of 77. Water sits around 74 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:43 AM-11:43 AM and 10:12 PM-12:12 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Largemouth bassExcellent

The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

WalleyeExcellent

Summer pattern: nightcrawlers and leeches on rigs or jigs near bottom, trolled crankbaits to find scattered fish, and the shallows after dark in clear lakes.

CrappieGood

Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

White bassGood

Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

Tomorrow: Similar at 79 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Missouri requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $14.00 for residents. What a Missouri licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing largemouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with MDC before you keep anything. The season dates for Missouri, read off the agency, are on the Missouri seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low77 / 46 F
WindS 8-10 mph
Pressure1020.6 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset07:25 / 18:16
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~74 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Mark Twain Lake this week

The best day on Mark Twain Lake this week looks like Monday Oct 26, at 5 out of 5, against 4 today.

Best day this week: Monday, Oct 26 β€” excellent at 5/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:43 AM-11:43 AM and 10:12 PM-12:12 AM
Minor period
4:05 AM-5:05 AM
Sun
07:25 to 18:16
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Partly cloudy, 9 mph
Rain chance
1%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Summer pattern: nightcrawlers and leeches on rigs or jigs near bottom, trolled crankbaits to find scattered fish, and the shallows after dark in clear lakes.

When to come: the Mark Twain Lake 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
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
Walleye
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 74 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 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 Mark Twain Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 4 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Largemouth bass led the card at good. High of 73 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

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 fishing permit. MDC's special rules for Mark Twain Lake (read 2026-10-06): black bass 15-inch minimum; blue and flathead catfish 26-inch minimum; crappie 15 a day. Other species follow the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

Access

Corps boat ramps include John F. Spalding, Highway 24 (H/F 23), Elk Fork (H/F 41), Middle Fork (H/F 30), Rt. BB (H/F 60), Rt. FF (H/F 20), Rt. N (H/F 11) and Hoot Owl Hollow (H/F 70); Indian Creek and Blackjack marinas; day-use areas at Frank Russell, Indian Creek and Ray Behrens.

About this water

An 18,600-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir (Clarence Cannon Dam) on the Salt River, Ralls and Monroe counties, Missouri.

Fishing Mark Twain Lake: the full guide

The lake

MDC puts Mark Twain Lake at 18,600 acres in Ralls and Monroe counties in northeast Missouri. The Corps of Engineers runs it from Clarence Cannon Dam, about 28 miles southwest of Hannibal, and lists crappie, largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill and carp as its primary species, with lake limits that differ from statewide limits on some of them.

Bass and crappie in MDC's 2026 prospects

MDC's 2025 electrofishing found largemouth catch rates 72 percent higher than in 2023 and the most young-of-the-year bass in five years, but only 18 percent of bass reach 15 inches. For crappie the outlook is fair: over 60 percent of fish in the fall 2025 survey measured 5 to 8 inches, more 8- to 10-inch fish are expected in spring 2026, and fewer than 1 percent will reach 12 inches. MDC expects the best crappie fishing in late April and early May, in shallow water on jigs or minnows.

White bass, walleye and catfish

MDC reports more white bass, averaging 12 to 15 inches, turning up in its crappie trap nets; they spawn on riffles in tributary streams in early spring and chase shad over humps and mud flats in summer. Walleye remain scarce in the lake after a 2025 fish kill, and MDC suggests the tributaries in early spring, where recent stockings have added fish. Channel catfish are abundant, and many blue and flathead catfish over 25 pounds are caught each year, best in the upper North Fork, Middle Fork, South Fork and Indian Creek arms.

Fish attractors and bank fishing

The Corps and MDC have placed fish attractors in deep and shallow water, some reachable from shore, with maps on the Corps site; in 2025 new attractors went into Lick Creek and near the state park on the South Fork. The Corps recommends bank fishing at Bluffview Recreation Area, Hunter/Fisherman areas 54 and 70, the Warren G. See North and South spillways, and Duane S. Whelan Recreation Area.

Common questions

When is Mark Twain's crappie bite?

MDC expects the best crappie fishing in late April and early May, when fish move shallow and take jigs or minnows. Most fish in the 2025 fall survey were 5 to 8 inches.

Are there special limits on the lake?

Yes. MDC sets a 15-inch minimum on black bass, a 26-inch minimum on blue and flathead catfish, and a 15-crappie daily limit at Mark Twain Lake.

Where can I fish from the bank?

The Corps names six bank-fishing spots, among them Bluffview and Duane S. Whelan recreation areas, the two Warren G. See spillway areas and two Hunter/Fisherman areas; MDC adds that some fish attractors can be reached from shore.

Is fishing good at Mark Twain Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Gasconade River80 miMeramec River94 miRathbun Lake110 miLake of the Ozarks112 miLake Springfield117 miNiangua River129 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 39.5009, -91.7762 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.