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Niangua River Fishing Report

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

Bennett Spring’s river: the Niangua runs stocked trout below the spring and smallmouth all the way to Truman.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
21 cfs
Air / High
101 / 101 F
Wind
SSW 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06923250, 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.

Niangua River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 21 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 101. 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 103 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 Niangua River at Windyville.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06923250.

36639021 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp101 F
High / Low101 / 76 F
WindSSW 6-7 mph
Pressure1011.8 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain21% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:44 / 19:37
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 · Partly cloudy, 101/76 F, wind 9 mph, rain 0%

Slow. 101 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Niangua 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 Niangua 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 Niangua 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 101 F, wind to 12 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 99 F, wind to 10 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 99 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 plus trout permit and daily tag at Bennett Spring. Smallmouth special management rules may apply downstream: check current MDC regulations.

Access

Bennett Spring State Park for the trout water; public accesses and outfitters on the float reaches downstream.

About this water

A 125-mile Ozark river to the Lake of the Ozarks, Dallas and Camden counties, Missouri, fed by Bennett Spring.

Fishing Niangua River: the full guide

A river with a spring at its heart

The Niangua River flows about 125 miles through the Missouri Ozarks to the Lake of the Ozarks, and Bennett Spring, one of the largest springs in the state, joins it near Lebanon. That spring drives two fisheries: a heavily stocked trout section in and below Bennett Spring State Park, and a smallmouth float river through the rest of its length.

Trout at Bennett Spring

Bennett Spring State Park is one of Missouri’s four trout parks: daily stocking, a tag system and crowds on opening day in March. It is put-and-take fishing at its most social, with the spring branch and the river below holding fish. A catch-and-release section provides a quieter alternative for fly anglers.

Smallmouth downstream

Below the trout water the Niangua warms into a classic Ozark float river: gravel bars, bluff pools and wood holding smallmouth, rock bass and sunfish. Canoe and kayak floats are the standard approach, with outfitters serving the popular reaches. Summer weekends bring recreational float traffic: fish early or midweek.

Dallas County logistics

Bennett Spring State Park provides camping, lodging and the trout fishery; public accesses and outfitters serve the float reaches downstream toward Lake of the Ozarks. Lebanon is the nearest town. The river rises quickly with Ozark rain and clears within days.

Common questions

What is a trout park?

A Missouri state park with daily stocking and a tag system: Bennett Spring is one of four, and opening day in March is an event.

Is there smallmouth fishing?

Yes: below the trout water the river becomes a classic Ozark float stream for smallmouth and rock bass.

Is it crowded?

The trout park is busy year-round; the float reaches fill on summer weekends. Weekdays are quieter on both.

Is fishing good at Niangua 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

Bennett Spring10 miPomme de Terre Lake19 miLake of the Ozarks23 miStockton Lake40 miTruman Lake41 miGasconade River70 mi
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