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Stockton Lake Fishing Report

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

The walleye surprise of the Ozarks: clear, windy and underrated.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Gauge
864.44 ft
Air / High
100 / 101 F
Wind
S 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 06918990, 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.

Stockton Lake sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The gauge reads 864.44 ft, 2.56 ft below pool, easing 1.18 over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 101. Water sits around 66 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

WalleyeGood

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

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

White bassFair

The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

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 Stockton Lake near Stockton, MO.

Gauge height, last 30 days

USGS gauge 06918990. Conservation pool is 867 ft.

865.30866.89868.48pool 867864.44 ft08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp100 F
High / Low101 / 76 F
WindS 7-9 mph
Pressure1011.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain9% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:47 / 19:39
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 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 · Overcast, 101/76 F, wind 10 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 Stockton Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

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.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. The spring river run: small crankbaits and roadrunners up the tributaries.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Stockton 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
Walleye
White bass
Northern pike
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 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 Stockton Lake 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. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 100 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 99 F, wind to 9 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

Walleye: 15-inch minimum, 4/day. Black bass 15-inch/6. Confirm with MDC.

Access

State park, Orleans Trail, Mutton Creek, Crabtree Cove ramps; marina at the state park.

About this water

24,900 acres on the Sac River, Cedar/Dade/Polk counties, MO. Corps of Engineers, impounded 1969.

Fishing Stockton Lake: the full guide

Missouri's walleye water

Stockton behaves like a northern lake dropped into southwest Missouri: clear water, pea-gravel points and a genuine walleye population that locals defend like a secret. Add magnum white bass runs up the Sac and Little Sac arms, smallmouth on the rock and summer topwater, and Stockton earns its cult. Sailboats own the wind; anglers own the dawn.

The walleye calendar

Stockton walleye run the Ozark-fringe cycle: March spawners on the dam riprap at night, May-June on wind-blown flats with jig-and-crawler, summer trolled over 20-30 ft channel breaks. Annual stockings plus clear water grow them fat: a 25-incher surprises no local.

Wind, sails and structure

Stockton's steady southwest wind made it Missouri's sailing lake: for anglers it is a positioning tool. Wind-blown points load with white bass and walleye; calm coves hold spring crappie; and the highway CC bluffs give smallmouth a rocky home rare for the region. Chart the wind first, the map second.

Common questions

Is Stockton really Missouri's best walleye lake?

By density and size together it leads the conversation with Bull Shoals: clear water plus a steady stocking program built a genuine destination fishery two hours from Springfield or KC.

Walleye on Ozark wind

Stockton runs Missouri's steadiest walleye program on its clear Ozark flats: jig-and-minnow springs on the gravel points, summer crawler harnesses over 15-25 ft, and an October blade bite the locals keep quiet. The lake's steady wind (sailors love it for a reason) is the walleye angler's friend: drift the windward flats and let the chop do the presenting.

Is fishing good at Stockton Lake 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

Pomme de Terre Lake29 miTruman Lake36 miNiangua River40 miBennett Spring44 miLake of the Ozarks56 miLake Taneycomo65 mi
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