STL Area Fishing Guide β€” April Edition
Step 1 of 5
Pick Your Area & Water
🐟 Spawn season is on! Bass and crappie are moving shallow right now. April is one of the best months to fish the STL area.
Preslar Lake
πŸ“ Fabick Nature Preserve, Fenton
BassBluegillCatfish18" bass limitNo boats
Upper Fabick Lake
πŸ“ Fabick Nature Preserve, Fenton
BluegillBassLess pressure than PreslarQuieter spot
Unger Park Lake
πŸ“ 500 Yarnell Rd, Fenton (near Kirkwood)
BassBluegillCrappieAsian carp presentFloodplain, changes seasonally
Westside Park Lake
πŸ“ Fenton
CatfishBassStocked by MDC18" bass limit
Suson Park β€” Carp Lake & Island Lake
πŸ“ South St. Louis County
Bass up to 20"CatfishTrout (winter)MDC stocked
Bee Tree Park Lake
πŸ“ Oakville, South St. Louis County
BassCrappieCatfish9 acres, fishing dockMDC stocked
New Ballwin Park Lake
πŸ“ 329 New Ballwin Rd, Ballwin
BassCatfishHybrid SunfishMDC stocked18" bass limit
Vlasis Park β€” Stocked Pond
πŸ“ 300 Park Dr, Ballwin
BassCatfish31 acres park, walkable18" bass limit
Simpson Park Lake
πŸ“ Valley Park, West St. Louis County
BassCrappieCatfish72 acres β€” biggest nearbyBoat launch
Queeny Park Lakes
πŸ“ 1675 South Mason Rd, Ballwin
BassCatfishMultiple lakes, wooded setting
Des Peres Park Lake
πŸ“ 12325 Manchester Rd, Des Peres
BassCatfish2 acres, right off ManchesterLow pressure spot
Tilles Park Lake
πŸ“ McKnight Rd south of I-64, Ladue area
CatfishBassTrout (winter)MDC stockedDock fishing
Howell Island CA β€” Missouri River Bank
πŸ“ Off Eatherton Rd, Chesterfield
White BassCatfishCrappieIsland access, unique spot
January-Wabash Memorial Park Lake
πŸ“ Ferguson (North St. Louis County)
BassCrappieCatfish5 acres, jetty access18" bass limit
Blackjack Lake (Veterans Memorial Park)
πŸ“ North St. Louis County
Bass up to 20"CatfishMDC stocked2 fishing docks
Spanish Lake Park
πŸ“ North St. Louis County
BassCrappieCatfishLow pressure, under-fished
Young Conservation Area Ponds
πŸ“ Off I-44 / Route W / Route FF, South County area
BassSunfishHidden MDC pondsLaBarque Creek access
Route 66 State Park Ponds
πŸ“ 97 N Outer Rd, Eureka (Hwy 44 / 66 area)
BassBluegillWetland ponds, very scenicUnderused β€” low pressure
Big River β€” Cedar Hill Park Access
πŸ“ Cedar Hill, off Hwy 30
Smallmouth BassSunfishTrophy Smallmouth area β€” special regsMill dam ruins
Meramec River β€” Arnold / Festus Area
πŸ“ Flamm City Park, Arnold (off Hwy 141 / 55)
BassCatfishCarpBank fishing, boat ramp
High Ridge / Murphy Area Ponds
πŸ“ Along Hwy 30, Jefferson County
BassBluegillNeighborhood/subdivision pondsCheck access β€” some public, some not
Busch Wildlife β€” Multiple Lakes
πŸ“ St. Charles (north of Hwy 40/64)
BassCatfishCrappie15+ lakes on siteTrout stocked winter
Weldon Spring Conservation Area
πŸ“ Near Hwy 40/64 & Hwy 94, St. Charles County
BassCatfishCrappie51 acres of fishable pondsMissouri River access too
Broemmelsiek Park Lakes
πŸ“ Near Wentzville, St. Charles County
BassCatfishBluegillMultiple stocked lakesLow pressure
Quail Ridge Park Lake
πŸ“ Wentzville, St. Charles County
BassCatfishBluegill3 acres + small pondStocked, easy access
Indian Camp Creek Park Lake
πŸ“ Foristell, St. Charles County (near I-70)
BassCatfishBluegill6 acres, creek fishing tooHidden gem near I-70
Kluesner Lake / Moore Lake
πŸ“ City of St. Charles
BassCatfish18" bass limitStocked, city park
Fountain Lakes Pond
πŸ“ City of St. Charles
BassCatfish18" bass limit
Heartland Lake / Community Club Lake
πŸ“ Wentzville / Rotary Park area
BassCatfishSunfish5 acres, fishing dock
Lake St. Louis β€” Community Lake
πŸ“ Lake St. Louis, off I-70
BassCrappieCatfishResidential lake, check accessLightly pressured
Cuivre Island / Cuivre River CA
πŸ“ Off Hwy 79, north of I-70 / Troy area
BassCrappieCatfishMississippi backwaterWorth the drive
Innsbrook Area Lakes
πŸ“ Near Warrenton / New Melle / Defiance
BassCrappiePrivate resort area β€” day passes availableMultiple lakes
Klondike Park β€” Missouri River Bank
πŸ“ Augusta / Defiance, off Hwy 94
CatfishCarpWhite BassMissouri River accessGorgeous setting
Meramec River β€” Valley Park / George Winter Park
πŸ“ Valley Park (off Hwy 141)
BassCatfishBoat ramp, bank fishingPost-spawn bass active
Meramec River β€” Pacific / Washington Area
πŸ“ Off I-44, south of Hwy 70 / Washington MO
Smallmouth BassBassCatfishCleaner water upstreamFloat or bank
Big River β€” Morse Mill / Hwy 30 Crossings
πŸ“ Jefferson County, off Hwy 30
Smallmouth BassSunfishTrophy area β€” special regs applyClearest water near STL
Missouri River β€” Weldon Spring / Defiance
πŸ“ Hwy 94 corridor, St. Charles County
CatfishWhite BassCarpBig water, boat helpfulSpring white bass run happening now
βž• Add a New Lake or Pond
Step 2 of 5
What Time Are You Going?
Step 3 of 5
What Are the Conditions?
☁️ Sky
πŸ’§ Water Color
🌑️ Air Temp
🌬️ Wind
Step 4 of 5 β€” Optional
Did Anything Happen Recently?
What happened in the last 1–3 days can change where fish are and what they'll bite. Select all that apply, or skip if nothing notable.
🌦️
Light Rain Yesterday
Slight water clarity drop, small pressure changes. Fish are returning to normal but still slightly off. Water may be lightly stained.
β›ˆοΈ
Heavy Rain in Last 24hrs
Runoff has muddied the water significantly. Fish pushed into flooded shallow areas β€” newly covered bushes, grass, timber. Big change in behavior.
🌧️
Rained 2–3 Days Ago
Water clarity recovering but still off. Fish settling back to normal patterns. A transitional day β€” both shallow and mid-depth are worth checking.
🌑️
Big Temperature Drop Recently
Cold front aftermath. Fish went deep, stopped feeding aggressively. Finesse presentations only β€” don't expect them to chase anything.
β˜€οΈ
Warm Streak (3+ Sunny Days)
Water has warmed up faster than normal. Spawn may be further along. Fish are more active and have moved shallower than seasonal average.
🏜️
No Rain in a Week+
Water is clearing up and settling. Levels may be dropping slightly. Fish have returned to predictable structure spots. Good clarity = finesse presentations.
Skip β€” nothing notable happened β†’
Step 5 of 5
What Are You Targeting?