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Northeast Region | Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area

Shelby County area features fine fishing.

By Larry Archer

August frequently sends people scurrying indoors for relief from the heat, but anglers willing to get an early start or otherwise handle the heat can find some fine fishing at Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area (CA).

Located on 1,905 acres in northeast Missouri’s Shelby County, Hunnewell Lake CA’s 228-acre namesake waterbody provides a healthy and diverse fish population for anglers, said Hunnewell Lake Hatchery Manager Kurt Hentschke.

“Hunnewell Lake is typically pretty good fishing for bass, bluegill, crappie, the typical stuff,” Hentschke said. “It also holds a robust population of blue catfish. It is not uncommon for advanced anglers to catch a blue catfish greater than 20 pounds using rod and reel methods.”

The lake also plays a big role in making sure there are many other great fishing holes in Missouri. As the hatchery’s water source, the lake contributes to the raising of approximately 700,000 warm-water fish destined to stock ponds and lakes around the state.

Because of the lake’s role as the hatchery’s water source, several restrictions are in place to protect water quality and prevent the inadvertent introduction of zebra mussels, including a prohibition on the use of privately owned boats and restrictions on certain types of baits.

“You’re in the early portions right before the dove season. We typically do some dove management, so we’ll have some sunflower fields. A lot of times you’ll have big number of doves starting to show up in August.” —Hunnewell Lake CA Manager Mike Flashpohler

Hunnewells Lake Conservation Area consists of 1,905 acres in Shelby County.

What To Do When You Visit

• Birdwatching Included in the Great Missouri Birding Trail (short.mdc.mo.gov/Z7J). The eBird list of birds recorded at Hunnewell Lake CA is available at short.mdc.mo.gov/Z73.
• Boat Rentals Free of charge on a first come, first served basis. Private boats prohibited.
• Camping Individual campsites
• Fishing Black bass, catfish (channel and blue), crappie, and sunfish
• Hunting Deer and turkey Deer and turkey regulations are subject to annual changes. Please refer to the Spring Turkey or Fall Deer and Turkey booklets for current regulations. Also dove, quail, rabbit, and squirrel

Discover MO Outdoors

Users can quickly and easily find outdoor activities close to home, work, or even while traveling with our free mobile app, MO Outdoors. Available in Android or iPhone platforms at mdc.mo.gov/mooutdoors.

What to Look For When You Visit

• North American river otter
• Northern watersnake
• Great blue heron
• Killdeer

Discover more nature at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide