Bushwhacker Lake Fishing
A 152-acre Missouri lake in Vernon County.
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Sizing up Bushwhacker Lake
In Vernon County, Bushwhacker Lake measures 152 acres on the conservation department map. Bronaugh is the nearest town, some 4 miles off. MDC manages it within the MDC Kansas City Region. Missouri visitors reach it through Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area.
Boaters have 1 mapped ramp to choose from. Bank anglers get 4 docks and jetties. MDC habitat work left 13 attractor points here.
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres, region, managing area) on gisblue.mdc.mo.gov, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 27, 2026. MDC office phone: 816-622-0900.
Structure placed in Bushwhacker Lake
The MDC attractor layer shows 13 points at Bushwhacker Lake, placed in 2024.
| Material | Points | Years placed |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars | 7 | 2024 |
| HabitatCove | 6 | 2024 |
MDC Fishing Interactive Map, fish attractors layer (material and year placed as mapped), retrieved October 27, 2026.
Every mapped access at Bushwhacker Lake
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Areaboat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
MDC docks and jetties at Bushwhacker Lake
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Areafishing dock, accessible
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty, accessible
Accesses a quick trailer haul from Bushwhacker Lake
- Radio Springs Lake (Nevada)Radio Springs Lake, 11 miles north
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Daily limits on Bushwhacker Lake
| Species | Daily limit and length | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky) | 6 a day | All year |
| Channel catfish | 10 a day | All year |
| Blue catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Flathead catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Crappie (black and white) | 30 a day | All year |
| Goggle-eye (Ozark, rock, and shadow bass) and warmouth | 15 a day; 7" minimum | All year |
| Muskellunge | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike); 36" minimum | All year |
| Northern pike | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike) | All year |
| Paddlefish (spoonbill) | 2 a day; 32" minimum (eye to fork of tail) | March 15–April 30 |
| Pickerel (chain and grass) | 6 a day | All year |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | 10 a day; 30" maximum (snout to fork of tail) | All year |
| Trout (rainbow and brown) | 4 a day; Rainbow: none; Brown: 15" minimum in streams | All year |
| Walleye and sauger | 4 a day; 15" minimum | All year |
| White, yellow, and striped bass and their hybrids | 15 a day; No more than 4 longer than 18" | All year |
The statewide rows set the baseline at Bushwhacker Lake.
Limits and seasons as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026), page 20 (booklet PDF); retrieved October 27, 2026.
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By MDC acreage, Four Rivers Reservoir tops the neighbours at 134 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushwhacker Lake | 152 | 1 | 13 | 0 | |
| Radio Springs Lake | 11 miles north | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Izaac Walton Lake | 13 miles north | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pin Oak Lake | 18 miles southwest | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Four Rivers Reservoir | 24 miles north | 134 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Unit 3 Lake | 26 miles north | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Next stops near Bushwhacker Lake
Other still water near Bushwhacker Lake
- Radio Springs Lake11 miles north
- Izaac Walton Lake13 miles north
- Pin Oak Lake18 miles southwest
- Four Rivers Reservoir24 miles north
- Unit 3 Lake26 miles north
Bait counters that serve Bushwhacker Lake
- Liberal Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Liberal, 11 miles
Show-Me towns a drive from Bushwhacker Lake
- Nevada13 miles
- Lamar14 miles
- El Dorado Springs26 miles
The Missouri counties Bushwhacker Lake reaches into
- Vernon Countyseat: Nevada
Piscifun tackle a Missouri angler might take to Bushwhacker Lake
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Hollows, bluffs and lakes by Bushwhacker Lake, in photos
Photo: Scottb211, CC BY 2.0
Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer unknown, Public domain
Photo: mostateparks, Public domain
Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Things Show-Me visitors wonder about Bushwhacker Lake
Which MDC region covers Bushwhacker Lake?
You will find it in Vernon County, the MDC Kansas City Region, about 4 miles from Bronaugh.
What surface area does MDC give Bushwhacker Lake?
Some 152 acres.
Where does a Show-Me boater launch on Bushwhacker Lake?
1 mapped ramp, including Bushwhacker Lake Conservation Area.
What fish does MDC report at Bushwhacker Lake?
The MDC sources here name no species.
Does Bushwhacker Lake have special fishing rules?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
Is a trout permit needed at Bushwhacker Lake?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Does MDC allow gas motors on Bushwhacker Lake?
Posted rules at the access apply; none is on file here.
Who sells minnows and crawdads near Bushwhacker Lake?
Drive about 11 miles to Liberal Bait & Tackle.
Does Bushwhacker Lake have fish attractors?
MDC lists 13 points of placed cover.
Pick a date for Bushwhacker Lake
Check the daily limit before a fish goes in the livewell.