Harrison County Lake Fishing

MDC fisheries staff wrote this outlook for Harrison County Lake in the 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects:

Harrison County Reservoir (280 acres) consistently provides good-quality channel catfishing, some nice-sized crappie, and the occasional largemouth bass over 20 inches. The latest electrofishing surveys showed similar results to those observed in prior surveys from 2015-2024. Channel catfish remain abundant thanks to continued stocking of catchable-sized catfish every two years at a rate of 10 fish per acre. Many of the channel catfish we surveyed were 15 to 24 inches long which make them ideal table fare. In recent years, a few larger flathead catfish and blue catfish have also been caught, although neither species is stocked by MDC.

The fish population continues to adjust to the establishment of gizzard shad (source unknown) which were first reported in 2015. Electrofishing surveys in recent years have shown a general trend towards fewer largemouth bass, and fewer and smaller (slow growing) panfish species such as bluegill . Average catch rates for largemouth bass and bluegill in our surveys from 2016-2025 were about half of the average catch rates prior to the introduction of gizzard shad. Unfortunately, sizes of bluegill have declined from the nice-sized 8+ inchers to very few over 6 inches.

The presence of gizzard shad in the lake has definitely changed the fishery. Gizzard shad populations typically fluctuate greatly from year-to-year, depending on weather patterns, which can result in positive or negative impacts to the fishery. Some years there may be high numbers of juvenile shad produced throughout the summer and this provides abundant forage for species like crappie and bass. Other years, shad spawning conditions may be short-lived or poor and small forage is then limited. Gizzard shad also consume large amounts of plankton which are important food sources for juvenile fish, especially panfish (bluegill and crappie).

MDC, 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects (report), quoted; retrieved October 27, 2026.

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Unless named below, Harrison County Lake follows the statewide rows.

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.