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Mississippi River 155 mi
Photo: Sleepysavage, Public domain 
Cape Girardeau 16 mi
Photo: Lazlo911, CC BY-SA 4.0 
Wappapello Lake 35 mi
Photo: mostateparks, Public domain 
Black River 45 mi
Photo: Kbh3rd, CC BY 3.0
Missouri lakes and reservoirs
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Lake Girardeau Fishing
A 144-acre Missouri lake in Cape Girardeau County.
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Cape Girardeau County
Where Lake Girardeau sits and how big it is
The MDC outline gives Lake Girardeau a surface of 144 acres, spread over Cape Girardeau County. The shortest run to a town is Whitewater, near 4 miles. Biologists of the MDC Southeast Region look after it. MDC lists it as part of Lake Girardeau Conservation Area.
You can launch at 1 mapped ramp. Shore anglers can use 2 docks and jetties.
144acres
1mapped ramps
2docks and jetties
1counties
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: 573-290-5730.
Access
Ramps and docks on Lake Girardeau
- Lake Girardeau Conservation Areaboat ramp, accessible, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
Fishing docks MDC maps at Lake Girardeau
- Lake Girardeau Conservation Areafishing dock
- Lake Girardeau Conservation Areafishing dock
Boat ramps within reach of Lake Girardeau
- Block Hole Accessboat ramp, parking, 5 miles south
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Limits
Bag and length rules at Lake Girardeau
| 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 |
At Lake Girardeau the statewide limits apply, with any listed exception taking priority.
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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MDC lakes near Lake Girardeau, put side by side
For more room to roam, Perry County Community Lake offers 90 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Girardeau | 144 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rotary Lake | 12 miles northeast | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tywappity Community Lake | 13 miles southeast | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Capaha Park Lake | 17 miles east | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Legion Lake 1 | 29 miles north | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Perry County Community Lake | 30 miles north | 90 | 2 | 9 | 7 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Nearby
What else lies close to Lake Girardeau
Lakes to try after Lake Girardeau
- Rotary Lake12 miles northeast
- Tywappity Community Lake13 miles southeast
- Capaha Park Lake17 miles east
- Legion Lake 129 miles north
- Perry County Community Lake30 miles north
Shops anglers stop at before Lake Girardeau
- Mo Dry Dock & Repr Co, 6792 State Highway 74marina, Cape Girardeau, 12 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Cape Girardeausporting goods store, Cape Girardeau, 14 miles
- Trappers Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Advance, 14 miles
- Mo Dry Dock & Repr Co, 182 Red Fox Lnmarina, Cape Girardeau, 14 miles
- Foutzs Hunting & Fishing, LLCbait and tackle shop, Cape Girardeau, 16 miles
Where to sleep before fishing Lake Girardeau
- Marble Hill8 miles
- Jackson12 miles
- Chaffee12 miles
Counties sharing Lake Girardeau
- Cape Girardeau Countyseat: Jackson
Piscifun
Line and reels from Piscifun ahead of Lake Girardeau
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Photos
Photographs of fishing water by Lake Girardeau
Photo: Sleepysavage, Public domain
Photo: Lazlo911, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: mostateparks, Public domain
Photo: Kbh3rd, CC BY 3.0
Answers
Before a trip to Lake Girardeau, the common questions
Where in the Show-Me State is Lake Girardeau?
The outline sits in Cape Girardeau County, the MDC Southeast Region, about 4 miles from Whitewater.
How many acres is Lake Girardeau by MDC mapping?
The outline measures 144 acres.
Where is the nearest ramp to Lake Girardeau?
Yes, 1 mapped ramp, such as Lake Girardeau Conservation Area.
Which gamefish are named for Lake Girardeau?
MDC publishes no species list for it in this data.
Is there a length limit at Lake Girardeau?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
Can a visitor from another state fish Missouri's Lake Girardeau?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Is there a horsepower limit on Lake Girardeau?
No motor limit is on file; signs on site decide.
Where does a Missouri angler buy bait near Lake Girardeau?
Closest listed: Mo Dry Dock & Repr Co, 12 miles.
Give a Missouri weekend to Lake Girardeau
Buy the Missouri permit online before the trip.