Little Dixie Lake Fishing
A 195-acre Missouri lake in Callaway County.
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Little Dixie Lake in the MDC files
Little Dixie Lake covers 195 acres in Callaway County, going by the MDC waterbody outline. The closest Census place is Ashland, about 9 miles from the MDC label point. It is one of the waters of the MDC Central Region. Its managing area is Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area.
MDC counts 1 mapped ramp on its shore. The dock layer lists 10 docks and jetties. There are 48 brush and rock attractor points on file.
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: 573-815-7900.
The 2026 report on Little Dixie Lake
From the MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects entry for Little Dixie Lake:
Largemouth bass fishing should be good in 2026 based on recent surveys. Anglers may find more bass in the 10-11-inch range. A number of bass in the 12-15-inch protected slot length range providing some excellent catch and release fishing. Bass over 18 inches (3 lbs. or larger) are common, including a few around 22-24 inches (6 lbs.). Anglers can help improve the density of larger bass by practicing catch-and-release fishing for those bass greater than 15 inches.
Redear sunfish fishing should be good, according to surveys conducted in Spring 2025. As in previous years, anglers will have the opportunity to catch large numbers of 8-11-inch redear. Chances of catching a 10-inch redear sunfish (Master Angler Award size) are good. Try fishing near woody cover and tree stumps in shallow water, especially in May and early June during spawning. Worms and crickets fished on or near the bottom work well. There is also an overabundance of common carp in Little Dixie Lake. Common carp not only compete with more desirable game species but decrease water quality as well.
On I-70 ten miles west of Kingdom City, take the Route J exit and go south to Route RA. The main Little Dixie Lake CA parking area is off Route RA near the junction with Route J in Millersburg. An additional parking lot, including disabled access, can be reached by traveling west on RA, which turns into County Road 228.Turn north onto County Road 226. Follow the signs to Little Dixie Lake.
MDC, 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects (report), quoted; retrieved October 27, 2026.
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MDC writing and records connect these species with Little Dixie Lake.
MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects text, MDC State Record Fish list and MDC trout program statements, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Where MDC sank cover in Little Dixie Lake
There are 48 sunken cover points across Little Dixie Lake, placed between 2019 and 2026.
| Material | Points | Years placed |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars | 25 | 2019 to 2023 |
| Cedar | 23 | 2025 to 2026 |
MDC Fishing Interactive Map, fish attractors layer (material and year placed as mapped), retrieved October 27, 2026.
Putting a boat or a line into Little Dixie Lake
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areaboat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
Where to cast from land at Little Dixie Lake
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing dock, accessible
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty, accessible
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
Second-choice launches around Little Dixie Lake
- A. Perry Philips Park Lake (Columbia)A Perry Philips Park Lake, 9 miles west
- Ashland Lake (University of Missouri)Ashland Lake, 11 miles southwest
- McCredie Farm Lake (University of Missouri)McCredie Farm Lake, 12 miles east
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
The rulebook for Little Dixie 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 |
Start from the statewide table for Little Dixie Lake; the booklet exceptions override it.
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.
Sizing Little Dixie Lake against its neighbours
Of the lakes listed, A Perry Philips Park Lake is biggest, 41 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Dixie Lake | 195 | 1 | 48 | 7 | |
| Vineyards Park Lake | 8 miles west | 12 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| A Perry Philips Park Lake | 9 miles west | 41 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Stephens Park Lake | 10 miles west | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashland Lake | 12 miles south | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| McCredie Farm Lake | 12 miles east | 14 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
The neighbourhood of Little Dixie Lake in Missouri
More MDC lakes around Little Dixie Lake
- Vineyards Park Lake8 miles west
- A Perry Philips Park Lake9 miles west
- Stephens Park Lake10 miles west
- Ashland Lake12 miles south
- McCredie Farm Lake12 miles east
Bait and tackle a short drive from Little Dixie Lake
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 10 miles
- Bass Pro Shops Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 10 miles
- Powder Horn Guns & Sportingbait and tackle shop, Columbia, 11 miles
- Tombstone Tacklebait and tackle shop, Columbia, 13 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 14 miles
- Sho Me Fishing Lure Innovationbait and tackle shop, Centralia, 21 miles
Home-base towns for Little Dixie Lake
- Ashland9 miles
- Fulton10 miles
- Columbia11 miles
Missouri county pages that take in Little Dixie Lake
- Callaway Countyseat: Fulton
A Piscifun kit to carry to Little Dixie Lake
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Telling the fish of Little Dixie Lake apart by photo
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answers about Little Dixie Lake
How do I find Little Dixie Lake on a Missouri map?
Head for Callaway County, the MDC Central Region, about 9 miles from Ashland.
How big is Little Dixie Lake on the MDC outline?
Close to 195 acres.
Is there a public boat ramp at Little Dixie Lake?
There are 1 mapped ramp; try Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area.
What does the MDC fish list say about Little Dixie Lake?
largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish, blue catfish and common carp, by MDC sources.
Which regulations cover Little Dixie Lake?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
Which Missouri permit covers Little Dixie Lake?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Is a big outboard welcome on Missouri's Little Dixie Lake?
MDC lists no rule in this set; check on site.
Which Missouri tackle shop sits closest to Little Dixie Lake?
Academy Sports + Outdoors Columbia is about 10 miles from the water.
What do biologists say about Little Dixie Lake?
Largemouth bass fishing should be good in 2026 based on recent surveys. Anglers may find more bass in the 10-11-inch range. A number of bass in the 12-15-inch protected slot length range providing some excellent catch and release fishing. Bass over 18 inches (3 lbs. or larger) are common, including (MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects)
Where did MDC sink structure in Little Dixie Lake?
The cover section maps 48 points.
Take the Ozark back roads to Little Dixie Lake
Every Missouri fee and limit is one click away.