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Missouri lakes and reservoirs

Macs Lake Fishing

A 26-acre Missouri lake in Dent County.

Get driving directions

Pick for largemouthPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 ~~$129.99~~

Photo of Meramec River: Archbob, CC0 1.0

Dent County

The facts on Macs Lake

MDC maps Macs Lake at 26 acres of open water in Dent County. From the water, Salem sits about 2 miles away. The water sits inside the MDC Ozark Region. Access comes through Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Area.

Trailers go in at 1 mapped ramp. Walk-on fishing comes from 1 dock or jetty.

26acres

1mapped ramps

1docks 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: 573-729-3182.

Directions to Macs Lake MDC area page

Access

Where to get on Macs Lake

Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Area on Macs Lakeboat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation

Walk-out docks on Macs Lake

Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Areafishing dock

More MDC ramps around Macs Lake

Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation AreaShawnee Lake, under a mile west
Indian Trail Conservation Area on Blackwell LakeBlackwell Lake, 11 miles northeast

MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.

Limits

What a Missouri angler may keep at Macs 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

These statewide rows hold at Macs Lake unless a special regulation below changes them.

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.

Missouri permits and limits

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Compare

Macs Lake and the closest MDC lakes

Towell Lake leads this group on size with 97 acres.

Lake	Distance	Acres	Ramps	Attractors	Species named
Macs Lake		26	1	0	0
Shawnee Lake	under a mile west	16	1	0	0
Blackwell Lake	11 miles northeast	26	1	0	0
Scioto Lake	25 miles north	5	0	0	0
Schuman Park Lake	26 miles northwest	5	0	0	0
Towell Lake	26 miles northwest	97	1	6	4

MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.

Nearby

Shops, towns and water around Macs Lake

Neighbouring MDC impoundments to Macs Lake

Shawnee Lakeunder a mile west
Blackwell Lake11 miles northeast
Scioto Lake25 miles north
Schuman Park Lake26 miles northwest
Towell Lake26 miles northwest

Where to stock the cooler for Macs Lake

Toad's Sportsman Shopbait and tackle shop, Rolla, 23 miles

Towns with a bed near Macs Lake

Salem2 miles
Licking22 miles
Steelville24 miles

County-by-county pages for Macs Lake

Dent Countyseat: Salem

Piscifun

Piscifun spinning and casting gear to pack for Macs Lake

Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

Fish photos

Fish pictures to know before Macs Lake

White Crappie, Missouri — White Crappie
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0

Goggle-eye, Missouri — Goggle-eye
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain

Paddlefish, Missouri — Paddlefish
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Shovelnose Sturgeon, Missouri — Shovelnose Sturgeon
Photo: MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0

Answers

Macs Lake: questions Show-Me anglers bring up

Which Missouri county is Macs Lake in?

Look in Dent County, the MDC Ozark Region, about 2 miles from Salem.

What does MDC list as the size of Macs Lake?

Roughly 26 acres on the MDC outline.

Can I trailer a boat into Macs Lake?

MDC and the Corps map 1 mapped ramp; Shawnee Mac Lakes Conservation Area on Macs Lake is one.

Does Macs Lake have bass and crappie?

MDC names no fish for it here.

Which 2026 Missouri rules apply on Macs Lake?

Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.

What does a fishing permit cost for Macs Lake?

Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.

What motors are allowed on Macs Lake?

Nothing on motors is published here; read the ramp signs.

Which shop on our Missouri list is nearest Macs Lake?

Try Toad's Sportsman Shop, roughly 23 miles off.

Hitch the bass boat and head for Macs Lake

Read the limits above, then pick the ramp nearest your target.

Missouri permits and limits All Missouri lakes