Manito Lake Fishing
A 75-acre Missouri lake in Moniteau County.
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Sizing up Manito Lake
In Moniteau County, Manito Lake measures 75 acres on the conservation department map. Fortuna is the nearest town, some 2 miles off. MDC manages it within the MDC Central Region. Missouri visitors reach it through Manito Lake Conservation Area.
Boaters have 1 mapped ramp to choose from. Bank anglers get 2 docks and jetties. MDC habitat work left 10 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: 573-815-7900.
The MDC 2026 outlook for Manito Lake
Here is how MDC biologists sized up Manito Lake for 2026:
Bluegill fishing should be good again in 2025 due to many fish in the 6–8-inch size range and some 9+ inches that were also sampled in the spring of 2024. Fishing for largemouth bass will be fair; the size structure of the bass population has stayed about the same as the last few years. Spring 2024 sampling showed lots of bass in the 9–13-inch size range and no bass above the slot length limit in the 15 inch and above size range. Fishing for bass and Bluegill around the aquatic vegetation in the upper end and west arm of the lake should be productive.
From Tipton, MO take Highway 5 South to Manito Lake Road near Fortuna.
MDC, 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects (report), quoted; retrieved October 27, 2026.
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Every chip below has an MDC source tying it to Manito Lake.
MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects text, MDC State Record Fish list and MDC trout program statements, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Structure placed in Manito Lake
The MDC attractor layer shows 10 points at Manito Lake, placed between 2019 and 2022.
| Material | Points | Years placed |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars | 10 | 2019 to 2022 |
MDC Fishing Interactive Map, fish attractors layer (material and year placed as mapped), retrieved October 27, 2026.
Every mapped access at Manito Lake
- Manito Lake Conservation Areaboat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
MDC docks and jetties at Manito Lake
- Manito Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty, accessible
- Manito Lake Conservation Areafishing jetty
Accesses a quick trailer haul from Manito Lake
- Lamine River Conservation Area (south ramp)boat ramp, parking, 9 miles northwest
- Lamine River Conservation Area (east ramp)Lamine River, 10 miles northwest
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Daily limits on Manito 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 Manito 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.
Manito Lake next to five nearby lakes
By MDC acreage, Spring Fork Lake tops the neighbours at 114 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manito Lake | 75 | 1 | 10 | 6 | |
| Tipton Park Lake | 4 miles north | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Proctor Park Lake | 13 miles east | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Johnson Lake | 17 miles northeast | 14 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Spring Fork Lake | 24 miles west | 114 | 1 | 29 | 0 |
| Clover Dell Park Lake | 27 miles west | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Next stops near Manito Lake
Other still water near Manito Lake
- Tipton Park Lake4 miles north
- Proctor Park Lake13 miles east
- Johnson Lake17 miles northeast
- Spring Fork Lake24 miles west
- Clover Dell Park Lake27 miles west
Bait counters that serve Manito Lake
- The Fly Wizardbait and tackle shop, Tipton, 6 miles
- Ship's Marinabait and tackle shop, Gravois Mills, 18 miles
- Mid American Docksmarina, Eldon, 19 miles
- Indian Creek Baitbait and tackle shop, Rocky Mount, 20 miles
- BoatJams.commarina, Gravois Mills, 20 miles
- Lampe Marine Maintenance, 150 Manor Drmarina, Eldon, 21 miles
Show-Me towns a drive from Manito Lake
- Tipton5 miles
- Versailles11 miles
- California13 miles
The Missouri counties Manito Lake reaches into
- Moniteau Countyseat: California
Piscifun tackle a Missouri angler might take to Manito Lake
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Hollows, bluffs and lakes by Manito Lake, in photos
Photo: Ben Jacobson ( Kranar Drogin ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Americasroof at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Karen Blaha, CC BY-SA 2.0
Things Show-Me visitors wonder about Manito Lake
Which MDC region covers Manito Lake?
You will find it in Moniteau County, the MDC Central Region, about 2 miles from Fortuna.
What surface area does MDC give Manito Lake?
Some 75 acres.
Where does a Show-Me boater launch on Manito Lake?
1 mapped ramp, including Manito Lake Conservation Area.
What fish does MDC report at Manito Lake?
Listed: largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and common carp.
Does Manito Lake have special fishing rules?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
Is a trout permit needed at Manito 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 Manito Lake?
Posted rules at the access apply; none is on file here.
Who sells minnows and crawdads near Manito Lake?
Drive about 6 miles to The Fly Wizard.
What does MDC expect at Manito Lake in 2026?
Bluegill fishing should be good again in 2025 due to many fish in the 6–8-inch size range and some 9+ inches that were also sampled in the spring of 2024. Fishing for largemouth bass will be fair; the size structure of the bass population has stayed about the same as the last few years. Spring 2024 (MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects)
Does Manito Lake have fish attractors?
MDC lists 10 points of placed cover.
Pick a date for Manito Lake
Check the daily limit before a fish goes in the livewell.