Mozingo Lake Fishing
A 998-acre Missouri reservoir in Nodaway County.
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The facts on Mozingo Lake
MDC maps Mozingo Lake at 998 acres of open water in Nodaway County. From the water, Maryville sits about 5 miles away. The water sits inside the MDC Northwest Region. Access comes through Mozingo Lake (Maryville).
Trailers go in at 3 mapped ramps. Walk-on fishing comes from 8 docks and jetties. 127 attractor points of cedar, stumps or rock sit on its bottom.
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: 816-271-3100.
MDC sampling notes on Mozingo Lake
The 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects says this about Mozingo Lake:
Spring electrofishing sampling in 2025 on 1,006-acre Mozingo Lake near Maryville again revealed a very good and consistent largemouth bass population. Electrofishing catch rates were up in 2025 at 85 bass per hour, indicating continued healthy numbers of bass in the system. Just over half of the 530 bass sampled measured over 12 inches, 32 percent measured over 15 inches, with several individual fish measuring up to 22 inches. Abundant habitat in the form of submerged brush piles, rocky points, milfoil weed lines, flooded trees, and shallow coves are all available to suit different fishing presentations.
Annual walleye stocking has improved the walleye fishery in Mozingo in recent years, and walleye fishing in 2026 again has the potential to produce excellent catches. Mozingo continues to receive 30,000 fingerlings every year to supplement the fishery. Spring electrofishing sampling in 2025 again saw great catch rates at over 85 walleye per hour, with 90 percent of the walleye measuring over 15 inches, and 65 percent measuring over 20 inches. Trophy walleye over 10 pounds are possible. A total of 478 walleye were tagged over the last 2 years in the early spring with orange $25 reward tags to determine exploitation rates to help guide future walleye management in the lake.
From Maryville, take Highway 136 east 3 miles, take Liberty Road north off Highway 136, travel past golf course entrance then take 245th Street west of park entrance at Park/Lake access.
MDC, 2026 Missouri Fishing Prospects (report), quoted; retrieved October 27, 2026.
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The roster for Mozingo Lake comes from MDC sources; unlisted fish may also be present.
MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects text, MDC State Record Fish list and MDC trout program statements, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Brush piles and cover in Mozingo Lake
Habitat crews mapped 127 attractor points in Mozingo Lake, placed between 2010 and 2023.
| Material | Points | Years placed |
|---|---|---|
| Hardwood | 116 | 2011 to 2023 |
| Cedar-Hardwood | 11 | 2010 to 2011 |
MDC Fishing Interactive Map, fish attractors layer (material and year placed as mapped), retrieved October 27, 2026.
Where to get on Mozingo Lake
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville) (north ramp)boat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville) (south ramp)boat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville) (south ramp)boat ramp, parking, privy nearby; Missouri Department of Conservation
Walk-out docks on Mozingo Lake
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing dock
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing dock, accessible
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing dock
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing dock, accessible
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing dock
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fishing jetty
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fish cleaning station, accessible
- Mozingo Lake (Maryville)fish cleaning station, accessible
More MDC ramps around Mozingo Lake
- Nodaway County Community LakeNodaway County Community Lake, 6 miles northwest
MDC boat ramp/access, dock and jetty layers; USACE Little Rock District ramps and USACE recreation areas; retrieved October 27, 2026.
What a Missouri angler may keep at Mozingo 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 Mozingo 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.
Mozingo Lake and the closest MDC lakes
Bilby Ranch Lake leads this group on size with 109 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Ramps | Attractors | Species named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozingo Lake | 998 | 3 | 127 | 4 | |
| Nodaway County Community Lake | 6 miles northwest | 72 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| Worth County Community Lake | 14 miles east | 18 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Bilby Ranch Lake | 19 miles west | 109 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Happy Holler Lake | 24 miles south | 58 | 1 | 17 | 6 |
| Silt Basin 7 | 24 miles south | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
MDC waterbody outlines, ramp and attractor layers, 2026 prospects; retrieved October 27, 2026.
Shops, towns and water around Mozingo Lake
Neighbouring MDC impoundments to Mozingo Lake
- Nodaway County Community Lake6 miles northwest
- Worth County Community Lake14 miles east
- Bilby Ranch Lake19 miles west
- Happy Holler Lake24 miles south
- Silt Basin 724 miles south
Where to stock the cooler for Mozingo Lake
- Big Bird's Baitbait and tackle shop, Maryville, 5 miles
- Rea's One Horse Grocery Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Rea, 22 miles
Towns with a bed near Mozingo Lake
- Maryville5 miles
- Stanberry17 miles
- Albany25 miles
County-by-county pages for Mozingo Lake
- Nodaway Countyseat: Maryville
Piscifun spinning and casting gear to pack for Mozingo Lake
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Fish pictures to know before Mozingo Lake
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mozingo Lake: questions Show-Me anglers bring up
Which Missouri county is Mozingo Lake in?
Look in Nodaway County, the MDC Northwest Region, about 5 miles from Maryville.
What does MDC list as the size of Mozingo Lake?
Roughly 998 acres on the MDC outline.
Can I trailer a boat into Mozingo Lake?
MDC and the Corps map 3 mapped ramps; Mozingo Lake (Maryville) (north ramp) is one.
Does Mozingo Lake have bass and crappie?
On the list: largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish and walleye.
Which 2026 Missouri rules apply on Mozingo Lake?
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky): 6 a day; All year.
What does a fishing permit cost for Mozingo 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 Mozingo Lake?
Nothing on motors is published here; read the ramp signs.
Which shop on our Missouri list is nearest Mozingo Lake?
Try Big Bird's Bait, roughly 5 miles off.
Is Mozingo Lake fishing well in 2026?
Spring electrofishing sampling in 2025 on 1,006-acre Mozingo Lake near Maryville again revealed a very good and consistent largemouth bass population. Electrofishing catch rates were up in 2025 at 85 bass per hour, indicating continued healthy numbers of bass in the system. Just over half of the (MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects)
Are there brush piles in Mozingo Lake?
127 points, broken down by material above.
Hitch the bass boat and head for Mozingo Lake
Read the limits above, then pick the ramp nearest your target.