Perry County Lake

Perry County Lake is a 103-acre lake that offers a variety of fishing opportunities.  In addition to two boat ramps, there is good access to shoreline fishing along much of the perimeter of the lake.  Largemouth bass fishing should be good in 2024.  Anglers should expect a good number of largemouth bass over 15 inches.  Bass anglers should target habitat including rip rap along the dam, brush piles, aquatic vegetation beds, or the aeration boils where gizzard shad congregate. Bluegill fishing should be fair. Bluegill 6 to 7 1/2 inches are common, but very few exceed 8 inches. Large redear sunfish (8-10 inches) are common and can be difficult to catch but provide anglers with an excellent challenge. White and black crappie are abundant, but both populations are stunted. Anglers will find very few crappie longer than nine inches. Anglers are strongly encouraged to harvest 30 crappie per day. Hopefully, this will reduce crappie densities, which will improve the growth of the remaining crappie.  Minnows or tube jigs fished near woody cover works well for crappie.  Each fall, 3,000 channel catfish are stocked in the lake. These stockings have produced a good catfish population and fish up to 10 pounds are present. Survey results from 2023, indicate that anglers should expect approximately 60 percent of the catfish to be over 16 inches.  Anglers should fish with cut baits, stink baits, or night crawlers.  This lake also supports a unique fishing opportunity in Southeast Missouri. Hybrid striped bass (1,000 per year) have been stocked annually since 2005. The minimum length limit is 20 inches, and the daily limit is 4. Each year, multiple angers report catching hybrid striped bass greater than 7 pounds.