If you’re looking for a “secret” lake with good bass fishing, look no further than Lamar, MO. Here you’ll find Lamar City Lake, and it’s a hidden gem.
How I found it
Recently, my girlfriend of three years graduated UMKC Dental School and moved back to her hometown near Joplin, MO. She got a pretty good gig working as a dentist down in the area. While I haven’t moved down there yet full time, I have been trying to spend at least a few days down there each week.
Needless to say, I have been itching to figure out some fishing options near her area. If you’ve followed our website before, you’ve probably seen the stories I’ve done about the Grand Falls Plaza area in Joplin. The smallmouth fishing there is amazing. But I was wanting to find a place with some good largemouth fishing.
Luckily, her mom’s friend had the answer: Lamar City Lake.
About the lake
Lamar City Lake is located at 214 SE 15th Road in Lamar, MO and covers 250 acres. While it is a recreational fishing lake, it is actually primarily used as the city’s water source. During our trip to the lake, we saw picnic tables, a playground, a covered boat dock, and four fishing piers/docks.
There are some fishing & boating fees:
- Daily Fishing Permit – $2.00
- Daily Boat Permit – $3.00
- Season Fishing Permit – $30.00
- Season Boat Permit – $45.00
The Lake Office closes during the winter and reopens early – mid April. All annual permits are also available at City Hall (1104 Broadway) Mon. -Fri., 8AM – 5PM, or the Parks & Rec Director’s office in Thiebaud Auditorium. Day use permits are available at the self pay box on site.
The dam area of the lake is the only place that appears to have any rocky structure. The rest of the lake is very grassy. There are various patches of lily pads around as well.
Bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish are all species you can catch in Lamar City Lake. While we didn’t fish for them, I spoke with several numerous sources that said there are some large crappie swimming around in there.
Video from our trip
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the quality of the fish. We didn’t catch many bass, but it was fairly adverse conditions. Storms and rain were moving through the area the entire morning. We suffered several soakings during our time on the water.
I would love to fish this place again in the springtime and in better weather conditions. The one giant bass I caught on the frog may have looked unhealthy right now, but hopefully it will regain some health before the fall. Sure would be great to hook into it again when it puts on a couple more pounds.