Fishing at Forest Lake Near Kirksville

Forest Lake is the 573-acre lake inside Thousand Hills State Park west of Kirksville. It supports several popular game fish and has lake-specific regulations that anglers should check before fishing.

Missouri State Parks is the better source for current Forest Lake limits when another summary disagrees with it.

What can you catch?

Missouri Department of Conservation's 2026 fishing outlook describes opportunities for:

• largemouth bass;
• white crappie;
• channel catfish;
• walleye.

The 2026 outlook described bass as numerous, with many smaller fish and some larger fish available. White crappie were described as plentiful, especially in the 8- to 10-inch range.

Channel catfish are stocked regularly, and MDC has also stocked walleye in multiple recent years.

Those management surveys describe the fishery. They do not guarantee what an angler will catch on a particular day.

Current Forest Lake special limits

The current Missouri State Parks fishing page lists:

Species	Daily limit	Protected length
Largemouth bass	6	More than 12 inches but less than 15 inches must be released
Walleye	4	Fish under 15 inches must be released
Channel catfish	4	No lake-specific protected length listed
Crappie	30	No lake-specific protected length listed
Other fish combined	20	Subject to applicable statewide rules

Regulations can change. Check the live State Parks page and current Missouri Wildlife Code before a fishing trip.

Gear and method restrictions matter too

Current State Parks rules also say:

• no more than three poles or rods may be used by one person;
• trot lines and jug lines are not allowed;
• seining or trapping live bait is prohibited;
• carp may be taken by specified bow or gig methods during statewide seasons.

Those are lake-specific details worth checking even if you already know Missouri's general fishing rules.

Fishing access

State Parks lists an accessible fishing dock and fish-cleaning station.

MDC describes the barrier-free dock on the north shoreline off Big Loop Trail Road.

Forest Lake is also fishable by boat. Private boats require a City permit and the lake has specific motor restrictions. See How Forest Lake Boat Permits Work.

Where to start for walleye

MDC's current fishing outlook points anglers toward rocky points and the dam area in spring, with fish moving toward main-lake points later in summer.

That is management guidance, not a promise that fish will be holding in exactly the same place every day.

Use the authoritative rule source

A current tourism page has listed a different crappie limit than Missouri State Parks.

When rule summaries conflict, use the current State Parks page and Missouri Wildlife Code rather than the less authoritative summary.

For anglers who need lower-barrier access, see Accessible Fishing Options Around Kirksville.