Fishing at Hazel Creek Lake

Regulations checked: September 2026.

Hazel Creek Lake is owned by the City of Kirksville, while the fishery is managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

MDC currently lists muskie, sunfish, catfish, crappie and black bass among the fishing opportunities at the lake.

The 2026 fishery outlook is unusually strong for muskie

MDC's 2026 fishing prospects describe muskie fishing at Hazel Creek as excellent.

The agency says the lake has more than 1,000 PIT-tagged muskie in an ongoing mark-recapture project and estimates that roughly one in three fish may measure at least 36 inches.

September and October are highlighted as strong months for feeding muskie.

That is a management forecast, not a catch guarantee.

Bass and crappie are important too

MDC says the largemouth-bass population continues to improve.

A spring 2024 survey found:

• 26 percent of sampled bass were at least 15 inches;
• 10 percent were at least 18 inches.

MDC also reports improved white-crappie conditions.

Channel catfish in roughly the 2- to 4-pound range are available, though MDC says they are not abundant.

Blue catfish remain possible even though MDC says the species was last stocked in the lake in 1990.

Current special regulations matter

Hazel Creek is not a place where an angler should rely on a generic statewide-limit summary.

Current Missouri rules list Hazel Creek under special regulations.

As checked for this article:

• black bass under 15 inches must be released;
• the daily crappie limit is 15;
• the aggregate daily limit for channel, blue and flathead catfish on these Chapter 12 waters is four.

Muskellunge are also regulated under Missouri's current muskie rules.

Regulations can change, so verify the current Missouri Wildlife Code and posted lake signs before fishing.

Electric motors only

The current MDC area page allows boats but specifies:

Only electric motors may be used.

Do not confuse Hazel Creek with Forest Lake, which has a different boating system and permit structure.

Where to get on the water

The City maintains two access areas with boat ramps.

Current City information also lists parking, restrooms and picnic areas, with an accessible fishing dock at the northern access.

MDC's directions place the lake north of Kirksville off Highway 63 and then west on the local access road.

Muskie require better handling preparation

MDC's 2026 prospects recommend having equipment ready for safely handling and releasing large fish, including long pliers, a hook cutter, gloves and a measuring device.

That advice is practical even for an angler not specifically targeting muskie because one can still be encountered while fishing the lake.

Check the live rules, not an old brochure

Older Hazel Creek brochures contain regulation tables that were correct when printed.

Some of those rules have since changed.

The current code is the authority.

Hazel Creek's fishing value comes from the fishery that exists now—not from preserving a regulation sheet from a decade ago.