North Lake
The city lists the larger Willmore lake at about 5 acres. The park page also describes the North Lake as a local fishing hot spot and notes bass are reported in good numbers.
WATER SELECTOR
Choose your water.
Then choose the setup.
Each lake gets its own map position and planning notes. Exact conditions change, so use the guide as a starting point.
Start here
- Walk the bank before changing lures.
- Prioritize shade, vegetation, cover and wind-blown edges.
- Fish early or late during hot weather.
- Keep exact honey holes private; learn repeatable patterns instead.
WILLMORE PARK · VERIFIED LOCAL DETAILS
North and South lakes are small, stocked urban waters.
Official sources checked September 25, 2026
Willmore is a good example of why a local guide should answer “which lake?” before “which lure?” The City of St. Louis lists two fishable lakes, and the urban program gives them a warm-season stocking pattern rather than a winter-trout identity.
South Lake
The second lake is listed at about 3 acres. Its smaller scale favors a simple bank-fishing approach: cover the available shoreline before deciding the fish are not active.
Stocking pattern
City and MDC information place both Willmore lakes in the St. Louis Urban Fishing Program, with channel catfish through the warm season and hybrid sunfish stocking. They are not listed among the metro winter-trout lakes.
Best use of the park
Willmore makes more sense for a short after-work or family bank-fishing trip than for a gear-heavy destination day. One spinning rod plus a small terminal-tackle box is enough for most first visits.
Choose the lake by the kind of trip you want
- Start at North Lake if you want more water to cover or want to spend time probing for bass around edges and visible cover.
- Start at South Lake if you want a compact walk, a simple catfish setup, or a quick float-and-worm session for panfish.
- Because the lakes are stocked urban waters, check the stocking season and current regulations before assuming a species is equally available all year.
Cast STL planning note: These are source-backed trip-planning recommendations, not a claim that Cast STL visited the water or caught fish there on the verification date.
Official sources used for this guide
Rules, stocking details and access can change. Use these links and posted signs as the final authority.
SIMPLE SETUPS
Three ways
to start fishing.
These cover most first-trip situations without turning the guide into a tackle catalog.
BASS
Finesse + moving bait
8–12 lb mono/fluoro or 15–20 lb braid with an 8–12 lb fluorocarbon leader. Start with a finesse worm, small jig or spinnerbait.
PANFISH / TROUT
Light spinning
4–6 lb mono/fluoro. Small jig, float rig, worm or trout presentation when the selected water and season allow it.
CATFISH
Simple bottom rig
12–20 lb main line with an abrasion-resistant leader. Use legal natural/prepared bait and match sinker weight to wind or current.
ACCESS + REGULATIONS
Check before you keep.
- North and South lakes are listed in the St. Louis Urban Fishing Program.
- Current urban-program black bass, catfish, crappie and combined-species limits apply.
- These are city park waters; obey posted park access and closure information.
- Verify current MDC regulations before keeping fish.
OFFICIAL SOURCE
Current rules win.
Cast STL is for trip planning. Missouri Department of Conservation regulations and posted park rules control on site.
Check official information