Pomme de Terre Lake
Missouri's Muskie Lake

Missouri's Only True Muskie Lake

Pomme de Terre Lake holds one distinction that no other lake in Missouri can claim. The Missouri Department of Conservation has stocked muskellunge (muskie) here since 1966, and the population has established itself as a genuine self-sustaining fishery. Muskie have been caught in Pomme de Terre up to 48 inches in length. The lake consistently produces legal 36-inch-plus muskellunge for the dedicated anglers willing to put in the "fish of 10,000 casts" time that muskie fishing demands.

That single fact — Missouri's only muskie lake — drives a specific buyer profile to Pomme de Terre that other Hickory County or west-central Missouri lakes simply do not attract. Serious muskie anglers from Kansas City, St. Louis, and across the Midwest know this lake by reputation. For buyers who are also dedicated anglers, Pomme de Terre is the only lake in Missouri where you can fish for muskie from your own dock.

The Lake and Its Setting

Pomme de Terre Lake was authorized by Congress in 1938 as part of a comprehensive flood control plan for the Missouri River Basin and completed by the USACE Kansas City District in 1961. At multipurpose pool, the reservoir covers 7,820 acres at an elevation of 839 feet above mean sea level. During heavy inflow events, the lake can expand to as much as 16,100 acres as excess runoff is impounded for downstream flood protection. The dam is an earth and rockfill embankment, 7,240 feet long, standing 155 feet above the streambed.

The lake sits entirely in Hickory County, Missouri — one of the state's smallest and most rural counties, with a population under 10,000. Hermitage is the county seat, located on the eastern (Hermitage) side of the lake. Pittsburg, on the western side, is the other primary lakeside community and the location of Pomme de Terre State Park, which provides camping, boat ramps, swimming beaches, and a marina on the Pittsburg arm. Four full-service commercial marinas serve the lake in total, providing fuel, supplies, boat rentals, and slip storage on both sides.

Kansas City is approximately two hours north. Springfield is approximately two hours east. The relative equidistance between these two metro areas gives Pomme de Terre a diverse buyer pool — weekenders from KC and full-time retirees from the Springfield corridor both find it accessible.

Property Tax: Why Buyers Are Surprised

Hickory County has a median effective property tax rate of approximately 0.54–0.79% of market value, depending on school district. Combined with Missouri's 19% residential assessment ratio, a $350,000 lakefront home in Hickory County carries an assessed value of roughly $66,500 and a typical annual tax bill of $350–$525. The county's median annual tax bill for all residential properties is around $200 — one of the lowest in Missouri and one of the lowest in the United States. Lakefront properties will run higher than the county median due to higher market values, but they remain dramatically lower than equivalent lake properties in most other states.

Missouri also passed SB190, a senior property tax freeze for homeowners 62 and older on their primary residence. Verify current Hickory County adoption status with the Hickory County Assessor before purchasing — see our full property tax page for the latest information.

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