The Opportunities abound for Missouri Trout Fishermen

Current River at Baptist Camp

I used to go round and round on one of the old Google Groups that was focused on fly fishing about how good Missouri trout fishing was and is.  Some of them acknowledged that you could catch a lot of fish, but because many of them were hatchery fish, or at least not native, they were somehow unworthy.  I do not agree, and continue to be excited by the opportunities that await for myself, but also trout fishermen of all types.

In this post, I am just giving some basic details on the options - at the end of the article, you will find a link to an in depth article written by us on the vast majority of options available to you.

Trout Parks
You almost have to start here, because this is where the majority of Missouri trout fishermen get started and likely do the most fishing.  The parks are spread out west to east, but because the spring fed waters that produce water cool enough for trout is located in the Ozarks, the trout parks are all south of the Missouri River.

These parks offer easy fishing of a wide variety of methods - bait, spin, fly, bank, wading, sitting in a folding chair... They all have stores where you can purchase most of the gear you need as well as receive advice.  A little research on the internet will assist you greatly.

Rivers
The Current, Eleven Point, North Fork of the White, and Meramec are a few of the rivers in Missouri that offer outstanding fishing.  A lot of these waters are blue ribbon (fish must be 18" to keep), but you will not really be fishing them for the numbers of fish.  They are beautiful, and solitude can be yours here.

Small Streams
There are a bunch of small streams like Little Piney, Capps, Crane, Blue Springs, etc., that offer great solitude, unique opportunities for special breeds of fish, but like the rivers, they arenot going to fill your freezer with fish...

Finally, the MDC stocks many waters around Missouri for winter trout fishing in local lakes.  This can be a lot of fun, and since the fish will not survive through the summer anyhow, there is certainly no downside in limiting out any chance you get.

If you'd like to get started, or learn some new places to go, check out Missouri Trout Fishing.

New Bennett Spring Hatchery manager familiar with trout

Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager Ben Havens has worked at hatcheries at all four of Missouri's trout parks. He assumed his current position as manager of the Missouri Department of Conservation hatchery at Bennett Spring State Park on Oct. 16.

Missouri Trout Fishing

Ben Havens has worked at all four of Missouri's trout parks.

LEBANON, Mo. – Ben Havens has a new title in a profession he’s very familiar with.

On Oct. 16, Havens began his new job as manager of the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Bennett Spring Fish Hatchery. He replaces Mike Mitchell, who was promoted to Fisheries Administrative Manager at MDC’s Central Office in Jefferson City.

Assuming the job of hatchery manager at Bennett Spring gives Havens the unique accomplishment of having worked at the MDC hatcheries of all four Missouri trout parks. He began his nearly 14-year career with MDC with a three-year stint at Roaring River Hatchery. After that, he was assistant manager at Montauk Hatchery and then assistant manager at Maramec Spring Hatchery for the last five years.

“I’ve always been interested in fish, fishing and the outdoors,” the Sullivan, Ill. native said. “I love raising trout and being able to see them grow from egg to stocker size. It’s a great feeling getting to see the joy and excitement people experience when you see them catch a fish that you helped produce.”

At Bennett Spring, Havens will manage a hatchery operation that produces approximately 360,000 trout annually. The bulk of those fish go into the waters at Bennett Spring, but some are shipped to other trout areas around the state. MDC operates the hatchery and manages fishing operations at Bennett Spring; Missouri Department of Natural Resources manages the state park.

Statewide, trout-fishing pumps millions of dollars into Missouri’s economy each year and is another example of how conservation pays by enriching our economy and quality of life.

More information about trout fishing at Bennett Spring can be obtained by calling the hatchery at 417-532-4418 or going to http://mdc.mo.gov/node/291.

New citizen conservation effort forming in southwest Missouri

Citizen involvement is key to successful conservation of our natural resources. The Missouri Department of Conservation is working with the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council to organize a new citizen-driven conservation effort - the Local Environmental Advisory Forum (LEAF) - in Barton, Newton, McDonald and Jasper counties in southwest Missouri.

MDC partnering with Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council on LEAF initiative

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Citizen involvement and public input are crucial parts of natural resource conservation.

Citizens often have first-hand knowledge and valuable background information of local environmental issues. Plus, more than 90 percent of Missouri’s land is in private ownership, which means the bulk of the state’s wildlife habitat isn’t on public land.

These are the factors driving a new conservation initiative in southwest Missouri – the Missouri Local Environmental Advisory Forum (LEAF). This program is a partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council (HSTCC). The program’s focus is Barton, Newton, McDonald and Jasper counties – the four counties HSTCC serves. A primary goal of LEAF is to empower local stakeholders to implement conservation projects that are important to them.

A series of LEAF open houses this summer will provide residents with opportunities to discuss conservation topics in their areas. Natural resource professionals will be available to hear about local issues and to provide information on how to get projects started. There will also be information about how to get funding and technical assistance for projects. Here is the LEAF open house schedule:

Barton County: May 28, Memorial Hall, 1100 Broadway, Lamar

Newton County: June 11, George Washington Carver National Monument, 5646 Carver Road, Diamond

McDonald County: June 25, Pineville Community Center, 602 Jesse James Road, Pineville

Jasper County: July 7, Carthage Water and Electric, 627 W. Centennial, Carthage.

Each open house will be 3 p.m.-7 p.m. and will have a children’s activity area and light refreshments. These open houses will be great opportunities for resource professionals to get ideas from citizens and for county residents to hear about close-to-home conservation success stories.

More information about these open houses and about the LEAF program can be found atwww.MissouriLeaf.org. Information about LEAF can also be obtained by contacting MDC Community Conservation Planner Ronda Headland at Ronda.Headland@mdc.mo.gov or at417-866-1127.

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Bennett Spring to hold Kids' Fishing Day May 2

Education stations also will be part of free fishing event.

LEBANON, Mo. – Young anglers will have opportunities to catch fish and learn about fishing at Bennett Spring State Park’s Kids’ Fishing Day. This event will be held 6:30 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. on May 2 at Bennett Spring State Park. The event is being sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other sponsors.

At Kids’ Fishing Day, children age 15 and under can pick up free trout tags at the hatchery shop on May 1 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. or at the registration tent across from the park store on the day of the event. A section of Zone 2 and Zone 3 at the park will be reserved for youth anglers. Volunteers will be on hand to help. Children are encouraged to bring their own fishing equipment. Parents are welcome to help kids, but adults are also asked to let children fish by themselves as much as possible. Only one pole may be used between the helper and the child. Adults are not allowed to fish in the designated kids’ fishing zone. Lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Educational events will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help with this event. Individuals wishing to volunteer do not need to be experienced anglers. If you would like to help out with Kids’ Fishing Day, or if you'd like more information about the event, please call the Bennett Spring Hatchery at 417-532-44178or e-mail Hatchery Manager Mike Mitchell at Michael.Mitchell@mdc.mo.gov .

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March 1 marks opener of catch-and-keep season at Missouri trout parks

MDC expects more than 10,000 anglers and will stock more than 33,000 trout on

opening day.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Sunday, March 1, marks the opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing at the Show-Me State’s four trout parks: Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Licking, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) permit records show that weekend trout park openers can draw crowds of more than 10,000 anglers.

MDC operates trout hatcheries at all four parks. To help predict angler turnout on opening day, hatchery staff rely on permit records going back more than 70 years. Montauk, Bennett Spring, and Roaring River hatchery staff expect crowds of about 3,000 anglers at each location and Maramec Spring staff are planning for a crowd of about 2,000. Based on these predictions, hatchery staff will stock three trout per expected angler on opening day for a total of more than 33,000 fish averaging around a foot in length. The hatcheries will also stock several hundred “lunkers” ranging from three to 10 pounds.

Three of the trout parks – Bennett Spring, Montauk, and Roaring River– are owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Maramec Spring Park is owned by the James Foundation. Call the following numbers for more information about trout-park fishing.

• Bennett Spring - 417-532-4418
• Maramec - 573-265-7801
• Montauk - 573-548-2585
• Roaring River - 417-847-2430

Anglers need a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks. Daily trout tags can only be purchased at each of the four trout parks. Missouri residents 16 through 64 need a fishing permit in addition to the daily tag. Nonresidents 16 and older also need a fishing permit.

Trout hatcheries are just one way that conservation pays in Missouri. MDC stocks more than 800,000 trout annually at the state’s four trout parks and approximately 1.5 million annually statewide. Trout anglers’ spend more than $100 million each year in the Show-Me-State, which generates more than $180 million in business activity, supports more than 2,300 jobs and creates more than $70 million dollars in wages. About 30 percent of Missouri trout anglers come from other states, so a substantial portion of trout fishing expenditures is “new money” for the state’s economy.

For more information on trout fishing in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/5596.

REMINDER TO TROUT ANGLERS: To prevent the spread of the invasive alga called didymo or “rock snot”, the use of shoes, boots or waders with porous soles of felt, matted or woven fibrous material is prohibited at all trout parks, trout streams, Lake Taneycomo, and buffer areas. Go online for more information tomdc.mo.gov/node/16930.

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More than 10,000 anglers expected at March 1 trout-park opener

30,000 trout will await their casts.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missourians who have been snowed in too often this winter can March 1 at the Show-Me State’s four trout parks.

shrug off winter’s icy shackles

Saturday, March 1, marks the opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park (SP) near Lebanon, Montauk SP near Licking, Roaring River SP near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. That day, in the gray light of dawn, thousands of people clad in down jackets and chest waders will find their spots along the parks’ spring-fed streams, ready to tempt rainbow trout with everything from dry flies to dough bait.

Opening-day weather often is cold and sometimes wet, but it never dampens the spirits of anglers who think nothing of standing up to their bellybuttons in chilly water. No doubt they are warmed by the knowledge that more than 30,000 trout, averaging around 12 inches, are stocked for opening day, with a few hundred “lunkers,” ranging from three to 10 pounds, thrown in for good measure.

Another influence on opening-day attendance is the day of the week March 1 falls on. Weekends draw crowds that can top 10,000. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) operates hatcheries at all four trout parks. To predict turnout on a particular day, MDC hatchery managers rely on records going back more than 70 years. Montauk Hatchery Manager Tom Whelan and Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager Mike Mitchell both are expecting approximately 3,000 anglers and plan to stock 9,000 trout at each park for opening day. Paul Spurgeon, who manages the hatchery at Roaring River, says he expects approximately 2,600 anglers on opening day and will stock 8,000 trout for the event. At Maramec Spring Park, hatchery manager Wesley Swee is planning for 2,000 anglers on March 1 and will stock 6,000 trout.

Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon and Conservation Department Director Robert L. Ziehmer are expected to attend the opener at Bennett Spring SP.

Three of Missouri’s trout parks – Bennett Spring, Montauk, and Roaring River– are owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Maramec Spring Park is owned by the James Foundation. Call the following numbers for more information about trout-park fishing.

• Bennett Spring - 417-532-4418
• Maramec - 573-265-7801
• Montauk - 573-548-2585
• Roaring River - 417-847-2430

Anglers need a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks. Missouri residents 16 through 64 need a fishing permit in addition to the daily tag. Nonresidents 16 and older also need a fishing permit.

For more about opening day at Missouri's trout parks, check out the photo feature article atwww.mdc.mo.gov/node/20893.

Trout hatcheries are just one way that conservation pays in Missouri. The Conservation Department stocks more than 800,000 trout annually at the state’s four trout parks and approximately 1.5 million annually statewide. A survey conducted in 2011 showed that trout anglers’ expenditures that year totaled almost $105 million. These expenditures generated more than $187 million in business activity, supporting more than 2,300 jobs and creating more than $73 million dollars in wages. Thirty percent of Missouri’s trout anglers come from other states, so a substantial portion of trout fishing expenditures is “new money” for the state’s economy.

REMINDER TO ANGLERS: To prevent the spread of didymo, an invasive alga, the use of shoes, boots or waders with porous soles of felt, matted or woven fibrous material is prohibited at all trout parks, trout streams, Lake Taneycomo, and buffer areas.

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Autumn is a great time for trout fishing

Missouri’s trout parks, streams, and lakes are more beautiful than ever right now.

SPRINGFIELD – Note to trout anglers: Just because leaves are changing colors and your friends are talking about hunting deer, ducks, or small game doesn’t mean you have to put your fishing gear away.

Courtesy MDC

Trout fishing is hardly a secret in Missouri, but for many people, it’s not in the spotlight in autumn like it was back on March 1 when thousands of anglers participated in the state’s annual trout park opener. At this time of year, many people are planning hunting trips or are trying to squeeze in a couple more trips to the lake before winter fishing patterns – and winter temperatures – set in. For many, this will involve outings where adults can pass on their knowledge and love of the outdoors to children and grandchildren. For others, it means finding solitude and getting away from computers, meetings, and other stressors of work.

All this leads back to trout. Even though (to paraphrase Robert Frost) trout fishing is the road not frequently taken in terms of outdoor choices at this time of year, a trout-fishing trip can provide outdoor entertainment and tasty table fare for nature-lovers of all ages.

“Fall is a good time to fish the trout streams in Missouri,” said Craig Fuller, Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries biologists who oversees trout-management areas at Bennett Spring State Park and on the Niangua River. “You have nice weather, a lack of recreational float traffic, beautiful fall colors, usually stable and clear stream flows, and trout are actively feeding as they get ready for winter.”

The same holds true for Missouri’s four trout parks.

“Typically, October has fewer anglers than the summer months of June, July, and August,” said Mike Mitchell, who manages the MDC hatchery at Bennett Spring State Park in Laclede and Dallas counties. “The lower angler turn-out can make for a peaceful fishing experience. Water clarity during October is very good, which allows anglers to see the fish better. Fall colors and cooler weather make for a beautiful backdrop.”

The summer fishing season at Missouri’s four trout parks – Bennett Spring State Park, Roaring River State Park, Montauk State Park, and Maramec Spring Park – runs through Oct. 31. Fishing hours at the parks are from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. A daily trout tag is required to fish at the parks.
Don’t worry – those who fish the trout parks in October won’t have to settle for summer’s left-overs. The streams at all four parks are stocked daily (based on predicted anger attendance) through the end of the month. That means, in October, approximately 30,000 fish are stocked at Bennett Spring, Roaring River, and Montauk, and 10,000 are put into the water at Maramec Spring. The size of the fish trout-park anglers can catch range from 12-inch stockers to lunkers that weigh between three and eight pounds.

After the trout parks’ summer seasons end October 31, all four areas will re-open for the winter catch-and-release season, which runs from November 8 through February 10. As the season’s name states, it is for catch-and-release fishing only – no trout may be kept.

Not all the trout parks are open every day during this season. The three state parks (Bennett Spring, Roaring River, and Montauk) are open for fishing on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Maramec Spring Park is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. During the winter season at the trout parks, you don’t need to buy a daily trout park tag when you fish. You will need a trout permit and, if you are age 16 through 64, a Missouri fishing permit.

Lake Taneycomo in Taney County is another well-known Missouri trout fishery that is a great place to fish in the fall. As is the case with trout parks, trout stocking continues at Taneycomo at this time of year. (The lake is stocked each month throughout the year.) In October, more than 60,000 trout are put into the lake. Anglers can also visit Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery at the west end of Taneycomo (just below Table Rock dam) to learn how trout are raised.

If none of this has caught your fishing fancy, don’t forget about Missouri’s trout streams. There are several Ozarks streams that, because of suitable habitat conditions, are capable of sustaining trout populations. Under the Conservation Department’s trout management plan, these trout streams are categorized as either white ribbon trout areas, red ribbon trout areas or blue ribbon trout areas. The differences between the classifications have to do with differences in regulations and management strategies. Like the trout parks and Taneycomo, some trout streams also receive fall stockings.
“Managed trout streams get stocked at different rates and some get stocked more frequently than others,” Fuller said. “But, yes, there are trout-managed streams that get stocked in the fall.” As an example, Fuller said the Niangua River White Ribbon Trout Area gets stocked every month of the year with rainbow trout, From October through February, its gets stocked twice a month. Anglers are reminded that they need to purchase a trout permit to possess trout on Missouri’s white, red or blue ribbon trout streams and to fish at Lake Taneycomo upstream from the U.S. Highway 65 Bridge.
More information about trout-fishing opportunities in Missouri can be found at your nearest Conservation Department office or at www.missouriconservation.org.

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Informational meeting at Bennett Spring State Park Oct. 25

The public is invited to bring their ideas to an informational meeting on Friday, Oct. 25, at Bennett

Spring State Park near Lebanon. The informational meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Nature Center classroom.

Staff from the park will present information about operations, resource management and recreational developments at the park. The agenda will include a summary of activities that took place in 2013 and future plans for the park. Visitors are invited to share comments and suggestions about the facility. This informational meeting is part of an ongoing effort by Missouri State Parks to ensure citizens have input regarding the facilities and services offered in state parks and historic sites.

A visit to Bennett Spring State Park is also a great opportunity to log miles as a part of the Governor’s 100 Missouri Miles challenge. To celebrate Missouri’s distinction as the “Best Trails State” by American Trails and to encourage Missourians to enjoy the outdoors, Governor Jay Nixon and First Lady Georganne Nixon are inviting Missourians to join them in completing 100 Missouri Miles of outdoor physical activity by the end of the year.

For more information and to take the Challenge, visit 100MissouriMiles.com. Participants can also share adventures, post photos and learn about upcoming events by connecting with 100 Missouri Miles on Facebook and Twitter.

Bennett Spring State Park is located 12 miles west of Lebanon on Hwy 64. Persons requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by calling the park at 417-532-4338. For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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More than 8,000 anglers expected at March 1 trout-park opener

More than 25,000 trout will await them.

Written by Jim Low, MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Sitting in front of a crackling fire tops the list of places to spend a gray winter day for many Missourians. But if you are smitten with the idea of reeling in shimmering, feisty, delicious trout, there is no better place to greet a wintry sunrise than Missouri’s four trout parks.

By: Larry R. Beckett

March 1 marks the opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park (SP) near Lebanon, Montauk SP near Licking, Roaring River SP near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. In the gray light of dawn on that day, thousands of people clad in down jackets and chest waders find their spots along the parks’ spring-fed streams, ready to tempt rainbow trout with everything from dry flies to dough bait.

The long-range weather forecast for March 1 points to chilly but not unseasonably cold weather, with high temperatures in the 40s and a small chance of rain. That sort of weather is unlikely to discourage anglers who think nothing of standing up to their bellybuttons in chill water for hours, trying to fill a limit of four hatchery-reared trout. No doubt they are warmed by the knowledge that more than 25,000 trout, averaging around 12 inches, are stocked for opening day, with a few hundred “lunkers,” ranging from three to 10 pounds, thrown in for good measure.

The other factor that determines opening-day attendance is what day of the week March 1 falls on. Weekends draw crowds that can top 10,000. But with opening day falling on a Friday this year, the parks expect a total of approximately 8,600 anglers to turn out.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) operates hatcheries at all four trout parks. To predict turnout on a particular day, hatchery managers rely on records going back more than 70 years.

Montauk Hatchery Manager Tom Whelan is expecting 2,500 anglers on opening day and plans to stock 7,500 trout, including 50 lunkers. Gov. Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon is expected to fire the pistol to kick off the season there.

By: Larry R. Beckett

Paul Spurgeon, who manages the hatchery at Roaring River, says he expects approximately 2,300 anglers on opening day and will stock 7,000 trout, including 100 lunkers, for the event. Ron Moffet who has volunteered his time for kids’ fishing programs at Roaring River since 1985, will fire the starting gun there. Anglers will find fishing at Roaring River enhanced by improvements to fish habitat and repairs of damage from a flood in 2011.

Bennett Spring Hatchery Manager Mike Mitchell also expects 2,300 anglers on opening day and plans to stock 7,000 trout for them, including approximately 80 lunkers. Don Brown will be starting the trout season at Bennett as he celebrates his 56th opening day.  Brown was a Lebanon business man whose store would serve opening-day fishermen.  As a member of the Jaycees, he would serve donuts and coffee to the cold anglers waiting for the start of trout season.

At Maramec Spring Park, hatchery manager Wesley Swee is planning for 1,500 anglers on March 1 and will stock 4,500 trout, plus 50 lunkers. The honor of firing the starting pistol at Maramec goes to Gary Benson this year. He has been fishing at Maramec Spring for more than 50 years and supports kids’ fishing there both as a volunteer and with donations of fishing supplies for youngsters’ use.

Three of Missouri’s trout parks–Bennett Spring, Montauk, and Roaring River–are owned by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Maramec Spring Park is owned by the James Foundation. For more information about trout-park fishing, call:

-        Bennett Spring - 417-532-4418

-        Maramec - 573-265-7801

-        Montauk - 573-548-2585

-        Roaring River - 417-847-2430.

Anglers need a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks. Missouri residents 16 through 64 need a fishing permit in addition to the daily tag. Nonresidents 16 and older also need a fishing permit.

For more about opening day at Missouri's trout parks, check out the photo feature article in the March issue of Missouri Conservationist magazine at www.mdc.mo.gov/node/20893.

POROUS–SOLED FOOTWEAR PROHIBITTED

One feature at all four parks is the availability of wader-wash stations with salt-solutions for boots and fishing gear. They are designed to kill the aquatic invasive species, Didymosphenia geminata, commonly known as Didymo. It’s less appetizing nickname, “rock snot,” captures its slimy experience and general undesirability.

Didymo is an invasive alga that forms dense mats on stream bottoms. It can become so thick that it disrupts natural food chains, making fishing impossible. Its arrival in trout streams around the globe probably is the result of its ability to cling to the porous surface of felt-soled fishing waders. Didymo is known to infest streams in 19 states. The infested stream nearest to Missouri is in northern Arkansas.

To prevent the spread of didymo, the use of shoes, boots or waders with porous soles of felt, matted or woven fibrous material is prohibited at all four trout parks, along with trout streams, Lake Taneycomo and buffer areas.

Anglers can unknowingly spread the microscopic alga on fishing gear, waders, and especially in any porous materials on wader soles. MDC strongly encourage anglers to make use of the wader-wash stations to completely clean waders as far up as contact with water has been made, along with any fishing equipment that has been used in other states.

Anglers can also help prevent the spread of rock snot by cleaning fishing gear and waders and drying them in the sun for 48 hours when moving between waters. They also can help by replacing felt-soled waders with rubber-soled ones. More information on and photos of Didymo are available at mdc.mo.gov/node/15265.

A Trout Permit ($7 for adults, $3.50 for anglers under age 16) is required to possess trout on waters outside trout parks. A fishing permit also is required, unless the angler is exempt.

Trout hatcheries are just one way that conservation pays in Missouri. A survey conducted in 2001 showed that trout anglers spent more per day on their sport than anglers pursuing any other species. Trout anglers’ expenditures that year totaled $115,561,474.

These expenditures generated more than $240 million of business activity, supporting 2,078 jobs and creating nearly $52 million dollars in wages. This produced more than $5.5 million in state sales taxes, $2 million in state income taxes and more than $8 million in federal income taxes.

Thirty percent of Missouri’s trout anglers come from other states, so a substantial portion of trout fishing expenditures is “new money” for the state’s economy.

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Missouri Trout Parks - Part IV of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series

I have fished for trout in quite a few places and must say that I really do not know anyplace that quite equates to a Missouri Trout Park.  Now I am not asserting that similar places do not exist- heck, I am not even asserting that Missouri Trout Parks are going to be everyone's cup of tea.  In fact, I have encountered quite a few people who find them down right reprehensible.  I get that sentiment, but I surely do not share it.

Missouri Trout Parks are something akin to going to one of those game farms where they put out some pheasants or whatever you are hunting and then you "hunt" them.  There are some major differences, and I am going to make a case that they serve a valuable purpose in Missouri and for fishermen from anywhere.  Let me tell you just a bit about the parks that Missouri plays host to, all south of I-70 and all but one south of I-44.

Maramec Springs

The Missouri Trout Parks include Maramec Springs, Montauk, Bennett Spring, and Roaring River.  They are spread out in such a way that fishermen from just about anywhere in Missouri, western Illinois, eastern Kansas, northern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma are within reasonable driving range of at least one of them.  All of them are fed by the cold water springs that make some Ozark Missouri streams suitable as trout habitat.  They are stocked mainly with rainbows, but also to a lesser e3xtent with brown trout.  They have opportunities for bait fishermen, spin fishermen, and to fly fishermen.  These parks are for many regional trout fishermen their introduction to the sport of trout fishing.  They often serve as a launching pad for a lifetime of trout fishing not just in the parks, but across the Ozark region and beyond.  For other trout fishermen, the parks fulfill their trout fishing desires for a lifetime.  For a few fishermen, they cut their teeth at these parks, then later experience more traditional waters perhaps in the Rocky Mountain West which brings them around to a snobbish attitude towards the waters where they began.  My trout fishing life kind of worked in reverse of this phenomenon.

Yampa River in NW Colorado

I was born in Colorado and raised in Alaska.  I really learned the art of trout fishing on waters of Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska, followed by a stint fishing for salmon trout and grayling in the Copper River Valley of Alaska.  Later, we moved back to Colorado, where we fished the Yampa, Green, and White Rivers of northwest Colorado.  These were trout fishing paradises, and I took them for granted.  I never even contemplated living somewhere that these kinds of fisheries did not exist.  Somewhere along the way, life happened, and I ended up in central Missouri for reasons not of interest to anyone reading this.  I never even knew that trout fishing existed in Missouri for perhaps six months or a year after I arrived.

As a matter of fact, I was really feeling sorry for myself.  I had lost all the hunting, fishing, and outdoor opportunities to which I was accustomed.  One day, I made a resolution that I would stop complaining about the opportunities that did not exist and try to find the ones that did.  That simple resolution changed my life.

The way this fits into this discussion of Missouri Trout Parks is that the discovery of these places got me, as well as my two boys (at the time elementary age kids), starting to get out and experience what the Ozark region of Missouri had to offer.  Given the fact that I had thought there were no trout fishing options in Missouri, the last thing I was going to do was turn my nose up at these places.  Plus, with younger kids, they were a pretty nice place to be able to set a kid in the bait fishing area and have them enjoy a great opportunity to catch their four fish limit and pretty much always have some action going.

During the "catch-and-keep" seasons at the trout parks, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) essentially stocks fish based on the number of fishermen that visit the parks.  These are all hatchery fish, some from hatcheries on the premises and some from other hatcheries, primarily Shepherd of the Hills on Lake Taneycomo.  This is where I equate the trout parks to a game farm.  Of course they are not setting out specific trout with the idea that these trout are for you and those over their are for me.  The streams of the trout parks teem with fish and it's really kind of fun if you have the right attitude to do some site fishing and go after them.

Truthfully, the trout park fish are kind of naive.  They have been raised on hatchery food and are not exactly wise to the ways of the trout world.  Having said that, they do still retain a bit of their instincts to go after traditional trout offerings.  Fly fishermen probably use egg patterns ( a more common name for them in the trout parks is glow bugs or glow balls) more than anything else.  Other "flies" will work however - woollies, Adams, the locally known crackleback, Dave's hoppers, and many more.  One offering that bridges the gap between fly and spin fishermen is "mini-jigs" in white, reg, orange, black, pink, or some combination of these.  For bait fishermen in the parks, what you see used successfully most often is the prepared baits like Powerbait, or dough recipes made at home or purchased at one of the trout park stores.

Woolies are a great option
for fly fishermen in Missouri
Trout Parks

If you are fishing these parks in the summertime, you can get what you need to fish very cheaply.  The least expensive way to go is to get an ultralight with 4 lb test line, some tiny split shot sinkers and small treble hooks, and an assortment of colors of Powerbait pastes.  You will also need one of those nylon stringers that cost about a buck.  Throw in some tiny floats (bobbers) and an old pair of tennis shoes if you plan to "wet wade" and you are set.  Stop by the park store with your fishing license and you'll be set once you get your park tag for a just a few bucks (it's been $4 for as long as I can remember).  If you plan to bring home trout, bring a cooler too, but I recommend frying them or baking them the night you catch them at your campsite if you are making a camping trip out of it.

You can fish the parks in the winter too.  They are open limited days and hours for catch-and-release fishing. If you find the hustle and bustle of the parks a little to much during the regular trout park seasons, the winter season might be for you.  There are some additional regulations you must know during this time of the year, so make sure you visit the MDC site before you go.  Often, at this time of year, the park stores are not open to answer questions - but the parks are still patrolled by conservation areas and regulations enforced.

By: Larry R. Beckett

If you are a real adventurous soul, consider visiting a park on opening weekend.  The MDC stocks some real lunkers then and you will have the great honor to compete for them with thousands of other fishermen all around you.  It is not for everyone, myself included, but for some Missouri outdoorsmen, it is an annual tradition.

After getting familiar with the Missouri Trout Parks, we branched out to places like the Meramec River below Maramec Springs, the Current River below Montauk, and the Niangua below Bennett.  From there we have fished and learned the locations of dozens of other awesome streams across the Ozarks - some with their own unique strains of wild trout. These parks can be a lot of fun if approached with the right attitude.  They have served a great purpose in our outdoor lives and perhaps they can do the same for you.

Related articles

• Missouri Trout Fishing has a lot to Offer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Trout Fishing on Missouri's Current River (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Trout Fishing Taneycomo - Part III of the Missouri Trout Fishing Series (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Bennett Spring State Park invites you to visit

Jefferson City, Mo. – Bennett Spring State Park is open and invites you to visit. Despite recent reports of storms and a wildfire in the county, the state park has not suffered any damage from these unfortunate events.

The park dining lodge opens at 7 a.m. and the park store opens one hour before the daily fishing whistle. Anglers are welcome to come try their hand at catching a rainbow or brown trout.

Bennett Spring State Park is located 12 miles west of Lebanon on Hwy 64. Visitors can call the park office at 417-532-4338. For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

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Trout opening marks the beginning of season for trout parks and surrounding communities

Image via Wikipedia

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., FEB. 29, 2012 – A mild winter has not lessened any enthusiasm for a springtime ritual – the opening of trout fishing season March 1 in Missouri’s three state parks featuring rainbow trout.

            Trout fishing season officially begins at 6:30 a.m. March 1 at Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon and Montauk State Park near Salem. For many fishermen, it is the unofficial start of spring. For other anglers, it is the beginning of a summer-long passion that runs until the season’s end on Oct. 31.

Opening day falls on a Thursday this year with Missouri State Parks officials anticipating eager anglers making a four-day weekend to maximize time in the state parks and in the water.

In the communities closest to the state parks, Cassville, Lebanon and Salem, business owners are also preparing for the fishermen. Although trout fishing occurs in the park, all of the communities around benefit from trout fishing season with busy hotels, motels, restaurants and retail stores.

            Opening day fishermen in all three state parks will find numerous improvements ranging from new roofs, fresh coats of paint, several remodeled cabins and fourplexes, and energy-efficiency projects such as solar water heaters in the showerhouses. 

In between successful fishing ventures, fishermen can catch an easy breakfast or lunch at the parks’ dining lodges. The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce will continue its tradition of passing out complimentary opening day coffee mugs and coffee.

For fishermen unable to enjoy opening day in person, they can watch the action on the trout cam available online from Bennett Spring State Park. Located near one of the park’s most popular fishing spots, the cam picks up all the action and is great for fishermen unable to be there or for family members wanting to share in the excitement from their homes. The trout cam can be viewed at Mo.gov.

            Trout season in Missouri is a cooperative effort of Missouri State Parks, which manages state parks, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, which operates the hatcheries and stocks the streams with trout.

            For more information on trout opening, visit Mo.gov or call Montauk State Park at 573-548-2201, Roaring River State Park at 417-847-2539 or Bennett Spring State Park at 417-532-4338. 

For information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  

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