Two Days to Trout Park Catch and Keep Opener

Accuweather Forecast for Licking, MO

I'm not brave enough to mix it up with the opening day crowd, but man-oh-man, is the forecast looking perfect!  At Licking, just outside Montauk State Trout Park, the forecast high is 65 degrees with sunshine and a 0% chance of precipitation. As Opening Day veterans can tell you, you're probably just as likely to encounter snow as to have conditions like these.

If you are a first timer for Opening Day, what can you expect?  Well, lots and lots of people all ready to spend the day trying to catch their 4 fish limit and maybe even land one of the lunkers that are stocked on Opening Day as well as for a while after as well.  We will be making the rounds at a couple of the parks sharing the scenes through our Twitter   (@FamilyOutdoors1) and Facebook pages (https://www.facebook.com/thefamilyoutdoors/ ). I will thoroughly enjoy seeing the fun and waiting for more tranquil days to wet my line in the parks.

Opening Day numbers from 2021

6:30 am is the official starting time for fishing...if you are new to the whole process, here's how it works. Ahead of time, you want to get your license and tag taken care of.  The park offices can let you know what all you need, but the general idea is you need a fishing license and a daily trout park tag.  On Opening Day, you'll want to get those items taken care of way ahead of time as the lines will be LONG!  

If you are ready to fish at 6:30 am (on Opening Day, get to your spot way before), you will be standing in the stream likely checking the time over and over.  At 6:30 am, a horn will sound and everyone will cast pretty much simultaneously.  As the crowds will be great, some communication prior to the horn about the planned direction of casts is a great idea. 

Glow Bug trout fly
A go-to Trout Park classic

If you are unsure about techniques for catching fish in the trout parks, visit Trout Park Fishing from Family-Outdoors. The information is designed for people starting off in the Trout Parks.

We are looking forward to a great day and wish all the fishermen, women, and kids a great day of fishing. Drive safely and be courteous to those around you once the fishing starts.  

Missouri Trout Park Opener

March 1 marks the annual opening of catch-and-keep
trout fishing in Missouri at the 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.

There are a number of BIG EVENTS on the calendar for Missouri outdoors folks. Perhaps one of the biggest is the Missouri Trout Park opener which is always on March 1.  It's not for everyone as it's kind of...no it IS...combat fishing through and through. But, the waters are stocked with some of the biggest hatchery fish (lunkers) and the day is kind of a dividing line for outdoors folks between winter and spring.

For lots of tips and information about Missouri Trout Park fishing as well as trout fishing and fishing in general in the Show-Me State, visit Family-Outdoors

MDC reminder that catch-and-keep trout season starts March 1 at trout parks

MDC operates trout hatcheries at four parks and stocks rainbow trout daily throughout season.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- March 1 marks the annual opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing in Missouri at the 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. The catch-and-keep season at the trout parks runs through Oct. 31.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) operates trout hatcheries at all four parks and stocks rainbow trout daily throughout the season.

Trout 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. MDC encourages trout anglers to have the correct amount of cash for daily tags if possible. Missouri residents 16 through 64 and nonresidents 16 and older also need a fishing permit in addition to the daily trout tag.

The cost of a daily trout tag to fish at three of Missouri’s four trout parks -- Bennett Spring State Park, Montauk State Park, and Roaring River State Park – is $4 for adults and $3 for those 15 years of age and younger. A daily fishing permits $8. The daily limit is four trout.

At Maramec Spring Park, the daily limit is five trout and the cost of a daily trout tag for adults is $5 and $3 for anglers 15 years of age and younger.

Get more information on the four trout parks from MDC online at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/species/trout/trout-parks.

MDC encourages trout anglers to buy their fishing permits ahead of time from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

MDC reminds those attending to follow COVID-related signage at the parks, wear masks as appropriate, and to social distance when in buildings and other applicable areas.

Missouri has a wealth of trout waters, including red, white, and blue-ribbon areas that support naturally reproducing trout. For more information on trout fishing in Missouri, visit MDC online at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing/where-fish/trout-areas.

MDC also offers the Missouri Blue Ribbon Trout Slam to honor anglers who catch a trout in at least five of the nine blue-ribbon trout streams. Participants can have their successes listed on the MDC website. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/troutslam.

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. Get more information at mdc.mo.gov/fishing/protect-missouri-fishing/dont-spread-didymo.

Trout hatcheries are just one way that conservation pays in Missouri. MDC staff stock more than 800,000 trout annually at the state's four trout parks and approximately 1.5 million trout 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.