What are the best spots for trout fishing in Missouri?
Are you interested in trout fishing? Then, Missouri is the place for you! Missouri has amazing natural and human-made spots where you can go trout fishing. In fact, Missouri is the most sought place in the United States.
Bundle up your fishing gear and get ready, we are about to look at some places for the best trout fishing in Missouri!
Top 10 Trout Fishing in Missouri
1. Bennett Spring State Park
Bennet Spring State Park
Bennett Spring State Park is the largest and the most crowded spot for trout fishing in Missouri. It draws a large crowd daily and is often termed the flagship of trout parks in Missouri. The fishing season is from March till October. There are many rules and regulations to be followed while fishing trouts.
The daily limit in trout fishing is 4, so you cannot continue fishing after getting 4 trouts. Also, the brown trouts below 15 inches must be released as they cannot be captured. Swimming and other water activities are not permitted. The regulations vary according to the zone, and you need to hold a fishing tag if you want to fish daily.
2. Lake Taneycomo
Lake Taneycomo
Lake Taneycomo is another spot for trout fishing in Missouri. Around 90% of the trout caught are rainbow trout, and the rest, brown trout. This place has been attracting people from many parts of the world. The perfect time for fishing here is during October when the brown trouts start moving upstream.
There is a ‘trophy area’ where you have higher chances of catching rainbow and brown trouts. During summertime, the flow is less in this area, and you would be able to catch a few trouts easily. So make sure you visit this spot for your summer trout fishing adventure.
3. Roubidoux Creek
Roubidoux Creek
Roubidoux Creek is a cold water stream for trout fishing in Missouri. It is also used for swimming during the summer season. It is divided into the white ribbon area and the red ribbon area. The red ribbon area is mostly reserved for brown trout. Here too, there are bait restrictions, so you can only take home 4 trouts at a go.
There are no bait restrictions in the white ribbon area. In the red ribbon trout area, only flies and artificial lures are allowed. Soft plastic baits are completely prohibited, just like in any other trout fishing water body. Even though there is a good chance of catching some fishes from June to September, the chances are low during July and August. Still, if you are skilled, you have a better chance.
4. Maramec Spring Park
Maramec Spring Park
The Maramec Spring Park is a fine spot for trout fishing in Missouri. The privately-owned park is a beautiful location for fishing and holiday camping. The park has maintenance expenses, and because of this, they charge certain fees for parking and fishing daily. Also, since it is a spot near the St. Louis area, you could expect a good crowd. So, make sure that you reach the spot on time.
The blow of a siren announces the fishing, and within half an hour, most of the fishes would be taken. The park also has a shop that sells items like t-shirts and caps. If you want to enjoy trout fishing with beautiful scenic beauty, this is the perfect place for you.
5. Current River
Current River
The Current River offers camping, canoeing, and a beautiful view of a 19-mile long river. Most of the fishes in the Current River are brown trouts. You may even get a chance to get some trouts that are 20 inches long. There are only 3 points from which you have access to the river. They are the Cedar Grove, Welch Spring, and Akers Ferry. And these places would mostly be crowded.
So make sure that you go upstream every time the traffic increases. You could also use terrestrial baits like ants, hoppers, along with aquatic baits during the summer season. But the easiest bait to use is the glow bugs, which would easily attract the fishes. So if you want to fish in this area, make sure you use the necessary baits.
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6. Montauk State Park
Montauk State Park is the prime spot for trout fishing in Missouri as their main attraction is trout fishing. The season starts in March and lasts till October. For the locals, the place is known as an exceptional spot for trout fishing. At the start of the season, the place is very crowded, and the anglers have to stand so close to catch a fish.
The outdoors is beautiful, and you could enjoy your family time here. Whether you use a fly or artificial bait, there are specific spots for each type of fishing. After you catch the allotted number of trouts, you could either take it home or take it to the fish cleaning station at Montauk State Park. You will get the fishes cleaned. It would help if you had a permit and a daily trout tag to fish here.
7. Little Piney Creek
Little Piney Creek
Little Piney Creek is a small intermittent stream for trout fishing in Missouri. It is a beautiful creek that originates from around 5 springs. The place is well-maintained along with a playground, shelter, campsites, grills, and hiking trails. You have to pay to park your vehicle.
Most of the fishes move naturally upstream, and you would find only a few fishes downstream. During the summer, the fishing is shallow, and you would find it difficult to get hold of the fishes. The fishes naturally hide in holes, and you have to hook the bait in their noses to catch them. If you are an expert at trout fishing, then autumn and spring would be exciting.
8. Eleven Point River
Eleven Point River
The Eleven Point River is a first-rate stream for trout fishing in Missouri. It is a remote area with a beautiful river stream. A visit to this river would also give you a view of the mountainous terrain surrounding the river. It is quite easy to float on the river. Most of the fishing takes place with the people floating in it. Some of the baits you could use here are pheasant tails, hares ears, adams, elk hair caddis, and many more. You could also use worms of various colors.
There will be a crowd of canoes during the summer. But you could avoid this by fishing in the lower section in the morning and moving to the upper section in the evening. The place had a huge collection of fishes once. But it was over-fished in the 20th century, and it took many decades to repopulate the place.
9. Barren Fork Creek
Barren Fork Creek
The Barren Fork Creek is a challenging place for trout fishing in Missouri. If you come to Montauk for a road trip, you should visit this place. The daily limit here is only 1 trout and should not be more than 18 inches. Baits should be flies or artificial lures, and no soft plastics are allowed. The water is crystal clear, and you could see the trouts easily. But the trouts are very tricky.
But as you know, they are lazy creatures, and if you walk towards them slowly and lure the bait, you would be able to get hold of them easily. This is a place that people have not noticed much for its beauty. Like other trout fishing spots, this is not a place where people come from far to fish. And the place has gone unrecognized. People are not aware that the place is the perfect spot for solitude fishing.
10. Roaring River State Park
Roaring River State Park
The Roaring River State Park is a spot for trout fishing in Missouri, competing with the Montauk State Park to become the most sought place for trout fishing. Even though people mostly come there for fishing, the park also provides other amenities for them. They have a swimming pool, a fly shop, cabins for rent, a full-time restaurant, and campgrounds.
It is the perfect spot for catching rainbow trout, and if you are lucky enough, you may get some brown trouts too. It would help if you had a daily tag to fish, which has your signature. The Missouri Department of Conservation manages the river, and they stock the river at regular intervals.
The rules of most of the trout fishing areas in Missouri are the same. You are only supposed to have a maximum of 4 fishes, and there are bait restrictions everywhere. If you have the exact bait (try out companies like Melton Tackle), you would be able to catch some easily. And you should also know about the nature of the river.
Have you visited any of these places for trout fishing in Missouri? If then, comment on your experience below.
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Last Updated on by Himani Rawat
