Missouri Fishing Regulations

General Rules (barbless hooks are the #1 cause of fines)

• ⚠ Fishing methods: pole and line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line; ice fishing tackle/tip-ups are pole-and-line.
• ⚠ Game fish not hooked in the mouth or jaw must be returned to the water unharmed immediately (except paddlefish taken legally by snagging).
• ⚠ Possession limit is twice the statewide daily limit; catch must be labeled with name and address when away.
• ⚠ Alligator gar are a protected species - it is illegal to take and possess them.
• ⚠ Only the daily limit may be possessed on waters and banks of waters being fished.

• Only 5 hogsuckers may be included in a daily nongame limit.

• After taking the daily limit of 2 paddlefish, no gigging/snaring/snagging for any species.

• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• Length limit:** Smallmouth bass: minimum 15"

• Daily and possession limit:**Black bass: 12 fish including no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
• Size limit:**Spotted bass: None
• Daily and possession limit:**12 black bass including no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species, may include only 1 smallmouth bass
• Size limit:**Smallmouth bass: minimum 15 inches

• Within the wing walls of Clearwater Dam:
• Within 700 feet below the spillway walls of Clearwater Dam:

• Year-round:**You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession
• Nov. 1 - Jan. 31:

• Mainstem and its tributaries:

• Lakewide:****Ozark and Taney
• Length limit:
• Length limit:
• From Powersite Dam to Highway 76:****Taney
• Prohibited Methods:** Trotlines, throwlines and limb lines

• November 1 - January 31:

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.
• Length limits:**Black bass: minimum 15 inches
• Daily limits:

• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All

• Year-round:**You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession
• Nov. 1 - Jan. 31:

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.
• Daily limits:** Trout 4

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.

• November 1 - January 31:

• Length limit:** Spotted bass: None

• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All

• In Stone and Lawrence counties:
• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• Mainstem and its tributaries:**Walleye and sauger—18” minimum length limit
• In Dent, Texas and Shannon counties:** The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited.
• River and its tributaries from lower boundary of Montauk State Park to Cedar Grove Bridge - 9 miles:** Blue Ribbon Trout Area
• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• Mainstem and its tributaries:**Walleye and sauger—18” minimum length limit
• In Dent, Texas and Shannon counties:** The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited.
• From Cedar Grove to the Arkansas line:** Nongame fish—The daily limit may include no more than 5 hogsuckers.
• Downstream from Cedar Grove Bridge crossing - 7.7 miles:** White Ribbon Trout Area
• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All

• Mainstem and its tributaries:
• Daily limit:**Black bass—12 fish including no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
• In Crawford and Phelps counties:
• In Crawford and Phelps counties from the elevated cable crossing to the Meramec River:
• In Phelps and Dent counties, upstream from the elevated cable crossing:
• Length Limit:** Trout minimum—15 inch
• Daily limit:** Trout—2
• Length Limit:** At least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 2
• Authorized Lures:** Artificial lures and flies

• Mainstem and its tributaries:**Walleye and sauger—18 inch minimum length limit
• In Oregon County:**The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited.
• From Thomasville Access to the Arkansas line:
• Greer Spring Branch junction to Turner Mill Access - 5.5 miles:**Blue Ribbon Trout Area
• Downstream from Turner Mill Access - 14.2 miles:** White Ribbon Trout Area
• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies
• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All

• Length limits:**Smallmouth bass—minimum 15”
• Daily limit:** Black bass—6, may include only 1 smallmouth bass.

• November 1 - January 31:

• Length limits:** Black bass: minimum 18 inches
• Daily limits:

• Upstream from its confluence with the Eleven Point River:**No fishing allowed.

• From Highway 86 bridge to Shoal Creek - 2.7 miles:
• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All
• Length Limit:** Catch-and-release only
• Daily Limit:** Catch-and-release only
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies

• November 1 - January 31:

• Mainstem and its tributaries:
• From Willhite Road in Crawford County to the Meramec River:

• Year-round:**You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession.
• November 1 - January 31:

• From Highway 17 to the Current River:

• Year-round:**You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession
• November 1 - January 31:

• November 1 - January 31:
• February 1 - October 31:** You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession.

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.

• Length limits:** Smallmouth bass— minimum 15”
• Daily limit:** 6 black bass, including only 1 smallmouth bass

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.
• Length limits:**Black bass: minimum 15 inches
• Daily limits:

• November 1 - January 31:

• November 1 - January 31:
• February 1 - October 31:** You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession.

• November 1 - January 31:

• November 1 - January 31:

• Area note:
• Daily limit:
• Length limit:
• Daily limit:
• Length limit:
• Area note:**No fishing is allowed.
• Area note:**Paddlefish may not be possessed.
• Prohibited methods:**Trotlines, throwlines, limb lines, jug lines, snagging, snaring and grabbing are prohibited.

• On the lake and its tributaries:
• Within 760 feet below Table Rock Dam:
• From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek:
• From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to U.S. Highway 65 bridge:
• On the lake and its tributaries:
• Within 760 feet below Table Rock Dam:
• From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to the mouth of Fall Creek:
• From the closed zone 760 feet below Table Rock Dam to U.S. Highway 65 bridge:

• November 1 - January 31:
• February 1 - October 31:** You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession.

• Year-round:** You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession.
• Nov. 1 - Jan. 31:

• November 1-January 31:

• November 1 - January 31:

• From the Phelps County line in sections 9 and 16 of T35N, R8W, including Piney Spring Branch and Lane Spring Branch to Milldam Hollow Access - 9.9 miles:**Blue Ribbon Trout Area, see restrictions below.
• Downstream of Milldam Hollow Access - 3.7 miles:**White Ribbon Trout Area, see restrictions below.
• Length Limit:** At least 18"
• Daily Limit:** 1
• Authorized Lures:**Artificial lures and flies
• Length Limit:** Rainbows -- none; Browns -- at least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 4
• Authorized Lures:** All

• Between Smithville Dam and U.S. Highway 169:

• Length Limits:
• Daily limit:

• Length limits:** Black bass: minimum 15”
• Daily limit:** Crappie: 15

• November 1 - January 31:

• In Crawford and Phelps counties:
• From Highway 8 bridge to Scott's Ford and in Dry Fork Creek from the elevated cable crossing to its confluence with the Meramec River - 8.2 miles:
• From Highway 8 bridge to the railroad crossing at Bird’s Nest:
• From Highway 19 bridge in Dent County to Pacific Palisades Conservation Area:
• Length Limit:** At least 15"
• Daily Limit:** 2
• Authorized Lures:** Artificial lures and flies

• Yelton Spring to its junction with Little Piney Creek including Wilkins Spring and spring branch - 7.7 miles:

• From Highway F in Washington County to the Big River:

• Daily limits:
• Length limits:
• Allowed methods:

• Daily limits:
• Length limits:
• Allowed methods:

• Daily limits:
• Length limits:
• Allowed methods:

• Daily limits:
• Length limits:
• Allowed methods:

• Methods:

• Daily Limit:
• Length limit:

• From Bennett Spring Branch to Prosperine Access - 11.5 miles of stocked stream:

• Lakewide:
• Daily limit:
• Length limit:
• On the lake and its tributaries:
• Daily limit:
• Length limit:

• Upper outlet of Rainbow Spring to Patrick Bridge - 8.6 miles:**Blue Ribbon Trout Area, see restrictions below.
• Unimpounded river and its tributaries from Patrick Bridge to Norfork Lake - 7.0 miles:** Red Ribbon Trout Area, see restrictions below.

• Year-round:**You must stop fishing for all species after having 4 trout in possession
• Nov. 1 - Jan. 31:

• Daily limit:** 6 black bass including only 1 smallmouth bass
• Length limit:

• Within 225 feet below Bagnell Dam:
• From the no-fishing zone below Bagnell Dam to U.S. Highway 54:
• From U.S. Highway 54 to the Missouri River:

• Year-round:**statewide trout methods and limits. Only 3 poles may be used.

• Length limits:
• Daily limit:

• From the lower boundary of Roaring River State Park to Table Rock Lake - 4 miles:

• Methods:

• November 1 - January 31: