Missouri’s catch-and-keep trout fishing season officially begins at 6:30 a.m. Friday at Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon and Montauk State Park east of Licking.
After a long winter, trout season opening day serves as the unofficial beginning of spring for many outdoorsmen. For trout enthusiasts, opening day means they have until the season closes on Oct. 31 to feed their passion as well as their appetite for fresh trout.
Trout tags can be purchased at the state park concession stores. Last year, more than 4,600 adult and youth tags were sold at the three state parks on opening day.
“With opening day falling on a Friday this year, we expect many avid trout anglers to make a three-day weekend to get the most of their time trying to catch a lunker,” said Ben Ellis, division director for the state parks system.
The parks’ campgrounds, lodging units and restaurants are all expected to be busy.
Online viewing of opening day activities at Bennett Spring State Park will be available again this year from the park’s “trout cam.” Video streaming from the trout cam can be viewed on the Missouri State Parks trout season opening day website at mostateparks.com.
Opening day photos and trout tag sales information from all three state trout parks will also be available on the trout season opening day website. Anglers can share their photos from opening day through social media by tagging MoStateParks on Facebook and Twitter as well using #MOTrout.
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 season opening, visit mostateparks.com or call Roaring River State Park at 417-847-2539, Bennett Spring State Park at 417-532-4338 or Montauk State Park at 573-548-2201.
For more information about Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites, visit the web at mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.