Fishing in Missouri

Fishing in Missouri

PiscaMaps covers 3,397 public fishing venues across Missouri in 9 regions — 1,491 lakes and reservoirs and 1,895 rivers. The largest is Lake of the Ozarks, at 51,132 acres. Missouri River is the longest mapped river, running 807 km. Northwest has the most venues on file, with 539. 90 venues are documented trout waters.

The most commonly recorded species across Missouri's public waters are Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, White Bass, Spotted Bass and Longear Sunfish — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 575 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 455 have nearby camping, and 1,277 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Missouri

Missouri's public fishing venues are spread across 9 regions on PiscaMaps:

Species Recorded in Missouri

The most frequently recorded species across Missouri's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Fishing Licence in Missouri

Anyone 16-64 needs a Missouri Department of Conservation fishing permit — the resident annual is about $13, the non-resident annual about $52, and 1-day and 3-day permits are sold (a 1-day permit needs no trout permit to fish trout parks that day). A trout permit (about $10 resident / $12 non-resident) is required to fish for or possess trout anywhere in the state EXCEPT with a daily 1-day fishing permit; the trout parks also charge a separate daily trout tag. Missouri residents 65 and older, and anyone 15 or under, do not need a permit (the trout permit and daily tag still apply). A single permit covers the Corps and MDC reservoirs. Buy from MDC at mdc.mo.gov. A Missouri fishing permit covers navigable rivers. The Mississippi River is fished on a Missouri, Illinois, Iowa or Kentucky permit in the border reaches. A trout permit is required on the trout parks, Lake Taneycomo and the Blue/White/Red Ribbon trout areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many public fishing venues are there in Missouri?+
  PiscaMaps covers 3,397 public fishing venues across Missouri in 9 regions — 1,491 lakes and reservoirs and 1,895 rivers. The largest is Lake of the Ozarks, at 51,132 acres. Missouri River is the longest mapped river, running 807 km. Northwest has the most venues on file, with 539. 90 venues are documented trout waters.
• Do I need a fishing licence in Missouri?+
  Anyone 16-64 needs a Missouri Department of Conservation fishing permit — the resident annual is about $13, the non-resident annual about $52, and 1-day and 3-day permits are sold (a 1-day permit needs no trout permit to fish trout parks that day). A trout permit (about $10 resident / $12 non-resident) is required to fish for or possess trout anywhere in the state EXCEPT with a daily 1-day fishing permit; the trout parks also charge a separate daily trout tag. Missouri residents 65 and older, and anyone 15 or under, do not need a permit (the trout permit and daily tag still apply). A single permit covers the Corps and MDC reservoirs. Buy from MDC at mdc.mo.gov. A Missouri fishing permit covers navigable rivers. The Mississippi River is fished on a Missouri, Illinois, Iowa or Kentucky permit in the border reaches. A trout permit is required on the trout parks, Lake Taneycomo and the Blue/White/Red Ribbon trout areas.
• Are there boat ramps and camping near Missouri's fishing lakes?+
  575 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 455 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.

Notable Lakes & Reservoirs in Missouri

Rivers in Missouri

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