Winter trout fishing kicks off in November

MDC staff will stock more than 75,000 of the cold-water-loving fish in 32 urban-area lakes throughout the state.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is stocking more than 75,000 rainbow trout plus 193 lunkers in 32 urban-area lakes around the state for winter trout fishing beginning in early November. Many of these areas allow anglers to harvest trout as soon as they are stocked, while other areas are catch-and-release until Feb. 1.

The daily limit for catch-and-keep at these locations is four trout with no length limit. All Missouri residents over age 15 and under age 65 must have a fishing permit. All nonresidents over age 15 must have a fishing permit. To keep trout, all anglers of all ages must have a Missouri trout permit.

“Trout are typically found in the cold, spring-fed, streams of southern Missouri,” MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson said. “Stocking selected lakes and ponds around the state during the winter months provide close-to-home trout fishing opportunities in parts of Missouri that you normally won’t find trout.” 

Buy hunting and fishing permits from vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps Mo Hunting and Mo Fishing. MDC’s mobile apps are available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.