Large River Fishing Information

Contact: Fisheries Management Biologist
Busch Conservation Area
636/441-4554 Ext. 241

General

The St. Louis Region, which includes 102 miles of the Upper Mississippi River, and the lower 56 miles of the Missouri River, provides a variety of large river fishing opportunities for bank and boat anglers alike. The region, which includes St. Charles, St. Louis, and Jefferson counties, also encompasses the confluence of these two great rivers at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.

Access

Several public access sites can be found on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in the St. Louis Region and new accesses will be opening soon on both rivers. To view a map of river access sites in the St. Louis Region, refer to the Fish St. Louis brochure, or the Discover Outdoor Missouri Map which is available from MDC. For more specific details, refer to individual site brochures, which are available at the Busch Conservation Area, for most of the sites below.

Fishing

A variety of fish species can be found in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, but catfish are sought after the most by anglers. A check with MDC's Fishing Report will help you to find out how the fish are biting. Also, it is a good idea to know the river stage before fishing. As you become an experienced "river rat", you will know what stage is best for different types of fishing.
Below is some general information from Gordon Farabee's excellent brochure, Fishing Missouri's Big Rivers, which is available from the Busch Conservation Area, to help you to get started catching some of the fish that are commonly found in the large rivers of the St. Louis Region.

Channel Catfish

Also known as fiddler, spotted cat, pone and blue cat, the channel catfish is one of the most frequently caught sport fish in Missouri. During low water, normally from July through September, channel catfish are found in deep water along main channel borders or along the upstream faces of rock wing dikes. At night they feed in shallow sandbar habitat. During spring high water, try fishing away from the main channel, in backwaters and tributary streams.
When tributaries are backed up by spring floods, try limb-lines baited with large minnows or worms for catching channel catfish. During cold weather, channel catfish move to deep "overwintering" holes at the ends of wing dikes and along lower tributary streams.
Several baits work well for channel cats, but the most common is a rubber worm dipped in stink bait and fished tight-lined on the river bottom. Stink bait works best when the water temperature approaches 80 degrees.
"Sand worms" and "green worms" found along river banks in sandy soil have a distinctive odor and are excellent summer baits. Small gizzard shad, chicken liver, crayfish and bait shrimp, fished on the river bottom, are also effective in warm water. During winter one of the best baits is a piece of shad. Some anglers find fishing with crankbaits and spinner baits along revetted shorelines of the Mississippi to be an effective way to catch channel catfish.

Flathead Catfish

Also known as johnnie cats, yellow cats, goujon and mud cats, flatheads sometimes exceed 50 pounds and have an excellent flavor. They are prized by most river anglers. The best time of day to catch large flathead catfish is after sundown, when they begin feeding. Fish in deep water off the end of wing dikes or upstream of wing dikes or use trotlines in deep water along the main channel borders.
Unlike channel catfish, flathead catfish prefer live bait. Use large minnows, goldfish, green sunfish, and bullheads and fish them from set trotlines or by tight-line fishing.

Blue Catfish

Also known as white fultons, blue fultons, fultons, white cats, and blue channels, blue catfish often reached 150 pounds or more in the 19th century and are still the largest catfish found in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Today, some blue catfish over 60 pounds are caught.
Blue catfish are more abundant in the Missouri and in the Mississippi River below Cape Girardeau than in the pooled portion of the Mississippi. They prefer the swift current of the main channel, main channel border or deep waters immediately below locks and dams.
Light saltwater tackle is recommended and cut shad is one of the best baits. Other popular baits include any baits used for channel catfish, as well as live baits used for flatheads. Trotlines set along the main channel border in deep water with live bait are a popular way to catch blues, as are jug lines baited with cut bait or live bait.

Walleye and Sauger

Heralded for their excellent flavor, both sauger and walleye are popular large river sport fish. They're most abundant during cold weather below the Mississippi River locks and dams. Sauger are more commonly caught than walleye, although identical fishing techniques are used. Another place to pursue walleye and sauger, at least during winter, is in the mouths of large tributaries to the Missouri or Mississippi rivers.The ideal time to catch sauger and walleye begins with cooling water temperatures during late September and lasts through mid-March. Many anglers anchor their boats below and to the side of fast current passing through the dam gates. They fish the "current break" between swift and slow moving water. Good baits are a 3/8th ounce leadhead jig tipped with a live minnow or a minnow alone, and some anglers try a variety of crank baits.
During summer, walleye and sauger are caught from the upstream faces of wing dikes by trolling a nightcrawler along the base of the dike. Cast the bait above the dike and then slowly back troll the length of the wing dike. To prevent losing hooks and sinkers, constantly pump the rod-tip. This will keep the bait or sinker from lodging in rock crevices.

Freshwater Drum

Also known as white perch, sheepshead, gaspergou, goo, croaker, silver bass, or grunt, drum are common in both of Missouri's large rivers. Drum prefer swift water. Fish for them in the main channel border, immediately below locks and dams and in flowing side channels. The best bait is an earthworm, but you can also catch them on a variety of natural and artificial baits. Some anglers even catch drum on wet flies.Drum rapidly lose their excellent flavor if they aren't properly cared for. Immediately fillet the fish and put the fillets on ice. The next best procedure is to put live fish on ice and fillet them later.
Drum taste wonderful when rolled in a flour and corn meal mixture and deep fried at 385 degrees. Freshwater drum are also excellent blackened. They are closely related to the red drum, which is prized as "blackened redfish" along the Gulf Coast.

White Bass

Also known as stripers, striped bass or silver bass, white bass are plentiful in big rivers. Frequenters of swift water, white bass are often found below Mississippi River locks and dams and near wing dikes. The best time to catch white bass is during low, clear water conditions in late summer and throughout late fall.
Like many sport fish, white bass are sight feeders. An effective bait is a small minnow or an artificial lure. After locating a school of feeding white bass, cast and retrieve a yellow or white leadhead jig through the school and wait for action.
White bass are often caught with the same tackle as walleye and sauger. When walleye and sauger are plentiful below the Mississippi River locks and dams, anglers complain they have trouble catching them because white bass are constantly taking their baits.
Conservation agencies in Iowa and Illinois are stocking hybrid white bass into upper Mississippi River pools and the Ohio River, and reports of hybrid white bass catches within Missouri's portion of the Mississippi have become common. Hybrid striped bass are also commonly caught below rock dams in chutes along the lower Missouri River.

Largemouth Bass

Also known as bigmouth bass, mossback, green trout or lineside bass, largemouth bass prefer off-channel habitat associated with cover. During summer, low water and poor water quality in many off-channel areas force largemouth bass to move to structures along the main channel border.
Good places for catching largemouth bass include wing dikes and revetted banks. Some anglers catch them near wing dikes and revetments constructed of large stone. Large rock is better habitat than small rock.
During winter, largemouth bass move to deep water, off-channel areas and remain until spring high water, when they disperse throughout off-channel areas. You can catch bass on a wide variety of artificial and natural baits, including baits that also catch bluegill and crappie.

Crappie

Also known as calico bass, slabs, strawberry bass, papermouth, and tinmouth, both black and white crappie live in the off-channel areas of both large rivers.
Crappie are seasonal in their habitat selection. In late winter and early spring, "ice-out" crappie are found near deep water structures along tributaries and backwaters. As spring progresses and the large rivers near flood stage, crappie remain in tributaries and off-channel areas.As the hot summer months approach, crappie seek cooler water and rock structures along the main channel border. With cooler autumn temperatures, crappie return to many of the off-channel areas and tributaries. Fallen trees, grape vines and other bank structure usually provide good crappie habitat.
One method for catching crappie is using a light action rod (or cane pole), bobber, sinker and a hook baited with a small minnow. Some anglers prefer leadhead jigs. A good rule-of-thumb when crappie fishing is to move to a different location if crappie aren't biting.

Bluegill

Also known as bream, sun perch, pond perch, perch or sunfish, bluegill prefer shallow, slow moving water in off-channel habitat, such as oxbow lakes, sloughs, chutes and tributaries.
A good time to catch bluegill is during their spawning season, which runs from mid-May through mid-June. Bluegill use their tail fins to "fan out" saucer-shaped nests over sand or gravel in shallow water (2 - 4 feet deep). Male bluegills constantly guard their nests and a small artificial lure cast close to a nest will often catch them.
After spawning, bluegill move to deep water with cover such as submerged stumpfields, sunken trees, and grapevines, where they remain until the river freezes. Experienced ice anglers also fish these areas. Bluegill bite on a variety of natural baits, such as earthworms, crickets, grasshoppers, wax worms, and meal worms. A variety of artificial lures, including small popping bugs and wet or dry flies, also prove effective for catching bluegill.

Common Carp

Also known as German carp, European carp, scaled carp, leather carp or mirror carp, the common carp was introduced into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers in the late 1800's. They have become well established and compete for food and habitat with native large river fishes.
Carp are renowned for their fighting ability. This attribute aside, when taken from good quality water, scored, rolled in a corn meal and flour mixture and fried at 385 degrees, the "lowly" carp is good to eat. Carp can adapt to most water conditions and use all habitats along both rivers.
Tightline fishing around submerged brush or above a rock wing dike is a good method for carp. Many anglers fish with dough bait and have their own special doughball recipe. But carp aren't particular and will also bite on earthworms. Dawn and dusk are good times of the day to catch carp, and the best time of the year is from late June through September.

Bighead Carp

A recent accidental introduction to our large rivers, the bighead carp is becoming a common site as it porpoises around fishing boats that are operated in backwater areas. They have been known to actually jump in the boats of unsuspecting anglers. Bighead carp are not commonly caught by anglers because they are generally plankton feeders, but are occasionally caught on small jigs such as those used for white bass and crappie. Bighead carp have been reported as "good to eat" by many anglers. For more information on the bighead carp, refer to Stan Michaelson's Missouri Conservationist article on this species (Missouri Conservationist, March 1999).

Sturgeon

Sturgeon are known as prehistoric fish because their appearance hasn't changed in millions of years. There are three types of sturgeon in the large rivers of the St. Louis Region, the shovelnose, pallid, and lake sturgeon. Because the shovelnose sturgeon is easily mistaken for the endangered pallid sturgeon, it is a good idea to release any sturgeon you catch to avoid a violation. The lake sturgeon is easily identifiable from the other two sturgeon, but it is also protected and should be released immediately after being caught. Sturgeon are often caught by unsuspecting anglers who are fishing with worms for other species. Note: The Missouri Department of Health recommends that sturgeon should not be consumed due elevated levels of PCB's and chlordane in their tissue. Contaminants in Fish from Large Rivers
The Missouri Department of Health has issued a general warning regarding contaminants in fish from the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Consumption of bottom dwelling fish such as catfish, suckers, carp, and drum should be limited to one meal per week, due to low levels of chemicals such as chlordane that can be found in the flesh of those species. Other fish such as largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, walleye and sauger, and white bass can be consumed in any quantity. Note: The Missouri Department of Health recommends that sturgeon should not be consumed due to elevated levels of PCB's and chlordane in their tissue.

Master Angler and State Record Awards

If you think you might have caught a state record fish or a fish that qualifies for an MDC Master Angler Award, refer to the Master Angler/State Record Fish Website (**See Link**)

Regulations

Fishing regulations on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers are covered in the Summary of Fishing Regulations, which is published annually by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Always review regulations before fishing, especially when fishing in waters that border Illinois, and if you have any questions, call the Busch Conservation Area for assistance.

Maps

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Charts of the Mississippi and/or the Missouri River are available from Gone West, 2nd and Walnut Streets, St. Louis, MO 63102, or call 1.800.537.7962 to place credit card orders.

A Word About Safety

When boating large rivers there are some hazards to consider, including rock dikes, closing structures in chutes and sloughs, barge wakes, and sand flats. Although it is better to have an experienced friend who can introduce you to basic river navigation, you can safely navigate the river on your own by using common sense and introducing yourself to the basic rules of navigation which can be found in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Navigation Charts (See Maps for ordering information).