Annual Prospects Report
With camping, trout fishing, and floating, the 19 miles of Current River from Montauk State Park to Akers Ferry in Dent and Shannon Counties has it all. There are two designated trout management areas below Montauk that offer opportunities to experience some of Missouri’s most productive trout waters. The 9-mile stretch between the lower boundary of Montauk State Park and Cedargrove Access is managed as a Blue-Ribbon Trout Area (BRTA) for large brown trout. On this reach, only one trout may be kept per day and it must be at last 18 inches long. Lures are restricted to artificial lures and flies only. Check “A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations” for definitions of these types of tackle. These special regulations provide for some excellent catch-and-release fishing and the possibility of harvesting a trophy. Brown trout are stocked each spring with the 2023 stocking consisting of very large fish averaging 14 inches and over 1 pound within this BRTA. Brown trout are sampled annually each fall and the population remains excellent with nearly 400 brown trout per mile observed in the last sample. This is the highest estimate since the mid-2000s. Survival of these brown trout is good as greater than 10% of trout captured in the 2023 sample were over 18 inches. Some browns were in the 5-10 pound range. Anglers focusing on rainbow trout in the BRTA will have the greatest success in the 2-mile stretch between Montauk State Park and Baptist Access, as densities decrease below Baptist Access. Rainbow trout are not stocked in the BRTA, however, they do move downstream out of the trout park. While most rainbow trout fall within the 11-15-inch size range, some can reach trophy lengths in the reaches just below Montauk.
The White Ribbon Trout Area (WRTA) stretches 7.7 miles from the Cedargrove Bridge to the Akers Ferry Access and is managed with rainbow trout on a put-and-take basis. This section has no minimum length limit, a four fish per day creel limit and no bait restrictions. Rainbows (10-12 inches) are stocked approximately once a month all year totaling 8,000 rainbows stocked annually. During the months of July and August, and when river levels are low, trout stocking is limited to the cooler section from Welch Spring downstream to Akers Ferry. Fishing in the White Ribbon Area is less crowded than in the trout park and the stream can be easily waded or floated by kayak or canoe.
