In Brief

Get Hooked on Missouri Trout Fishing

March 1 marks the opening of catch-and-keep fishing at Missouri’s four trout parks

Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, Montauk State Park near Licking, Roaring River State Park near Cassville, and Maramec Spring Park near St. James usher in the opening of catch-and-keep trout season on March 1, which runs through Oct. 31.

MDC operates trout hatcheries at all four parks and stocks rainbow trout daily throughout the season.

Hatchery staff will again use data on trout tags sold in past years to anticipate the number of anglers expected on opening day. Staff will then stock about 20,000 trout across the four trout parks for anglers on opening day.

Trout anglers need a fishing permit and a daily trout tag to fish in Missouri’s trout parks. Learn more at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZaD.

MDC encourages trout anglers to buy their fishing permits ahead of time from numerous vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through the MDC free mobile app — MO Fishing  — available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices.

Daily trout tags can only be purchased at each of the four trout parks. MDC encourages trout anglers to have the correct amount of cash for daily tags, if possible.

The cost of a daily trout tag to fish at three of Missouri’s four trout parks — Bennett Spring State Park, Montauk State Park, and Roaring River State Park — is $4 for adults and $3 for those 15 years of age and younger. The daily limit is four trout.

MDC is continuing a pilot program at Maramec Spring Park where the daily limit has been raised from four to five trout and the cost of a daily trout tag for adults is $5 and $3 for anglers 15 years of age and younger.

Montauk State Park store hours for daily tags will be Feb. 27 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store will open at 4:30 a.m. on March 1.

Bennett Spring State Park and Roaring River State Park store hours for daily tags will be Feb. 27 from 1 to 9 p.m. and Feb. 28 starting at 9 a.m. through March 1.

Maramec Spring Park store hours for daily tags will be 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Feb. 19 to Feb. 26. Normal hours of 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. will begin on Feb. 27.

MDC reminds anglers and others visiting the trout parks to abide by all posted signs regarding wearing masks and social distancing requirements.

MDC notes that extensive hatchery renovations at Roaring River have recently been completed. The modernization of the facility will provide increased trout production, healthier fish, and the reopening of the raceways where trout are raised before release. Due to Roaring River Hatchery being out of production, current trout inventory levels will require adjustments to normal stocking rates, but there will be plenty of fish for anglers to have another great season in 2021. Learn more at short.mdc.mo.gov/Zad.

MDC also notes that Roaring River has changed some fishing zones and advises trout anglers to check at the park for new information. Changes include changing the lower end of Zone 3 and moving Zone 3 about 545 feet up into Zone Two.

Paddlefish Season Begins March 15

Imagine catching a giant, prehistoric fish whose ancestors swam during the time of dinosaurs. That is a reality for thousands of paddlefish snaggers during Missouri’s annual spring paddlefish snagging season. Paddlefish, named for their large, paddle-shaped snouts, are an ancient species that can grow to 7 feet and weigh more than 100 pounds.

According to MDC, the state’s major paddlefish snagging waters include Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake, and Table Rock Lake. The paddlefish snagging season for these and most other waters in the state runs March 15 through April 30. The season for the Mississippi River is March 15 through May 15 with a fall season of Sept. 15 through Dec. 15.

MDC reminds snaggers to immediately release sub-legal fish for future harvests and offers these tips:

• Use landing nets, not gaffs, which can kill young fish.
• Wet hands before handling fish and avoid excessive handling.
• Never put fingers in the gills or eyes.
• Remove hooks carefully and get undersized fish back into the water as quickly as possible.

Learn more about paddlefish snagging regulations, snagging reports, and more at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZTC.

MDC Reports Final Deer Harvest Numbers

Missouri’s 2020–2021 deer-hunting season ended Jan. 15 with MDC reporting a preliminary total harvest of 296,516. Of the deer harvested, 140,468 were antlered bucks, 28,587 were button bucks, and 127,461 were does.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 5,786 deer harvested, Howell with 5,367, and Callaway with 4,989.

Hunters harvested 285,873 deer during the 2019–2020 deer hunting season, with 134,092 being antlered bucks, 27,970 being button bucks, and 123,811 being does.

Deer hunting ended with the close of the archery season. Preliminary data from MDC showed that hunters checked 67,180 deer during the 2020–2021 archery deer season. The top counties for the archery deer season were Jefferson with 1,630, Saint Louis with 1,384, and Franklin with 1,315. Hunters checked 61,407 deer during the 2019–2020 archery deer season.

Fall archery turkey hunting also ended Jan. 15. Preliminary data from MDC showed 2,905 turkeys harvested. Top counties for the fall archery turkey season were Greene with 84, Franklin with 78, and Texas with 61. Hunters harvested 2,406 turkeys during the 2019–2020 fall archery turkey season.

MDC reported four firearms-related hunting incidents during the 2020–2021 fall deer and turkey hunting seasons. The incidents were all self-inflicted and non-fatal.

MDC Advises Treating Ash Trees to Combat EAB

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is an exotic Asian beetle that was introduced into North America before 2002 and is now found throughout much of Missouri. EAB larvae feed on and kill ash trees. Ash trees can be protected from EAB by using specific insecticides.

MDC recommends that property owners and communities begin insecticide treatment for their healthy ash trees this spring if they want to resist EAB attack.

MDC Forest Entomologist Robbie Doerhoff said that smaller trees (20 inches or less in diameter) can be treated by the homeowner using a soil-drench insecticide. Trees larger than 20 inches in diameter should be injected with insecticide by a professional.

“It’s best to call an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture to do this job,” Doerhoff said. She recommends starting with TreesAreGood.org, which lists several ISA-certified arborists in Missouri.

Learn more about EAB from MDC online at short.mdc.mo.gov/Z4C.

Get New MDC Hunting and Fishing Booklets

Missouri hunters, trappers, anglers, and others can get free copies of updated booklets on spring turkey hunting, trapping and hunting seasons, fishing, and the Wildlife Code of Missouri starting in early March. The handy booklets have information on related permits, seasons, species, regulations, limits, conservation areas, sunrise and sunset tables, and more.

The booklets — 2021 Spring Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information, Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations, Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, and the Wildlife Code of Missouri — are available at MDC regional offices, MDC nature centers, and where permits are sold. Each booklet also is available online at mdc.mo.gov using the search tool at the top of the homepage.