Annual catch-and-keep season at trout parks coming up March 1

Friday, March 1, marks the opening of catch-and-keep trout fishing in Missouri at the state’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. The catch-and-keep season at the trout parks runs through Oct. 31.
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) operates trout hatcheries at all four parks. To help predict angler turnout on opening day, hatchery staff rely on permit records going back more than 80 years. Records show that good weather and opening days that fall on weekends tend to attract more anglers.
With this year’s opening day falling on a Friday, hatchery staff at Montauk, Bennett Spring, and Roaring River expect crowds of about 2,300 anglers at each location opening day. Maramec Spring staff are planning for a crowd of about 1,600.
Based on these predictions, hatchery staff will stock three rainbow trout per expected angler on opening day for a total of more than 21,000 fish averaging around a foot in length. The hatcheries will also stock a mix of “lunkers” ranging from three to 10 pounds.