Fishing Seasons and Limits |
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| GAME FISH | OPEN SEASON | DAILY LIMIT |
| Crappie | All Year | 30 |
| Channel & Blue Catfish | All Year | 10 |
| Flathead Catfish | All Year | 5 |
| Rock Bass & Warmouth | All Year | 15 |
| White bass, yellow bass and striped bass and their hybrids |
All Year | 15 |
| Trout | All Year | 5 |
| Black bass in streams | May 30-Feb. 28 in specified zone | |
| Black bass in impoundments; | All Year | 6 |
| Muskellunge & northern pike | All Year | 1 |
| Chain & grass pickerel | All Year | 6 |
| Walleye & sauger | All Year | 4 |
| Paddlefish/spoonbill | March 15 to April 30 | |
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Fish Length Limits |
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| SPECIES | LAKE/STREAM | MINIMUM LENGTH LIMIT |
| Black Bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) |
All Streams | 12 inches |
| Blue Springs Lake | 15 Inches | |
| Bull Shoals Lake | ** | |
| Lake of the Ozarks | ** | |
| Long Branch Lake | 15 inches | |
| Longview Lake | 15 inches | |
| Mark Twain Lake | 15 inches | |
| Montrose Lake | 15 inches | |
| Norfork Lake | ** | |
| Smithville Lake | 15 inches | |
| Stockton Lake | 15 inches | |
| Tablerock Lake | 15 inches | |
| Thomas Hill Lake | 15 inches | |
| Thuman Lake | 15 inches | |
| Pomme de Terri Lake | 13 inches | |
| Clarence Cannon Re-regulation Pool |
12 inches | |
| White bass, yellow bass striped bass and their hybrids |
Thomas Hill Lake | 20 inches |
| Clarence Cannon Re-regulation Pool |
12 inches | |
| Other Lake | *** | |
| Rock bass | **** | 9 inches |
| Crappie | Stockton Lake | 10 inches |
| Table Rock Lake | 10 inches | |
| Bull Shoals Lake | 10 inches | |
| Norfolk Lake | 10 inches | |
| Lake of the Ozarks | 9 inches | |
| Pomme de Terre Lake | 9 inches | |
| Smithville Lake | 9 inches | |
| Muskellunge | All waters | 36 inches |
| Paddlefish | All waters | 24 inches |
| Walleye | Blue Springs Lake | 18 inches |
| Bull Shoals Lake | 18 inches | |
| Long Branch Lake | 18 inches | |
| Longview Lake | 18 inches | |
| Mark Twain Lake | 18 inches | |
| Norfork Lake | 18 inches | |
| Smithville Lake | 18 inches | |
| Stockton Lake | 18 inches | |
| Table Rock Lake | 18 inches | |
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*The head and tail must remain attached to the fish while you are fishing
on waters where length limits apply. **15 inches for largemounth and smallmouth, 12 inches for spotted bass. ***Although the daily and possession limits are 15 and 30, only 4 fish in the daily limit and 8 in the possession limit may be more than 18 inches. |
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****Black Bass and Rock Bass Stream Management Areas: Big River from Mammoth Road bridge to Brown's Ford Road bridge. The daily limit in the aggregate is 6 black bass, and only I smallmouth bass may be included. All smallmouth less than 15 inches in total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. Statewide limits apply to other species except that, on the Big River from Highway 21 bridge (near DeSoto) to its confluence with the Meramec River, there is no length limit on spotted (Kentucky) bass. Big Buffalo Creek and its tributaries down to Lake of the Ozarks at the bridge on Benton County Road SE 971. All smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately after being caught. The daily limit for other black bass is 6 in the aggregate, and all black bass under 12 inches in total length must be returned to the water immediately after being caught. Big Piney River from Highway 17 bridge to Sand Shoals bridge. Within this area, the daily limit is 9 rock bass. All rock bass less than 9 inches must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. Big Piney River from Slabtown Access to Ross Access. The daily limit in the aggregate is 6 black bass, and only I smallmouth bass may be included. All smallmouth bass less than 15 inches in total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. Gasconade River from Highway Y bridge in Pulaski County to Highway D bridge in Phelps County. The daily limit in the aggregate is 6 black bass, and only 1 smallmouth bass may be included. All smallmouth bass less than 18 inches in total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. Jacks Fork River from Highway 17 bridge to Highway 106 bridge. The daily limit in the aggregate is 6 black bass, and only I smallmouth bass may be included. All smallmouth bass less than than 18 inches and all other black bass less than 12 inches in total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught. James River from Hooten Town bridge (Stone County Road A-90) to Highway 13 bridge. The daily limit is 6 black bass in the aggregate, and only 1 smallmouth bass may be taken. All smallmouth and largemouth bass less than 15 inches and spotted (Kentucky) bass less than 12 inches must be returned to the water immediately. Meramec River from Scott's Ford to the railroad crossing at Bird's Nest. The daily limit is 6 black bass in the aggregate, and only 1 smallmouth bass may be taken. All smallmouth bass less than 15 inches and all other black bass less than 12 inches must be returned to the water immediately. | ||