Annual Free Fishing Days in Missouri– and most other states — provide novice anglers the opportunity to try the sport without having to purchase the required permits. The hope of course is that they will get hooked on the idea and plan more trips in the future.
On June 8 and 9 anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without a permit, but all other regulations remain in effect, including limits on size and number of fish. Free Fishing Days takes place statewide each year on the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June.
Equipment loaner programs at local libraries allow participants to get started with minimal monetary investment, but the real issue for most aspiring anglers is determining where to go. The free MO Fishing app from the state Department of Conservation highlights hundreds of places, and it offers detailed reports for many of the state’s lakes and rivers.
The directory identifies places including tiny ponds on conservation property. The best information is limited to the biggest bodies of water highlighted in an annual report called Fishing Prospects, assembled by conservation department biologists and other staff members. A satellite map with each location on the app provides a glimpse at the accessibility of the water and features like docks and jetties.
The app does not include municipal ponds like the lakes at Arnold City Park or Larry Crites Memorial in Festus. Those two places provide easy accommodations, but they also face significant fishing pressure, and fewer other fishermen is almost always a better situation.
Jefferson County does have several access points on the Meramec, Big and Mississippi rivers but those areas can also get crowded with anglers and others enjoying the atmosphere provided by cool water in the summer time.
Beyond the county’s borders, the public possibilities proliferate. Personally I can speak for a few places where I have found success. Council Bluff Lake near Belgrade in Iron County was a long-time favorite, but I haven’t been there for several years. It’s clear, deep water provided challenges, but good fishing too.
Palmer Lake, a smaller body of water near Council Bluff, does not have the same easy access as its nearby neighbor, but that can be a good thing for the aforementioned reason of fewer other fishermen. It also has been a while since I’ve been there, but I remember liking the lake and catching fish there.
More recently I have had success at two similar lakes in the opposite direction. Whiteside Lake near Troy, Missouri, and Vandalia Community Reservoir are both hours north of Jefferson County, but are worth the trip for fishing fun.
None of those personal favorites are mentioned in this year’s Fishing Prospects, but many others do get the benefit of detailed analysis. The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County has dozens of lakes and ponds, which are managed for different fishing options.
One of the largest on the property is Lake 33, and it gets significant attention in the prospects report. Lake 33 is known for big largemouth bass. All three catfish species are present in Lake 33 with channel catfish over 10 pounds available and flatheads over 20 pounds possible. Hybrid striped bass stocked in the lake have the potential to get really big as evidenced by their 20-inch minimum length limit.
Perry County Community Lake also has had hybrids stocked at a rate of 1,000 per year for nearly 20 years. “Each year, multiple anglers report catching hybrid striped bass greater than seven pounds,” according to the annual prospects.
I recently had the chance to fish at Tywappity Community Lake near Chaffee. The 37-acre reservoir offered some fast action for largemouth bass, and the prospects report matched my success. I plan to return for a chance to fish for the 8- to 10-inch bluegill and redear sunfish mentioned in the report. Channel catfish are stocked annually and have a 16-inch minimum.
One last spot to mention is Towell Lake at Little Prairie Conservation Area between St. James and Rolla. It has been a couple of years since I was there, but the prospect report has me wanting to give it another look soon. “Recent efforts to control aquatic vegetation has been successful and will continue.” My experience there found good fishing when you could get around all the algae.
The MO Fishing app is available on Google Play and the App Store.
John Winkelman has been writing about outdoors news and issues in Jefferson County for more than 30 years and was the Associate Editor for Outdoor Guide Magazine.
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