KC Bait & Tackle

Provided by MDC

The bass catch-and-keep season in southern Missouri streams applies to largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. Anglers may catch these species legally all year, anywhere in the state. They may keep legal-sized bass caught from impoundments all year long, statewide. However, from March 1 through the Friday before the fourth Saturday in May, you may only keep black bass caught in streams if you are:

· on the Mississippi River,

· north of the south bank of the Missouri River,

· in that portion of southeast Missouri south and east of Cape Girardeau following Highways 74 and 25, U.S. Highways 60, 67 and 160 and the west bank of the Little Black River to the Arkansas state line, or

· on the St. Francis River downstream from Wappapello Dam.

In the rest of the state—essentially the Ozarks—black-bass fishing is strictly catch-and-release from March 1 until the fourth Saturday in May.

In most of the state’s waters, the daily limit on black bass is six, with a possession limit of 12. Black bass taken from streams must be at least 12 inches long in most areas. There is no statewide length limit on bass taken from impoundments. However, special length and daily limits apply on many lakes and streams. To ensure that you keep only legal bass, you must check for special regulations on the waters you intend to fish. You can find these posted at areas with special regulations and in the 2009 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations, which is available from fishing permit vendors.