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 it and plan more trips in the future.
June 8-9 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 financial investment, but the real issue for most aspiring anglers is deciding where to go. The free MO Fishing app from the state Department of Conservation highlights hundreds of places, including tiny ponds on conservation property, and offers detailed reports for many of the state’s lakes and rivers.
The best information is on 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 of each location indicates 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 Park in Festus. While those two locations provide easy access, they also consequently attract many anglers, and novices would probably do better around fewer fishermen.
Jefferson County does have several access points on the Meramec, Big and Mississippi rivers, but those areas also can get crowded with anglers and others just trying to enjoy some cool water in the summertime.
Beyond the county’s borders, the public possibilities expand. I can speak for a few places where I have found success. Council Bluff Lake near Belgrade in Iron County was a longtime favorite, but I haven’t been there for several years. The 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 again has an upside with fewer fisherman present. It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but I remember liking the lake and catching fish there.
More recently I’ve had good luck at two similar lakes in the opposite direction. Whiteside Lake near Troy and Vandalia Community Reservoir are both many miles 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 get the benefit of detailed analysis. The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County has dozens of lakes and ponds managed for different fishing options. One of the largest on the property is Lake 33, featured in the prospects report. Lake 33 is known for big largemouth bass.
All three catfish species also are present in Lake 33, including channel catfish over 10 pounds and flatheads over 20 pounds. 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,” states the prospects report.
I recently tried my luck at the amusingly named Tywappity Community Lake near Chaffee. The 37-acre reservoir offered some fast action for largemouth bass, and my success confirmed the prospects report. I plan to return and go after 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’s been a couple of years since I was there, but I found the fishing good when you could get around all the algae. The report has good news on that: “Recent efforts to control aquatic vegetation have been successful and will continue.”
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. If you have story ideas, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com, and you can find more outdoor news and updates at johnjwink.com.