News – Friday, February 28th 2025

The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds Missouri hunters and anglers that related annual permits expire at the end of February, including 2024 permits for small game, fishing, trout fishing, and combination hunting and fishing. You can buy Missouri hunting and fishing permits from one of many vendors around the state, online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, or through MDC’s free mobile apps, MO Hunting and MO Fishing, available for download through Google Play for Android devices or the App Store for Apple devices. Save time by buying hunting and fishing permits for multiple people in a single transaction. Select the “Additional Customer” option during the permit purchase. Avoid having to manually renew permits each year by using MDC’s Permit Auto-Renewal Service. It allows customers to enroll eligible permits in a service that will automatically renew their permits prior to the start of the next season or permit year. The process was designed to ensure customers never have expired permits when they need them most. Learn more about this service at mdc.mo.gov/permits/permit-auto-renewal. Commercial and lifetime permits can be purchased only through the MDC Permit Services Unit by calling 573-522-0107. Contact them for an application.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has confirmed that trout will be ready for anglers at the March 1st trout opener at Montauk State Park on Saturday, despite extensive flood damage to the fish hatchery last November. Fishing begins at 6:30 Saturday morning at the popular Dent County park. Department of Conservation officials are assuring visitors that trout will be available throughout the summer catch-and-keep season, which runs from March 1st through October 31st. The severity of the November flooding was significant as several Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Department buildings were underwater. The trout raceways near the Old Mill within the park were nearly 15 feet underwater at the flood’s peak. Clean-up and repair work has continued throughout winter, but recovery efforts are still ongoing. Repairs at the hatchery will likely continue throughout the summer season. The park’s fish-cleaning station will remain out of service until repairs can be completed. The Missouri Department of Conservation’s connected cold-water hatchery system has been crucial to Montauk’s recovery. Staff from multiple hatcheries assisted with clean-up efforts, and several thousand trout were temporarily relocated to warm-water fish hatcheries. Approximately 20,000 trout will be stocked across all four state trout parks on opening day, including Montauk State Park, Roaring River State Park in Barry County, Bennett Spring State Park in Laclede and Dallas counties, and Maramec Spring Park in Phelps County. Daily stocking at these parks will continue throughout the summer season with a total of more than 600,000 being stocked at the four trout parks.