JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 7, 2019 – More than 5,100 anglers visited Bennett Spring, Montauk and Roaring River state parks on opening day of trout season. The catch-and-keep trout season began on Friday, March 1.
"What a great opening day! Nothing stops anglers from coming to these three parks for trout opening," said Ben Ellis, director of Missouri State Parks.
Based on trout tag sales, 1,684 anglers visited Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon, 1,727 anglers visited Montauk State Park near Salem, and 1,784 anglers visited Roaring River State Park near Cassville. This year’s total is an increase of nearly 500 more than 2018 figures. A breakdown of trout tag counts and photos from the day are available at https://mostateparks.com/TroutOpening2019.
"Each park has something to offer these anglers," said Carol Comer, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. "Go to any one of the three state parks, and you will find family traditions that run deep, year after year. There is something to be said about Missouri State Parks and trout fishing."
The catch-and-keep trout season continues through Oct. 31. Trout season in Missouri is a cooperative effort of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which manages state parks, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, which operates the hatcheries and stocks the streams with trout.
For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit the web at https://mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.