Fishing Regulations

 

Ozark National Scenic Riverways has some prime fishing spots on both the Current and Jacks Fork rivers.

 

Fishing in Ozark National Scenic Riverways

What comes to mind when you think about fishing? Patience, relaxation, challenge, and memories are a few words often associated with fishing. You will find all that and a sense of stewardship, conservation, and preservation on this page. We want you to have an enjoyable time during your visit, and for those who come after you to fish. Take some time to explore, learn what the park has to offer and learn your responsibilities before casting a line or flicking a fly into the water.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways allows fishing as a means of providing for public enjoyment, and customary and traditional use, and regulates fishing to ensure that it is managed in a manner that avoids unacceptable impacts to park resources.

The Current and Jacks Fork rivers in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways have some of the best sport fishing opportunities in the country for both Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow and Brown Trout.

For more information on how fishing regulations work in national parks, go to the NPS Fish and Fishing website.

 

Licenses

• A valid fishing permit is required to fish in the park. A trout permit is also required when fishing for trout in addition to a regular fishing permit.
• To find out who needs a valid fishing permit please visit Permits | MDC Hunting and Fishing (mo.gov)
• Fishing permits are sold online by the Missouri Department of Conservation or can be obtained locally at many convenience stores. Fishing permits are not sold within the park. To purchase online please visit Fishing Permits | MDC Hunting and Fishing (mo.gov)\

 

Fishing Regulations

• Specific regulations for fishing on the Current and Jacks Fork in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways can be found on the Missouri Department of Conservation's website at Fishing | MDC Hunting and Fishing (mo.gov)

 

Fish Consumption Advisories in National Park Waters

The Environmental Protection Agency, states, territories, and tribes provide advice on fish and shellfish caught in the waters in their jurisdiction to help people make informed decisions about eating fish. Advisories are recommendations to limit your consumption of, or avoid eating entirely, certain species of fish or shellfish from specific bodies of water due to chemical or biological contamination.

Fish is part of a healthy balanced diet, but eating wild fish and shellfish caught in park waters is not risk free. Parks are “islands”, but the much larger “ocean” that surrounds them affects the natural resources inside a park. Other aquatic toxins are the result of natural biological processes. Also, chemical contaminants that originate outside of park boundaries can come into parks.

Mercury is an example of a toxin originating outside a park that can find its way into a park. Mercury exists naturally in some rocks, including coal. When power plants burn coal, mercury can travel in the air long distances before falling to the ground, usually in low concentrations. Once on the ground, microorganisms can change this elemental mercury to methyl mercury. This type of mercury can build up in animal tissues, and it can increase in concentration to harmful levels. This high concentration can occur in large predatory fish - those often pursued and eaten by anglers. Studies have shown that fish in some National Park System waters have mercury levels that may be a concern to people who regularly eat a lot of fish.

To learn more about this topic, the National Park Service maintains information about Fish Consumption Advisories and Mercury and Toxins in Nature.

 

Aquatic Invasive Species

Imagine your favorite fishing spot and the wonderful memories. Things may look fine but underneath the surface there is a serious threat. Everything you remembered is now cemented together in a sharp, smelly mess. Invaders have wiped out the fish species you used to catch.

Aquatic invasive species are not native to an ecosystem. Their introduction causes, or is likely to cause, harm to the economy, the environment, or to human health. Aquatic invasive species are a growing risk to parks and their values. In the United States alone, there are more than 250 non-native aquatic species.

For many centuries, humans have contributed to spreading non-native species around the globe. You can make a difference. To learn more about Aquatic Invasive Species in the National Park Service, visit the Fish & Fishing website.

 

Fishing Throughout the National Park Service

We invite you to visit the Fish and Fishing website for more information about fish and fishing in the National Park Service. You will learn about conservation, different fish species, and parks that offer fishing.

 

Let's Go Fishing!

NPS

Become a Junior Ranger Angler!

Join a Ranger this summer Memorial Day-Labor day in participating park campgrounds at 10 a.m. for a Junior Ranger Angler program. Kids will learn all about sport fishing, river ecology, river safety and have their chance to catch a fish. All equipment provided.

In the meantime, earn your Junior Ranger Angler Badge by visiting here.