Fishing, Length Limits

PURPOSE: This rule establishes length limits on fish for areas under management agreement with the department. (1) Statewide length limits shall apply for all species, except as otherwise provided in this rule. (2) Black bass more than twelve inches (12") but less than fifteen inches (15") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught, except as follows: (A) Black bass less than fifteen inches (15") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on the following lakes: 1. Arrow Rock State Historic Site (Big Soldier Lake); 2. Belton (Cleveland Lake); 3. Bethany (Old Bethany City Reservoir); 4. Blue Springs (Lake Remembrance); 5. Butler City Lake; 6. Cameron (Century Lake, Eagle Lake, Grindstone Lake, Sunrise Lake); 7. Cape Girardeau (Capaha Park Lake); 8. Carthage (Kellogg Lake); 9. Columbia (Stephens Park Lake); 10. Concordia (Edwin A. Pape Lake); 11. Confederate Memorial State Historic Site lakes; 12. Dexter City Lake; 13. East Prairie (K. S. Simpkins Park Pond); 14. Farmington (Asher Lake, Hager Lake, Giessing Lake, Thomas Lake); 15. Hamilton City Lake; 16. Harrison County Lake; 17. Higginsville (Higginsville City Lake, Upper Higginsville City Lake); 18. Holden City Lake; 19. Jackson (Litz Park Lake, Rotary Lake); 20. Jackson County (Lake Jacomo, Prairie Lee Lake); 21. Jefferson City (McKay Park Lake); 22. Kearney (Jesse James Park Lake); 23. Keytesville (Maxwell Taylor Park Pond); 24. Kirksville (Hazel Creek Lake); 25. Liberty (Capitol Federal® Sports Complex Ponds Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8); 26. Marble Hill (Pellegrino Lake); 27. Mark Twain National Forest (Fourche Lake, Huzzah Pond, Loggers Lake, McCormack Lake, Noblett Lake, Roby Lake); 28. Maysville (Willow Brook Lake); 29. Mineral Area College (Quarry Pond); 30. Odessa (Lake Venita); 31. Osage Beach (Osage Beach City Park Lake); 32. Pershing State Park ponds; 33. Potosi (Roger Bilderback Lake); 34. Raymore (Johnston Lake); 35. Sikeston (Sikeston Recreation Complex Lake); 36. Unionville (Lake Mahoney); 37. University of Missouri (McCredie Lake); 38. Warrensburg (Lions Lake); 39. Watkins Mill State Park (Williams Creek Lake); and 40. Windsor (Farrington Park Lake). (B) Black bass less than eighteen inches (18") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on the following lakes: 1. Ballwin (New Ballwin Park Lake, Vlasis Park Lake); 2. Columbia (Twin Lakes); 3. Fenton (Preslar Lake, Upper Fabick Lake, Westside Park Lake); 4. Ferguson (January-Wabash Lake); 5. Jennings (Koeneman Park Lake); 6. Kirkwood (Walker Lake); 7. Overland (Wild Acres Park Lake); 8. Sedalia (Spring Fork Lake); 9. St. Ann (Gendron Lake); 10. St. Charles (Fountain Lakes Pond, Kluesner Lake, Moore Lake, Skate Park Lake); 11. St. Joseph (Corby Pond); 12. St. Louis (Benton Park Lake, Boathouse Lake, Fairgrounds Park Lake, Horseshoe Lake, Jefferson Lake, Lafayette Park Lake, O’Fallon Park Lake, North Lake, South Lake); 13. St. Louis County (Bee Tree Park Lake, Blackjack Lake, Carp Lake, Creve Coeur Park Lake, Fountain Lake, Island Lake, Jarville Lake, Simpson Park Lake, Spanish Lake, Sunfish Lake, Tilles Park Lake); 14. Union (Union City Lake); and 15. Wentzville (Community Club Lake, Heartland Lake); (C) Black bass more than fourteen inches (14") but less than eighteen inches (18") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on Unionville (Lake Mahoney); (D) Black bass less than twenty inches (20") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on Mexico (Teal Lake); and (E) There is no length limit on black bass on Cuivre River State Park (Lincoln Lake). (3) White bass, striped bass, and their hybrids less than twenty inches (20") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on the following lakes: (A) Cameron (Eagle Lake); (B) Hamilton (Hamilton City Lake); (C) Maysville (Willow Brook Lake); (D) St. Louis County (Sunfish Lake); and (E) Watkins Mill State Park (Williams Creek Lake). (4) Bluegill less than eight inches (8") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on Columbia (Stephens Park Lake). (5) Bluegill less than nine inches (9") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on University of Missouri (McCredie Lake). (6) Flathead catfish less than twenty-four inches (24") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on Concordia (Edwin A. Pape Lake), Higginsville (Higginsville City Lake, Upper Higginsville City Lake), Maysville (Willow Brook Lake), and St. Louis County (Bee Tree Park Lake, Sunfish Lake). (7) Walleye less than eighteen inches (18") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on Memphis (Lake Showme). (8) Channel catfish less than sixteen inches (16") total length must be returned to the water unharmed immediately after being caught on the following areas: (A) Farmington (Hager Lake, Giessing Lake, Thomas Lake). (9) On Maryville (Mozingo Lake), the daily limit of all crappie may include not more than fifteen (15) fish more than nine inches (9") in total length. AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const., and section 252.040, RSMo 2016.* This rule previously filed as 3 CSR 10-4.116. Original rule filed April 30, 2001, effective Sept. 30, 2001. Amended: Filed Aug. 30, 2001, effective Jan. 30, 2002. Amended: Filed May 9, 2002, effective Oct. 30, 2002. Amended: Filed July 31, 2002, effective March 1, 2003. Amended: Filed Oct. 9, 2003, effective March 30, 2004. Amended: Filed Oct. 8, 2004, effective March 30, 2005. Amended: Filed April 20, 2005, effective Sept. 30, 2005. Amended: Filed Sept. 14, 2005, effective Feb. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed March 6, 2006, effective Aug. 30, 2006. Amended: Filed Oct. 2, 2006, effective Feb. 28, 2007. Amended: Filed Aug. 14, 2007, effective Jan. 30, 2008. Amended: Filed Oct. 10, 2008, effective April 30, 2009. Amended: Filed March 23, 2009, effective Aug. 30, 2009. Amended: Filed Sept. 25, 2009, effective March 1, 2010. Amended: Filed March 12, 2010, effective Aug. 30, 2010. Amended: Filed Aug. 30, 2010, effective Jan. 30, 2011. Amended: Filed March 7, 2011, effective July 30, 2011. Amended: Filed Sept. 12, 2011, effective March 1, 2012. Amended: Filed Sept. 19, 2012, effective March 1, 2013. Amended: Filed Sept. 27, 2013, effective March 1, 2014. Amended: Filed March 7, 2014, effective March 17, 2014. Amended: Filed March 17, 2014, effective Aug. 30, 2014. Amended: Filed Aug. 28, 2015, effective March 1, 2016. Amended: Filed Aug. 29, 2016, effective Sept. 15, 2016. Amended: Filed Aug. 29, 2017, effective Sept. 30, 2017. Amended: Filed Feb. 9, 2018, effective March 1, 2018. Amended: Filed Aug. 28, 2018, effective Sept. 30, 2018. Amended: Filed Jan. 29, 2020, effective Feb. 29, 2020. Amended: Filed Sept. 4, 2020, effective Oct. 1, 2020. Amended: Filed Aug. 27, 2021, effective Feb. 28, 2022. Amended: Filed Feb. 17, 2022, effective Aug. 30, 2022. Amended: Filed July 29, 2022, effective Feb. 28, 2023. Amended: Filed Sept. 8, 2023, effective Sept. 18, 2023. Amended: Filed Feb. 7, 2025, effective Aug. 30, 2025. Amended: Filed Oct. 3, 2025, effective April 30, 2026. *Original authority: 252.040, RSMo 1945, amended 1989.