MO Missouri Porch

Ozarks (Rural)

Montauk State Park is a trout park at the Current River's headwaters

The county's signature outdoor destination is one of Missouri's handful of stocked trout parks, which means it runs on special trout-park rules and seasons rather than ordinary stream-fishing regulations

Montauk State Park sits southwest of Salem. It is at the start, or “headwaters,” of the Current River. Big springs there pump out cold, clear water. Montauk is one of Missouri’s few trout parks. A trout park is a place where the Department of Conservation raises and stocks rainbow trout, and you fish under special rules. These rules are not like normal Ozark stream fishing. You buy a daily trout tag. A horn or whistle marks when fishing starts and stops. There is a set season for keeping fish, and a catch-and-release time at other points in the year. Two offices share the park. Missouri State Parks runs the lodge, campgrounds, and trails. The Department of Conservation runs the trout program and fishing rules. So before you go, check Missouri State Parks for lodging and camping. Check the Department of Conservation for current trout-park rules, tag prices, and season dates.

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