I am spending thanksgiving with the inlaws and they decided to rent a place in camdenton Missouri. The original plan was to be halfway between Jackson ms and Kansas city so I can sneak off and fly fish in the mornings. Well, that didn’t happen. I have been frantically searching the Internet for trout opportunities I can hit within 30 minutes of camdenton but it looks like my inlaws picked the one spot in MO with no nearby trout and it’s 10 hours from Jackson, and I’m paying for the cabin! Please tell me i can find some trout around camdenton.
bennett spring state park is about 45 minutes away. gonna be about the closest place to fish for some trout. if you expand your window a bit ( up to about 2 hrs) you can find several nice trout streams in southern missouri. or you can hit a tailwater in branson, mo. called taneycomo. the white river in arkansas is about 3 hrs. away, but is probably one of the premier trout rivers in america. hope this helps. you can p.m. me if you have any more questions
At this time of year, I believe, Bennett might just be closed. Between the normal fishing season and “winter fishing” they have a period when it is closed. Maybe it’s already winter fishing now. Just be sure to check. Even if it happened to be closed, the Niangua River just below Bennett is usually good fishing as it usually holds a number of trout.
They have a web site you can check for their seasons at Bennett.
Just checked. I think "Winter Fishing " starts the second Friday in Nov.
The parks, Bennet Springs, will be C & R this time of the year. As has been stated the Niangua just below the park is often good and can be fished year round and there are length limits if you like to keep and eat the nasty things. Near Fort Leonard Wood there is the Roubidoux and on up near Rolla is the Little Piney, Mill Creek and Spring Creek that offer wild trout. Those drive times from Camdenton are probably 1 1/2 - 2 hours.
Bennett Springs State Park or the Niangua River will be your closest and best bet for trout.
Bennett will be open for winter fishing Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon.
The spring from Bennett pours into the Niangua River…just below the state park. You may fish the Niangua for trout any time.
To fish the park (during winter season), you will need a MO fishing license and a MO trout license. It is catch & release only.
To fish the Niangua river, you will need a MO fishing license. To keep fish in the Niangua, you will need a MO trout license also.
I always have both, even though I only catch & release.
Fishing during the Thanksgiving weekend may be hit or miss as far as people go. There may be a few, there may be more if the weather is particularly nice and people feel like getting out.
I would buy both the fishing license and the trout license and head to Bennett Springs State Park first. If it’s too crowded, or doesn’t suit you…just head out the ‘back’ side of the park and check out the Niangua.
If you can handle warmwater, there are VERY MANY guides on Lake of the Ozarks, and white bass and crappie fishing is good now. Few if any of the guides will really know much about fly fishing, but they can put you in the right spots.