Fly Fish Bennett Spring State Park

Bennett Spring is the flagship of the Missouri Trout Parks. It draws the largest crowds, by far, and it boasts the largest spring of the four parks. It has a very nice restaurant, a nature center, a swimming pool, and tons of lodging and camping spaces. Once the park fills up, the rest of the visitors simply spill into the lodges and campgrounds that surround the park. The park boasts a nice tackle shop, and there are also some great fly shops nearby. 

The Missouri Department of Conservation releases Rainbow Trout into the stream daily during the months of March through October and anglers flock to take part in the excellent opportunity to catch good sized fish. A daily "trout tag" and Missouri Fishing license are required.

The stream divides into three zones for fishing.  Zone 1 runs from the Hatchery Dam upstream to the end of the trout fishing area.  Anglers who are fishing with flys only are permitted in this zone.  Zone 2 runs from the Hatchery Dam downstream to the Whistle Bridge.  Only flys and artificial lures are allowed in this zone.  Zone 3 runs from Whistle Bridge downstream to the Niangua River.  Only unscented soft plastic baits and natural and scented bait is permitted in this section of the stream.  All flys and artificial lures are not permitted in Zone 3 even if natural or scent is added.

Rainbow and Brown Trout are found in this stream, most between 12-15 inches in length, but some trout in the 3-5 pound range are often caught.

Information on lodging within the park can be found here.