Every morning I wake up and can feel the cool breeze blowing from off the spring below me. It’s the kind of cool that gives you a boost of energy and refreshed for the day. The hustle and bustle of anglers scurrying about everywhere is a key that something exciting is about to happen. “Did you get your tag yet?” he asked. “Not, yet; I have to run by the store and get mine before 7:30,” I responded. After acquiring my trout tag I search around for a likely spot that some of the bigger, cleverer trout maybe hanging out waiting for an easy morning snack. My first step into the river is cool, but welcomed since my waders were making me sweat. I position myself downstream from a shoal with boulders breaking the river current. I’m 30 yards from any other angler. Perfect, I think to myself. A few other fly fishermen show up as I’m standing there, but they all keep more than casting distance away from each other. Anticipation is killing me; I can’t wait for that first cast and fish then it happens. The horn blows loudly bouncing off the towering bluff wall beside me. I quickly strip out some fly line and make the first cast. The line gently glides through the air before coming down in a perfect line. My fly quietly sits down without a sound or ripple. Within a second of it hitting the surface, I have a full grown trout thrusting upwards jumping towards the clouds above.

The action down on the river never seem to slow down and that’s really not unusual when trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park. Bennett Spring State Park operated by Missouri Department of Conservation is located 15 minutes west of Lebanon, Missouri (www.labanonmo.org), on Missouri 64. Off the beaten path, Bennett Spring State Park attracts all types and ages of anglers. The parks own hatchery grows the trout to be released into the spring’s flowing water. Over 320,000 trout are released into the third largest spring in Missouri with an average water temperature of 57 degrees.

Bennett Spring State Park is zoned into three sections:

Zone 1: From the Hatchery Dam upstream to the end of the area is flies only.
Zone 2: From the Hatchery Dam to the Whistle Bridge anglers can only use flies and artificial lures.
Zone 3: From the Whistle Bridge to the Niangua River only soft plastic bait (unscented), natural, and scented bait is permitted. All flies and artificial lures are prohibited.

Trout fishing hours for Bennett Spring State Park (www.BennettSpringStat Park.com) vary according to the season. For specific time call the park store at (417)532-4307. They are also winter catch-and-release seasonal hours. Anglers fishing in Bennett Spring State Park are required to have and display a daily trout tag that can be purchased at the park store before fishing. The legal limit of trout is four per person and possession limit of eight trout. All brown trout less than 15-inches must be released unharmed immediately after capture. There is no length limit on rainbow trout.

Anglers interested in learning how to fly fish can take lessons at Jim Rogers’ School of Fly Fishing (www.jimrogersflyschool.com) located adjacent to the park store. Mr. Rogers has been fly fishing for over 50 years and has a Master Certificate in fly fishing instruction from the Federation of Fly Fishers. He can have an inexperienced angler out fly fishing and enjoying the trout fishing at Bennett Spring State Park in no time.

Bennett Spring State Park has five campgrounds with primitive to full hookups available, cabins, condos, and motel rooms on the premises. It also has an Olympic sized swimming pool, playgrounds, meeting rooms, restaurant, park store with fishing and other supplies. Canoe and raft rentals are available at the park store or from One Eyed-Willy’s (One Eyed-Willy’s (417)993-2628 or www.oneeyedwillys.com) for groups or individuals on the Niangua River. Visitors to Bennett Spring State Park can also check out the Bennett Spring Nature Center.

The great thing about Bennett Spring State Park is anyone, any type of angler or any age can go and catch trout. Families can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and close by playground for when the kids lose their interest in fishing. Anglers that want to catch fish and take a few trout home to eat can do that and fly anglers can enjoy casting for trout with flies. If you like to catch trout Bennett Spring State Park is the place to go and have fun while catching fish.