Gigging, bowfishing & other methods
Gigging, bowfishing & other legal methods
Missouri lets you take nongame fish — carp, suckers, buffalo, drum, and gar — by gig, bow, crossbow, atlatl, snare, snagging, grabbing, or underwater spear, as long as you're in the right waters and the right seasons. Nongame fish are the rough fish you can't catch by pole and line for sport; a gig is a long-handled spear with barbed prongs, and an atlatl is an ancient throwing stick that launches a light spear, called a dart.
Gamefish — bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, and the rest — are different. They must be caught by a hook in the mouth or jaw. The one exception is paddlefish, which you may take by snagging in season.
Check your water first
Missouri's statewide limits are only the starting point. Hundreds of lakes, rivers, trout areas, urban lakes, and stream stretches set their own daily limits, length limits, slot limits, bait rules, or catch-and-release rules that override the statewide number. The local rule is usually posted on a sign at the access.
The statewide starting point
Nongame fish limits
These are the statewide defaults. Your specific lake, river, or stream stretch may set stricter rules — check the sign at the access.
| Fish | Daily | Possession | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nongame fish (suckers, carp, buffalo, drum, gar, etc.) | 50 by line / 20 by other methods (combined) | 100 line / 40 other | — | 100/100 on the Mississippi. Goldfish and common/grass/bighead/silver carp are unlimited and don't count. |
Full seasons & limits: MDC Fishing Seasons & Limits.
Seasons
Gigging & atlatl seasons — 2026
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| Gigging & atlatl — impounded waters | Feb. 16 – Sept. 14, sunrise to sunset |
| Gigging & atlatl — streams + impounded waters | Sept. 15 – Feb. 15, sunrise to midnight The classic Ozark gigging season. |
Dates change each year — confirm on MDC Fishing Seasons.
Bowfishing hours
When you can shoot fish with a bow
Bowfishing hours depend on the water. On most streams you can bowfish from sunrise to midnight. The Missouri, Mississippi, and St. Francis rivers are open 24 hours a day. On impoundments — lakes and ponds held back by a dam — you may use underwater lights for bowfishing.
Special nongame rules
A few fish have their own rules
- On the Current River below Cedar Grove, a daily nongame limit may include no more than 5 hogsuckers.
- Bowfin must stay whole and intact while you're on the water.
- Alligator gar are protected — it is illegal to take them.
Shared method rules
Rules that apply to every method
- No explosives, poison, chemicals, or electricity — and you can't even have that gear with you on the water.
- Spearguns are not allowed on unimpounded waters.
- Slat and wire fish traps are illegal — only live-bait traps are allowed.
- Light above the water is fine; underwater lights are allowed only while you're using pole-and-line or bowfishing on impoundments.
Live bait
What you can use for bait
Minnows and other nongame fish, crayfish, freshwater shrimp, and certain frogs are legal bait. Gamefish can't be used as bait. Bait you catch in Missouri can't be sold or taken out of state. Only the Virile (or "Northern") crayfish may be sold or used commercially, and live ones can't be brought in from out of state. (Frogging lives in the Hunting hub — see the frog page.)
Methods
Legal ways to take fish
| Method | Usually for | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Pole & line | Any fish (the only legal way to take gamefish) | Gamefish must be hooked in the mouth or jaw. |
| Trotline / throwline / limb line / bank line | Catfish and nongame | Counts toward your combined hook limit; label it; check at least every 24 hours. |
| Jug line | Catfish | Anchored jug ≤24 hrs unattended; unanchored jug attended (streams) or checked hourly (lakes). |
| Gig / atlatl | Nongame fish (suckers, carp) | Only in the gigging seasons/hours; gamefish can't be gigged. |
| Bow / crossbow (bowfishing) | Nongame fish | Hours/seasons vary by water; nongame only. |
| Snagging | Nongame fish — and paddlefish in season | The one exception that lets you take a gamefish (paddlefish) without a mouth hook. |
| Live-bait trap | Catching your own bait | Allowed and must be labeled — but slat/wire fish traps are illegal. |
Slat and wire fish traps are illegal — only live-bait traps are allowed.
Good to remove (no limit)
Invasive fish that don't count toward any limit — keep all you want.
- Bighead carp
- Silver carp
- Grass carp
- Common carp
- Goldfish
Do NOT harvest (protected)
Endangered or protected — release right away.
- Alligator gar
- Pallid sturgeon (federally endangered)
- Lake sturgeon (state endangered)
- Any endangered or protected fish
When in doubt, release it.
Before you fish
Missouri Porch explains; the MDC decides.
Data current for 2026. Last checked against MDC: 2026-06-18. Limits, prices, and special-water rules change — confirm with MDC before you fish.
This is a plain-English summary, not the law. Always check the current MDC regulations before you fish. As MDC says, the regulation summary is NOT a legal document and rules can change during the year.
- MDC Fishing Regulations
- MDC Fishing Seasons — current dates
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