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Bennett Spring is the Missouri trout park to book when you want a whole weekend, not just a morning on the water. The spring pours out more than 100 million gallons of cold water a day. Stocking is daily, and catch-and-keep season runs March 1 through October 31. You will find the park 12 miles west of Lebanon, with cabins, campgrounds and a river to float all close by.
I have fished and floated Missouri water since the farm summers, and a trout park is a different animal from a wild river. The fish are stocked and the water stays cold all year. The rules decide how you fish more than the weather does. If you want the same setup with a different feel, Montauk State Park runs the same March-to-October calendar.
Bennett Spring Trout Season
Every angler needs two things in the warm season: a daily trout tag and a fishing permit. The tag costs $5 for ages 16 and up. It is $3 for ages 15 and younger, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation trout parks page.
The permit is a separate purchase. The Conservation Department’s permit page lists a $9 daily permit and a $14 resident annual permit. Missouri residents 65 and older do not need one.
For a visitor without an annual permit, a day of fishing costs $14 per adult. That is the $9 daily permit plus the $5 tag. Ages 15 and younger skip the permit and pay only the $3 tag. A resident with an annual permit pays just the tag.
| Season | Dates | Tag and permit | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-and-keep | March 1 to October 31 | Daily trout tag, plus a fishing permit | Four trout a day, eight in possession; stocked daily |
| Catch-and-release | November 13, 2026 to February 8, 2027 | Annual trout permit replaces the daily tag | Flies only; Friday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Fishing hours shift with the calendar. March days start at 6:30 a.m. Central Standard Time, and June and July run from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Buy the tag at the park store before you walk to the water. Plan the day around the posted closing time.
Montauk and Roaring River follow the same dates and the same tag prices, which makes a multi-park trip easy to price.
Winter is a different trip. The catch-and-release season means slow fishing on quiet water, and the March crowds are long gone.
Bennett Spring Fishing Zones
Three zones split the branch, and the zone decides your gear. On the park’s fishing page, Zone 1 runs from the spring to the dam, flies only, with or without spinners. Zone 2 runs from the hatchery dam to the whistle bridge and allows flies and artificial lures.
| Zone | Where | What you can use |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | Spring to the dam | Flies, with or without spinners |
| Zone 2 | Hatchery dam to the whistle bridge | Flies and artificial lures |
| Zone 3 | Whistle bridge to the Niangua River | Soft plastic bait (unscented), natural bait and scented bait |
Fly anglers get Zone 1, the short stretch nearest the spring. Most spin anglers fish Zone 2. Bait is legal only in Zone 3, which makes it the place for a niece or nephew with a bait rod. Bring waders if you fly fish. The spring water is cold in every month, and you will stand in it for hours.
Rainbow trout are the main catch in the branch, and brown trout live in the park water too. The daily stocking means fish are there even on a slow day. Polarized sunglasses help you see them in the clear water, and a small net saves a trout you plan to release.
Opening day is March 1, and it is a crowd. Summer weekends run busy too. Anglers stand shoulder to shoulder in the clear water from the first minute. A weekday in April gives you the same stocked fish with room to cast. Skip the opener unless the atmosphere is the point. If you do go, be at the water before the posted start. Good runs in Zone 2 go fast.
Bennett Spring State Park Hatchery
The spring is the reason the park exists. Part of that flow runs through the hatchery, courtesy of the dam. The branch below it is stocked daily with rainbow trout and runs on to the Niangua River.
The nature center explains how Missouri’s springs work, with exhibits and guided walks. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from February 25 through October 31 and closed the rest of the year.
The Civilian Conservation Corps built the dining lodge, the cabins and the arched stone bridge in the 1930s. About 12 miles of trails wander the hills around them. A walk to the dam and back is a decent hour even if you never wet a line. Non-anglers in the group get the nature center, the stone bridge and the dining lodge, which is enough for a slow afternoon.
Bennett Spring State Park Lodging
You can sleep inside the park. The park’s lodging page lists 3 cabins, 18 motel rooms and 44 duplex and four-plex units. A concessionaire runs the dining lodge and the store.
The cabins have fireplaces. The housekeeping units have kitchens and one or two bedrooms. Reservations go through the concessionaire at 417-532-4307. Pet owners should call before booking, since only a few cabins take dogs, for an extra fee. The park address is 26250 Highway 64A in Lebanon, which is what to put in the GPS.
There are five campgrounds. Campground 1 stays open year-round with water, electric and sewer sites and a showerhouse. Campgrounds 4 and 5 open February 25, campgrounds 2 and 3 open April 15, and all four close October 31.
Reserve a site ahead for the March opener, because the campgrounds fill when trout season does. Our camping checklist works for a state park site too, and it is the list I would pack from.
Niangua River Float Trips
The branch empties into the Niangua River at the bottom of Zone 3. Outfitters a few miles away rent boats for floats of 1.5 to 14 miles. It is an easy add-on to a fishing weekend. For a bigger day on the water, our guide to the best float trips in Missouri covers the longer Ozark rivers.
Two outfitters on this stretch post their trips and rates online. The figures below come from their own sites on the date checked.
Maggard Canoe and Corkery Campground charges $60 per canoe per day, with up to three people aboard. A solo kayak is $45 Sunday through Friday and $50 on Saturday, and a six-mile tube float is $30 per person. A $7 per-vessel put-in fee applies on that six-mile float.
Both outfitters take reservations online, and Maggard asks for a deposit at booking. Life jackets, paddles and trash bags come with the Maggard rentals, and Missouri law requires a life jacket on children under 7.
NRO Canoe Rental sits 4 miles west of the park and runs floats of 4, 7, 11 and 14 miles. The 4-mile run from Bennett Spring takes one to three hours by canoe or kayak. Boats have to be off the water by 6 p.m., or 5 p.m. in the off season.
Here is how I would build the day. Fish Zone 2 or Zone 3 in the morning and eat at the dining lodge. Spend an hour at the nature center after lunch. Float the 4-mile stretch in the afternoon, with the boat back well before closing. That is a full day, and the fishing fees come to about $14 per adult before food and the boat.
Bennett Spring State Park FAQ
Do you need a fishing permit and a trout tag at Bennett Spring?
Yes, both, from March 1 through October 31. The daily trout tag is $5 for adults and $3 for ages 15 and younger. The fishing permit is a separate purchase. Children 15 and younger and Missouri residents 65 and older do not need the permit.
How much does a child’s trout tag cost?
A tag for ages 15 and younger is $3, against $5 for adults. Kids that age do not need a fishing permit, so the tag is the whole bill.
Can you fish at Bennett Spring in the winter?
Yes, on Friday through Monday. The catch-and-release season runs November 13, 2026 through February 8, 2027, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., flies only, with an annual trout permit instead of a daily tag.
Can you keep the trout you catch?
Yes, up to the daily limit of four trout. You may have eight in possession, and you must stop fishing once you reach that number.
How far is the park from Lebanon, MO?
Twelve miles west on Highway 64. Lebanon sits on I-44, so the park is about an hour from Springfield and roughly two and a half hours from St. Louis.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 8, 2026.