Roaring River State Park, Missouri

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Roaring River State Park is a Missouri trout park in the far southwest corner of the state, a short drive from Cassville. A cold spring feeds a clear stream that is stocked with rainbow and brown trout from March 1 through October 31. Anglers need a daily tag and a fishing permit; hikers and picnickers pay nothing to get in.

I grew up on Midwest farm summers and have fished and floated Missouri rivers for years, so a stocked trout stream you can wade an hour after parking is easy to love. Roaring River is the one I point people to when Bennett Spring is too crowded or too far east. It is steep, with bluffs close on both sides, and a hatchery, a lodge and seven short trails sit within walking distance of each other. I plan this one as a long weekend with a fishing morning, a trail afternoon, and nothing booked after dark.

Roaring River State Park Trout Season

Catch-and-keep trout fishing runs March 1 through October 31. The Missouri Department of Conservation sets the daily trout tag at $5 for adults and $3 for anglers 15 and younger, and every angler also needs a fishing permit unless exempt. The daily limit is four trout, rainbow and brown combined, and you must stop fishing after eight trout are in your possession.

One pole and line per person, and bait of any kind is limited to one stretch of the stream. Every brown trout you keep must be at least 15 inches, which is the rule most first-timers miss. The stream is stocked daily during the regular season, so fish are there on a Tuesday in July as much as on opening weekend.

Season	Dates	Cost	Rules
Catch-and-keep	March 1 – October 31	$5 adult tag, $3 youth (15 and younger), plus fishing permit	4 trout a day, 8 in possession, browns 15 inches or longer
Winter catch-and-release	November 13, 2026 – February 8, 2027	Fishing permit and annual trout permit	Flies only, Friday to Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Roaring River State Park Fishing Zones

The stream is split into three zones, and the zone you stand in decides what you can tie on. The park’s fishing page lists them from the spring downstream. Read the zone signs before you tie on a lure.

Zone 1 runs from the hatchery to Dry Hollow Creek and allows artificial lures, soft plastic baits and flies. Below that, Zone 2 reaches the old dam and is flies only, with a catch-and-release stretch inside it. The last stretch, Zone 3, runs from the old dam to the park boundary and is the only one that allows natural and scented baits.

Zone 3 is where families with spinning rods and a jar of bait end up, and it is the easiest place to start a nephew or niece. Zone 2 is the quiet one, with fly rods and long pauses between casts. Regular-season hours shift by month, from as early as 6:30 a.m. to as late as 8:30 p.m., so check the posted times when you arrive.

Roaring River State Park Opening Day

Opening day is March 1, and it is a crowd. Anglers stand within a rod length of each other along the bank at first light, mist rises off the cold water, and the stream looks more like a social event than a quiet fishing hole. It is worth seeing once if you like that kind of energy.

If you do not, go on a weekday in March or April. The fish are the same, the stream is stocked daily, and you can choose your own spot on the bank. Weekends are busier than weekdays all season, so arrive early and expect to walk from the parking lot.

Roaring River State Park Winter Fishing

Winter fishing is catch-and-release only, and it is a quiet season. The Department of Conservation’s Roaring River regulations put this year’s winter season at November 13, 2026 through February 8, 2027. Fishing is allowed Friday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with flies only.

You need a fishing permit and an annual trout permit; the daily tag is for the catch-and-keep season. Dress for a river that stays cold all year, because the spring runs 57 degrees whatever the air is doing. Motel rooms and cabins run only March through October, so a winter trip means Campground 1 or a room in Cassville.

Roaring River State Park Trails

Seven marked trails start near the nature center and the lodge. None of them is flat. The park sits in steep Ozark hills, with stone steps, tree roots and bluffs beside the path. Wear shoes with real tread and skip the sandals.

Trail	Length	Difficulty	What you see
Deer Leap	0.2 miles	Rugged	Boardwalk overlook above the spring and hatchery
Springhouse	0.4 miles	Moderate	Old homestead and its stone springhouse
Pibern	1.1 miles	Moderate	Limestone woodland, tall bluffs, a small stream
Devil’s Kitchen	About 1.5 miles	Moderate	Rock outcrop that forms a room-like enclosure
Eagle’s Nest	2.6 miles	Rugged	River first, then one of the park’s high points
Fire Tower	4.4 miles	Rugged	Hardwoods, glades and a 1930s lookout tower

Lengths come from the park’s own trail pages. The Fire Tower loop has unbridged stream crossings and grades steeper than 10 percent, so budget four to four and a half hours and carry water. Deer Leap takes about 12 minutes and is the best view for the least effort.

Roaring River State Park Things to Do

I would drive out for the spring alone, even without a rod. More than 20 million gallons of clear 57-degree water flow out of it every day. The hatchery sits just below, and the Deer Leap overlook looks straight down on both.

A rainy day suits the nature center, and the picnic shelters along the stream suit a family lunch. The park also has a stone-and-timber CCC Lodge, a legacy of the 1930s work crews that built much of what you see. The Fire Tower and Deer Leap trails run through Roaring River Hills Wild Area, 2,075 acres of undeveloped woods.

Roaring River State Park Cabins

The park runs a motel-style inn, rustic cabins and duplex units, all open March through October. The Emory Melton Inn has 26 guest rooms, some with private balconies, and the park adds 10 rustic cabins and 16 duplex or fourplex units. Cabins and housekeeping units have a kitchen and two bedrooms.

Reserve as far ahead as you can for opening weekend, which is the busiest stretch of the year. The inn has a full-service dining room, which matters in a valley with no town nearby. Dogs are allowed in a limited number of cabins for an extra fee, so ask when you reserve.

Roaring River State Park Camping

There are three campgrounds, and Campground 1 is the only one open all year. Campgrounds 2 and 3 run February 25 through October 31. Sites range from basic to full sewer, electric and water hookups, and Campgrounds 1 and 3 have 50-amp electric sites.

Missouri lets you reserve campsites up to 12 months ahead, and the stay limit is 15 days in any 30. All three campgrounds have showers, Campgrounds 1 and 3 have laundry, and Campground 3 sits next to the nature center. Our camping checklist covers the gear list; add rain layers and a bug spray for the stream bank.

Roaring River State Park Cassville MO

The park is south of Cassville, and Springfield is about 65 miles northeast. Table Rock Lake is roughly 30 minutes away, Branson about an hour, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, about 30 minutes in the other direction. Eureka Springs makes a decent side trip if you have a free afternoon.

If you are building a longer loop, our Missouri Ozarks road trip covers the rest of the region. Pair it with Montauk State Park, the trout park where the Current River starts, if you want to compare two springs. Fill the tank and buy groceries in Cassville before you head into the park.

Roaring River State Park Questions

How much is a trout tag at Roaring River State Park?

A daily trout tag is $5 for adults and $3 for anglers 15 and younger. You need it on top of a fishing permit during the catch-and-keep season.

Do you need a fishing permit to fish for trout in Missouri?

Yes. A trout permit, a standard fishing permit or a daily permit all cover you unless you are exempt. The daily tag comes in addition to it from March through October.

Can you fish at Roaring River State Park in winter?

Yes, with limits. Winter is catch-and-release with flies only, Friday through Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from November 13, 2026 through February 8, 2027.

Is there an entrance fee for Missouri state parks?

No. Missouri state parks charge no day-use entrance fee, so only fishing tags, cabins and campsites cost money.

Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.

Published October 8, 2026.