Missouri Spearfishing Rules Card

Legal status

Saltwater RestrictedFreshwater Permitted

Missouri is a landlocked state with no saltwater, so all spearfishing is freshwater and governed by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

License

Required: Missouri Fishing Permit (Resident or Nonresident Fishing Permit; Daily Fishing Permit)

Resident: Resident Annual Fishing Permit $14.00; Daily Fishing Permit $9.00 (2026 fees). A separate Resident Trout Permit ($12) is required to pursue/possess trout, but trout is a game fish and may not be speared.

Non-resident: Nonresident Annual Fishing Permit $57.00; Daily Fishing Permit $9.00 (2026 fees).

Gear rules

• Spearguns: Legal for nongame fish only, and only where they may be possessed: spearguns 'may not be possessed on unimpounded waters or adjacent.
• Pole spears: Not named in MDC regulation. The Wildlife Code enumerates 'underwater spearfishing'/speargun, 'gig,' 'bow/crossbow' and 'atlatl' as legal.
• On scuba: MDC regulation authorizes 'underwater spearfishing' for nongame fish on impounded/overflow waters but the pages consulted do not specify.
• Spearguns may not be possessed on unimpounded waters or adjacent banks - effectively limiting speargun use to impounded waters.
• Spears may not be propelled by explosives
• Underwater spearfishing is a nongame-only method; game fish may not be speared
• Underwater-spear legal hours on impounded/overflow waters are sunrise to sunset

Do not spear

• All game fish may NOT be taken by speargun, gig, atlatl or bow, including: all black bass
• Alligator gar
• Any species listed as endangered in Missouri
• A game fish not hooked in the mouth or jaw must be released immediately

Area restrictions

• Spearguns may be possessed and used only on impounded waters (lakes/reservoirs) and temporary overflow - not on unimpounded waters (rivers/streams).
• Stream/river gigging is restricted to the Sept 15 - Feb 15 season, legal hours sunrise to midnight; nongame gigging on impounded waters is.
• Many conservation areas do not permit bowfishing (and by extension nongame spearing/gigging) because they do not support adequate nongame fish.
• Special-management stretches (e.g., the Current River from Cedar Grove to the Arkansas line limits hogsuckers to 5 of the daily 20) carry their own.

Before you dive

• Never dive alone: one up, one down.
• Check current seasons and sizes the morning of the dive.
• Confirm with Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC): https://mdc.mo.gov