Maramec Spring Park
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Maramec Spring Park offers both good trout fishing as well as a convenient location for those traveling within the Missouri region. Located less than 10 minutes south of St. James, MO, the 1800+ acre park is easy to get to and provides a variety of accommodations for those looking to catch trout. Maramec Spring Park is privately owned and operated by the James Foundation, a non-profit organization incorporated in Missouri.
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The nice walkways make fishing from the banks almost as easy as getting in the water. Be sure to use the cleaning stations located inside the park for cleaning fish as they don't like fish guts thrown back into the stream.
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Like Montauk State Park and the other trout parks in Missouri, Maramec Spring Park contains trout rearing pools from which fish are released each morning prior to the opening bell. Unlike the other trout parks though, Maramec Spring Park does not have different areas sectioned off for different types of fishing.
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| In other words, regardless of what you are using or how you are fishing, there are not any specialized areas or regulations to isolate you from anyone else. For that reason, many of those who prefer fly-fishing for trout will sometimes migrate to the other parks to avoid the bait casting traffic at Maramec Spring. |
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At the same time, given its accessible location, Maramec Spring Park is one of the more populous places for trout fishing. As a result, it’s not as secluded as the other parks and depending on the time of your visit, its possible you’ll be rubbing elbows with dozens of other fisherman at the prime spots along the spring. |
| The fishing is still usually good at the start of the morning, but it seems to die down throughout the day, perhaps moreso than you’ll find at the other trout parks. Check out the small overpass towards the end of the spring, this is one of the better areas in the whole park for finding some nice trout. A popular event held every year at Maramec Spring Park is the kid’s day which happens the Saturday following Mother’s Day – all kids fish for free and they also have various contests and prize giveaways. |
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| Maramec Spring Park has over 50 spacious campsites for its guests which also have showers/bathrooms nearby. However, only 10 of these sites come with electrical hookups, so you’ll have to make sure and call early if that’s something you want. One of the neatest aspects of Maramec Spring Park that I’ve noticed every time I’ve gone is the amount of wildlife I encounter. Its almost difficult to drive through Maramec Spring Park without seeing a handful of white-tailed deer roaming the area. |
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Also, there is a nice paved hiking trail that you can follow around the park if you’re bird-watching or just want to enjoy the peaceful stream. Maramec Spring Park is about an hour and a half from St. Louis.
- To get there from the St. Louis metro area, take I-44 West to St. James exit #195. From there, take highway 8 east and you’ll find the park on your left. To make reservations in advance, you can call 573-265-7387.
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