Montauk State Park

Montauk State Park offers some of the best trout fishing in all of Missouri. Located about 20 minutes southwest of Salem, MO, the nearly 1400 acre park is home to the scenic Current River. While it may be a bit further commute for those traveling from the St. Louis area, the extra 45 minute or so drive is well worth it in terms of both fishing and amenities. Most importantly, there are usually less people making the journey to Montauk, which means less fishermen lined up next to you on the banks interfering with or worse yet stealing your trout.

There are a variety of fishing options along the river as there are several different access points depending on the type of bait one chooses to use. All in all, there are nearly 3 miles of fishable stream within the park’s confines. Those wanting to fish with flies have designated areas including a trophy trout stream and there are also designated catch and release areas as well as live bait and keeper areas. Montauk state park also contains a trout hatchery and rearing pools from which hundreds of trout are released each day.

While the trout fishing is what most visitors come for, Montauk State Park is a delightful place to get away for a weekend for even the non fisherman. Montauk contains over 150 rustic campsites which are great for the summertime weekend getaway. The majority of these also have electric plug-ins so be sure to request that if it’s something you’ll need. You might pay a few extra dollars, but to some it is worth it. Some of the campsites have access to bathrooms and showers for those who prefer running water.

And for those less ambitious outdoorsmen, Montauk State Park also has 28 cabins as well as 18 motel rooms on the premises, which I prefer to use in the late fall or early spring when it gets too cold for camping. All units are equipped with air conditioning and heating and also include showers.

Before you take to the river, you’ll need to stop by the Dorman Steelman lodge inside Montauk State park to pick up your trout tags. You can also grab a hot breakfast if you’d like, its never a good idea to fish on an empty stomach. If you have yet to purchase a fishing license, you can do that here as well. They also have a wide array of supplies including different trout baits, flies, lures, hooks, sinkers, nets, etc. The staff is very friendly and will be happy to help answer any questions about the current fishing reports at Montauk State Park.

Montauk State Park is a little more than 2 hours southwest of St. Louis. To get there from the St. Louis metro area:

take I-44 West to Rolla and take 63 South from there to Licking. Take a left on highway 137 and take that for 3 miles until you get to route VV and take a left. Go 10 miles until you come to highway 19 and take a right into Montauk State park.
From Kansas City, take 70 East to Columbia and pick up 63 South to Rolla and then follow directions from St. Louis.

More times than not, there are plenty of accommodations available, but you’ll want to call and make reservations just in case. Motel room and/or cabin reservations can be made year round by calling 573-548-2434 or 1-800-334-6946. When it comes to trout fishing in Missouri, it does not get much better than Montauk State Park.