Fishing in Callaway County, Missouri
Courthouse in Fulton. MDC manages its fish from the MDC Central Region.
- 2lake pages
- 4ramps
- 5river pages
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A fishing primer on Callaway County
At the 2020 Census, Callaway County had 44,283 people, with the courthouse in Fulton. The Census Gazetteer lists 12.8 square miles of water beside 835 of land. On MDC maps this water belongs to the MDC Central Region. The Missouri River marks a state border, shared under reciprocal permits.
Little Dixie Lake leads 2 lake pages in the area, which cover 209 acres in all. The MDC and Corps ramp layers list 4 public ramps here, 1 of them marked accessible. MDC has mapped 56 placed attractors spread over 2 lakes and ponds. The MDC dock layer holds 1 fishing dock, 9 jetties and 0 cleaning stations. MDC trout programs cover Veterans Park Lake.
Census 2020 population and 2023 Gazetteer areas; MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines, boat ramp/access, dock, jetty and fish attractor layers; USACE ramp layers; retrieved October 2026.
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MDC boat ramp/access and dock layers, USACE ramps, MDC lake label points and MDC stream access areas. Checked October 2026.
Reservoirs and community lakes across Callaway County
| Lake | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Dixie Lake | 195 | 1 | largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill | |
| McCredie Farm Lake | 14 | 1 |
Lake pages over the Callaway County line, nearest to Fulton first.
| Lake | From Fulton | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Lake | 15 miles southwest | 13 | 1 | ||
| Vineyards Park Lake | 18 miles west | 12 | 0 | ||
| A Perry Philips Park Lake | 19 miles west | 41 | 1 | ||
| Stephens Park Lake | 20 miles west | 9 | 0 | ||
| Lakeview Park Lake | 21 miles north | 26 | 1 | ||
| Teal Lake | 21 miles north | 82 | 1 |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres), MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects species and boating notes; retrieved October 2026.
The fish lineup in water around Callaway County
The bars count lake pages within 50 miles of Fulton where MDC reports or trout programs name each fish; channel catfish tops the list.
Species named in MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects text, the MDC state record list and MDC trout program waters, counted per lake page within 50 miles; not a full survey.
Numbered pools and small lakes of Callaway County
The MDC waterbody map holds 33 further ponds and pools in Callaway County, 15 of them numbered pools or ponds on conservation areas.
| Water | Acres | Attractors | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 24 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Windy Lake | 13 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Morningside Lake | 8 | 0 | Fulton |
| North Lake, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 7 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Pond 1, Reform Conservation Area | 6 | 0 | Chamois |
| Horseshoe Lake, Callaway County | 5 | 0 | Danville |
| Pond 2, Reform Conservation Area | 4 | 0 | Chamois |
| Teal Pond | 4 | 0 | Danville |
| Truman Lake | 3 | 0 | Fulton |
| Pond 1, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Danville |
| Pond 4, Reform Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Chamois |
| Pond 15, Prairie Fork Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Kingdom City |
| Pond 20, Prairie Fork Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Danville |
| Pond 5, Prairie Fork Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Kingdom City |
| Pond 3, Reform Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Chamois |
| Carrington Pit D | 2 | 0 | Fulton |
| Lee Pond | 2 | 0 | Kingdom City |
| South Lake, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 2 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Buffalo Lake | 2 | 0 | Danville |
| Turtle Rock Lake | 2 | 0 | Danville |
| Twin Lake 1 | 1 | 0 | Danville |
| Carrington Pit B | 1 | 0 | Fulton |
| Pond 5, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Veterans Park Lake | 1 | 0 | Fulton |
| Carrington Pit C | 1 | 0 | Fulton |
| Pond 2, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Twin Lake 2 | 1 | 0 | Danville |
| Pond 7, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Pond 8, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Danville |
| Pond 3, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Pond 4, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
| Carrington Pit A | 1 | 0 | Fulton |
| Pond 6, Whetstone Creek Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Auxvasse |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines and fish attractor layer, retrieved October 2026.
Creeks and rivers running through Callaway County
- Missouri River32 MDC ramps, 26 access areas, 553 mi in Missouri
- South Fork Salt River1 access area, 63 mi in Missouri
- Loutre River1 access area, 58 mi in Missouri
- Auxvasse Creek2 access areas, 53 mi in Missouri
- Middle River1 access area, 33 mi in Missouri
Further Ozark-style streams in Callaway County (1)
- Allen Branch1 MDC access area
USGS gauges reporting in Callaway County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Auxvasse Creek Near Reform, Mo | 14 cfs, 1.79 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 7:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
MDC stream access areas and boat ramps, MDC trout and smallmouth management layers, USGS NHD lengths and USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
Cold-water options in Callaway County
Veterans Park Lake take MDC rainbows for the winter season. Keeping trout takes a Missouri trout permit on top of the fishing permit: $12 for residents and $24 for nonresidents 16 and older.
MDC trout program statements (2026 regulations booklet, MDC news releases and area pages); MDC publishes no per-water stocking table; trout areas and trout parks as printed in the 2026 regulations booklet pp. 24 to 27.
MDC ramps and docks in Callaway County
- Carl R. Noren Access (Jefferson City) on Missouri RiverMissouri River, boat ramp, accessible, parking, privy nearby
- Little Dixie Lake Conservation AreaLittle Dixie Lake, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- McCredie Farm Lake (University of Missouri)McCredie Farm Lake, boat ramp, parking
- Mokane Access on Missouri RiverMissouri River, boat ramp, parking
Callaway County shore structures on MDC maps (1)
- Fishing docks and jetties at Little Dixie Lake, Little Dixie Lake Conservation Area1 dock, 9 jetties, 2 accessible
MDC boat ramp/access, fishing dock, jetty and cleaning station layers; USACE Little Rock District ramp layers; retrieved October 2026.
Where Callaway County anglers drive for minnows
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 20 miles
- Bass Pro Shops Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 20 miles
- Powder Horn Guns & Sportingbait and tackle shop, Columbia, 21 miles
- Tombstone Tacklebait and tackle shop, Columbia, 23 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Columbiasporting goods store, Columbia, 24 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings; straight-line distances from Fulton.
Keeping fish legally in Callaway County
Start with the statewide table for Callaway County, then check the list of waters with their own rules.
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky) | 6 a day | All year |
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky) (Ozark streams) | 6 a day; 12" minimum | May 23, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Channel catfish | 10 a day | All year |
| Blue catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Flathead catfish | 5 a day | All year |
| Crappie (black and white) | 30 a day | All year |
| Goggle-eye (Ozark, rock, and shadow bass) and warmouth | 15 a day; 7" minimum | All year |
| Muskellunge | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike); 36" minimum | All year |
| Northern pike | 1 (daily limit is 1 muskellunge or 1 northern pike) | All year |
| Paddlefish (spoonbill) | 2 a day; 32" minimum (eye to fork of tail) | March 15–April 30 |
| Pickerel (chain and grass) | 6 a day | All year |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | 10 a day; 30" maximum (snout to fork of tail) | All year |
| Trout (rainbow and brown) | 4 a day; Rainbow: none; Brown: 15" minimum in streams | All year |
| Walleye and sauger | 4 a day; 15" minimum | All year |
| White, yellow, and striped bass and their hybrids | 15 a day; No more than 4 longer than 18" | All year |
Limits and seasons as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026), page 20 (booklet PDF); retrieved October 27, 2026. Rules as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026) (booklet PDF, Special Regulations on Large Lakes and on Rivers and Streams); checked against the current Wildlife Code October 27, 2026.
Fishing the state line from Callaway County
On the Missouri, Mississippi and St. Francis rivers a neighbouring state's permit is honoured on the shared channel; Missouri tributaries need a Missouri permit at $14 for residents or $57 for nonresidents.
| Water | Border note |
|---|---|
| Missouri River | state-line river |
Border water entries and permit fees as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026); MDC outline shares from MDC GIS.
State records from water around Callaway County
For Callaway County, the nearest state-record waters lie within 70 miles.
| Species | Weight | Method | Water | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 9 lbs. 1 oz. | jug line | Lake of the Ozarks | Oct. 31, 2016 | MDC record list |
| Hybrid Striped Bass | 21 lbs. 11 oz. | pole and line | Lake of the Ozarks | May 19, 2019 | MDC record list |
| Striped Bass | 39 lbs. 8 oz. | jug line | Lake of the Ozarks | Oct. 11, 2002 | MDC record list |
MDC State Record Fish list (first page of 135 records readable) and MDC news releases, retrieved October 2026.
The Callaway County tournament calendar
Callaway County turns up in 1 organizer listings, 0 not yet held.
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2026 | Central Missouri Catfish Tournaments Mokane Access (2026-05-23) | Missouri River | Central Missouri Catfish Tournaments |
Organizer schedule and results pages (MDC publishes no tournament calendar), checked October 2026.
Close to Callaway County
Cities and villages found within Callaway County
- Fultonpop. 12,600
- Holts Summitpop. 4,458
- Auxvassepop. 1,001
Adjoining county pages for Callaway County
- Boone County23 miles northwest
- Montgomery County26 miles east
- Osage County26 miles south
- Audrain County27 miles north
Piscifun tackle a Missouri angler might take to Callaway County
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Photo guide to fish at Callaway County
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hunting in Callaway County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Callaway County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Fishing in Callaway County, question by question
Can I launch a bass boat in Callaway County?
Count 4 public ramps, including 1 accessible.
Which reservoir is the large one in Callaway County?
Little Dixie Lake, at 195 acres on its MDC outline.
What species are common in lakes around Callaway County?
Channel catfish lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles that MDC reports name, followed by crappie, largemouth bass and bluegill.
Where do Callaway County anglers pick up minnows and nightcrawlers?
The closest shops are across the line, listed above.
How many guide listings carry a Callaway County address?
None list this area; see the guides page.
Where do Callaway County officials meet?
The courthouse is in Fulton.
Which MDC permit does a Callaway County trip call for?
MDC sells the annual fishing permit at $14 to residents and $57 to nonresidents; $9 buys one day. To take trout home, add the $12 resident trout permit. The big border rivers work on reciprocity: a neighbouring state's permit is good on the shared channel.
Which Show-Me counties are a short drive from Callaway County?
Try Boone County, Montgomery County and Osage County.
Which MDC office manages fish in Callaway County?
The answer is the MDC Central Region.
How many events fish Callaway County water?
1 event on file from organizer pages, none still ahead.
Is there trout fishing in Callaway County?
Veterans Park Lake; MDC trout rules for each are on the linked pages.
Give Callaway County a fishing weekend
River pages list accesses and gauges.