Fishing in Cooper County, Missouri
Courthouse in Boonville. MDC manages its fish from the MDC Central Region.
- 1lake pages
- 7ramps
- 4river pages
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Cooper County through an angler's eyes
The courthouse town for Cooper County is Boonville, and the county counted 17,103 people in 2020. Water covers 4.4 square miles here, next to 565 square miles of land. MDC places it within the MDC Central Region. Along the Missouri River the state line is the river itself.
Lake pages count 1 water and 14 acres; Johnson Lake is the biggest of them. Boaters have 7 public ramps on the MDC and Corps maps, 0 flagged as accessible. MDC crews have sunk 8 fish attractors in 1 lake and ponds here. Bank fishing gets help from 1 fishing dock, 3 jetties and 0 cleaning stations that MDC mapped.
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.
Pinning the fishing water of Cooper County
MDC boat ramp/access and dock layers, USACE ramps, MDC lake label points and MDC stream access areas. Checked October 2026.
Cooper County still water ranked by size
| Lake | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Lake | 14 | 0 |
From Boonville, the next lake pages sit outside Cooper County, listed by distance.
| Lake | From Boonville | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. C. Rogers Lake | 14 miles north | 203 | 2 | ||
| Peters Lake | 14 miles north | 62 | 1 | ||
| Twin Lakes | 20 miles east | 19 | 0 | ||
| Tipton Park Lake | 22 miles south | 5 | 0 | ||
| Cosmo-Bethel Lake | 22 miles east | 7 | 0 | rainbow trout | |
| Lick Creek Lake | 23 miles northeast | 11 | 1 |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres), MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects species and boating notes; retrieved October 2026.
What biologists report in lakes by Cooper County
Counted across lake pages within 50 miles of Boonville, crappie is the fish MDC names most often.
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.
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8 additional MDC-managed waters of Cooper County are listed with acreage, 7 of them numbered pools or ponds on conservation areas.
| Water | Acres | Attractors | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pond 2, Lamine River Conservation Area | 7 | 0 | Otterville |
| Cattail Lake | 5 | 0 | Prairie Home |
| Pond 3, Lamine River Conservation Area | 4 | 0 | Otterville |
| Pond 5, Lamine River Conservation Area | 2 | 0 | Otterville |
| Pond 4, Lamine River Conservation Area | 2 | 0 | Otterville |
| Pond 6, Lamine River Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Otterville |
| Pond 8, Lamine River Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Otterville |
| Pond 7, Lamine River Conservation Area | 0 | 0 | Otterville |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines and fish attractor layer, retrieved October 2026.
River pages that cross Cooper County
- Missouri River32 MDC ramps, 26 access areas, 553 mi in Missouri
- Lamine River6 MDC ramps, 5 access areas, 63 mi in Missouri
- Blackwater River2 access areas, 79 mi in Missouri
- Moniteau Creek1 access area, 43 mi in Missouri
River readings across Cooper County today
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri River At Boonville, Mo | 62,700 cfs, 10.61 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:00 pm |
| Lamine River Near Otterville, Mo | 12 cfs, 0.71 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:15 pm |
| Petite Saline Creek At Hwy U Nr Boonville, M0 | 4 cfs, 3.73 ft gage height | Nov 11 5:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 6:33 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.
Putting a boat or a bobber in at Cooper County
- Blackwater Bridge AccessMDC area, boat ramp, parking
- De Bourgmont Access on Lamine RiverLamine River, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- Harriman Hill Access on Lamine RiverLamine River, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- Lamine River Conservation Area (north ramp)Lamine River, boat ramp, parking
- Roberts Bluff Access on Lamine RiverLamine River, boat ramp, parking
- Swinging Bridge Access on Lamine RiverLamine River, boat ramp, parking
- Taylors Landing Access on Missouri RiverMissouri River, boat ramp, parking
Places to fish from a dock in Cooper County (1)
- Fishing docks and jetties at Johnson Lake, Prairie Home Conservation Area1 dock, 3 jetties, 1 accessible
MDC boat ramp/access, fishing dock, jetty and cleaning station layers; USACE Little Rock District ramp layers; retrieved October 2026.
Length and creel limits on Cooper County water
The statewide rows apply across Cooper County except where MDC prints an exception.
| 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.
Interstate water next to Cooper 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.
Record-list catches near Cooper County
No Cooper County lake holds a listed record, but these nearby waters do.
| 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 |
| Spotted Bass | 2 lbs. 11 oz. | jug line | Harry S Truman Lake | May 11, 2016 | MDC record list |
MDC State Record Fish list (first page of 135 records readable) and MDC news releases, retrieved October 2026.
Bait, marinas and guides around Cooper County
Stores that keep Cooper County anglers supplied
- MidWest Fliesbait and tackle shop, Boonville
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
Neighbouring Cooper County
Towns with fishing pages in Cooper County
- Boonvillepop. 7,964
Neighbouring counties of Cooper County
- Moniteau County19 miles southeast
- Howard County21 miles north
- Pettis County27 miles west
- Boone County29 miles east
Reels from Piscifun worth bringing to Cooper County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Photo guide to fish at Cooper 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
What Show-Me anglers ask about Cooper County
How many MDC and Corps ramps serve Cooper County?
7 public ramps appear above, 0 flagged accessible by MDC.
Which MDC outline in Cooper County holds the most surface acres?
Johnson Lake, at 14 acres on its MDC outline.
Which fish turn up most in Cooper County area lakes?
Crappie lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles that MDC reports name, followed by largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish.
Which Cooper County stores keep jigs and line in stock?
1 in all, starting with MidWest Flies.
Can a visitor book a paid fishing guide out of Cooper County?
No guide gives a local address.
Which town houses the Cooper County courthouse square?
The seat is Boonville.
What will a visitor from out of state pay to fish Cooper County?
Plan on $14 as a resident, $57 from out of state, or $9 for a day permit; residents 65 and older and anglers under 16 are exempt. Along the border rivers, either state's permit covers the main channel, though tributaries follow their own state.
Which neighbours share a line with Cooper County?
The list above starts with Moniteau County, Howard County and Pettis County.
What MDC region is Cooper County in?
Fish management goes to the MDC Central Region.
Pick an MDC lake in Cooper County
Every ramp opens with directions.