Fishing in Howell County, Missouri
Courthouse in West Plains. MDC manages its fish from the MDC Ozark Region.
- 2lake pages
- 2ramps
- 1river pages
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Sizing up Howell County before a fishing trip
39,750 Missourians called Howell County home in 2020; the county seat is West Plains. Land runs to 927 square miles and water to 1.1, per the Census Gazetteer. Lake and stream management here falls to the MDC Ozark Region.
Together the 2 paged lakes add up to 49 acres, topped by Sims Valley Community Lake. Count 2 public ramps on the public lists, including 0 with an accessible flag. The MDC attractor layer marks 18 brush and cedar sites on 1 water. Docks and jetties: 2 fishing docks, 0 jetties and 0 cleaning stations appear on MDC maps.
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.
A map of where to wet a line in Howell County
MDC boat ramp/access and dock layers, USACE ramps, MDC lake label points and MDC stream access areas. Checked October 2026.
Which Howell County lakes have full pages
| Lake | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sims Valley Community Lake | 42 | 1 | largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish | |
| White Ranch Lake | 7 | 1 |
Howell County anglers in West Plains reach these outside lakes first.
| Lake | From West Plains | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfork Lake | 27 miles southwest | 18,798 | 4 | largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass | |
| Austin Community Lake | 34 miles northwest | 22 | 1 | ||
| Fourche Lake | 46 miles east | 48 | 0 | ||
| Ripley Lake | 51 miles east | 18 | 0 | ||
| Bull Shoals Lake | 51 miles west | 44,944 | 9 | largemouth bass, striped bass | |
| Miller Community Lake | 57 miles east | 26 | 1 |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres), MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects species and boating notes; retrieved October 2026.
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Each bar is the number of lake pages within 50 miles of West Plains that list the fish, led by largemouth bass.
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.
Ponds in Howell County listed without a page
A further 6 ponds and small lakes in Howell County carry MDC outlines but little else, 1 of them numbered pools or ponds on conservation areas.
| Water | Acres | Attractors | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Hollow Lake | 9 | 0 | Willow Springs |
| Pond 1, Carrick W. Davidson – Robert G. Paris Wildlife Area | 3 | 0 | West Plains |
| Dean Davis Lake | 1 | 0 | Pomona |
| Dry Creek 20 Pond | 0 | 0 | Pomona |
| Kenyon Hollow Pond | 0 | 0 | Pomona |
| Middle Indian Creek Pond | 0 | 0 | Willow Springs |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines and fish attractor layer, retrieved October 2026.
Moving water to fish in Howell County
- Eleven Point RiverBlue Ribbon and White Ribbon trout area, smallmouth and goggle-eye management water, 1 MDC ramp, 1 access area, 98 mi in Missouri
MDC stream access areas and boat ramps, MDC trout and smallmouth management layers, USGS NHD lengths and USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
Where Howell County anglers go for stocked rainbows
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.
Public ramps and fishing docks across Howell County
- Sims Valley Community LakeSims Valley Community Lake, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- White Ranch Conservation AreaWhite Ranch Lake, boat ramp, parking
MDC docks and jetties, Howell County (1)
- Fishing docks at Sims Valley Community Lake2 docks, 1 accessible
MDC boat ramp/access, fishing dock, jetty and cleaning station layers; USACE Little Rock District ramp layers; retrieved October 2026.
Missouri limits anglers follow in Howell County
For Howell County, the statewide table is the default and the named waters below differ.
| 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 |
Lakes and streams of Howell County with extra rules (5)
| Water | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Norfork Lake | Lakewide | Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass |
| Norfork Lake | Lakewide | Catfish (blue, channel, and flathead) — Daily limit of 10 fish, combined total of these species |
| Norfork Lake | Lakewide | Crappie — 10" minimum length limit; 15 fish daily limit |
| Norfork Lake | On the lake and its tributaries | Walleye and sauger — 18" minimum length limit |
| Norfork Lake | On the lake and its tributaries | Striped bass — 20" minimum length limit; only 3 striped bass may be included in the aggregate. There are no length limits for white bass, yellow bass, or their hybrids. |
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.
Missouri record weights from Howell County water
No record on the readable MDC list comes from Howell County water, so the closest record waters within 70 miles appear here.
| Species | Weight | Method | Water | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 13 lbs. 14 oz. | pole and line | Bull Shoals Lake | April 21, 1961 | MDC record list |
| Striped Bass | 65 lbs. 2 oz. | pole and line | Bull Shoals Lake | May 21, 2015 | MDC record list |
MDC State Record Fish list (first page of 135 records readable) and MDC news releases, retrieved October 2026.
Who sells bait and runs trips in Howell County
Howell County bait, tackle and boat slips
- West Plains Marinebait and tackle shop, West Plains
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
Around Howell County
Where to stay while fishing Howell County
- West Plainspop. 12,184
- Mountain Viewpop. 2,533
- Willow Springspop. 2,164
County pages around Howell County
- Oregon County28 miles east
- Ozark County33 miles west
- Douglas County37 miles west
- Texas County38 miles north
Ozark-ready Piscifun reels for a day on Howell County
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Hollows, bluffs and lakes by Howell County, in photos
Photo: jeff brown, CC BY 2.0
Photo: mostateparks, Public domain
Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Photo: 16porkchops, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hunting in Howell County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Howell County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Questions that come up about water in Howell County
Which Howell County ramps take a trailer?
The MDC and Corps lists hold 2 public ramps; 0 are accessible.
Which lake in Howell County tops the acreage list?
Sims Valley Community Lake, at 42 acres on its MDC outline.
Which fish should a Howell County visitor plan to chase?
Largemouth bass lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles that MDC reports name, followed by bluegill, channel catfish and crappie.
Can a visitor buy live bait inside Howell County?
West Plains Marine heads a list of 1.
Do any guides run trips from a Howell County address?
No guide listing carries a local address.
Which town serves as seat for Howell County?
It is West Plains.
Is a single MDC permit enough for Howell County?
Between ages 16 and 64 a Missouri angler needs a fishing permit, $14 a year for residents and $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit. A trout permit, $12 for residents, is needed to possess trout.
Which county page lies closest to Howell County?
Closest by centre point: Oregon County, Ozark County and Douglas County.
Which MDC region handles Howell County?
MDC counts it as part of the MDC Ozark Region.
Which MDC special rules apply in Howell County?
The 2026 booklet prints 5 special-regulation bullets naming this area, starting with Norfork Lake; the table above shows each.
Which Howell County streams or lakes get trout?
Eleven Point River; MDC trout rules for each are on the linked pages.
Plan a Show-Me day on Howell County water
Lake pages carry ramps, docks and MDC prospects.