Fishing in Phelps County, Missouri
Courthouse in Rolla. MDC manages its fish from the MDC Ozark Region.
- 3lake pages
- 2ramps
- 8river pages
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Phelps County through an angler's eyes
The courthouse town for Phelps County is Rolla, and the county counted 44,638 people in 2020. Water covers 2.5 square miles here, next to 672 square miles of land. MDC places it within the MDC Ozark Region.
Lake pages count 3 waters and 108 acres; Towell Lake is the biggest of them. Boaters have 2 public ramps on the MDC and Corps maps, 0 flagged as accessible. MDC crews have sunk 6 fish attractors in 1 lake and ponds here. Bank fishing gets help from 3 fishing docks, 2 jetties and 0 cleaning stations that MDC mapped. For trout, look to Maramec Spring Park, Little Piney Creek, Meramec River, Mill Creek and Spring Creek.
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.
Phelps County still water ranked by size
| Lake | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towell Lake | 97 | 1 | largemouth bass, crappie, redear sunfish | |
| Scioto Lake | 5 | 0 | ||
| Schuman Park Lake | 5 | 0 |
From Rolla, the next lake pages sit outside Phelps County, listed by distance.
| Lake | From Rolla | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rinquelin Trail Lake | 23 miles northwest | 26 | 1 | ||
| Shawnee Lake | 25 miles southeast | 16 | 1 | ||
| Macs Lake | 25 miles southeast | 26 | 1 | ||
| Blackwell Lake | 28 miles southeast | 26 | 1 | ||
| Painted Rock Lake | 37 miles northwest | 5 | 0 | ||
| Ben Branch Lake | 43 miles north | 39 | 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 Phelps County
Counted across lake pages within 50 miles of Rolla, channel catfish 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.
More MDC-managed ponds across Phelps County
2 additional MDC-managed waters of Phelps County are listed with acreage.
| Water | Acres | Attractors | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ber Juan Lake | 4 | 0 | Rolla |
| Maramec Spring Fish Hatchery | 1 | 0 | St. James |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines and fish attractor layer, retrieved October 2026.
River pages that cross Phelps County
- Meramec RiverRed Ribbon trout area, smallmouth and goggle-eye management water, 13 MDC ramps, 12 access areas, 229 mi in Missouri
- Little Piney CreekBlue Ribbon and White Ribbon trout area, 1 access area, 44 mi in Missouri
- Spring CreekBlue Ribbon trout area, 32 mi in Missouri
- Mill Creek, Phelps CountyBlue Ribbon trout area, 16 mi in Missouri
- Meramec Spring Parktrout park water, Trout Park trout area
- Gasconade Riversmallmouth management water, 19 MDC ramps, 14 access areas, 262 mi in Missouri
- Bourbeuse River6 MDC ramps, 8 access areas, 154 mi in Missouri
- Big Piney Riversmallmouth and goggle-eye management water, 6 MDC ramps, 7 access areas, 111 mi in Missouri
River readings across Phelps County today
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Gasconade River At Jerome, Mo | 449 cfs, 1.18 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:45 pm |
| Little Piney Creek At Newburg, Mo | 65 cfs, 2.43 ft gage height | Nov 11 7:00 pm |
| Bourbeuse River Near High Gate, Mo | 1 cfs, 3.33 ft gage height | Nov 11 7:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 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.
MDC trout water in Phelps County
Trout park fishing at Maramec Spring Park needs a daily trout tag during the main season. Keeping trout takes a Missouri trout permit on top of the fishing permit: $12 for residents and $24 for nonresidents 16 and older.
Phelps County trout segments by ribbon
| Area | Water and segment | Length | Daily | Lures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ribbon | Little Piney Creek: From Phelps County line in Sections 9 and 16 of T35N, R8W, including Piney Spring Branch and Lane Spring Branch to Milldam Hollow Access — 9 | At least 18" | 1 | Artificial lures and flies |
| White Ribbon | Little Piney Creek: Downstream of Milldam Hollow Access — 3.7 miles | Rainbows: none; Browns: at least 15" | 4 | All |
| Red Ribbon | Meramec River: From Highway 8 bridge to Scott’s Ford and in Dry Fork Creek from the elevated cable crossing to its confluence with the Meramec River — 8.2 | At least 15" | 2 | Artificial lures and flies |
| Blue Ribbon | Mill Creek: Yelton Spring to its junction with Little Piney Creek including Wilkins Spring and spring branch — 7.7 miles | At least 18" | 1 | Artificial lures and flies |
| Blue Ribbon | Spring Creek: Relfe Spring to its junction with Big Piney River — 6.2 miles | At least 18" | 1 | Artificial lures and flies |
| Trout park | Daily tag | Catch and keep | Winter catch and release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maramec Spring Park | $5 age 16 and up, $3 age 15 and under | March 1–Oct. 31, 2026 | Nov. 13, 2026–Feb. 8, 2027 (flies only; trout permit required) |
- Maramec Spring ParkRainbow Trout and Brown Trout, Open and stocked daily from March 1 through Oct. 31 (booklet p.24). 2026: about 20,000 trout stocked among the four parks for opening day; more than 600,000 trout annually at the four trout parks and
- Little Piney Creek (Downstream of Milldam Hollow Access — 3.7 miles)Rainbow Trout (periodic; some also receive brown trout), All receive periodic stockings of rainbow trout, and some also receive brown trout. (White Ribbon Trout Area)
- Meramec River (From Highway 8 bridge to Scott’s Ford and in Dry Fork Creek from the elevated cable crossing to its confluence with the Meramec River — 8.2 miles)Brown Trout (primarily), Red Ribbon Trout Areas are stocked primarily with browns. (Red Ribbon Trout Area)
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.
Putting a boat or a bobber in at Phelps County
- Jerome Access on Gasconade RiverGasconade River, boat ramp, trailer parking
- Little Prairie Conservation Area on Towell LakeTowell Lake, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
Places to fish from a dock in Phelps County (4)
- Fishing dock at Scioto Lake1 dock, 1 accessible
- Fishing docks at Towell Lake, Little Prairie Conservation Area2 docks, 1 accessible
- Fishing jetty at Maramec Spring Fish Hatchery1 jetty
- Fishing jetty at Schuman Park Lake1 jetty
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 Phelps County water
The statewide rows apply across Phelps 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 |
MDC exceptions printed for Phelps County (19)
| Water | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Fork Creek | In Crawford and Phelps counties | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Dry Fork Creek | In Crawford and Phelps counties from the elevated cable crossing to the Meramec River | ▶ Part of the Meramec River Red Ribbon Trout Area — See Page 27 for special regulations. |
| Dry Fork Creek | In Crawford and Phelps counties from the elevated cable crossing to the Meramec River | Only flies and artificial lures may be used, and soft plastic baits and natural and scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species. |
| Dry Fork Creek | In Phelps and Dent counties, upstream from the elevated cable crossing | Trout — 15" minimum length limit; daily limit 2 |
| Gasconade River | From Highway Y in Pulaski County to Highway D in Phelps County | Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass. |
| Gasconade River | From the U.S. Highway 50 bridge to its confluence with the Missouri River | Nongame fish may be taken by bow and possessed at any hour of the day. |
| Little Piney Creek | In Phelps County | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Little Piney Creek | From the Phelps County line in sections 9 and 16 of T35N, R8W, including Piney Spring Branch and Lane Spring Branch to Milldam Hollow Access | ▶ Blue Ribbon Trout Area — See Page 27 for special regulations. |
| Little Piney Creek | From the Phelps County line in sections 9 and 16 of T35N, R8W, including Piney Spring Branch and Lane Spring Branch to Milldam Hollow Access | Only flies and artificial lures may be used, and soft plastic baits and natural and scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species. |
| Little Piney Creek | From the Phelps County line in sections 9 and 16 of T35N, R8W, including Piney Spring Branch and Lane Spring Branch to Milldam Hollow Access | Gigging, bowfishing, and using an atlatl are prohibited, and fish taken by these methods may not be possessed on these waters or their banks. |
| Meramec River | In Crawford and Phelps counties | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Mill Creek | In Phelps County | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Mill Creek | From Yelton Spring to Little Piney Creek, including Wilkins Spring and spring branch | ▶ Blue Ribbon Trout Area — See Page 27 for special regulations. |
| Mill Creek | From Yelton Spring to Little Piney Creek, including Wilkins Spring and spring branch | Only flies and artificial lures may be used, and soft plastic baits and natural and scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species. |
| Mill Creek | From Yelton Spring to Little Piney Creek, including Wilkins Spring and spring branch | Gigging, bowfishing, and using an atlatl are prohibited, and fish taken by these methods may not be possessed on these waters or their banks. |
| Spring Creek | In Phelps County | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Spring Creek | In Phelps County from Relfe Spring to the Big Piney River | ▶ Blue Ribbon Trout Area — See Page 27 for special regulations. |
| Spring Creek | In Phelps County from Relfe Spring to the Big Piney River | Only flies and artificial lures may be used, and soft plastic baits and natural and scented baits are prohibited when fishing for any species. |
| Spring Creek | In Phelps County from Relfe Spring to the Big Piney River | Gigging, bowfishing, and using an atlatl are prohibited, and fish taken by these methods may not be possessed on these waters or their banks. |
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.
Record-list catches near Phelps County
No Phelps County lake holds a listed record, but these nearby waters do.
| Species | Weight | Method | Water | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Redhorse | 10 lbs. 3 oz. | pole and line | Osage Fork Gasconade River | May 16, 2026 | MDC news release |
| 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.
Bait, marinas and guides around Phelps County
Stores that keep Phelps County anglers supplied
- Toad's Sportsman Shopbait and tackle shop, Rolla
- White Buffalo Fly Shopfly shop, Rolla
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Rollasporting goods store, Rolla
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
Neighbouring Phelps County
Towns with fishing pages in Phelps County
- Rollapop. 19,943
- St. Jamespop. 3,935
Neighbouring counties of Phelps County
- Maries County22 miles north
- Pulaski County23 miles west
- Dent County25 miles southeast
- Crawford County27 miles east
Reels from Piscifun worth bringing to Phelps County
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Lakes and streams close to Phelps County, pictured
Photo: National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ), Public domain
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Photo: Richard Ricciardi, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Inklein, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Archbob, CC0 1.0
Hunting in Phelps County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Phelps County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
What Show-Me anglers ask about Phelps County
How many MDC and Corps ramps serve Phelps County?
2 public ramps appear above, 0 flagged accessible by MDC.
Which MDC outline in Phelps County holds the most surface acres?
Towell Lake, at 97 acres on its MDC outline.
Which fish turn up most in Phelps County area lakes?
Channel catfish lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles that MDC reports name, followed by crappie, largemouth bass and rainbow trout.
Which Phelps County stores keep jigs and line in stock?
3 in all, starting with Toad's Sportsman Shop.
Can a visitor book a paid fishing guide out of Phelps County?
No guide gives a local address.
Which town houses the Phelps County courthouse square?
The seat is Rolla.
What will a visitor from out of state pay to fish Phelps 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. Keeping trout adds a $12 trout permit for residents.
Which neighbours share a line with Phelps County?
The list above starts with Maries County, Pulaski County and Dent County.
What MDC region is Phelps County in?
Fish management goes to the MDC Ozark Region.
Is any Phelps County water under a special rule?
The 2026 booklet prints 19 special-regulation bullets naming this area, starting with Dry Fork Creek; the table above shows each.
Where are the trout in Phelps County?
Maramec Spring Park, Little Piney Creek, Meramec River, Mill Creek and Spring Creek; MDC trout rules for each are on the linked pages.
Pick an MDC lake in Phelps County
Every ramp opens with directions.