Fishing in Texas County, Missouri
Courthouse in Houston. MDC manages its fish from the MDC Ozark Region.
- 1lake pages
- 6ramps
- 7river pages
Pick for bluegillPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Montauk: mostateparks, Public domain
The fishing picture in Texas County
County offices for Texas County sit in Houston; 24,487 people lived in the county in 2020. Census mapping puts 1,177 square miles of land and 2 square miles of water inside its lines. MDC manages its fisheries from the MDC Ozark Region.
1 paged lakes, 22 acres, and Austin Community Lake at the head of the list by size. Public launching comes down to 6 public ramps, 0 of which MDC rates accessible. Anglers hunting cover can use 11 MDC attractors placed in 1 water. Shore anglers get 1 fishing dock and 0 jetties from MDC, along with 0 cleaning stations.
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.
Lake outlines and ramps around Texas County, pinned
MDC boat ramp/access and dock layers, USACE ramps, MDC lake label points and MDC stream access areas. Checked October 2026.
The bigger impoundments of Texas County
| Lake | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Community Lake | 22 | 1 |
With few lake pages inside Texas County, the closest ones beyond its line follow, measured from Houston.
| Lake | From Houston | Acres | Ramps | Motor note | Fish MDC names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sims Valley Community Lake | 22 miles south | 42 | 1 | largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish | |
| Shawnee Lake | 33 miles northeast | 16 | 1 | ||
| Macs Lake | 34 miles northeast | 26 | 1 | ||
| Blackwell Lake | 44 miles northeast | 26 | 1 | ||
| Schuman Park Lake | 45 miles north | 5 | 0 | ||
| Towell Lake | 49 miles north | 97 | 1 | largemouth bass, crappie, redear sunfish |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines (GIS acres), MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects species and boating notes; retrieved October 2026.
For the bluegill herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Which fish the MDC reports turn up around Texas County
Lake pages inside 50 miles of Houston were tallied by the fish MDC names; channel catfish comes first.
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.
Conservation-area ponds in Texas County
Another 5 MDC waters in Texas County are listed by size until more is published.
| Water | Acres | Attractors | Nearest place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roby Lake | 9 | 0 | Plato |
| North Pond, Gist Ranch Conservation Area | 3 | 0 | Summersville |
| Nursery Lake | 3 | 0 | Licking |
| South Pond, Gist Ranch Conservation Area | 1 | 0 | Summersville |
| C123-S57 Pond | 0 | 0 | Licking |
MDC Managed Public Waterbody outlines and fish attractor layer, retrieved October 2026.
Wade and float streams of Texas County
- Pigeon Creektrout park water, Trout Park trout area, 1 MDC ramp, 21 mi in Missouri
- North Fork RiverBlue Ribbon and Red Ribbon trout area, 3 access areas, 76 mi in Missouri
- Roubidoux CreekWhite Ribbon trout area, 57 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
- Big Piney Riversmallmouth and goggle-eye management water, 6 MDC ramps, 7 access areas, 111 mi in Missouri
- Jacks Forksmallmouth management water, 1 MDC ramp, 1 access area, 46 mi in Missouri
More streams in Texas County (2)
- South Prong Jacks Fork1 MDC access area
- Spring Valley Creekstream
Stage and flow in Texas County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Jacks Fork Near Mountain View, Mo | 31 cfs, 0.64 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:45 pm |
| Roubidoux Creek Above Fort Leonard Wood, Mo | 16 cfs, 2.35 ft gage height | Nov 11 6:30 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.
Trout fishing inside Texas County
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.
Accesses listed for Texas County
- Austin Community LakeAustin Community Lake, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- Boiling Spring Access on Big Piney RiverBig Piney River, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- Dogs Bluff Access on Big Piney RiverBig Piney River, boat ramp, parking, privy nearby
- Mason Bridge Access on Big Piney RiverBig Piney River, boat ramp, parking
- Mineral Springs Access on Big Piney RiverBig Piney River, boat ramp, parking
- Simmons Ford Access on Big Piney RiverBig Piney River, boat ramp, parking
Fishing docks and jetties in Texas County (1)
- Fishing dock at Austin Community Lake1 dock, 1 accessible
MDC boat ramp/access, fishing dock, jetty and cleaning station layers; USACE Little Rock District ramp layers; retrieved October 2026.
What may be kept from Texas County water
Unless the booklet names a water, Texas County lakes and streams follow the statewide rows below.
| 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 |
Texas County waters with their own MDC rules (2)
| Water | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Current River | In Dent, Texas, and Shannon counties | The use of porous-soled waders is prohibited. See Page 24. |
| Jacks Fork River | From Highway 17 to the Current River | Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass. |
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.
Big-fish records connected to Texas County
The readable record list has nothing from Texas County; these waters within 70 miles 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 |
MDC State Record Fish list (first page of 135 records readable) and MDC news releases, retrieved October 2026.
Tackle counters and marinas in Texas County
Where Texas County anglers buy gear
- End of the Trail Guns & Rodsbait and tackle shop, Mountain Grove
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide listings (county of business); retrieved October 2026.
Within a few miles of Texas County
Town pages inside Texas County
- Lickingpop. 2,851
- Houstonpop. 2,079
- Caboolpop. 1,946
Counties that surround Texas County
- Wright County29 miles west
- Dent County33 miles northeast
- Shannon County33 miles east
- Howell County38 miles south
Line and reels from Piscifun ahead of Texas County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Photo guide to fish at Texas County
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
_(53011311615).jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Nick Tobler (Cowturtle), CC BY 4.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: MONGO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Hunting in Texas County
Public hunting land, seasons and processors for Texas County are on State Hunting Spots, our sister site.
Answers for anglers working Texas County
Where does a trailered boat slide in across Texas County?
There are 6 public ramps, of which 0 carry the accessible flag.
Which impoundment is the giant of Texas County?
Austin Community Lake, at 22 acres on its MDC outline.
What do anglers catch around Texas County?
Channel catfish lead the count of lake pages within 50 miles that MDC reports name, followed by largemouth bass, redear sunfish and bluegill.
Which Texas County counters stock lures and line?
1 listings, such as End of the Trail Guns & Rods.
Which guide businesses keep an office in Texas County?
Guide listings all point to other counties.
Which Missouri town runs the business of Texas County?
Officials meet in Houston.
How much does an MDC fishing permit cost for Texas County?
Residents pay $14 and nonresidents $57 for a year of fishing in Missouri, and a daily permit is $9. Anglers who keep a trout also carry a trout permit ($12 resident).
Which counties border Texas County?
Wright County, Dent County and Shannon County lie closest.
Which region of MDC serves Texas County?
MDC maps place it under the MDC Ozark Region.
Are there special limits in Texas County?
The 2026 booklet prints 2 special-regulation bullets naming this area, starting with Current River; the table above shows each.
Does Texas County have trout water?
Pigeon Creek, North Fork River, Roubidoux Creek, Little Piney Creek and Spring Creek; MDC trout rules for each are on the linked pages.
Spend a morning on Texas County lakes
Ramp pages show parking, privies and directions.