Black Buffalo in Missouri
Where black buffalo live in Missouri, with the rules.
- 50 a daylimit
- 55 lb 9 ozrecord
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Missouri black buffalo: rules, record, water
For 2026, the Show-Me booklet carries 14 limit rows for black buffalo. Nongame status puts it in the pooled limit, 50 a day by pole and line, with 6 further methods printed.
In 2024 Ryan Young set the pole and line record with 55 lb 9 oz at Stockton Lake. 1 water with pages list it, including Stockton Lake.
black buffalo in the 2026 Missouri limit table
| Method | Waters | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pole and line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line | 50 a day | All year | |
| Bow | 20 a day | April 1–Jan. 31 | |
| Bow | 20 a day | Feb. 1–March 31 | |
| Bow | 20 a day | All year | |
| Bow | 20 a day | All year | |
| Bow | 20 a day | All year | |
| Crossbow | 20 a day | All year | |
| Gig, atlatl | 20 a day | Sept. 15–Feb. 15 | |
| Gig, atlatl | 20 a day | Feb. 16–Sept. 14 | |
| Gig, atlatl | 20 a day | All year | |
| Snagging, grabbing | 20 a day | March 15–May 15 and Sept. 15–Feb. 15 | |
| Snagging, grabbing | 20 a day | All year | |
| Snaring | 20 a day | March 15–May 15 and Sept. 15–Feb. 15 | |
| Underwater spear | 20 a day | All year |
Limits and seasons as printed in A Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations 2026 (MDC, effective March 1, 2026), page 21 (booklet PDF); retrieved October 27, 2026.
The largest Missouri black buffalo on file
| Division | Weight | Angler | Hometown | Water | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pole and line | 55 lb 9 oz | Ryan Young | Buffalo, MO | Stockton Lake | October 13, 2024 | MDC news release |
MDC State Record Fish list and MDC news releases, read October 27, 2026; a news-release record may since have been beaten.
Lakes and streams in Missouri with black buffalo
Reservoirs with black buffalo
- Stockton Lake24,945 acres
MDC 2026 Fishing Prospects text, state records, ribbon trout areas, trout parks, winter trout lakes and MDC management areas; biggest waters first.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Relatives of black buffalo in the rules
Lakes and streams close to Black Buffalo, pictured
Photo: US Army Corps of Engineers, photographer unknown, Public domain
Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Photo: public domain, Public domain
Photo: Luke Wisley, CC BY 2.0
black buffalo questions from Show-Me anglers
Is it legal to bag black buffalo from Missouri water?
Statewide: 50 a day, pooled across nongame fish by pole and line, open all year.
When was the black buffalo record set in Missouri?
The entry read here: 55 lb 9 oz, Stockton Lake, 2024, Ryan Young.
What Missouri water is a good bet for black buffalo?
It is on 1 pages, Stockton Lake first.
Do Missouri hatcheries raise black buffalo?
Nothing in the MDC stocking notes covers it.
Where are black buffalo rules different in Missouri?
None of the exceptions name it.
Is black buffalo open all year in Missouri?
Season on the lead row: All year.
Is a fishing permit enough for black buffalo?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Does MDC allow other methods for black buffalo?
Rows exist for bow, crossbow, gig, atlatl, pole and line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, grabbing and snaring.
Pick Missouri water for black buffalo
Every water above has accesses and limits on its own page.