Bowfin in Missouri
Missouri rules and water for bowfin.
- 50 a daylimit
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of the species, not a Missouri water: Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States, Public domain
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bowfin in the Show-Me State
Missouri’s 2026 summary booklet lists 14 limit rows that apply to bowfin. MDC groups it with the nongame fish: 50 a day combined by pole and line, plus 6 method rows.
For now no record row read here and no water page carries it.
The Missouri rules on bowfin
| 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.
Hollows, bluffs and lakes by Bowfin, in photos
Photo: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Photo: ThinkHat, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Tequask, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: mostateparks, Public domain
Missouri bowfin puzzles, settled briefly
What MDC row sets the bowfin limit?
It is 50 a day, pooled across nongame fish by pole and line statewide, season all year.
Where did the Missouri record bowfin come from?
Its record is not in the rows this site could read.
Where do bowfin live in Missouri?
It is not on a water page yet.
Does MDC stock bowfin?
MDC stocking notes cover trout, not this species.
Is the bowfin limit the same everywhere in Missouri?
No special water lists it separately.
Is the Missouri bowfin season open now?
Dates on the first row: All year.
What should a visiting bowfin angler buy?
Missouri anglers 16 through 64 carry a fishing permit: $14 a year for residents, $57 for nonresidents, or $9 for a daily permit.
Is snagging legal for bowfin?
Methods printed: bow, crossbow, gig, atlatl, pole and line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, snagging, grabbing and snaring.
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