Missouri species

Spotted Bass in Missouri

Limits, record and lakes for spotted bass.

6 a daylimit
7 lb 8 ozrecord

Pick for spotted bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 ~~$129.99~~

Photo of the species, not a Missouri water: Dick Biggins, USFWS, Public domain

Missouri fish

Where spotted bass sit in Missouri rules

Conservation Department rules for spotted bass run to 3 limit rows this year. Most Missouri water holds it to 6 a day, season all year.

A 7 lb 8 oz fish from Table Rock Lake in 1966 stands as the pole and line record, credited to Gene Arnaud. It turns up on 5 water pages, Table Rock Lake, Harry S Truman Lake and Stockton Lake among them. Special rules for it show up on 33 waters, Big Piney River, Big River and Blue Springs Creek among them.

6 a daylead limit row

7 lb 8 ozMissouri record

3limit rows

44water exceptions

For the spotted bass herePiscifun AlinoX 300 low profile baitcaster34% OFFSale $104.99 ~~$159.99~~

Limits

MDC limits and seasons for spotted bass

Booklet row	Waters	Limit	Season
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky)	Statewide	6 a day	All year
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky)	Ozark streams	6 a day; 12" minimum	May 23, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027
Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted/Kentucky)	Year-round stream area	6 a day; 12" minimum	All year

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.

More MDC rules

Exceptions

Lakes and streams that differ for spotted bass

Water	Where	Rule as printed
Blue Springs Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Bull Shoals Lake	Lakewide	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass
Harry S. Truman Reservoir	Lakewide	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass
Lake of the Ozarks	Lakewide	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass
Long Branch Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Longview Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Mark Twain Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Montrose Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 18" minimum length limit; 2 fish daily limit
Norfork Lake	Lakewide	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass
Pomme de Terre Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 13" minimum length limit
Smithville Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Stockton Lake	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass; 12" minimum length limit on spotted bass
Table Rock Lake	Lakewide	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit. Changes to spotted bass length limits for Table Rock Lake were pending at the time of this booklet’s publication. Please check current regulations in Chapter 6 at sos.mo.gov/adrules
Thomas Hill Reservoir	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit
Big Piney River	From Slabtown Access to the Gasconade River	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass.
Big River	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Big River	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Big River	From the Council Bluff Lake Dam to the Meramec River	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily and possession limit of 12 black bass, which may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species, may include only 1 smallm
Blue Springs Creek	Whole water	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Blue Springs Creek	Whole water	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Bourbeuse River	Mainstem and its tributaries	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Bourbeuse River	Mainstem and its tributaries	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Courtois Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Courtois Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Dry Fork Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Dry Fork Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Eleven Point River	From Thomasville Access to the Arkansas line	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass.
Elk River	Whole water	Black bass — 15" minimum length limit for smallmouth bass. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass.
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.
Huzzah Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Huzzah Creek	Mainstem and its tributaries	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
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.
James River	From Hooten Town bridge (the Loop Road at Route O) to the Highway 413/Highway 265 bridge at Galena	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass.
Joachim Creek	From Jefferson County Highway V bridge to Highway A bridge	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. The daily limit of 6 black bass may include only 1 smallmouth bass.
Meramec River	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Black bass — Daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Meramec River	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Meramec River	From Highway 8 bridge to the railroad crossing at Bird’s Nest	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. Daily and possession limit of 12 black bass, which may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species, may include only 1 smallmouth
Mineral Fork	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Black bass — The daily and possession limit is 12 fish and may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species.
Mineral Fork	Mainstem and its tributaries, except as noted below	Spotted bass — No minimum length limit
Mineral Fork	From Highway F in Washington County to the Big River	Smallmouth bass — 15" minimum length limit. Daily and possession limit of 12 black bass, which may include no more than 6 largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, combined total of both species, may include only 1 smallmouth

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.

Records

MDC state record spotted bass

Division	Weight	Angler	Hometown	Water	Date	Source
Pole and line	7 lb 8 oz	Gene Arnaud	Branson, MO	Table Rock Lake	April 6, 1966	MDC record list
Alternative Method: Jug line	2 lb 11 oz	Jason Reynolds	Warsaw, MO	Truman Reservoir	May 11, 2016	MDC record list