Bennett Spring State Park

Bennett Springs is what you might call the flagship of all the Missouri Trout Parks. It draws the most people, and boasts the largest spring out of all four parks. It has a really nice restaurant, along with a nature center, a swimming pool, and tons of lodging and camping available. Once the park fills up, the rest of the visitors simply spill into the lodges and campgrounds that surround the park. The park also boasts a nice tackle shop, and there are a few really good fly shops closeby. Missouri fly fishermen have been known to travel great distances to visit these fly shops without even stopping to fish at the park.

The downside of fishing in any of these trout parks, is the restrictive nature of the fishing regulations, and the large crowds of people who come here to fish. Because of this, the fishing is affected in ways that most other places are not. Fish in the trout park don't usually act like normal trout do. At the morning siren, you can throw almost anything at them and catch a fish or two. As the day goes on however, and these fish are exposed to more and more flies and lures, even the finest and most experienced trout fisherman can get skunked. When this happens, the best method to catch these fish seems to be to downsize everything. Fish small lures and tiny flies on the lightest of lines, and you will find success.  Also, try to pick out an individual fish, and hit him right on the nose with your offering, essentially forcing him to eat.

The main food source here is mainly scuds, scuplins and trout offal (AKA fish guts). There is also a few decent caddis and midge hatches that will cause these fish to look up and eat dry flies as well. 

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