Ozark Fly Sales

Stone Mill Spring Branch

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Stone Mill Spring Branch is the shortest trout stream in Missouri. At only 1/3 of a mile long, it's mostly overlooked by trout anglers. Add on to that the fact that most folks have to jump over a few hoops to access the stream, and very few non-local anglers fish this creek. Trout are stocked in the spring branch every couple of weeks, and most of them are cleaned out by local residents within a couple days. With the short length of the stream, and very little cover, the trout have little chance of holding over.

The creek is located on the property of Fort Leonard Wood. This means that civilian anglers must watch a video, and undergo other difficulties in order to be able to fish. Most folks just don't think it's worth it. With that said, for the first few days after stocking, the action is likely to be fast and furious, with fish on nearly every cast. If you are in the area, and the stream has been stocked recently, it might well be worth it. Stocking dates are announced online. This is the only trout stream in Missouri where that practice is followed, and it causes heavy crowds the day after trout are stocked. You can keep four trout of any size from March 1- October 31, and use any bait you like. From November 1- February 31, its artificial lures only, and no fish may be creeled. This catch and release season is probably the best time to fish the stream, because fish numbers tend to stay much higher.