Hunting and Fishing

Hunting and Fishing

Click here to the Missouri Department of Conservation's website for a variety of information including how to purchase a hunting and fishing licenses/permits and fishing length limits. You may also find information on how to download FindMoFish to your cellular devices to get the latest fishing reports, water depths, brush pile locations and much, much more.

Hunting

The public may hunt on more than 7,000 acres of Smithville Lake's wildlife management area.  The wildlife management area is open to all hunting seasons in accordance with the Missouri Department of Conservation.  However, about 2,200 acres of land and water in the Honker Cove Waterfowl Refuge is closed seasonally to boating, hunting, trapping and fishing from October 15 to January 31.

Fishing

Fishing habitat is plentiful at Smithville Lake.  More than 4,000 of the lake's 7,190 water surface acres were left uncleared to create the aquatic habitat that should provide excellent fishing.  The Missouri Department of Conservation began stocking the lake in 1975 and continues to this day.  Species include largemouth bass, white bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, walleye, white crappie and bluegill.