Bowfishing in Missouri gives you a way to chase fish that most anglers never target, and the state offers some genuinely productive water for it. Before you string up a reel and hit the river, though, you need to understand exactly what the law allows — and what it does not.
Missouri bowfishing laws cover everything from which species you can shoot to what kind of bow you can use, when you can fish at night, and which stretches of water are completely off-limits. Getting any one of those details wrong can cost you your permit and your catch. This guide walks you through every major rule so you can go out with confidence.
Is Bowfishing Legal in Missouri
Yes, bowfishing is legal in Missouri. Bowfishing is a legal method to pursue nongame fish, including bluegill, green sunfish, carp, carpsuckers, suckers, buffalo, drum, gar, and all other species not defined as game fish or listed as endangered in the Wildlife Code of Missouri.
Certain species in designated waters may be taken by the use of bow, crossbow, gig, atlatl, snare, underwater spearfishing, snagging, or grabbing. Bowfishing is treated as a sport fishing method under Missouri law, which means the same general fishing rules apply to you as to any other angler on the water.
Key Insight: Bowfishing in Missouri targets nongame fish only. Game fish — bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, and similar species — cannot be taken by bow under any circumstances.
Bowfishing offers an exciting way to pursue fish that typically draw little interest with traditional methods. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) actively encourages the sport, particularly as a tool for controlling invasive species like Asian carp. If you want to explore other Missouri animal and wildlife regulations, the coyote hunting laws in Missouri are another good reference for understanding how the state manages its wildlife.
What Fish Can You Bowfish for in Missouri
Nongame fish include bluegill, green sunfish, carp, carpsuckers, suckers, buffalo, drum, and all species other than alligator gar, those defined as game fish, or species listed as endangered. These are your legal targets when bowfishing in Missouri.
There is one critically important protected species you must know before you draw a bow:
- Alligator gar are a protected species in Missouri, and it is illegal to take and possess them.
- Bowfin must remain whole and intact while on state waters or adjacent banks.
- Goldfish, bighead carp, common carp, grass carp, and silver carp may be possessed in any number and do not count in the daily or possession limit.
Invasive Asian carp species — bighead, silver, grass, and common carp — are among the most popular bowfishing targets in Missouri precisely because there is no bag limit on them. Combining the skills of archery and fishing, bowfishing gives anglers a thrilling experience while helping to control the population of invasive species like carp and gar.
Important Note: Never shoot at a fish you cannot positively identify. If you are unsure whether a species is a game fish, an endangered species, or a protected nongame fish like alligator gar, release it immediately and unharmed.
Daily and Possession Limits for Nongame Fish
The daily limit is 20 and the possession limit is 40, except on the Mississippi River, which has a daily and possession limit of 100. The daily limit is the combined total of all nongame species taken by all nongame methods.
If you have taken 50 nongame species using a pole and line, then you cannot take 20 nongame species using a bow. The limits stack across all methods, so keep a running count of your total nongame harvest for the day regardless of how you caught them.
There is also a location-specific rule worth noting: on the Current River from Cedar Grove downstream to the Arkansas line, only 5 hogsuckers may be included in a daily limit.
Bowfishing License Requirements in Missouri
Bowfishing falls under Missouri’s standard sport fishing framework, so you need a valid fishing permit to bowfish — there is no separate bowfishing-specific license.
- Missouri residents can purchase a Resident Fishing Permit, which covers bowfishing.
- Non-residents have the option of purchasing a Non-Resident Fishing Permit or a Non-Resident Daily Fishing Permit.
Qualifying permit types include a Fishing Permit, Daily Fishing Permit, Small Game Hunting and Fishing Permit, Lifetime Conservation Partner (Hunting and Fishing) Permit (residents only), Lifetime Fishing Permit (residents only), and Military Reduced Cost Permit.
There is also a special exemption for active-duty military: members of the U.S. military currently assigned as a patient to a Warrior Transition Brigade, Warrior Transition Unit, or a military medical center may take fish, live bait, clams, mussels, turtles, and frogs without a permit.
Pro Tip: Purchase your fishing permit directly through the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online permit system before you head out. Conservation agents can check your permit at any time on the water.
Missouri fishing regulations are enforced by MDC conservation agents statewide. If caught fishing without a license, you could face misdemeanor charges, fines up to $1,000 or more, and possible loss of fishing privileges. You can find more information about Missouri’s broader animal and wildlife laws at pet laws in Missouri and pet import laws in Missouri.
Legal Bowfishing Equipment in Missouri
Missouri law defines what counts as legal archery equipment for bowfishing. Understanding these rules before you gear up prevents costly violations on the water.
Legal Bow Types
According to the Missouri Wildlife Code and regulations, legal archery equipment for bowfishing includes longbows, recurve bows, and compound bows. The arrow must be attached to the bow by a line and equipped with a harpoon-style or wire-barbed point — standard field tips are not appropriate for bowfishing under Missouri rules.
Crossbow Rules
Crossbows occupy a specific legal category in Missouri bowfishing. The MDC does permit crossbow use for taking nongame fish, and if you have taken 50 nongame species using a pole and line, then you cannot take 20 nongame species using a crossbow; if you have taken 20 nongame species via crossbow, then you can only take an additional 30 nongame species using a pole and line or other line method. The same combined daily limit rules apply to crossbow as to bowfishing.
Prohibited Equipment
- No one may use any explosive, poison, chemical, or electrical equipment to kill or stupefy fish, and such materials or equipment may not be possessed on waters of the state or adjacent banks.
- Spearguns may not be possessed on unimpounded waters or adjacent banks, and spears may not be propelled by explosives.
- No one may use any explosive, poison, chemical, or electrical equipment to kill or stupefy fish.
Common Mistake: Using a standard hunting broadhead or field tip on your bowfishing arrow is a practical error — you need a barbed or harpoon-style point specifically designed to hold fish on the line after the shot.
For more context on Missouri’s approach to animal-related regulations and what equipment is permitted in different contexts, see the roadkill laws in Missouri page.
Where You Can and Cannot Bowfish in Missouri
Missouri offers a wide range of bowfishing water, but not every stretch of river or lake is open. Knowing where restrictions apply is just as important as knowing what species you can target.
Where Bowfishing Is Generally Permitted
Bowfishing for nongame fish is permitted on most public rivers, streams, lakes, and impoundments across Missouri. The Mississippi River, Missouri River, and St. Francis River are all open for bowfishing under their respective rules. Specific regulations apply to bowfishing in portions of the Missouri, Mississippi, and St. Francis rivers. On the Mississippi River specifically, the daily and possession limit for nongame fish rises to 100 — significantly higher than the statewide standard.
Where Bowfishing Is Prohibited
Several categories of water are off-limits for bowfishing:
- Gigging, bowfishing, and using an atlatl are prohibited on Blue Ribbon Trout Areas, and fish taken by these methods may not be possessed on these waters or their banks. Only flies and artificial lures may be used in those areas.
- Trotlines, throwlines, limb lines, bowfishing, gigging, and atlatls are also prohibited on certain designated waters.
- Some conservation areas and urban lakes carry their own special restrictions — always check area-specific signs and the MDC’s online fishing regulations before heading to a specific location.
Special fishing restrictions exist for particular waterbodies, so always check before you fish. The MDC’s Places to Go search tool lets you look up conservation area-specific rules by location.
| Water Type | Bowfishing Allowed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River | Yes | Daily/possession limit of 100 nongame fish |
| Missouri River | Yes | Standard nongame limits apply |
| St. Francis River | Yes | Standard nongame limits apply |
| Most lakes and impoundments | Yes | Season and hour restrictions apply |
| Blue Ribbon Trout Areas | No | Bowfishing and gigging prohibited |
| Designated special regulation waters | No or restricted | Check area-specific posted signs |
Missouri residents who own land with private water should also be aware of the broader legal landscape around property and animals. The neighbors’ dog on my property laws in Missouri and neighbors’ cat in my yard laws in Missouri pages cover related property-boundary considerations.
Night Bowfishing Rules in Missouri
Night bowfishing is one of the most popular ways to pursue carp and other nongame species in Missouri, especially during summer. The state permits it under specific conditions that vary by water type.
Lighting Rules
As an aid to fishing methods, an artificial light may be used only above the water surface. However, there is a meaningful exception for bowfishing on still water: underwater lights may be used when bowfishing on lakes, ponds, and other impoundments.
This means that if you are bowfishing on a river or stream, you are limited to lights positioned above the water surface. On lakes and impoundments, you can deploy underwater lights to attract and illuminate fish — a significant tactical advantage for night bowfishing.
Hour Restrictions by Season
The MDC regulates bowfishing hours differently depending on the season and water type. For impounded waters, the season runs from February 1, 2025 through March 31, 2025, and from April 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026. Hours are sunrise to midnight from February 1 to March 31. From April 1 onward through January 31, fishing hours on impounded waters extend through the night.
Pro Tip: Summer night bowfishing on Missouri lakes is especially productive. Bowfishing at night is a favorite summer activity, as fish are attracted to the lights mounted on the boat. Carp and other nongame species move shallow and become highly visible under bright lights in warm water.
Night fishing is generally legal in Missouri. You can use artificial lights above the water surface as an aid. Underwater lights are allowed when pole and line fishing or bowfishing on lakes and impoundments.
Always verify the posted hours for the specific conservation area or waterbody you plan to fish at night. Some areas have additional time restrictions that override the statewide defaults. For more on Missouri’s outdoor and property-related laws, the beekeeping laws in Missouri page offers another example of how the state regulates animal-related activities.
Saltwater Bowfishing Rules in Missouri
Missouri is a landlocked state with no coastline, so there are no saltwater bowfishing regulations to follow. All bowfishing in Missouri takes place in freshwater — rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and impoundments.
If you are traveling from Missouri to bowfish in a coastal state, you will need to research that state’s specific saltwater bowfishing rules, which vary significantly. Species regulations, license requirements, and equipment rules differ by state and by whether you are fishing in state or federal waters.
Important Note: Missouri’s bowfishing rules apply only within the state’s borders. If you bowfish on the Missouri River where it forms the border with Kansas, anglers with either a valid Kansas or Missouri fishing license may fish any flowing portion and backwaters of the Missouri River and any oxbow lake through which the river flows. Tributaries of the Missouri River, however, require a license from the state through which that tributary flows.
Missouri’s extensive freshwater system — including the Mississippi River, Missouri River, Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake, and hundreds of smaller impoundments — provides more than enough productive bowfishing opportunity without ever needing to consider saltwater regulations. Missouri has some of the most varied and fulfilling freshwater fishing possibilities in the Midwest.
For a broader look at how Missouri manages its animals and wildlife, explore related topics like emotional support animal laws in Missouri, pit bull laws in Missouri, dog chaining laws in Missouri, and United States laws on exotic pets for additional context on Missouri and national animal regulations.