Construction causes partial closure at Bennett Spring State Park as trout season approaches

Editor's note: March 1 is Friday and has been updated in the story as such.

LEBANON, Mo. (KMIZ)

A small portion of Bennett Spring State Park will be closed to anglers at the start of trout season, according to a press release from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Trout season in the state begins Friday. The length of the closure was not stated in the release. Closed areas include portions of Zone 1 and Zone 2, the release states. All closed areas will be marked by signs.

However, about 6,500 trout will be stocked for opening day and the MDC expects about 2,000 anglers to start their season at Bennett Springs State Park, according to the release.

“MDC staff emphasizes the area closed to fishing in Bennett’s Zone 1 and 2 represents a small fraction of the approximately 1.5 miles of stream frontage within the park that is open to fishing. However, the fishing spots of many anglers at Bennett (as is the case at Missouri’s other trout parks) are based on personal and family traditions that may go back decades,” the release states.

This closed area goes from the hatchery intake on the west bank downstream to the Highway 64A stone bridge, the release states. There will be no access to the top of the dam. Anglers can still fish at the bottom of the dam from the east bank, but will not be allowed to fish from the west bank, below the hatchery office.

The release states the closed area is part of the $40 million hatchery renovation project at Bennett Spring, which includes the installation of a new intake structure, reconstruction of the raceways, water quality improvements and other upgrades to improve fish production capability and site resiliency.