Trespassing Or Not?

[Flyflinger]

I hope I am posting this in the right spot.

Question:

Who owns the streams in Missouri? Can I wade fish any stream as long as I stay in the water and not access it thru private ground? Is there a regulation or law I can read somewhere?

Thanks

[Trav]

Missouri law is a navigation thing. You are trespassing in most streams if you are not in a boat. I say this, what people dont know wont hurt them....if you get caught....humbly apologize and move on down stream.

[Justin Spencer]

Technically if you are standing on the bottom you are on private land, I really don't even think water patrol really knows how or if to enforce it. Most landowners don't care, unless it is a Saturday and you have 100 drunks pull up on their gravelbar.

[Smalliebigs]

I know on our river property in Crawford county, if you have river frontage or stream frontage you own the land to the middle of the stream bed unless of course you own the land on the other side of the river. We are taxed for acreage to the center of the stream bed so this is are land but there is a easement set up by the state of Missouri that allows the public to navigate the stream or river via the water over your land. So it is legal to float or navigate the stream as long as you accessed via public land or access. As far as a stream that you are wading you would need a lawyer to define navigating as it pertains to wading. I know if you float the stream you are good to go as long as you accessed the stream via a public access. I know there are some streams from past experiences that you might want to think twice about wading unless you have explicit permission. One of them beeing Indian creek that flows into the Meramec in Franklin county, you can get shot back there if you wade thru their land...be careful!!! always try to find landowners and ask permission, offer a fee for fishing or buy them some beer, strike up a conversation.That's what I do and that's what I would want someone to do for me with my river property. I personally want to know who is on my land at all times.

[Flyflinger]

Shot? WTF...

[Smalliebigs]

Fly, I know it seems stupid but I have been escorted back to my truck at gun point out of that creek. It is great fishing too, or at least it use to be.

[Flyflinger]

Dude that is so messed up....What part where you on? Did the guy tell you why he was being such a dick? Did he think you where going to steal somthing?

I just can't understand why people have to be so F'ed up, I could understand perhaps if you were deer poaching and had a rifle on you, or if you where growing pot on his land, or if you where suspected of stealing livestock.....but fishing in a stream???? Come ON!

[Kayser]

Flyflinger- welcome to rural MO. Be polite and courteous, ask permission, and this will probably never happen. But be warned. Oh, and don't leave any trash. That generally strikes a nerve with landowners.

Rob

[Flyflinger]

Flyflinger- welcome to rural MO. Be polite and courteous, ask permission, and this will probably never happen. But be warned. Oh, and don't leave any trash. That generally strikes a nerve with landowners.

Rob

I have always been a courteous, C&R, trash free angler...and have fished rural missouri all my life. I have never had a gun waved in my face, it just struck me as odd, that someone would be willing to take a life over somthing so silly. The guy must get his kicks out of it, he must sit and watch the river looking for his next target.

[Guest P. owensby]

Spot on!!!!