NEOSHO MORSE PARK ON HICKORY CREEK. Bennett Spring State Park 12 miles west of Lebanon on Highway 64. NEOSHO, Mo. — Tuesday, March 1, is the opening of Missouri trout
Trout Opener in Neosho
Staff Reports
For many, the opening of trout season is the first harbinger of spring. The anticipation of putting on waders and watching the sunrise is the cause for celebration. For those in southwest Missouri longing for a day on the streams, your destination could be as close as Neosho.
Hickory Creek flows 2.7 miles through Morse Park from the headwaters to the confluence with Shoal Creek just north of Neosho. As it passes through Neosho, the stream is considered a White Ribbon Trout Stream, meaning that it is periodically stocked with rainbow trout by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The local fish hatchery, the oldest in the country, is operated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior. Both agencies work closely together to make certain that there is enough trout available in the trout fisheries throughout the state of Missouri.