Maramec Spring Park stops fishing after Oct. 31 and opens again on Friday, Nov. 13, under a different set of rules. The front of the park is a construction site, and the Pick N' Shovel Café is closed. This is the first winter for that combination, so a day at Maramec now includes stops in St. James at either end.
The catch-and-keep season ends with Fall Derby Day on Oct. 31. The park stocks lunkers for it, and it runs from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Then the water is closed until winter catch-and-release begins on Nov. 13. If you've been fishing the spring branch since March, the trip that works now looks different from the one you're used to.
Two seasons with almost nothing in common
The park's own Derby Day page calls Oct. 31 "the last hurrah of the catch-and-release season." That has it backwards. The Missouri Department of Conservation's Maramec Spring Park regulations treat March 1 through Oct. 31 as catch-and-keep. The winter season is the catch-and-release one.
| Catch-and-keep | Winter catch-and-release | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | March 1 – Oct. 31 | Nov. 13, 2026 – Feb. 8, 2027 |
| Keeping fish | 4 per day, all species combined | None |
| Tag or permit | Daily trout tag: $5 adult, $3 youth 15 and under | Annual trout permit replaces the daily tag |
| Fishing permit | Required unless exempt | Required unless exempt |
| Tackle | Standard trout park rules | Flies only |
| Fishing hours in Nov.–Dec. | Not applicable | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., daily |
The permit row is the one most likely to catch someone out. All summer, a $5 tag bought at the park covered an adult's day. In winter, the state requires an annual trout permit on top of a fishing permit, and a daily tag doesn't stand in for it. During catch-and-keep, browns have to be at least 15 inches to keep. You stop fishing once you have eight trout in possession. None of that matters after Nov. 13, because every fish goes back.
Winter hours are shorter too. In November and December the park is open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and fishing runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. October's fishing hours ran until 6:30 p.m. Entry is still $7 per car per day, or $70 for a season pass.
What "flies only" allows
MDC's Maramec Spring regulations flyer defines a fly more broadly than a lot of anglers expect, and also more narrowly in a couple of places.
- A fly is an artificial lure on a single-point hook.
- Soft-plastic bait doesn't count.
- Natural or scented bait that is tied, glued or otherwise permanently attached doesn't count.
- Flies with a spinner are allowed, and so are small single-point rooster-tail spinners.
So a spinning rod can still be part of a winter trip, as long as what's tied on fits that definition. If you're unsure about a particular rig, read the flyer and the MDC page above before you go, and ask the park or MDC if you need to. This post is general information, not legal advice, and the state's published rules are the ones that count.
The front of the park is being rebuilt
The café is closed this year because the building it was in no longer exists. In early November 2024, a flood put 49 inches of water inside the park's nearly 50-year-old visitor building. The building had flooded at least four times before, usually with 12 to 18 inches of water. After reviewing repair estimates, the James Foundation board decided restoration would cost more than the building was worth. It also didn't want to put that money into a structure still sitting in the floodplain.
The Missouri Department of Conservation's on-site office had the same problem, so the two agencies plan to share one larger building on higher ground. The James Foundation's announcement says Archer-Elgin Engineers of Rolla designed it. The plan calls for a store, café, reception area, fee station, outdoor seating and MDC office space, built at least four feet higher than the old building.
The St. James Leader-Journal at Three Rivers Publishing reported that the flood caused more than $1 million in damage. Alexander Construction LLC tore down the park store on Dec. 14–15, 2025, and removed the conservation office building. Park Director Wes Swee told the paper what the plan for the site was:
"We're wiping the slate clean and raising the base of the elevation to four feet above the building floor to get it out of the flood plain for future flooding events."
The same article says timbers saved from the flood will go into the new building, and the new café will have indoor and outdoor seating. The target completion date is March 1, 2027. The announcement said that during construction, tag sales and visitor services for the 2026 trout season would be handled at a temporary Tag Shack near the old park exit, which would serve as the entrance. If you haven't been out in a while, the way into the park may not be where you remember it.
The Maramec Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays in November, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On a weekend, that's a dry indoor option during a cold day on the water.
Breakfast and lunch are in town now
The park sits about 6 miles southeast of St. James. The park's own directions send you up North Jefferson Street, which turns into MO-8 East. Two of the useful stops are on that road, and the winter fishing hours make the timing easy.
- Before 8 a.m.: Exit 11 Coffee at 425 N. Jefferson St. opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends, so you can get there before fishing starts at 8. It closes at 2 p.m. every day.
- Midday: Sybill's at 1100 N. Jefferson keeps its indoor dining rooms open year-round and takes pickup orders. Its menu lists lunch from 11 to 3 and dinner from 3 to 9, which makes it a possible stop after fishing too. Weekly hours aren't posted, so call ahead.
- Lunch on the Route B side: The St. James Winery Bistro at 540 State Route B is open Friday through Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It's closed Wednesdays and Thursdays, and it closes at 4, the same time fishing does. That makes it a lunch stop, not a place to go after you're off the water.
- After 4 p.m.: Public House Brewing Company's St. James taproom at 551 State Route B serves its full menu every day. It's open noon to 8 Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 Friday, and 11 to 8 on weekends, with the Saturday bar open until 10. Its posted hours run well past the 4 p.m. end of fishing every day of the week.
Three Rivers Publishing reported that Muddy Boots Coffee Co. served refreshments at the Old Iron Works Festival at the park on Oct. 10, along with St. James Winery, Public House Brewing Company and Prairie Barn Winery. Check its regular café hours with the shop directly.
The St. James calendar between Derby Day and the parade
The park's change of season lines up with the busiest stretch of the year in town, so a fishing morning and a town afternoon can share a day.
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m.: The St. James Vineyard Turkey Trot 5K, organized by Nik's Wish, starts at 19506 Co Rd 1000 and ends with a wine pour at 540 State Rte B.
- November weekends: The Maramec Museum is open Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Friday, Nov. 13: Winter catch-and-release opens at the park and runs daily through Feb. 8, 2027.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1: Tiger Express Apparel, the student-run clothing business that opened a storefront inside St. James High School on Sept. 23, holds "Sweatshirts with Santa." Three Rivers Publishing covered the opening.
- Week of Dec. 1: The St. James Chamber's fourth annual Best Business Christmas Tree Contest begins. Businesses compete in small- and larger-employer categories.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 5 p.m.: The Chamber's Christmas Parade goes through downtown, and Santa will see visitors at the Walker Pavilion Gazebo on East Washington Street.
The parade starts at 5 p.m. Winter fishing ends at 4, and the park closes at 5. If you're done at the spring branch by 4, you have time to drive the 6 miles up North Jefferson and get a spot downtown before the floats start.
Winter catch-and-release ends Feb. 8, 2027. Catch-and-keep comes back March 1, the same date the James Foundation set as the target for finishing the new welcome center, café included.
You may be planning on moving closer to the spring, or you're simply wondering what your place near Maramec is worth with all the work going on at the park. Either way, Erica Smith Real Estate knows the roads between St. James and the water, and we're glad to talk it through. Get Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll follow up quickly with real local numbers.
