Roaring River most visited State Park on Opening Day of Trout Season six straight year
March 6, 2024
By Adriana Keeton, [email protected]
Roaring River State Park 2024 Catch-and-Keep Season is off to a good start. A total of 2,078 daily trout tags were purchased this year at the park on opening day, outselling Bennett Spring and Montauk State Parks for the sixth straight year.
According to Brad Farwell, Hatchery Manager at Roaring River State Park, the river was stocked with 6,000 trout and 100 lunkers (trout over three pounds) prior to opening day.
Payton Grube, of Joplin caught the top lunker, which weighed 8.65 pounds. A total of 32 lunkers were weighed at the lunker station at the CCC Lodge from anglers throughout the four state region.
In conjunction with opening day, representatives with Missouri State Parks and the Cassville Community Foundation officially opened the new playground across from the Roaring River Park Store. The new playground was built with funds from the Cassville Community Foundation during off-season.
According to Brad Farwell, Hatchery Manager at Roaring River State Park, the river was stocked with 6,000 trout and 100 lunkers (trout over three pounds) prior to opening day.
Payton Grube, of Joplin caught the top lunker, which weighed 8.65 pounds. A total of 32 lunkers were weighed at the lunker station at the CCC Lodge from anglers throughout the four state region.
In conjunction with opening day, representatives with Missouri State Parks and the Cassville Community Foundation officially opened the new playground across from the Roaring River Park Store. The new playground was built with funds from the Cassville Community Foundation during off-season.
Payton Grube, 17, of Joplin, hooked this 8.65 lb. female rainbow trout. It was the top lunker caught on opening day 2024 at Roaring River. Photo: Cassville Chamber of Commerce
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Cassville High School student Avery Robertson, 16, took full advantage of no school on opening day and hooked this 3.55 lb. beauty. Photo: Adriana Keeton
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Eden Crowder, of Galena, Kansas, caught her first fish at Roaring River on opening day. It weighed a whopping 3.35 pounds. Photo: Adriana Keeton
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Cassville Area Chamber member C.J. Tabor with Forever Yours Embroidery distributed mugs to anglers under the big tent. The Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce has handed out coffee to anglers on opening day at Roaring River State Park for over 50 years, and commemorative mugs since 1992. Photo: Cassville JAG
Jack Nickols, lifelong resident of Barry County, shot the firing gun to open the 2024 catch and keep trout season at Roaring River State Park. Photo: Adriana Keeton
Flora Blumm, 4, of Exeter, enjoyed slide time with her father, Forrest, at the new playground across from the Roaring River Store. Photo: Adriana Keeton
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Finn Fordyce, Tillie Rhea, Esme Fordyce, and Hadley Rhea visit Roaring River annually with their families. The three families have rented cabins on opening day for 20 plus years. Photo: Shari Rhea
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It has been 24 years since Patrick Meeks, of Clinton, has visited Roaring River State Park for opening day. He normally attends Bennett Spring. He went home with a 4.95 lb. lunker. Photo: Adriana Keeton
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Tim Mahaffey, of Ritchie, wasn’t sure if he would make the lunker board when he brought his bounty to the weigh station. She weighed in at 3.20 lbs. Photo: Adriana Keeton
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Trout anglers lined the banks of Roaring River last Friday for opening day of the catch-and-keep 2024 season at the State Park. Photo: Adriana Keeton
Roaring River State Park beat out Bennett Spring and Montauk for the sixth straight year in tag sales for 2024 opening day. Statistics from www.mostateparks.com
