Trout Habitat
Trout survive in only the coldest, cleanest waters of our state. But the best trout streams are continually threatened by pollution from our homes, businesses, farms and factories and by physical disruption from gravel mining, livestock and streamside tree removal.
Protecting the watershed (land draining into a stream) is essential in keeping trout streams healthy. The Missouri Department of Conservation works with the Department of Natural Resources, private landowners and citizen groups such as Stream Teams and watershed associations to keep the state's waters healthy through careful watershed management.
Water is essential to our quality of life, and, ultimately, we all live downstream. The best way to ensure that Missouri's trout continue to provide enjoyable recreation is to support the watershed conservation efforts that protect Missouri's aquatic resources.
Trout thrive in water that is both cold and highly oxygenated. This is why four of our hatcheries are established near large coldwater springs, and the fifth, Shepherd of the Hills, receives cold water from the bottom of Table Rock Lake.
