Kentucky vs Missouri fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Missouri is $8 cheaper than Kentucky. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Kentucky is $2 cheaper than Missouri. You need a license from age 16 in Kentucky and in Missouri.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | Kentucky | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $15 | $9 |
| 3 days | $35 | $27 |
| 7 days | $35 | $57 |
| 1 year | $55 | $57 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $23 | $14 |
| Prices for | 2026-27 | 2026 |
Rules side by side
| Kentucky | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 16 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Senior sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $12 (ages 65+) Senior lifetime sportsman's license (residents 65 and over): $180 (ages 65+) | Free (fresh): Missouri residents aged 65 or over |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Jun 5–6, 2027 Not yet announced | Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | – | Accepted |
| Annual licenses last | To 02-28 | To Last day of February |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Kentucky fishing license · Missouri fishing license
Shared waters
Mississippi River (Missouri side) (Kentucky rules)
A Kentucky license is valid in the main channel, side channels and chutes, but not oxbow lakes, tributaries or flooded backwaters when the Cairo gauge is above 33 feet. Official source
Mississippi River (Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee) (Missouri rules)
A Missouri permit (or a Missouri exemption) lets you fish the flowing Mississippi River in Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee waters, plus backwaters and shared oxbow lakes in Illinois and Tennessee. Bank fishing is allowed on the Illinois side, and on the Kentucky side within the Kentucky definition of the river. Kentucky backwaters and floodplain lakes are excluded when the river is above 33 feet on the Cairo gauge. You may not fish another state's tributaries. Follow the rules of the state you are in; when fishing another state's waters, follow the stricter of the two states' rules. Official source
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | Kentucky | Missouri |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
Black bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Largemouth, smallmouth, Kentucky (spotted) and Coosa bass |
Black bass |
| Trout |
Rainbow trout Brown trout |
Rainbow: none. Brown: 15" minimum in streams; bag 4 in total (Statewide; 1 more) |
| Walleye |
Walleye, sauger and their hybrids |
Walleye and sauger |
| Crappie |
Crappie (black and white) |
None statewide (many lakes 9" to 10"); bag 30 (15 on many lakes) |
| Catfish |
Channel catfish Blue and flathead catfish |
Channel catfish Blue catfish |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge |
Muskellunge |
Questions
Is a Kentucky fishing license valid in Missouri?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Mississippi River (Missouri side); Mississippi River (Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee).
Which is cheaper for visitors, Kentucky or Missouri?
1 day (fresh water): Kentucky $15, Missouri $9. 1 year (fresh water): Kentucky $55, Missouri $57.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Kentucky and Missouri?
You need a license from age 16 in Kentucky and in Missouri.