Species and Limits Information U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Game Fish Species: Black Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted/Kentucky) Daily Limit: 6 Length Limit: None; Open all year Mingo Catfish: Channel—Daily Limit: 10 National Wildlife Blue—Daily Limit: 5 Flathead—Daily Limit: 5 Length Limit: None; Open all year. Refuge Crappie (Black & White) Daily Limit: 30 Length Limit: None; Open all year. Pickerel (Chain & Grass) Regulations Daily Limit: 6 Length Limit: None; Open all year. Goggle-eye (Rock Bass) & Warmouth Daily Limit: 15; Length Limit: None; Open all year. Non-Game Fish Species: Bowfin (Grinnel) Bluegill, Green Sun- fish, Carp, Suckers, Buffalo, Drum, and Gar (Except Alligator Gar which must be immediately released when caught). Daily Limit: 50 when taken by pole & line, trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, or jug line; Open all year. Note: No gigging or bow fishing is permitted on the refuge. Goldfish, Bighead Carp, Common Carp, Grass Carp, and Silver Carp may be pos- sessed in any numbers and do not count in the daily or possession limit. Other Species: Common Snapping Turtles: Daily Limit: 5; Open all year. Soft-shelled Turtles: Daily Limit: 5; Open: July 1 – Dec. 31. HuntingBrochure For PublicFor Hunting Area Refuge see Specific Revised – 2/2016 General Mingo National Wildlife Refuge consists morning and dusk are the best times to moist soil units, and area located between Wild From March 1 to September 30, Information of 21,592 acres of bottomland hardwood observe wildlife. The most popular Ditch 3 and Ditch 6 (Ditch 3 and 6 open Edibles gathering of mushrooms, berries, and forest, cypress-tupelo swamp, marsh, and seasons are spring and fall during the year-round). All other waters are open. pokeweed is permitted for personal use upland forest ecosystems. Visitors are peak bird migrations. A great way to only in the area south of Ditch 11 and permitted on the refuge from ½ hour observe wildlife is to drive slowly along east of the Mingo River. Harvesting Boats/ The use of gasoline powered boat motors before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. our auto tour routes. outside this area is prohibited. No Motors is prohibited on all refuge waters. Use of ground disturbance is permitted. Electric trolling motors is permitted Visitor The Refuge Visitor Center is located one Bluff Road: This 6-mile tour takes outside the Wilderness Area. Boats may Harvest limit: one gallon per day of Center mile north of Puxico off Highway 51. The visitors along the southern portion not be left overnight. An approved mushrooms and berries and five gallons Visitor Center is open Monday through of the refuge (Open year-round). personal flotation device is required for per day of pokeweed. Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Redmill Drive: This 7-mile tour each person in a boat. from March through November. From takes visitors through the public Hunting Hunting for squirrel, turkey, deer, and hunting portion of the refuge (Open December through February the Visitor May and Fishing in May Pond and Fox Pond is waterfowl are permitted on designated Center is open weekdays only from 8:30 year round). portions of the refuge. For specific permitted year round, but only with the a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Visitor Center is Fox Pond information, consult the refuge-specific Ozark Highlands: This 18-mile tour use of pole or rod-and-reel fishing. At closed most Federal Holidays. Hunt Brochure. takes visitors through the west side May Pond; anglers may only take bass of the refuge and is open seasonally greater than 12 inches (30 cm) in length. Access Entering the refuge is only allowed at (check with refuge office). At Fox Pond, there is no size limit for Commercial Any commercial use of a national the following designated entrances: bass. All other fishing regulations are Use wildlife refuge, including hunting Hiking is allowed along refuge roads, Visitor Center Entrance Road, Bluff Hiking concurrent with State regulations. guides, commercial fishing and filming Road at Highway 51, School House service roads and in open areas of the are prohibited except as may be refuge. Maintained hiking trails include Access, Mingo Job Corps, Rabbit Ridge Other Trotlines, throw lines, limb lines, Yo Yo’s, authorized by a refuge Special Use Road (County Road 518), and McGee the Swampwalk Nature Trail (0.8 mile - Permit. Fishing bank lines and jug lines, are allowed from Gate (County Road 513). Low Intensity), Bluff Nature Trail (0.5 mile - Moderate/High Intensity), Hartz Regulations ½ hour before legal sunrise until ½ hour Prohibited Pond Trail (0.3 miles - Low/Moderate after legal sunset. From March 1st until The following is a partial list of The speed limit on all roads is 25 mph, Intensity), and the Sweet Cabin Trail (1 September 30th, non-game fish may be Activities prohibited activities on Mingo Refuge: unless otherwise posted. Only licensed mile - Moderate Intensity) taken for personal use by nets and seines. drivers may operate properly registered Anglers must attend trammel and gill Use of a gasoline powered boat and licensed vehicles on the refuge. Photography Portable observation/photography nets at all times and plainly label all nets motor on all refuge waters. Motorized vehicles must remain on and lines with the owner’s name, address, blinds may be used in open portions of Use or possession of any boat motor designated refuge roads. All other and phone number. Anglers must remove the refuge, but must be removed daily. in the Mingo Wilderness. portions of the refuge, including side all fishing lines and nets at the end of There are designated photography Camping, open fires, overnight roads and levee tops, are closed to each day’s fishing. blinds on the refuge. Users must parking, or any night fishing vehicles at all times. reserve blinds and can only access them activities on the refuge. with a free Special Use Permit. Contact Turtles Common snapping turtles and soft- Bow fishing and gigging. Entrance An entrance permit is required year- the Refuge Office for more information. shelled turtles may be taken by pole and Collection or harm to mussels, Permits round for each vehicle entering the line only during open season. We require crayfish and other aquatic species. refuge. Vehicles are defined as persons Fishing Fishing is permitted in designated the immediate release of alligator Searching for or removing any on bicycles, horses, foot, or other forms of areas of the refuge in accordance with snapping turtles and alligator gar. object of antiquity including transportation. One of the following may State of Missouri impounded waters’ Collection or harm to mussels, crayfish arrowheads, pottery or other be used as a permit: Daily Permit regulations. Please refer to current and other species of aquatics is artifacts ($3.00), Mingo Specific Annual Pass publication of the Summary of Missouri prohibited. ($12.00), Federal Duck Stamp ($25.00), Fishing Regulations. Shed antler hunting Interagency Annual Pass ($80), Use of ATV’s or UTV’s on Refuge Horse-back Equestrian use is permitted year-round Interagency Senior Pass ($10.00), Water on the Ozark Highlands Auto Tour and March 1 – September 30: All refuge Riding Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Interagency Annual Military Pass (free), roads open to vehicular traffic. From Closure waters are open to fishing and boating. 24279 State Hwy 51 Interagency Access Pass (free). March 1 to September 30, horseback Puxico, MO 63960 riding is allowed on the 6 mile loop of October 1 – End of February: The 573/222-3589 Wildlife The diversity of species and habitats road between Ditch 3 and 4. All other following refuge waters are closed: Observation attract year-round wildlife viewing roadways, dike tops, nature trails and Monopoly Marsh, Rockhouse Marsh, http://www.fws.gov/refuge/mingo opportunities on the refuge. Early levees are closed to equestrian use. Email: [email protected] .