OUTDOOR CORNER: MISSOURI, ILLINOIS SET FISHING REGULATIONS FOR MISSISSIPPI RIVER

The Mississippi River offers many fishing opportunities for commercial and sport fishermen. Setting regulations on the biggest river in the country presents unique problems.

The Mississippi River is the boundary line between many states. Setting common fisheries regulations between states has been a continuing problem. However, after several years of discussions the states of Illinois and Missouri have made a new and comprehensive agreement for fishing regulations on the Mississippi River where it forms a common boundary between the two states. This reciprocal agreement becomes effective March 1, 2001.

The agreement states:

A. Any person possessing a valid sport fishing license issued by the state of Missouri, without further permit or license, may fish in the Mississippi River and its backwaters within the boundary of Illinois adjacent to the state of Missouri. Likewise, any person possessing a valid sport fishing license, may fish in the Mississippi River and its backwaters within the boundary of Illinois adjacent to the state of Missouri.

Likewise, any person possessing a valid sport fishing license issued by the state of Illinois, without further permit or license, may fish in the Mississippi River and its backwaters within the boundary of Missouri adjacent to the state of Illinois. Persons licensed in only one state may also fish in the other state's portion of any oxbow lakes through which the Missouri-Illinois boundary passes, and may fish from or attach any device or equipment to land under the jurisdiction of the other state. Persons licensed in only one state may not fish in tributaries of the Mississippi River in the other state.

Anglers shall comply with the regulations of the state in whose waters they are fishing and, when fishing in waters in which they are not licensed to fish, shall comply with the most restrictive of the two state's regulations. These privileges and provisions extend to persons legally exempted from the license requirements of either state.

B. Commercial fishermen and musselers licensed by either the state of Missouri or the state of Illinois may fish with commercial gear in the Mississippi River bordering the two states.

Commercial fishing and musseling gear shall not be used in any tributaries of the Mississippi River in either state. Commercial fishermen and musselers shall not fish or mussel from nor attach any device or equipment to land under the jurisdiction of the state in which they are not licensed. Commercial fishermen and musselers shall comply with regulations of the state in whose waters they are fishing or musseling in waters in which they are not licensed to fish or mussel, shall conform to the most restrictive of the two states' regulations.

C. For the purposes of this agreement, the center of the navigation channel, as surveyed by the U. S. Army Corp of Engineers, shall be considered the boundary between the states of Illinois and Missouri, except in situations where it is clearly shown to be elsewhere.

Gary Newcomb is a Missouri Department of Conservation agent in Cape Girardeau County.