Black bass fishing and possession is open year-round on the Mississippi River, all waters north of the south bank of the Missouri River, the St. Francis River downstream from Wappapello Dam, and on streams in that portion of southeast Missouri bounded by a line from Cape Girardeau following Missouri highways 74 and 25, U.S. highways 60, 67, and 160; and the west bank of the Little Black River to the Arkansas sate line.
In the rest of the state, black bass from streams may not be possessed March 1 - May 22, 2020. Only catch-and-release fishing for black bass is allowed during this time in this area of the state