I have fished off of the bridges around here for several years. I have had the County Officers, City Police and Hiway Patrol stop and talk to me and never a problem. Last night the Buckner Police came several miles out of town with two cars and three people and held me and my son until the Game Warden got there. They were all nice and did not treat us bad. The Game Warden got there and questioned us and told us that we could not shoot a bow from a roadway and let us go. I posted on here about shooting from bridges in MO and I guess I should not have. Please do not follow my advice about shooting fish from bridge as it may get you in trouble. I really hate that we are not able to do this as it is a good way to make a good fast bowfishing trip, and most of the farmers don't want you on their property or on the levies. Good luck Dennis
Here my answer from the MDC...
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Bridges are generally considered public access to rivers and streams. Safety concerns are really the biggest factor. If MoDot or the county determine that it is unsafe for the public to have access on top of or under a bridge, they can prohibit access to fishing. The same goes for parking. Some counties may not allow parking on the side of the road near a particular bridge. At no time are you allowed to venture on to private land to access a bridge or other fishing spot without landowner permission.
Even if a bridge is not marked as "no fishing", a Conservation Agent, sheriff, etc. could require you to leave if it is considered unsafe.
If you have questions about a particular bridge I would suggest you contact the Conservation Agent for that county to see if fishing is prohibited. You can find the county Conservation Agent on our website at
www.mdc.mo.gov. Scroll down and locate to the right " Who's My Local Contact."
I hope this helps,
Andrew Branson
Fisheries Programs Specialist