at St. Francois State Park
Cast your line in the more than 3 miles of the Big River that flows through St. Francois State Park. Visitors should call the park office at 573-358-2173 in advance for updated river conditions. Small-mouth bass and catfish are most commonly caught. Many stretches of both the Big River and Coonville Creek are shallow and easily waded, and both streams have easily accessed banks within the park.
Two river access points in the picnic areas of the park provide convenient canoe launch points along the Big River for fishing or floating. Motorized boats are not recommended due to the shallow nature of much of the river.