JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. –The Missouri Department of Conservation is giving area residents a chance to get hooked on fishing for free.

Free Fishing Days will take place in Missouri from June 6 – 7.

During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit, or trout park daily tag. Normal regulations remain in effect, such as limits on size and number of fish an angler may keep. Special permits may still be required at some county, city, or private fishing areas. Trespass laws remain in effect on private property.

The MDC said Free Fishing Days encourages people to sample the state’s abundant fishing opportunities.

Missouri has more than a million acres of surface water, and most of it provides great fishing. More than 200 different fish species are found in Missouri, with 20 of them being game fish for the state’s more than 1.1 million anglers.