Missouri: Boat Motor Rules by Lake
2 electric-only · 1 no-motor · 2 hp-limit · 7 all-lake no-wake lakes in our database
Quick answer
Missouri sets motor rules lake by lake, not statewide. Boating on Missouri public waters is governed by Chapter 306, RSMo, which the Missouri State Highway Patrol (Water Patrol Division) enforces. On Missouri Department of Conservation lands the Wildlife Code applies: 3 CSR 10-11.160 sets boat and motor rules on conservation areas, and 3 CSR 10-12.110 sets rules on city, county, and other lakes managed under MDC cooperative agreements, while Missouri State Parks manages boating rules on state park lakes. Where no area-specific rule applies, Missouri imposes no statewide horsepower cap and motors are allowed subject to Chapter 306 operating rules. Every lake below links to the official rule it summarizes, with a verification date.
How Missouri's restricted lakes split
- No motors 1
- Electric only 2
- HP limit 2
- No wake 7
Who regulates Missouri lakes
On MDC conservation areas, 3 CSR 10-11.160 allows only electric motors on lakes and ponds of less than 70 acres; on lakes of 70 or more acres, outboards of any size may be used but motors in excess of 10 horsepower must be operated at slow, no-wake speed. The same rule prohibits houseboats, airboats, and personal watercraft on department lakes, and MDC area pages phrase the small-lake rule as: Only electric motors are permitted. On community lakes managed under MDC cooperative agreements, 3 CSR 10-12.110 defaults to electric motors only and lists exceptions, including lakes where boats are prohibited, lakes limited to boats without motors (such as Columbia's Stephens Park Lake and Twin Lakes), a 40 hp cap on Springfield City Utilities' Fellows Lake, and any-size outboards at slow no-wake speed on lakes such as Williams Creek Lake at Watkins Mill State Park. Statewide, section 306.125 RSMo requires slow-no-wake speed within 100 feet of any dock, pier, occupied anchored boat, or buoyed restricted area on any lake, and caps speed at 30 mph from a half-hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise.
Motor restrictions on Missouri lakes
Click a column header to sort. Every row links to a full rules page with the official source.
| Lake | Motor rule | HP limit | Acres | County | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Lakes | Electric Motors Only | — | — | St. Charles | |
| Bilby Ranch Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 110 | Nodaway | |
| Binder Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 150 | Cole | |
| Bushwhacker Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 157 | Vernon | |
| Duck Creek Conservation Area Pool 1 | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 1,800 | Bollinger | |
| Fellows Lake | 40 HP limit | 40 | — | Greene | |
| Hunnewell Lake | Electric Motors Only | — | 228 | Shelby | |
| Lake Girardeau | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 162 | Cape Girardeau | |
| Lake Jacomo | 25 HP limit | 25 | 970 | Jackson | |
| Perry County Community Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 103 | Perry | |
| Stephens Park Lake | No Motors Allowed | — | 12 | Boone | |
| Williams Creek Lake | Slow-No-Wake Entire Lake | — | 100 | Clay |
Browse by restriction type
Frequently asked questions
Who sets lake motor rules in Missouri?
Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri State Parks and Missouri State Highway Patrol set and publish boating restrictions for Missouri waters, and counties or cities can layer local ordinances on top. In short: Boating on Missouri public waters is governed by Chapter 306, RSMo, which the Missouri State Highway Patrol (Water Patrol Division) enforces. On Missouri Department of Conservation lands the Wildlife Code applies: 3 CSR 10-11.160 sets boat and motor rules on conservation areas, and 3 CSR 10-12.110 sets rules on city, county, and other lakes managed under MDC cooperative agreements, while Missouri State Parks manages boating rules on state park lakes. Where no area-specific rule applies, Missouri imposes no statewide horsepower cap and motors are allowed subject to Chapter 306 operating rules.
Are lakes electric-only by default in Missouri?
Not statewide, but many managed lakes are. Our Missouri database currently lists 2 electric-only lakes. Agency-owned fishing lakes are the most common electric-only waters; large reservoirs usually allow gas motors. Each lake page cites the exact rule.
How do I find rules for a lake not listed here?
Go straight to the agency: Missouri Department of Conservation (https://mdc.mo.gov); Missouri State Parks (https://mostateparks.com); Missouri State Highway Patrol (https://statepatrol.dps.mo.gov). Search the lake name plus "boating regulations", or call the district office for the county. Our guide on who regulates your lake explains which agency to try first.
About this data
Each lake page cites the official regulation it summarizes (agency link and document type) and shows its own verification date. Data vintage: oldest verification .
Boating across state lines? Neighboring pages in our coverage loop: Minnesota lake motor rules and New Jersey lake motor rules — same format, same official-source standard.