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St. CHARLES, Mo.—The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has created a new opportunity for personal canoes and kayaks to be used on designated lakes on the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles.
Visitors are allowed to use their own hand-launched canoes or kayaks on Lakes 6, 34, 35, 36, and 38.
From April 1 through Sept. 30, users will be required to register their canoe or kayak and obtain a boating tag at the onsite concessioner, All In Bait and Tackle Shop. The concessioner is adjacent to the MDC St. Louis Regional Office located near the area’s entrance.
Area boating tags will be issued for a specific canoe or kayak and are valid only for the specific lake designated on the tag. The tag must be returned to the concessioner immediately upon leaving the water during the concessioner’s daily operating hours from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. If users exit the water after the concessioner has closed for the day, the daily boating tag should be deposited in the afterhours drop box.
There will be no charge for a daily boating tag, but the number of tags is limited and available on a first come, first-served basis only. The number of daily boating tags issued varies depending on the size of each lake.
From Oct. 1-March 31, a daily boating tag will not be required to use canoes and kayaks launched by hand on Lakes 6, 34, 35, 36, and 38.
For those who do not have their own canoe or kayak, MDC will continue to provide aluminum boats for rent via its onsite concessioner for 11 lakes on the Busch Conservation Area. Rental boats will be available April 1-Sept. 30 for a $5 rental fee.
The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area is located at 2360 Highway D, two miles west of Highway 94.
