Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area hunting

Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area profile

Expect about 9,431 acres of public ground at Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area, Macon and Randolph counties. By size it ranks 1st of the 8 conservation areas we list in Macon County. MDC manages it from the Bee Trace district of the Northeast Region.

Besides hunting, the MDC area page lists camping (individual campsites) and fishing (catfish, crappie, black bass).

What the area page says about it: The Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area property is owned by Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. of Springfield, MO. The reservoir was constructed to provide a source of water to cool the power plant during energy production. The public is restricted from a small portion of the area near the power plant. The area is managed by the Conservation Department under a multi-year lease. The area consists of the 4,950-acre Thomas Hill Reservoir, surrounded by 4,381 acres of land which is approximately 60 percent open and 40 percent forested. The area has 2.2 miles of stream frontage on the Middle Fork of the Little Chariton River. The north end of the reservoir features several wetland units, created and maintained by beavers, that attract a variety of nesting and migrating birds. Management of the area includes farming, timber harvest, and controlled burns to improve wildlife habitat and increase species diversity. Thomas Hill Reservoir is managed primarily for largemouth bass, crappie, hybrid striped bass and catfish.

Listed game: Deer, Turkey, Rabbit, Squirrel, Dove, Quail, Waterfowl.

• White-tailed Deer
• Wild Turkey
• Eastern Cottontail
• Gray Squirrel
• Fox Squirrel
• Mourning Dove
• Northern Bobwhite Quail
• Ducks

From the agency record (Missouri Department of Conservation); checked October 29, 2026.

Ducks and geese on Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area

Waterfowl hunting on Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area is open hunting: no draw, first come first served under statewide rules. "Thomas Hill Reservoir" is on the digest list beyond the 13 managed wetlands. MDC zone mapping puts Macon County in the North Zone; zone lines moved for 2026-2030, so confirm near the edge. Waterfowl loads must be nontoxic, statewide.

2026-2027 Migratory Bird and Waterfowl Digest, managed areas; area page; checked October 29, 2026.

Towns, MDC offices and shops by Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area

From Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area, Bevier is 9.8 mi away. Largest of the five: Macon, 5,509 people. Directions on file: From Macon, take Highway 36 west 5.25 miles, then Route C south 10 miles to College Mound, then Route T west 2.40 miles to the main entrance. Fountain Grove Conservation Area Field Office (Meadville) sits 37 mi from Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area, closer than any other MDC office.

Towns from places.json (Census 2024); offices and businesses from services.json (MDC offices and business listings, chain stores and permit vendors left out); straight-line miles. Checked October 29, 2026.

Thomas Hill Reservoir Conservation Area questions with sourced answers