The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles County is one of those places that locals fish and hunt regularly without most St. Louis residents being aware it exists. At nearly 7,000 acres, it's substantial — 32 fishing lakes stocked with trout, bass, crappie, and muskellunge, along with a mix of agricultural land, forest, grassland, and wetland managed for a wide range of wildlife.
The land was purchased by the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1947, with help from Alice Busch, wife of August Anheuser Busch Sr. — a connection that explains the name and the history of family investment in conservation in Missouri. The relationship runs deeper than the brewery.
I came in winter, which is a good time for birding in the wetland areas. The management maintains diverse habitat specifically to support different species at different times of year. The road network through the area is open for driving, which makes it accessible even in cold weather.
The 32 stocked lakes make this primarily a fishing destination in other seasons. The diversity of habitat — flooded agricultural fields, woodland edges, open water — means you're likely to see something interesting regardless of season. Worth the drive from St. Louis even if fishing isn't the goal.