At dawn Saturday, the whistle will sound, and spring will begin for many Missouri fishermen. The beginning of catch-and-keep trout season is at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.

The snow, the ice, the cold -- all should be out of sight, out of mind according to the forecast for Saturday. Combine that with it being Saturday and you have a recipe for a big day at the state's trout parks.

Some 15,000 to 20,000 anglers will cast their lines at the opening whistles. That's nearly one-third more than usual; you can expect to see around 3,000 fishermen at each site.

The Department of Conservation is prepared, though. They say enough trout are swimming in those waters that each individual should be able to catch around three.

But get ready. Even if you show up on this first day, you'll probably be running into crowds very early.

"This is a spot that not only they, but their fathers and mothers and grandfathers and grandmothers have fished before them. So this is their family spot. They get to their specific part of the stream early, and this is all part of that tradition," sadi Francis Skalicky, a Conservation Department metro media specialist.

Whichever of the four parks you choose, don't forget to stop by the park office to pick up your tags and be assigned a zone. Tags are $3 for adults and $2 for children. Most adults also must have a Missouri fishing license.