Fishing
The Meramec, coming from an old Indian word meaning catfish, is a spectacular river for fishing, as well as the oxbow lake it has left within the park boundaries. Along with catfish, bass, bluegill, crappie, drum, and hogsuckers can also be found. A popular fall activity in the evenings is gigging for hogsuckers. A fishing license is required in the state of Missouri, however, no licenses or bait or tackle are sold in the park.
Boat Ramp/Canoe Launch
Onondaga Cave State Park owns and maintains two launch ramps that provide access to the Meramec River for those with their own personal watercraft. Boat and canoe rental is not available within the park, but there are outfitters near the park along the river. The canoe ramp is located downstream from the Meramec River bridge, in the picnic area, and the boat ramp is located upstream from the bridge.