Can Sharks Swim Up the Mississippi River to Missouri? Absolutely

The Mississippi River that borders Missouri has plenty of dangers all its own without adding sharks to the equation. You'd think you'd be safe from that worry, but sharks swimming up the Mississippi River as far north as Missouri happens more often than you think.

If you've lived in Missouri long enough, you no doubt have heard anecdotal stories from fishermen who claim they've seen something resembling sharks. There's proof that they're not just making up crazy tales either. Fox 10 out of Phoenix shared a story only a couple years ago about a study that proved 2 bull sharks swam up to St. Louis. Cue the Jaws theme...

There was also proof in a scientific journal back in 1977 that told the story of fishermen in Alton, Illinois who caught a bull shark. Was it looking for Nemo? Asking for a friend.

This subject comes up today as I saw a new story about how bull sharks are now thriving in warm water. Take a wild guess where some of the warmest water in America is right now? That's right, the Mississippi River that flows past Missouri.

I'm not saying that sharks should be your primary concern the next time you're out on the Mississippi River, but I'm also not saying that you shouldn't at least have in the back of your mind that it's a possibility. The fish you're trying to catch might just have another hunter after them - the one with a very big fin (cue the Jaws theme again).