Boats on the Ark River

[Phil Lilley]

Is it fesible to put a boat on the river and fish these areas? I'm thinking about making the trip during the week and I understand the water may be too swift to wade? Is that right? If so, one of my jons with a 25 hp motor should be alright to boat up and anchor in an eddie.

I'm still feeling out the river- from the stories and pics.

I have an old HLS 7 wt that will handle any striper in that river... it's handled chinooks up to 35 pounds on the Pere Marquette.

Can't wait.

[Phil Lilley]

I know this is a wide pic but you'll just have to scroll sideways.

Zink Dam is on the far left- right? I know highway 44 - it looks like you fish up or north of 44.

Are there any boat ramps?

It looks like park space along the river on the downtown side- I assume you park someplace there and walk down to the river.

Looks like there's a shoot at the bridge- the stripers should gang up here or just below it I'd think.

Sorry- looking at these google earth pics gets me wondering....

[jay bird]

I walked out on a boat ramp just across from the PSO, but I do not know if it was open to the public.

[Phil Lilley]

Where is the PSO? Is it on this image?

[Micheal Kyle]

Phill

The PSO is in the very top picture there are 4-5-cooling towers. They show up white in the picture just to the right of the walkway over Zink Dam. There is a boat ramp at 31st and riverfront but there is a sign that says no public Launching if my memory serves me right. Other than that one I have no idea where on would be.

Where is the PSO? Is it on this image?

[Okieflyfisher53]

Phill

The PSO is in the very top picture there are 4-5-cooling towers. They show up white in the picture just to the right of the walkway over Zink Dam. There is a boat ramp at 31st and riverfront but there is a sign that says no public Launching if my memory serves me right. Other than that one I have no idea where on would be.

Phil,

I don't know of a boat ramp below Zink Dam. There are a couple below Keystone Dam but that doesn't do you any good for fishing the River Parks area. The only time the water is too swift to wade is when they are generating at Keystone Dam. This past weekend the flow rate was below 200 CFS. I have waded it with no problems with the flow as high as 400 CFS.

Steve

[Bill Butts]

Phil~

I have a couple of contacts down there I'll try to reach that will have the answers you're looking for.

It may take a day or two to reach them.

You might also call the owners at D&B Fly Shop in Tulsa.

Butch Mankins (fly fisher) and Rex Dunn (paddler) should know.

They open at 10 am and their # is (918) 492-1866.

Rex told me he does quite a lot of paddling on the AR.

Another approach I'd like to try sometime when the water is high, but not too high, is to put in a canoe or some SOT kayaks or PWC pontoon boats. The main issue would be arranging a shuttle back to the vehicle, unless we took 2 vehicles.

[Phil Lilley]

Is this the plant? And the dam. And some powerlines... I've seen them before.

[Micheal Kyle]

Phil that is it

[Wayne SW/MO]

I think mt wife is going to do a stint at St Johns there between April and June. If she does I'll be going over fairly often. I could do some shuttling. I have a SOT that I wouldn't mind doing some paddling on the Arkansas in.