Cardiac Hill

[TroutFearMe]

I just heard about this place a couple days ago and I don't know how to get there, and further more how the trout fishing has been since all the flooding. I am planning on heading that way next sunday with plans of going to meramec springs but would really like to give cardiac a shot just because I don't mix very well with the bait chuckers. Could someone give me directions to get to cardiac from st louis, or is the river still cloudy and high. Please help

[Thom]

Directions to Cardiac and Suicide hill. These names are not a joke so be careful especially coming back up the gradual hill to the parking lot.

Take the Rosati exit from I-44 -- 5 miles or so East of St. James. Take Highway KK South through town and continue on for about 3 miles. Turn right on County Road 3620 and left on Besmer Rd.

The first parking area you come to is "Cardiac Hill". Drop down to the gated gravel road, walk down to the fields, cut across the field and pick up the trail again on the other side. The river is just through that last stand of brush. The second parking area is "Suicide Hill". Put your gear in a daypack, because you'll need both hands getting down safely.

Don't know about the conditions of the river but a call to the state park would probally get that informations since it is downstream for the river adjacent to the park.

It is a great fish and you see very few folks when the canoes aren' t coming through. I usually go downstream.

There are some nice riffles, narrow holes and deep cuts and tree lined bankes just a little ways from the entrance.

[B-unit]

The road signs for 3620 and Besmer Rd are often missing or knocked over so you have to really pay attention on your first trip. Also, if you end up attempting Suicide, choose your way down the hill carefully; it gets enough use that there are some worn paths on the hillside that just kind of peter out or lead you to dangerous scrambles (...dangerous to your rod tip and waders, at least.)

The Administrator has pinned links to the river levels at the top of this "Meramec River" thread, or you can use this...

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/uv/?site..._cd=00065,00060

...the river entry point at Suicide is tricky when the river is up. The entry spot at Cardiac (at the shallowest bit/leading edge of the riffle) is easier but can get pretty swift with elevated river levels. Really swift, actually.

Hope this helps.

[TroutFearMe]

its sounds like I don't want to tempt this trip unless I have someone else to tak with me sounds kinda crazy just to get to this spot.

[ColdWaterFshr]

The river @ Cardiac will be way too high for wade-fishing for quite some time. I wouldn't bother with it until it gets down below 600 cfs on the steelville gauge, and that could be a while.

[Center Punch]

i wouldnt attempt to go especially since all this rain we are getting right now-but if your heard desires and river goes down dont let these guys discourage you from going just because of the hills as cardiac hill is not too bad-just long gradual hill and if you dont take your time it can take its toll on you(hill was named after someone who had heartattack while coming up the hill) suicide on the other hand is dangerous, especially when the ground is wet. one fall and you will find yourself tumbling to the bottom in banged up shape. (lets just say that it takes about 5 mins to get down to the river but you can almost throw a rock from the parking lot and hit water)

anyway, i dont know how the fishing will be since flooding. hopefully it washed some holes out

and not just cut the banks

[flyfshn]

CP is right.....this is a good place to fish, but you should probably wait for the water to go down.....and I would suggest taking Cardiac. It is much easier....just a gradual incline.

[Gavin]

http://www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/fish/sport/trout/maramec.pdf

Good map on how to get there here...the sign for the road is often missing but its not to hard to find..turn by the 90 degree turn about 3 miles from Rosati or drive through St. James. Cardiac is a 3/4 mile walk from the access to the river..Suicide is about 200ft to the river..best trail down is usually across the wire and 50 yards or so down the private road, not hard to spot. Not as trecherous as dropping of the bluff at the access but still plenty steep...

To high to float or fish at this level though..I'd wait till it drops to 500cfs-600cfs at Steelville before I'd give wade fishing any consideration. 300 or less is a much better level..OK to float and fish up to around 7-800 but its a long float from 8 to Scotts.nine miles or so, and the best fishing is usually in the upper stretch.. Dont leave anything you dont mind losing in your car at Suicide or Cardiac..Break ins have been known to occur in that area. Cheers.

[hoglaw]

Has anyone got a picture of the hills you guys are whining about? You Missourah fellas sure do sound spoiled. When I was a lad here in the Boston Mountains, I would carry my Discovery on my head down an old wash-out for a quarter of a mile before I hit Richland Creek. Did I say down? I meant it was uphill - both ways.

[BKB]

I was finally brave enough to try this section of stream out last November.

It is quite the hike down to the steam!

Fished from about 12:00pm till 4:30pm.

I choose to walk upstream from the access point up to about 500 yards downstream of the confluence of the Dry Fork. I caught a few just upsteam of the access point and then nothing until I caught one at the farthest point that I walked upstream. In fact, didn't even see a trout in between catches. There is a great looking spot about halfway upsteam, I believe it is called the Cabin Hole due to a cabin located un the upper bank.

The walk back uphill made me realize why they call it Cardiac Hill. After a day of walking in the steam, walking up the hill with waders/cold weather gear on was quite the workout. I am 30 years old and in decent shape...and I still worked up qite a sweat.

I then drove down to the Suicide Hill Access......again, aptly named! It's a bluff with a semi-worn trail! I'd have to be escaping from a hungry bear to go down there!

Overall, it's a neat section of stream and I will probably be back. Although, I do like walking down from the trout park to the Dry Fork as well.

The poster who warned about the car break ins is correct. Had a friend who has a window smashed and some stuff taken there a few years ago!

BRYAN