River Dale

[smallmouth man]

River Dale, off of hwy 160 south of Nixa, use to be a happening place. it has been closed for a while, but now you can not even park and walk down to fish. Last fall my friend got a parking ticket there and in the last 6 months a bunch of 'no trespassing' signs have gone up. the fish there is very good. there is a spill way that dams up a good pool. Why can we not fish there?

[Terry Beeson]

I've drooled for two years every time I cross that bridge. I remember someone telling me that the Riverdale access was now private, so you can't go in there. But I see people parking on the upstream side of the bridge. Can you wade down from there? Is that "legal" in MO?

[Fly_Guy]

I've drooled for two years every time I cross that bridge. I remember someone telling me that the Riverdale access was now private, so you can't go in there. But I see people parking on the upstream side of the bridge. Can you wade down from there? Is that "legal" in MO?

I've been told it is legal as long as you stay in the water. Best ask the MDC to be sure though.

[zsmith62]

I believe that the general law in missouri is that if the stream in question is considered a public fishing stream that access is automatically granted to float it, and portage over land below the high water mark. I read all this in the MDC's Paddlers guide to Missouri. They say that access is allowed only from public bridges, highway right of ways, and state/national properties. According to the book these laws were tested in a 1950's Missouri supreme court test case

[Sam]

Because of partying, drugs, drinking, and littering, Christian County has made it very hard to access the Finley. Access at Riverdale Bridge has been restricted for years, and you'll get a ticket for even parking there. The landowner at Riverdale won't let anyone cross his land. It's true that if you stay on or in the water, you have the right to fish a public stream - but it's hard to get to it now.

About a mile above Riverdale, Junior Rainey used to have a can on the fence by his gate. Put $2 in the can, drive across his pasture, and you could fish or launch a small boat to get down to Riverdale. That's all gone - Junior died and I don't know who owns that now. You're right though - fishing was good above the Riverdale dam, big bluegill mostly.

The only legal way I know of to get there now would be tough. It's probably OK to park at the new walking path in Ozark by the Jeep dealership and carry a small boat to the water. That's a good 3 miles or more above Riverdale, though. It's legal to put in at Ozark Park and there's a boat ramp - but the mill dam keeps you from going downstream.

It ain't easy - and the other thing is that I wouldn't eat fish out of the Finley anymore. Too many people, septic tanks, and sewage plants. It's a shame.

[Woodchuck]

I live real close to the dam. I drive over the bridge almost daily. People are there all the time. I even saw someone camp on the slab last year. The downstream side of the dam is owned by the subdivision. For $150000 you can buy a lot in there and have access. Or you can walk or have someone drop you off and if they don't see you cross the land then???? The guy I bought my lot from owns a field on the river and used to let people cross it to use the picnic area. They used the picnic table for firewood and put holes in his irrigation hose and he had to close it.