Where Can I Find A Good Population Of Smallmouth On The Current River?

[KCRIVERRAT]

Where can I find a good population of smallmouth on the Current River? Preferably closer to the headwaters so the drive time from Columbia, MO is reduced.

Yep, if you're concerned about drive time from Columbia, I'd hit the Gasconade or Big Piney for smallmouth. Hop, skip, and a jump for you from Columbia. If you're needing info on where to stay and where to float, just post again. Or PM me. I am a big fan of the Jacks Fork, but it's a little ways from ya and the best water isn't really floatable now. Great late summer fishing for smallmouth from Shawnee Creek down to the Current. Wouldn't be too concerned with the horse poop reports below Eminence. It's overblown in my opinion. Caught many nice smallies late July and early August on the last three miles of the JF.

[MaxDrown]

Yep, if you're concerned about drive time from Columbia, I'd hit the Gasconade or Big Piney for smallmouth. Hop, skip, and a jump for you from Columbia. If you're needing info on where to stay and where to float, just post again. Or PM me. I am a big fan of the Jacks Fork, but it's a little ways from ya and the best water isn't really floatable now. Great late summer fishing for smallmouth from Shawnee Creek down to the Current. Wouldn't be too concerned with the horse poop reports below Eminence. It's overblown in my opinion. Caught many nice smallies late July and early August on the last three miles of the JF.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Please feel free to PM me or post the info here. Thanks!

Also, where do the Current River and the Black River connect?

[Al Agnew]

Current River runs into Black River down in Arkansas, after leaving the Ozark hills and spilling out onto the flatlands in the vicinity of the state line.

The closest large stream with a smallmouth population to Columbia is probably the lower Gasconade, which holds some smallies throughout most of its length. There are a few canoe rentals scattered along it, but not many. It's prime smallmouth water in the areas that are closest to I-44. The Big Piney is a classic smallmouth stream that's mainly south of I-44. There are wade-able and marginally floatable streams that are even closer than the Gasconade--South Moreau River is the closest and still has some smallmouth, though it's now mainly a spotted bass stream. Tavern Creek and Maries River also have smallmouths along with spotted bass. Even the Osage River below Lake of the Ozarks has a few smallies.

According to Chuck Tryon in his book, "200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures", there are even some smallies in Hinkson Creek, which flows right through the middle of Columbia. I can't vouch for that, since I haven't fished it (and probably never will).

[Scooper]

Current River runs into Black River down in Arkansas, after leaving the Ozark hills and spilling out onto the flatlands in the vicinity of the state line.

The closest large stream with a smallmouth population to Columbia is probably the lower Gasconade, which holds some smallies throughout most of its length. There are a few canoe rentals scattered along it, but not many. It's prime smallmouth water in the areas that are closest to I-44. The Big Piney is a classic smallmouth stream that's mainly south of I-44. There are wade-able and marginally floatable streams that are even closer than the Gasconade--South Moreau River is the closest and still has some smallmouth, though it's now mainly a spotted bass stream. Tavern Creek and Maries River also have smallmouths along with spotted bass. Even the Osage River below Lake of the Ozarks has a few smallies.

According to Chuck Tryon in his book, "200 Missouri Smallmouth Adventures", there are even some smallies in Hinkson Creek, which flows right through the middle of Columbia. I can't vouch for that, since I haven't fished it (and probably never will).

Wow, smallmouth bass in "The Hink?!" I grew up in Columbia and went to MU. In those days, (1960s and 70s) Hinkson Creek was nothing more than an urban run-off catch basin with ample and frequent inflows of raw sewage. If there are smallmouth bass in there now, the city fathers have done a hell of job cleaning it up. My late Dad and I used to chase smallies throughout the Ozarks. Back then, the closest smallmouth stream to Columbia was Moniteau Creek.

[Al Agnew]

Chuck does say in the book that Hinkson Creek is "...amazing not because it's a fine smallmouth stream, because it isn't, but because smallmouths live there at all." He says the "best" water is between Clark Lane a half mile below Hwy. 63 and the university's Hinkson Creek Recreation Area.

[donnatommy]

Where can I find a good population of smallmouth on the Current River? Preferably closer to the headwaters so the drive time from Columbia, MO is reduced.

My wife and i just floated the stretch from two rivers to the log yard and caught some nice smallies and we also caught some largemouth in the back waters on topwater. Overall we had a real good two day float and fishing was great.

[Wormser]

Chuck does say in the book that Hinkson Creek is "...amazing not because it's a fine smallmouth stream, because it isn't, but because smallmouths live there at all." He says the "best" water is between Clark Lane a half mile below Hwy. 63 and the university's Hinkson Creek Recreation Area.

I used to track fish out of the Columbia Environmental Research Center south of town, and we had an aquatic entomologist who worked there who used to love fishing Hinkson creek mostly for sunfish, but he said bass were there. He never said what type of bass.

[ozarkgunner]

The biggest smallmouth of my life came from below Bagnell Dam on the Osage River. I fished there many times when I was at MU and loved it every time.

[CJones]

I am fishing the current this weekend out of Pocahontas, it runs into the Black River 2 miles Northeast of Pocahontas. Don't catch many smallmouth, but it is loaded with spotted bass and walleye.