Pack, Hike, And Fish

[Dirtworm]

In Bell Mountain Wilderness area (Potosi ranger district, Mark Twain National Forest) you will find Shut-in Creek (very remote, definately fish there, not sure what or how many) and there is another nice stream on the other side of Highway A, I believe it is the West Fork of the Black River. If you get a map of the area it will be more obvious. This is a pretty short drive from STL, a great hike with lots of backpack camps, and very remote.

Sutton's Bluff Campground (just south of Bell Mountain) is a beautiful spot, and you can hike the Karkahgne section of the Ozark trail. The campground sits on the same West Fork of the Black mentioned above, and if you hike out of camp the right direction you intersect Bee Creek a couple times, it looks like a great little creek to fish. This is more easily accessed then Bell Mountain but no less remote.

Those are my two suggestions. More bouncing around in my head, like Mill Creek for trout, not sure on the trailside camping situation there, though.

[ozark trout fisher]

Another place you might consider is Paddy Creek Wilderness. The trail through there takes you through some of the most beautiful country in the Ozarks, with amazing views as the trail leads along high ridges for a good part of the way. 17 miles of trail and the Big Piney is right there. It is a bit off trail but not at all difficult to get to cross country. The smallmouth fishing on that stretch of the river is quite good. Last fall, about this time of year with the fall colors at their peak, I hiked, fished, and camped that area, and it was a wonderful time.

[Al Agnew]

Eric is right, the upper Buffalo is the premier hiking/backpacking fishing experience. There is a trail that goes along the river for several miles and crosses it several times. Go in mid to late summer when the river is far too low to float, and you'll be into some solitude and interesting fishing. Everybody who loves Ozark streams should see the Buffalo between Ponca and Kyles Landing at least once, and hike the short trail up to Hemmed In Hollow, and the Goat Trail across Big Bluff.

Shut-in Creek, which was mentioned above by Dirtworm, has a few small smallies and sunfish. Hardly a pure fishing destination, but as a beautiful little stream with a little bit of fishing, it's tough to beat.

Lower Rock Creek isn't worth carrying a rod, but well worth hiking.

The trails at Hawn Park (which is just a couple miles from my house) are very nice. The near trail goes along Pickle Creek, but the fishable pools are very scarce, again not worth carrying a rod. However, the far loop trail eventually goes along River Aux Vases for a bit, and it has more fish. The better fishing, however, is downstream from where the trail gets to the stream, and unfortunately most but not all the downstream water is on private land. I know a couple of the landowners, and they don't mind if I hike and fish through their land as long as it's not some kind of hunting season, but that doesn't mean they'd appreciate a stranger doing it. You can also bushwhack down Pickle Creek from the campground. It's on park land almost all the way to where it runs into River Aux Vases. The creek is still very small, but has a marginal population of both largemouth and smallmouth, along with lots of longear sunfish. It used to have a couple of resident grass pickerel in every pool, but I haven't seen a grass pickerel in it in a while.

Paddy Creek itself has some small smallies and goggle-eye. Many years ago I caught a 15 incher in Paddy Creek, which was a true giant for that creek. Great trail.

One other possibility comes to mind...there is a trail that runs from the MDC Millstream Gardens CA on the St. Francis down to the Silvermines National Forest Recreation Area. You'll see people in both access areas, but you shouldn't see many on the trail in between.

[mic]

One other possibility comes to mind...there is a trail that runs from the MDC Millstream Gardens CA on the St. Francis down to the Silvermines National Forest Recreation Area. You'll see people in both access areas, but you shouldn't see many on the trail in between.

Which is upstream... Starting at Turkey Creek Campground or ending their. That sound like what I'm looking for.

[Aaron J Scott]

The Irish Wilderness, on the east side of the Eleven Point, has a great loop and a few spurs. If you go from the trailhead and take the loop north, you'll head to Bliss Spring. There's a campsite above the river not far from the spring, at an old homestead site with a chimney.

There's a good run right there with the bend in the river, and you're on the right side.

[Al Agnew]

Turkey Creek is downstream from Millstream Gardens.

[mic]

Well I tried Pickle Creek in Hawn park. I hiked down from the camp ground to the river and down stream a tad. My guess is I covered three plus miles in all. It was a pretty hike with undercut ozark cliffs in mulitple locations, ducks, squirrel, snakes. It was a lot of work, and I'm a little soar this morning. There were a lot of sections with slick and/or loss rock. I did end up catching around ten small mouth, a few blue gill (surprised I didn't see more), and some creek chubs. I biggest smallmouth was around 8 to 10 inches and the smallest three. I also caught an 8 inch chub (I didn't know they got that big). I didn't find that sweet little honey hole six to eight feet deep, and the river was a smaller than I was expecting. It wasn't much bigger then the creek. So, I'll keep looking for "my perfect little hole". Still better then a day in my windowless office.

[ozark trout fisher]

Well I tried Pickle Creek in Hawn park. I hiked down from the camp ground to the river and down stream a tad. My guess is I covered three plus miles in all. It was a pretty hike with undercut ozark cliffs in mulitple locations, ducks, squirrel, snakes. It was a lot of work, and I'm a little soar this morning. There were a lot of sections with slick and/or loss rock. I did end up catching around ten small mouth, a few blue gill (surprised I didn't see more), and some creek chubs. I biggest smallmouth was around 8 to 10 inches and the smallest three. I also caught an 8 inch chub (I didn't know they got that big). I didn't find that sweet little honey hole six to eight feet deep, and the river was a smaller than I was expecting. It wasn't much bigger then the creek. So, I'll keep looking for "my perfect little hole". Still better then a day in my windowless office.

Sounds like a pretty good trip. There a lot of things worse than catching a bunch of 8 inch smallies in a place like that.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Hawn is a great little park.

[Dirtworm]

Another place you might consider is Paddy Creek Wilderness. The trail through there takes you through some of the most beautiful country in the Ozarks, with amazing views as the trail leads along high ridges for a good part of the way. 17 miles of trail and the Big Piney is right there. It is a bit off trail but not at all difficult to get to cross country. The smallmouth fishing on that stretch of the river is quite good. Last fall, about this time of year with the fall colors at their peak, I hiked, fished, and camped that area, and it was a wonderful time.

Paddy Creek is a real fun hike. I remember the footing to be quite rough in places, but every inch was worth it. It is quite a drive from St. Louis, but a real nice place.