Need Local Advice On River Fishing

[Colorado Bassmaster]

Hello all, I'm new here. I grew up in Rolla and moved to Denver after high school. Growing up, I use to fish the Gasconade, Piney and Current all of the time. I haven't fished rivers out there in 20 years. I have several questions hopefully you guys can help me with. I'm planning two trips this spring/summer, one with my wife and daughters and one with friends. Both will include float trips. The family trip priority will be solitude and scenery but would like some good fishing (smallies). The trip with friends will have fishing as the priority. Questions... Where, when and what can we expect. We (the friends group) are all very good and experienced anglers. We want the best quality bass water rather than numbers water. We will also be able to hit more than one area as we will be here for a week. Thanks guys!

[FishinCricket]

The Gasconade or the Big Piney would be my first choices, and prolly not in that order.. Little farther away would be the Lower Current or the Jacks Fork (by Emminence)..

Good luck, have fun!

[TroutRinger]

Haven't been there but based on just about everything I have ever heard it's hard to beat the scenery on the Buffalo. Might want to look into that for the family trip.

[Al Agnew]

My advice would be:

1. Plan on floating during the week; avoid weekends.

2. The easiest fishing will be on streams too small for a lot of jetboat use. Not that the bigger rivers aren't good, but the fish on them are more pressured and somewhat tougher to catch.

3. On the other hand, don't be too intimidated by streams that have a lot of canoe rentals. Most canoe rental customers are not anglers, and the fish are accustomed to canoes and kayaks and rafts going down the river. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the hordes of party floaters will just get in your way, but during the week they will usually be manageable.

4. On the other other hand, you're still probably best off to float streams where there aren't canoe rentals.

5. For the family float, I'd suggest the Big Piney, the Current from Round Spring to Two Rivers, or the middle to lower Buffalo. These are some of the prettiest rivers in the Ozarks, with clear water and decent to good fishing.

6. For the fishing float, you could do the middle Gasconade, the Osage Fork, the upper Niangua, the upper Big Piney (or the lower Piney below Fort Wood), the St. Francis, the upper North Fork or Bryant Creek, or Beaver Creek. Or go down to Arkansas and float the Kings, or spend a day on Crooked Creek, or the Strawberry. Lots of choices. If you are only going to be here a week and really want the best chance at good fishing, I wouldn't do multi-day floats. Instead, I'd do one day floats on several different stream stretches. That way, if you happen to hit a stream where the fishing isn't happening, you aren't stuck on that stream for several days. So pick an area with several good stretches on two or three different streams within a short driving distance, and if one stream isn't fishing well, try a different one the next day...and if the one stream IS fishing well, just do an adjacent stretch of that stream the next day.

7. To that end...if you base yourselves on the middle Gasconade, you have a lot of water on the Gasconade within easy reach, plus the Osage Fork and the Big Piney and Little Piney. You're even within reach of the Niangua and upper Meramec. If you base on Current River, you have the Current, Jacks Fork, upper Eleven Point, and upper Black. Based at the North Fork, you have that stream plus Bryant and Beaver, with Crooked Creek not too far away. Based on the Kings River, you also have War Eagle Creek, with Crooked Creek a reasonable drive one way and the lower James, Flat Creek, maybe even the Elk and Big Sugar within reach.

[Colorado Bassmaster]

Thanks Al, great info! If you were to pick a two week period to fish for big smallies in those rivers, when would you go?

[drew03cmc]

For big fish, I would choose fall, mid to late fall to be exact. Avoid the spawn and do not fish to spawning fish.

[Mitch f]

For big fish, I would choose fall, mid to late fall to be exact. Avoid the spawn and do not fish to spawning fish.

Mid to late fall is my pick as well, the only problem with the fall is the giggers have either gigged the big fish out of the best holes or they have the fish so skittish they won't bite.

Not to mention the falling leaves clogging up my jet intake. Anyway when the water temp gets below 60, the fish start to strap on the feed bag and you have IMO the best time to catch a trophy fish.

[Al Agnew]

Late fall is good for big fish, but for a combination of numbers with the chance to catch a big one or two, the period from mid-June to mid-August can't be beat. In the spring, the fish will be in spawning mode...you can avoid targeting fish on the bed, but there's always the chance of catching bedding fish even if you try not to, and in the spring there's a good chance you'll encounter high water. In September and October the giggers come out as Mitch said, and the leaves become a problem. The mid-summer period is usually the most consistent water conditions and fishing. But, of course, coming from Colorado, you may find the heat and humidity more than you can take!

[Colorado Bassmaster]

Again, thanks for the info guys. Al... Not so worried about the heat and humidity. That's one of the many things I miss about Mo. Colorado is way too dry for my liking, but its home for now. 12 more years and I'll back in Mo for good.

[RSBreth]

I'll second the mid-summer time as best for stable water levels and good fishing. Especially during the week - there won't be too many folks in your way.