Spavinaw Creek Access Areas Around Benton Cunty

[Ferguson Bills]

Oh yeah I have seen cameras and met some very unfriendly landowners. The access at the hwy 59 bridge was my first adventure to spavinaw, it was a chilly day in February. I saw many nice fish but I could tell I was being watched by a land owner that was slowly making his way toward me. After an hour or so I left. I made my way back up there a few weeks later only to find out the access road had been blocked off with a three foot high rock pile. So I turned around I got my CJ 7 out of the garage and parked it on top of the rock pile. Within ten minutes I had the land owner telling me I was not allowed there. I bit my tongue told him to have a nice day and left. If you have land owner permission I would take full advantage of it and enjoy your time on it. If you call the game and fish they will tell you there is no real access points on the arkansas side and they have no real answer why it is in the hand book. Give them a call and hear it for yourself. Good luck and let me know how everything goes would love to have a little time up there.

[creekfreak]

There are currently two seperate resolutions in the works to provide access to the trout waters on Spavinaw. However, I can't divulge too much information as it still too early to discuss. I'll keep updates on any pertinent info relating to Spavinaw access.

Tight Lines, CF

[Quillback]

Be interesting to hear what happens. Only thing that would cause concern that if it does become open to the public, is there will be a tremendous amount of fishing pressure.

[Guest]

The navigabble waterway law is vague at best and can be interpretted either way.

I'm a landowner along a stream in washington county but I cant keep people from accessing under a hwy bridge.

If I drive 5 miles to the east on another creek, they call the law.

Its a double edged sword.

The law is based on the ruling of the county judge.

So, its not universal and its abused in favor of wealthy landowners, IMO

I get sick and tired of other landowners telling me that I cant fish a stream even though I used the hwy right off way under the bridge to access it.

The law is total BS and needs to be changed.

[txspecks04]

I'll definitely be keeping a close eye on this thread as Spavinaw is the closest fishery to me and though I used to fish it several years ago (just hopped in at the two state highway bridges and waded up or downstream), I was also scared off by grumpy landowners, no trespassing signs, ropes across the creek, etc.

Hopefully we will have some good news from creekfreak sometime in the near future. If it does go public, it should definitely be catch and release only and it will need to be well patrolled/enforced; it's just too small to sustain a catch and keep type fishery unless they want to turn it into Roaring River and stock it like crazy (not my preference). Just my 0.02.

[ollie]

I have never fished on Spavinaw, but I have a feeling you could end up with another "Hickory Creek" like we have in Neosho. Be careful for what you wish for.

[txspecks04]

Bump. Any more news creekfreak?

[Quillback]

Yeah I'm curious also.

[txspecks04]

Still keeping tabs on this. Any word from those in the know?

[creekfreak]

Evidently, altering/dredging a very sensitive spring fed stream in AR doesn't raise much concern w/ the AGFC.

ftp://ftp.adeq.state.ar.us/Pub/WebDatabases/Complaints/006364-comp.pdf

ftp://ftp.adeq.state.ar.us/Pub/WebDatabases/Complaints/005000-comp.pdf

SVA is in cahoots w/ the AGFC. After speaking with a officer for 30+ min regarding the ridiculousness of the situation, he finally stated they "have big pockets", and left it at that.

However, very soon (no later than late fall) this will become a much more public issue. The AGFC needs to be exposed as well as the Club. I also read in their newsletter that the AGFC would be stocking more Brown Trout in Spavinaw in agreement w/ the Club. Evidently, money can makes things happen.

I know this has been drawn out since my first post but there will be more to come exposing this issue. Unfortunately, it takes time to get your "ducks in a row".......more to come!