Finley Creek Or Finley River?

[OzarksRiverman]

I've always known it as Finley Creek, but it seems recently everybody is calling it Finley River. What's the deal?

[RSBreth]

You can avoid the discussion altogether if you do like I do, just call it "The Finley".

[vonreed]

I think the correct name is the Finley Creek, but for the size of it, it's more like a river. To me anyways. But like was said I usually call it the Finley also. Seems like an irrelevant thing to talk about lol, but good question. Now Bull Creek is definetely Bull creek. I like that one cause there is always no one floating it and it's bigger than it seems.

[Terrierman]

Probably thirty five or so years ago I had a walker hound that was out of Finley River Queen. The Finley River line was well known. So to me it has always been and always will be Finley River.

[et84]

You can avoid the discussion altogether if you do like I do, just call it "The Finley".

Yep. If I add a moniker I say Finley River, but 99.9% of the time it's just "The Finley" to me.

[Al Agnew]

I suspect it was originally Finley River...I think I've seen that on some old maps.

Reminds me of a creek that's a tributary of upper Big River. It really is a creek...nobody would call it a river unless they saw it in flood stage, but it was originally named Flat River. The reason for it was that the town on it was named for the creek, and didn't want to be called "Flat Creek". "Flat River" sounded a lot better. But as time went by, it was so obvious to everybody that it wasn't big enough to be called a river that it became known as Flat River Creek. And now, although the town changed its name to Park Hills, the creek is still known as Flat River Creek.

[Terrierman]

It's Finley River today for certain.

[Wayne SW/MO]

The USGS calls it a creek, not that it matters. Truth is beaver creek is as big, maybe bigger.

[Flysmallie]

The USGS calls it a creek, not that it matters. Truth is beaver creek is as big, maybe bigger.

Beaver is bigger for sure.

[RSBreth]

That's very true - as someone who fishes both often (although more on the Finley) I'm always reminded of the lower James when fishing lower Beaver close to Bull Shoals. Bigger than the Finley for sure.