Favorite Streams For Canoe Fishing?

[Seth]

Seth- Basically, most of our Ozark streams are open to you and your canoe ("A Paddlers Guide to Missouri" published by the MDC is an obvious place to start). Most importantly, though, is, what do you want to do with your canoe? How far do want to travel? How much effort are you willing to put forth fishing, paddling, finding shuttles, lifting your canoe on to and off of your vehicle, going solo or with a partner? There will be no consensus answer for favorite canoe streams. Too personal. Many sections of our streams that are available to jet boats can be successfully canoed and fished. Of course, you don't want to fish a popular recreational stream on a summer Friday Saturday or Sunday. Although some of those popular waters can be quite good, fishing-wise, in the middle of the week. Regardless..

Your question is so wide open.

Also: you will tire of the Bourbeuse if you insist on hitting it on a regular basis. Yes, I know there are smallies in it, a few big ones too. But there are much better options out there. Tilting at windmills, while questionably admirable, will not put fish in your canoe.

As far as travel, we will usually just be putting in and taking out at the same location so we will probably paddle a ways up stream and then float back down or vice versa. Is that feasible or is it too much work to paddle upstream in a canoe very far? I've only been on a few floats and we just had somebody drop us off up river and went down stream the whole time to a designated location and got picked up.

I'm more interested in the fishing opportunities that the canoe will open up. My fiance wanted it for the typical float trip stuff (paddle a while, stop and swim, get some sun on a gravel bar).

Thanks everybody for the advice. I'll get a copy of that paddlers guide and do some reading.

[moguy1973]

You can probably get away with that on the Bourbouse because it has a lot if long slow dead pools but other more swift streams with deep riffles you have to get out and drag your canoe across sand bars or pull it up through the riffles.

I recently paddled up 5 miles of the Big River in my kayak and it was a lot of work and I had to get out quite a few times to get around faster moving water. Good shoulder and arm workout though.

[ColdWaterFshr]

My fiance wanted it for the typical float trip stuff (paddle a while, stop and swim, get some sun on a gravel bar).

Same here. My wife bought me a canoe as a christmas/pre-wedding present back in 1994. Much like your fiance, I think she presumed at that time it was to be used for the occasional summertime float trip to the familiar and more popular rivers that we had already been on.

Having a canoe has been so much more than that. Not only for opening new fishing opportunities, but for all the new places it has taken me. New creeks, new rivers, new adventures, winter time floating, white water floating, gravel bar camping, made many new friends that shared similar interests. I wish I had recorded a history of all the trips I have been on in my canoe, who I was with, highlights of the trip, etc. Hundreds and hundreds of great memories.

Get that paddlers guide as someone suggested and start exploring.

[SoMuchWater]

My favorite is a Gin Clear Lime Stone Filtered Ozark Stream with few to no other visitors on a cool morning with a little fog low across the water. Quite so you can hear you heart beat. If I can catch a few fish all the better.