Van Buren To Big Spring

[Justin92297]

I will be in this area a few weekends from now and thinking about doing this float. Does this stretch of river get pretty crowded on Saturday afternoons? If so what would be a better option?

[Al Agnew]

Might not be too bad in late September on through October. Lots of jetboats in the summer, along with tubers and others. It's a short float. I think I would slightly prefer floating down to Van Buren from the access about 7 miles or so upstream.

[2sheds]

VanBuren to Big Spring is a very short float (4 miles = 2 hrs) in a canoe, but just right for tubes or a short spin in a canoe with lots of attention to your fishing.

To see more of the river, consider putting in at Waymeyer (7 miles north of VB on Highway M) and taking out at VB (7mi) or Big Spring (11mi).

But in my opinion, the most interesting sections are those furthest upstream. Someday, you need to find the opportunity to see the upper river.

If I were near VB and wanted more solitude and fishing, I would spend the extra time to drive to Alton and spend some time on the Eleven Point River.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, 2sheds is right, although I'd say that if you're interested in smallmouth fishing, anywhere between Round Spring and Waymeyer is pretty choice if you do it in the off-season or at least in the middle of the week. Problem with the area around Van Buren is that it's outside the boundaries of the Riverways and it's pretty solidly developed, with lots of cabins and houses and campgrounds. You run out of the Riverways a couple miles below Waymeyer and don't get back into the Riverways until a mile or so above Big Spring.

(Thanks, 2sheds, for naming the Waymeyer access...I couldn't remember the name of it.)