Lane Spring Campable ?

[2sheds]

Anyone camped at Lane Springs lately ?

Is the campground flooded out ?

[Gavin]

The steam gauge @ Newburg says 131cfs. A tad low to float but it should be in good shape. Would call the USFS to verify the status of the CG. That creek flash floods but it comes down just as fast.

[The Kayak Kid]

You guys fish the Little Piney? When I'm in Rolla for work, I wade-fish a few spots downstream from Newburg. Some of my best smallies the last couple years. Couple spots off Hwy P to park the car. Never had any trouble.

[2sheds]

Have fished downstream only as far as Mill Dam Hollow (7400 off Highway T). Mixed trout and smallmouth in that area.

Will check out the Highway P options next time I'm passing through !

[jdmidwest]

Lane Spring is an interesting little area, I used to fish it alot when I lived in the Park Hills. I never spent a day there, but would drive out and camp the night, then fish the next morning. After that, I would leave out to other areas or float a bigger stream. MDC used to stock it during the summer and there were even a few holdovers in the winter sometimes. But they have changed it since then, I think most of the trout are below the campground.

[Gavin]

Have floated it from lane down to I-44. The trout fishing is hit our miss. Smallmouth fishing is OK in the lower creek but it's usually a long way between stretches with good habitat. Find habitat you will find some fish, skip the spots were they gravel mine and the ones that are overrun with cows.

[ozark trout fisher]

I have to be careful about talking about Little Piney, because I really like it and can tend to over-represent it if I'm not careful. I've sent a couple people in that direction only to have them call me out afterwards and say the areas that I'd suggested (and I really like) are basically frog water. So I don't suggest those places anymore to anyone, which is just as well from my perspective.

I guess most of it is frog water. There are more dead sections on it (in both the trout water and further down) than most Ozark streams. You have to walk a lot between good holes.. In some areas towards the lower end of the blue ribbon stretch you are working long distances of cattle-eroded banks for really short stretches of productive water, and if you blow it there you're out of luck. In other areas it's quite a bit better, but nowhere are there long, continuous stretches of productive water like on the Current or other nearby streams. That can be a real turn off, apparently.

[Johnsfolly]

Several years ago I fished the blue ribbon section above the lane Springs CG and ran into a group of five otters. I caught mostly sunfish and small bass and one 3 1/2 rainbow. I haven't been back to that area since that time figuring that the otters were much better at catching fish in that section than I was. Focused the last couple of year fishing around Newburg.

[2sheds]

Nice fishing in the drizzle Wednesday night. Spotty success in the rain on Thursday. Not a chance after we woke up on Friday morning. Had the campground to ourselves.

[jdmidwest]

So how is the campground?