Typical spawn time?

[Ticker]

I am trying to nail down about when the spawn is on the Kings River near Berryville AR. My brothers and I are planning a trip to Hickory Hollow resort for either late April or early May. I know it depends on the water temps reaching around 55. Is their a "typical" annual time that you all have seen over the years. We are in TX so trying to read up on everything we can. Last year we stayed on Tablerock 2nd week of May and didn't have good luck. We now want to river fish so I need you guy's advice. Thanks!

tight lines

[snagged in outlet 3]

I've never liked fishing the spawn.  Notheing to do with ethics or whatever.

Sometimes they get so locked in on spawing they don't pay attention to anything else.

My biggest bass have come form real early in the spring well before the spawn.

Pete

 

[hoglaw]

The stuff they told you in the TR forum is accurate as well.

The river smallmouth spawn is very difficult to predict (for me anyway).  Sometimes they're on beds early, and I've seen fish on beds as late as June.  It all depends on water conditions, or at least I think it does.

SiO3 is right.  I would never schedule a river smallmouth trip around trying to fish the "spawn."  Spring can always be a little weird.  I know for a fact that I catch a lot more river smallmouth in fall, summer, and winter than the spring.  Sometimes bedding fish will be really aggressive and sometimes they get locked in.  Targeting spawning river smallmouth is difficult and not as productive as fishing to non-spawning fish in my opinion.  It's not something I get jazzed up about.

[Dan Kreher]

I have found the Kings to be fairly fickle when it comes to springtime fishing. Depending on the section you are targeting, upstream around Marble or downstream of Berryville, it has been tough for me to time things right -- spawn or no. To fish and float up around Marble -- which is beautiful by the way -- you need fairly high water. But, oftentimes in the spring, sufficient water levels also mean somewhat cold water. So, you may have good floating conditions but not good fishing conditions. I guess this is due to the Kings watershed starting high in the Boston Mountains. It must take longer to warm up than streams in lower elevations like Crooked Creek just to the east.  

 As far as springtime fishing goes (April or early May) I have tended to shy away from Kings due to its unpredictability and tend to target other streams that warm a bit faster. Perhaps others have had different experience, but that's just my take. Since Kings is 4.5 hours away from where I live in St. Louis County, MO, it is painful when I miss timing springtime trips on that river. Other streams seem more reliable for springtime. That being said, I'd love to time it right and hit the upper Kings in June or July with adequate water levels..

Kings is a beautiful river upstream of Berryville for sure, but my more recent experiences on it have been disappointing due to my inability to time it right. Too bad it 's not just right around the corner from me so I could get more chances to fish it.