A little help

[hank franklin]

Never been on the North Fork. Have been wanting to float it for a while. Where does the trout water begin? Have been looking at floating between Highway 14 and Highway H. We're looking at a March or April float. Thanks for the help.

Hank

[catman70]

If you're going strictly for the trout you may want to start at Hammond Camp (I think on CC) and float down to the PP bridge. Trout water doesn't start until you get to North Fork and Rainbow springs, about 4 miles below Hammond. There is a somewhat "secret" access near the Crossroads Store that Brian Wise may know more about. The trophy water extends from those springs down to where you plan to take out. Below that is Red Ribbon with stocked brown trout and a few rainbows. Population is supposed to be better below the H bridge and down to Dawt Mill. Speaking of which, if you float in March to early April you may want to float from Dawt Mill to the 160 bridge. It's about 2-3 miles and at that time of year you'll stand a good chance of catching stripers, whites, hybrids, walleye and trout through that section.

If you do decide to float down to H bridge, beware the Falls at The River of Life. You'll want to aim just right of center or walk the canoe around. It's a 2-3' drop and we always pick up water going over. At worst you'll bend your canoe around the rock in the middle.

[hank franklin]

Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.

[Brian Wise]

Hi Hank,

Technically the trout water does begin at Rainbow Springs which like Catman said is about 4 miles below Hammond Camp. Depending on what you are looking to do (trout fish, smallmouth fish, or both) you could start at Hammond and float to Blair Bridge which is a little bit of a float but you would get to see the water above the Spring which looks like a totally different river. You could also do smallmouth on this float and then trout after you get to the spring. If you are looking at going after trout only I would recommend floating from Kelley Ford to Patrick Bridge, this will cover about 90% of the best trout water on the river.

If you do decide to float down to H bridge, beware the Falls at The River of Life. You'll want to aim just right of center or walk the canoe around. It's a 2-3' drop and we always pick up water going over. At worst you'll bend your canoe around the rock in the middle.

Yeah, the "killer rock" has claimed a TON of canoes over the years.

If you are only looking to float the river and do little to no fishing you HAVE to float from Hammond to Blair or Patrick, you will really see 2 totally different kinds of river and the float from Hammond to the spring is one of the prettiest floats there are.

Other than that Catman covered everything nicely

The White Bass runs are defenitely something to see (and fish) if the water is right.

Brian

p.s. Keep a good eye on the water levels that Phil has posted at the top of this forum. It is taking VERY little rain to make the river come up....

[Gavin]

Depends on what you want to do. If you want to camp on the river, float above the trout water. 14 to Kelly Ford is a pretty stretch. Its skinny water with fair fishing for smallmouth, goggle eye, and the occasional trout. The trout water between Kelly and Dawt Mill is mostly private land and its heavilly developed. Welcome to the subdivision.

If you just want to catch trout, your best bet is to stay at ROLF, Sunburst, or the campground at MDC's Patrick Bridge Access and day float. I wouldnt recommend Petit's or Riverside.

Kelly to Blair has been good to me in the past, but I've had more consistant fishing between Blair and James bridge in the last 3 years. Cheers.

[BrianK]

Myron's site is another great resource to learn alot.

www.RiverofLifeFarm.com

Our first visit to N. Fork was to ROLF in 01 and it's now one of my favorite waters. Yes, it's developed but usually fishing in solitude.

Brian

[Brian Wise]

The trout water between Kelly and Dawt Mill is mostly private land and its heavilly developed. Welcome to the subdivision.

I will agree that the river is more developed than most of the other trout streams in Missouri (except Taney) but you have to remember....it is legal to build on this river. Unlike the federal waters anyone can buy land with river frontage and build on that land. But honestly when I think of heavilly developed rivers around the area the North Fork of the White is nothing compared to rivers that are within 30 minutes of us. Anytime you can still float miles and not see a house I can't say that qualifies as heavilly developed.

Brian

[catman70]

Sorry for chiming in off-topic, but I had to.

I'm very much for private property and owner's rights, but there should at least be set-backs established. I remember one house inparticular below McKee Bridge that almost sets over the river. To say nothing of floods and the trash/sewage they would sweep from such houses, the erosion and drain-off alone from the excavation would contribute to the silting of the river.

Hank, Kelly Ford is the "secret" access I refered to by the Crossroads store. I can only find it by sight and wouldn't be very good at giving you directions. Although if I did you might get to see the sun set in the East for the first time before you were able to put-in.

[Gavin]

Sorry Brian, but you got me started...I fished the NFoW for the first time in the late 1980's and it was a lot different that is know. IMO, its pretty forked up from developement. The trout population isnt even half of what it was in the early 1980's and early 90's, the biologists arent finding any hellbenders, and every year there are more cabins, fewer trees, and more algae..Its not Lake of the Ozarks, but if that aint forked up by developement, I dont know what is. Its ashame really.

[Brian Wise]

Oh geez, I'll be the first to say the river isn't near what it was in the 80's. Honestly I wish I could have "gotten in on" that fishing but I was just a young pup.

I can't totally agree that the main reason for smaller fish populations than the 80's is developement. A 10 year drought will take it's toll on a river....actually on a whole drainage. If you can look back at the #'s for the last 27 years you will see good numbers in the 80's and then a decline as the drought set in. After that drought you can see a steadily rising number of fish. Sure some years will be a little off (like last year) but on average the numbers are rising nicely. If you look at other rivers that don't that developement you will see great fishing rivers that have stayed great fishing for years and years....stocked rivers. Stocked rivers are too easy to keep fishing good, dump 10,000 rainbows 2 or 3 times a year into the NFOW and it will fish great just like the rest of the stocked rivers...but it is a wild fishery that will have it's ups and downs because it is just that...wild. It's easy to push the NFOW aside and say "it's too hard to fish" or "there aren't enough fish there" but it is one of the true gems that we have around here.

Now having said all that I WILL NOT say that developement has nothing to do with fish numbers going down...but it's not the main culpret.

Brian