First timer to Current River

[Al Agnew]

One thing you have to watch when looking at the gauges is the "years of record" just above the table showing median, mean, etc.  The Akers gauge has only 15 years of record.  Ordinarily, my advice is that the 75th percentile figure on that table is about the highest flow that will probably be fishable, but the more years of record (years the gauge has been in existence), the more valid that stuff is.  The 75th percentile is 960 cfs or so, and I'd say that would be pretty close to maximum fishable flow, but knowing a bit more about the upper Current, I think I'd prefer something below 800 cfs.

What's maximum for some might be too high for others, too.  I tend to like high, murky water on these normally clear streams, but part of the reason is the way I like to fish.  I like to stay in the canoe and cover a lot of territory with fast-moving lures high in the water column, and high, murky water lends itself to that kind of fishing.  It doesn't lend itself to fishing slower and on or near the bottom with soft plastics.

[awhuber]

5-1-17 The whole ONSR is closed. Hopefully it will be open by the time of your float. When the feds close the area the outfitters are not allowed to put canoes out. If you are bringing your own boats you will have a better chance of floating. They were assessing damage this morning. Tan Vat Looks good Minimal damage there. Baptist Has major damage. The road is still there. We will have to move a lot of gravel off of them and the side walks. Lots of dead rainbow trout laying around. 3 feet of gravel on the new walk out to the river and the old handicap walk. I have pics but cant get them to load, sorry.

[chub minnow]

Al has it about right.  Based on my experience last week I'd want it to be well below 800 cfs to think about seriously fishing.  I tried at higher flow and I couldn't put enough weight on the fly rod to get to the bottom.  Tried with the spincast, but again, the current was so fast that I couldn't really get down and get the action I wanted on any of my lures.  Tried banging the banks and maybe got a few bites, but then again it may have just been submerged grass.  I'd say that you want a max of 500-600 cfs to be able to have a "good" day of fishing.  I felt safe floating it at 800-1000 cfs but fishing was more or less a waste of time primarily due to the current rather than the stain in the water.  I'd say visibility was 3'-5' on Monday the 24th.  Rain ended Saturday morning the 22nd.

[awhuber]

High water mark Baptist access, Current River.

[Gavin]

Think you will be fine by May 12th. Might take a week or so before the Feds open it back up to the outfitters, but by the 12th is likely. Might be fishable this weekend.

 

[Mark]

thanks all, specific cfs numbers are a big help. Would rather delay trip instead of floating fast water and not catching any fish.

[Taildragger]

DITTO, Agree totally on the cfs being a great help.  I would rather wait for better fishing, but in this case, this is a great bunch of guys that just don't happen to be fisherman, so if things calm down and they get opened back up, we'll be there on the 12th.   I'm looking forward to catching smallies if possible. I hear they put up a good fight.  Thanks to all

[awhuber]

http://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/article_b7796b8a-30f6-11e7-8147-f70a34a2dfa8.html

 

 

[Taildragger]

Thanks for all the info.  I will definitely be kayaking the current sometime in the future, but all reports are that it is a disaster, and we would be an imposition to those trying to help, if we were to make it at all.  We are going (same dates) to the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas. 

[Mark]

considering Buffalo too Taildragger