Swan Creek Up Stream

[Bill Babler]

 

Some friends have been remodeling a really nice cabin that was build in 1926 off of Swan Cave Rd. at Chadwick, Mo.  It sits with a beautiful view of both Swan Creek and the area mountains.  It is a simply fantastic setting.  

Swan Creek bubbles by the corner of their property.  Lloyd tells me the white bass and walleye run clear to the slab that crosses the road off of Swan Cave and he and his family have caught many along that stretch.  Man that is a long way up stream from Bull Shoals.

Their property is 80 acres but it borders their parents and a brother with another 300 acres.  Mark Twain Forrest is all around them and you even have to navigate a short stretch of federal easement on the 3/4 mile driveway to their cabin.  He has to leave  his gates open due to the National Forrest access.

They have lots of deer and turkey and trail cam pictures of "Really Big Black Bears on their decks."  MDC did an original stocking of turkeys on the farm along Swan Creek in the 1960's.

Lloyd had lots of very interesting stories about bears as a cousin at Walnut Shade talked to  some biologist last summer that were transporting bear traps, ie big culvert cages to trap black bears in the area of Bull Creek and Walnut Shade.  He said the biologist told him there were quite a few with some really big ones. They had tracked a radio collared bear from Taneycomo near Rockaway Beach to almost Springfield.  The bear had been up both Swan Creek and Bull Creek and seemed to follow the creeks hopping back and forth.

We had a wonderful afternoon looking at their lovely home and hearing a lot of history about nature in that area, especially about the black bears and how far up Swan Creek the walleye and whites run.

[snagged in outlet 3]

42 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

Lloyd tells me the white bass and walleye run clear to the slab that crosses the road off of Swan Cave and he and his family have caught many along that stretch.  Man that is a long way up stream from Bull Shoals.

Wow!  That's crazy.  I guess I didn't go far up enough on my white bass goose chase.

[bobby b.]

On 1/28/2019 at 9:44 AM, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Wow!  That's crazy.  I guess I didn't go far up enough on my white bass goose chase.

So how far up from the mouth of Swan do most folks go for White Bass or other species?

Thanks

Bobby

[snagged in outlet 3]

9 minutes ago, bobby b. said:

So how far up from the mouth of Swan do most folks go for White Bass or other species?

Thanks

Bobby

Turkey Creek for sure and I think a road crosses Swan farther up but it's been years since I was duped into the "white bass run".

I caught trout up there.

[Terrierman]

It's pretty country down here.  The mountains aren't that tall,, but the hollers sure are deep.  That sunset is a great photo.  Thanks Bill.  As an aside brag, I live on a hill in Christian County in a house that was built in 1900.  It's modern comfortable now on the inside, but looks like it did then.   Best thing I did was ground  source heat pump -no outside unit humming winter or summer and no propane tank to look at.  Love this country.

[Bill Babler]

I don't know really now far that is, but Lloyd says you can float it at times in a canoe down to the lake.  I should have asked how long the float was.  Also, I bet you can look at it on Google Earth and try and determine the distance.  Swan Cave Rd. to Forsyth.  I might give it a try and get back.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I floated upper Swan years ago around Garrison.  It was after a fairly heavy rain.  Lots of fun, but not for the faint-hearted!  Beautiful country indeed.  Especially like the area around Bradleyville and Hercules Glades.

[Bill Babler]

Is that further up or not as far as Swan Cave Rd.  I looked at Google Earth and man its a long way to Shadow Rock Park.  I don't think you could float that in a day.  Lots of bluffs, and big bends in the road.  You can see the white water, and I bet it is really shallow.

Lloyd also said the suckers will run up that far.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Yeah, Swan Cave Rd is well above Garrison and Hwy 125, probably 5 or 6 miles at least.  My floaters guide book lists Garrison as the most upstream practical put-in point and says it is "seldom navigable above this point", but that just makes me all the more curious.  Would be fun to explore if the water level was right.

 

[bobby b.]

On 1/31/2019 at 8:37 AM, ColdWaterFshr said:

On 1/31/2019 at 8:37 AM, ColdWaterFshr said:

Lots of fun, but not for the faint-hearted

 

ColdWater, at reasonable water level (after a good rain) would you think there is fast water or narrows, etc.  too much for a novice canoe.  How would you compare to the upper James, Current, Jacks Fork?

thanks

Bobby