Crooked Creek Water Level

[BIG BASS]

So I know that generally low water is the problem but what would you define as too high to float. We are hoping to hit crooked next weekend. Right now the level is 13 ft and flow is around 300. it looks like there is some rain coming but by the time we hit the water i expect it to be about what it is now? Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. 

[Ham]

13 is more than I like,  Especially during the winter time. 10 foot is as low as I like. 12 is as much water as I like. 

Others may love it at 13. 

[Al Agnew]

Don't know whether you followed the discussion on the USGS gauges in the smallmouth fishing forum, but again I'd recommend going by the flow in cfs, not the level in feet, which means nothing unless you're already familiar with what a given level in feet means on that particular river.  The flow right now is 865 cfs, not 300.  And that's a LOT of water.  Maybe fishable, maybe not, but a lot more water than I'd like, considering the normal flow (the median flow in the table on the USGS gauge website) is 163 cfs this time of year.  165 cfs is a nice, easily floatable flow on ANY stream the size of Crooked Creek at Kelly's Slab.  300 cfs is okay, not too big and fast.  500 is really pushing it, and I would really hesitate to float it at more than 800 cfs.  Since it's been fairly stable the last few days, it might be clear enough to fish, but you're going to be really working to slow down enough to fish effectively, especially given that you need to fish very slowly in the winter.

[BIG BASS]

My app says 280, the USGS website says 860. USGS has absolutely been off before. I emailed them about the flow and will see what we get. I have talked to two people as of last night that had eyes on crooked. Both said it looked great from where they saw. I have a hard time believing its at 860 right now. Also, height is what I have gone by for years on crooked, so that is generally what i look at. I am just now starting to look and take consideration of cfs flow. 

[Al Agnew]

14 hours ago, BIG BASS said:

My app says 280, the USGS website says 860. USGS has absolutely been off before. I emailed them about the flow and will see what we get. I have talked to two people as of last night that had eyes on crooked. Both said it looked great from where they saw. I have a hard time believing its at 860 right now. Also, height is what I have gone by for years on crooked, so that is generally what i look at. I am just now starting to look and take consideration of cfs flow. 

Yes, the USGS site may be wrong.  I've very seldom seen the USGS sites being wrong, but it happens, especially if the river changes at the gauge after a flood, and since the creek has been pretty stable for a while, it would make sense that it's the lower flow.  If the river is at 280 cfs, that would be very good.  I actually like a winter flow that's a little above normal, because it reduces the number of places the fish will be.

If you know what a given height in feet signifies on Crooked Creek, it makes sense to keep using it.  But as I said in the other thread, flow in cfs is a universal language, the same for every stream.  A given height in feet on one stream is NOT the same as that height in feet on another, but 200 cfs is 200 cfs no matter which stream you're looking at.

 

[tjm]

if you look back to the 11th the gage was ~21' and discharge was ~16,000 cfs- so based on my creek still being high from that and subsequent rains my guess is 7-800 is likely correct. Prior to that storm the creek was very near median flow. At 13' the water is well over the low water bridge there according to the charts.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?cb_00045=on&cb_00060=on&cb_00065=on&format=gif_default&site_no=07055607&period=&begin_date=2020-01-03&end_date=2020-01-28

[gotmuddy]

300cfm would be great, but 800 would not be fun.  CC has a small streambed, and I dont think fishing would be safe or fun at 800cfm.

[BIG BASS]

Thanks y’all. I hollered at the conservation center in yellville. The gauge is accurate on height and flow. We are at 1010 right now and just over 13 ft. Depending on how much the chocalotte milk fades the next couple days we are planning to come Saturday through Sunday.(Sunday high right now is 72 which is insane). Hoping both level and flow drop quickly the next couple days. I did see on this forum where someone floated a 2 day trip and the first day was 1100 for flow. We are gonna take our chances and see what happens. I will post an update when we finish the trip.

[BIG BASS]

We chose to push it back another 24 hours. Planning to float Sunday and Monday. Right now we are at 1000 even on flow and just above 13 ft. I imagine it’s moving pretty good. Hopefully slows down a little in the next day or so or we may have to hit a different river.