smallmouth wade fishing opportunities in the spring

[Fishmonger]

I'm trying to plan a fishing trip with a few friends to the ozarks this march and I'm trying to look for an area that will offer us a lot of bank/wade fishing opportunities because we don't have a good way to bring/transport kayaks or anything, probably in Missouri but open to the other areas as well. My struggles have been that I've found a lot of conflicting information online about how much public access different areas have and I'm concerned we're going to struggle to find places we can realistically and legally fish once we're there, I don't know how it is there but where we're from in kansas I know this is often near impossible with the exception of dedicated parks and recreation areas. My other concern is that I know spring can be very rainy there and I don't know if high water levels are going to present us even more challenges when it comes to wading/bank fishing. If anyone has any input on a general area of the ozarks for us to check out or any tips/solutions at all regarding my listed concerns that would be greatly appreciated! None of us have ever done anything like this before so researching has been a bit of a learning curve.

 

This is also my first post on this forum so hopefully I'm doing this right as far as where to post and everything, please let me know if I need to change anything

[Quillback]

Welcome to the forum!

Beaver lake on the dam end has a lot of wadeable/bank fishing for smallmouth.  But only if the water level is down to where it is now at 1120.  You could still get around pretty well if it is at a couple of feet above 1120.

You can access the lake at Indian Creek COE park, and the both the Lost Bridge Parks.  The banks can be a little steep in places with chunky rocks to walk on, but there are literally miles of bank to fish if you're willing to expend some shoe leather.

If the water gets up to over 1125 the banks get tough to negotiate.

I bank fish that area a few times a year, usually I'm in my boat, but every once in a while I like to keep it simple, one rod and a few lures and go fish the bank.  I rarely get skunked from the bank, you work at it, you'll catch some fish.  If you're really lucky in timing and get there when the shad are spawning, you might get some top water bites to include stripers.  Most likely you're going to catch smallmouth.

Table Rock has some bank fishing, around Big M COE park, Eagle Rock park.  What limits it there are bluffs.  There are a couple of neighborhood ramps at Viney cove that have some access.  I've caught fish from the bank at all those places.  The big gotcha there is there's just not a lot of bank you can get too.  

Send me a PM when it gets close to when you'll be here if you want to know what bank conditions are like at the spots I mentioned on Beaver.

Just noticed you said you'll be there in March, too early for the shad spawn.

[tjm]

I'm thinking that March is flood time around here, but, with my poor memory that might be off a month one way or the other. Or maybe almost anytime from now to the end of April could be creeks running out of banks.  I'd make an alternative plan just in case.

But later in the summer, I've seen groups of college age fellows leave a vehicle 3-5 miles downstream from an access and take a second vehicle to the access then wade and fish from put in to take out.  Store parking lot to low water bridge, or bridge to bridge. One group that I saw several times fished about 20 miles of the local creek over 4 or 5 nights. Don't why such a method wouldn't work on most streams.

A Paddler’s Guide to Missouri   https://www.amazon.com/Paddlers-Guide-Missouri-Updated-Revised/dp/1887247815 

Has maps of most Mo streams and where they can be accessed. The  Same maps are normally available online at https://missouricanoe.org/river-maps/  but that site seems to be down right now.

Another method you might consider is that on some streams like the Elk River there are numerous canoe rental outfits  that will drop you off and pick you up for floats of varying lengths, so  you wouldn't have to transport boats here and back.. Many have cabins or camping as well; I'm not sure that they'd be open in March though, just an idea.

To check river flooding you can select streams with USGS gages from this map https://waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/rt  and find current and past flow levels, I think flows near the median would be mostly wadeable.

 

[Terrierman]

Finley River between Linden and Green Bridge has some decent wading water - but maybe you'd need to get all the way wet in a couple of spots.  Green Bridge down to the new bridge at Riverside is wadable and has nice water.  Parking at Green Bridge can be an issue but if you need some help and I'm around, you could park at my place and I'd take a driver or two back down to the river.  I'm about 1.5 miles from both Green Bridge and Linden so it wouldn't be a big deal. 

James has some wadable water at Shelvin Rock and also near Hootentown.  Blunk Road is a famous bank fishing area when the whites are on and no reason you shouldn't be able to catch a brown bass or two.

Good luck.

[BilletHead]

3 hours ago, Terrierman said:

Finley River between Linden and Green Bridge has some decent wading water - but maybe you'd need to get all the way wet in a couple of spots.  Green Bridge down to the new bridge at Riverside is wadable and has nice water.  Parking at Green Bridge can be an issue but if you need some help and I'm around, you could park at my place and I'd take a driver or two back down to the river.  I'm about 1.5 miles from both Green Bridge and Linden so it wouldn't be a big deal. 

James has some wadable water at Shelvin Rock and also near Hootentown.  Blunk Road is a famous bank fishing area when the whites are on and no reason you shouldn't be able to catch a brown bass or two.

Good luck.

    Yeppers he will help. 😆

[Al Agnew]

March is just about the worst month other than the depths of winter to try to wade fish Ozark streams.  Typically even the normal water flow in March is as high as it will get, which means strong current and a lot of water that's just too deep for safe wading.  Couple that with the fact that March is a transition month where the fish are moving from winter holes to spawning banks.  If you find them, they are easy to catch, but finding them is hit or miss.  You'd be much better off to wait until May for good wade fishing.

If the weather has been warmer than normal, a lot of fish will have moved up into tributary streams by late March, and some of those will be more wadeable.  However, the thing you have to keep in mind is that streams in MO that are too small to float in a canoe or kayak are basically private.  All of us who creek fish know places where we can get on the water because the landowner doesn't care.  But you won't find many people sharing those spots, nor should they, because the more people that go to them, the more likely some pinheads will tick off the landowner and ruin it for everybody.  The safest wading is on the upper reaches of the streams you'll find in the Paddler's Guide that TJM talked about.  Find the highest possible put-in and go check it out...it might be wadeable.

[MObassin95]

Just use an outfitter and rent some kayaks or canoes. It is absolutely worth the money. War Eagle Outfitters in Arkansas is a good one to use. War Eagle creek fishes pretty well in early spring. 

[Gavin]

March & Early April are usuallly slow, and high water is probable. May & June are usually ideal. Check out canoemisouri.org for canoe rentals and campgrounds. Have fun!

[Fishmonger]

I can't figure out how to reply to everyone individually but thank you all for your comments! this has all been extremely helpful 

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, Fishmonger said:

I can't figure out how to reply to everyone individually but thank you all for your comments! this has all been extremely helpful 

Please report back and let us know how it went.   Pictures are a nice touch to any report.