Suitable Flow Rate for Trout Fishing ?

[2sheds]

I'm planning a mid-September trip  with several day floats to trout fish; probably Greer Crossing to Turner Mill, Whitten to Riverton, and maybe Cane Bluff to Greer (if water is high enough).

I see the River Gauge at Bardley (Riverton) currently shows a flow rate of 900 CFM.  Although its been a while, that seems higher than optimal.

What discharge level is the maximum limit for me to expect decent trout fishing ?

I aappreciate any sage advice.

[jdmidwest]

Decent trout fishing will be a thing of the past for the next few years until the Montauk and other hatcheries resume normal production from flooding last fall.  Recent reports from the last few months are no stocking events have taken place this summer from what I have heard.  Few trout in the area from Greer to Turner, the wild ones.  

My September trip to the 11pt this year will be lower part for bass around the State Line.  

Cane Bluff to Greer is always kinda iffy that time of year.  Anything below Greer is solid water to float any time.  Running a jet boat is a different story.

[WestCentralFisher]

14 hours ago, 2sheds said:

I'm planning a mid-September trip  with several day floats to trout fish; probably Greer Crossing to Turner Mill, Whitten to Riverton, and maybe Cane Bluff to Greer (if water is high enough).

I see the River Gauge at Bardley (Riverton) currently shows a flow rate of 900 CFM.  Although its been a while, that seems higher than optimal.

What discharge level is the maximum limit for me to expect decent trout fishing ?

I aappreciate any sage advice.

900 is just fine. It'll be a bit high, and water may be cloudy, but super fishable at that level. 

If the trout fishing is super slow, there are at least a few smallies from about Mary Deckers on down in just about every deep hole. Throw a spinner or little rebel craw and you'll catch some of both. Put a little splitshot 18 inches up the line. 

[Lvn2Fish]

Believe what you want but I just came back from the river today . Just floated Greer to Turner and caught a good number of fish. Looked like it’s been stocked recently . One group we floated by were catching them very well . They had some really nice ones . Good luck ! 

[jdmidwest]

5 hours ago, Lvn2Fish said:

Believe what you want but I just came back from the river today . Just floated Greer to Turner and caught a good number of fish. Looked like it’s been stocked recently . One group we floated by were catching them very well . They had some really nice ones . Good luck ! 

They don't normally stock the Greer to Turner Section, it was the area that they thought might have reproducing trout.  There was a time when they did put some in December to over winter.  I am sure they are hanging upstream to the colder waters.  And the protected trophy area.

[River Boy]

I made two trips to the river this summer with the last being the first week of August.  Both trips I witnessed the stocking truck.  Both trips were slow fishing…. Until we found them! 

[Al Agnew]

If you examine the gauges a little more closely, you'll notice that the river has been significantly higher than the median for the whole summer.  The gauge at Bardley is at 832 cfs right now after having slowly dropped from 850 to 810 cfs throughout the week.  The median, which is a good approximation of normal for this time of year, is around 400 cfs.  Why is that, you ask?  Check out the gauge for Greer Spring.  It's been hanging around 410-420 cfs, while the median is around 270 cfs!  Apparently the groundwater that supplies Greer and other springs within the Eleven Point watershed is very well recharged from all the rain earlier, and the springs are still pumping out a lot more water than they normally would be at the end of summer.  So yeah, the river is higher than it normally is (though unless it's more than three times the median, I don't worry much about the fishing; it will still be clearish and fishable). 

That does not mean it will be floatable above Greer.  I floated Cane Bluff to Greer a few weeks ago.  The Bardley gauge then was showing around 970 cfs, and the river up there was barely floatable, maybe flowing about 90-120 cfs if I had to guess (you need a minimum of 100 cfs for relatively easy floating).  By now, barring a rise from rain, it will be well below 75 cfs. 

[2sheds]

Thanks Al !

Your upstream info will save us from considering Cane Bluff or LongHollow.

Arrived yesterday and were unable to walk up from H19 to fish the spring outlet.  Also, did not hookup wading downstream from the bridge (often fishable there in the past).

Floating to Turner today and all 3 of us flyfishing.  Hope to put my buddies on some trout.  

[WestCentralFisher]

6 hours ago, 2sheds said:

Thanks Al !

Your upstream info will save us from considering Cane Bluff or LongHollow.

Arrived yesterday and were unable to walk up from H19 to fish the spring outlet.  Also, did not hookup wading downstream from the bridge (often fishable there in the past).

Floating to Turner today and all 3 of us flyfishing.  Hope to put my buddies on some trout.  

The White Ribbon section seems to have more consistent trout fishing now. The blue ribbon area has some really nice fish, but it's possible to go a good while in between hookups. 

[Gavin]

The Greer guage is the one you need to watch. We camped at the Greer Confluence one January were there was NO flow coming in from above Greer. The sand bar we camped on is usually under 2-3' of water.