The Eleven Point River, a federally protected
Wild and Scenic River administered by the National Park Service, is another of our world
class floating streams that also offer world class trout fishing. The river had once boasted
a wonderful fish population, but it was heavily over-fished by professional fishermen and
settlers in the first part of the twentieth century. It took decades for the fish populations
to recover. The trout population, bolstered by heavy stockings and limited bank access, has
rebuilt the river's reputation as a top quality fishery.
This river, much like the Current River, boasts approximately 20 miles of productive trout
waters, starting at the mouth of Greer Spring Branch and continuing down to highway 160 near
Riverton. Also like the Current River, it includes different types of trout management areas.
Greer Spring and Greer Spring Branch are on private property and access is mostly restricted.
The Spring is the second largest spring in the state and is the tenth largest fresh water
spring in the world. In fact, it puts out enough cold water that it has caused many to wonder
aloud if the Greer Spring area will someday become the state's fifth trout park. Heaven
forbid! Hopefully, it will remain wild and undisturbed.
The river flows through the Mark Twain National Forest and the Irish Wilderness, which is
quite rugged and isolated -- so isolated, you may find it a challenge just to locate the
trailheads without a good map and a bit of compass work. Floaters and hikers routinely report
seeing deer, raccoon, beaver, turkey, and river otters during their trips. The occasional
black bear is also reported. You may also remember, the last time the state of Missouri toyed
around with the idea of reintroducing elk, their region of choice was the Irish Wilderness.
The diversity of wildlife is not restricted to land animals, however. In addition to trout,
the Eleven Point River also boasts a startling variety of fish, with Smallmouth Bass and
Rock Bass (or Goggle Eye) being most prized upstream from Greer Spring Branch. As the river
warms up again South of Riverton, you'll find crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
rock bass, warmouth, chain pickerel, walleye, and even sauger down south closer to the
Arkansas state line.
Eleven Point River Blue Ribbon Trout
Area
From the mouth of Greer Spring Branch
downstream 5.5 miles to Turner Mill Access. Only flies and artificial lures may be used,
specifically excluding soft plastics. Daily limit is 1 trout at least 18" long.
When the Eleven Point River passes the mouth of Greer Spring Branch, the size of the river
doubles, and the water temperature drops dramatically, instantly transforming it into a
cold water fishery. Even though wild trout streams in Missouri tend to have smaller fish,
this river is quite large with plenty of protected areas, and there is a good population
of mayflies, caddis and aquatic beetles for the fish to feed on. Therefore, the opportunity
to catch a trophy-sized stream-bred trout is legitimate. And unlike times in the past,
there are a lot of fish to be found. In fact, according to our friends at
Eleven Point River Canoe Rental,
the Missouri Department of Conservation started stocking the Blue Ribbon Area, because
the wild trout population was struggling to maintain its numbers. Several years ago,
the number of trout in this area hovered around 100 fish per mile.
In 2004, they found 250 trout per mile, and then a year later they found 500 trout per mile.
That's an amazing recovery in a short period, and things are continuing to get better and
better. In other words, don't be afraid to fish the Eleven Point. The fish are definitely
there. And be sure to visit Brian and Ryan at Eleven Point Canoe.
There are a few dirt roads that can get you within a short walk of the river, but you'll
have to do some exploring. The only two easy access points are Greer Access (highway 19)
and Turner Mill Access. As is the case with the Current River, it's best to float this
river to reach many of the best fishing spots. Fly fishermen have traditionally had
good luck with the old standbys, like pheasant tails, hares ears, adams, elk hair caddis,
etc., but small san juan worms in various colors, brassies, black stones, and little yellow
stonefly patterns are also productive. In the spring, small glo-bugs and glu-bugs can also
get a trout's attention. And crayfish flies are also quite popular, as are mini-crankbaits
and in-line spinners.
Eleven Point River White Ribbon Trout Area
All water downstream from Turner Mill Access.
No bait restrictions. Daily limit is 4 trout, of which only 1 may be a brown trout 15" or
longer.
This portion of the river is heavily stocked to the tune of about 15,000 trout per year.
Easy access points are available at Turner Mill Access, McDowell Access, Whitten Access,
Springs Access, and Riverton Access at US-160, but there are also some unmarked dirt roads
that can get you within walking distance. The White's Creek Trail will take you through the
Irish Wilderness down to the Bliss Spring area on the north bank. This is more of a
back-packing trip than a day hike, however, and be sure you have a good map and know how
to use a compass -- the trail is not well marked in areas.
Drift fishing with natural bait under a bobber is a good technique in this section, since
you may need to cover quite a bit of water to find where the fish have collected. Spinner
and crankbait fishing is also popular. Most fly-fishermen focus their efforts on the Blue
Ribbon area upstream, but there are some awesome riffles that routinely give up fish on
the fly down in the White Ribbon waters as well. Again, you'll have to float to reach some
of the best waters. If you're accessing the river by car, however, you can avoid the crowds
of canoes in the summer time by fishing the lower stretches in the morning and moving to
the upper section in the afternoon.
Call (417) 256-7161 for more information
You can download two detailed conservation department maps of the Eleven Point River from
our Maps Page, and you can check the USGS water level changes in
real-time by checking our Water Levels Page. Click to see
a recent fishing report for the Eleven Point
River. After you go fishing there, be sure to come back to
tell us how you did!
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