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Eleven Point River 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. 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 Shadow Bass (aka 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, shadow bass, warmouth, chain pickerel, walleye, and even sauger down
south closer to the Arkansas state line. Eleven Point River 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. Don't take our word for it. Click here to read the code for yourself. 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 numbered around 100 fish per mile. Last fall's survey
found 500 trout per mile. The year before that they counted 250 per mile. Who knows
what the numbers will be this year. So, 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.
Eleven Point River 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. Don't take our word for it. Click here to read the code for yourself. 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,
and you can check the USGS water level changes in real-time, both by checking
our Even More page.
Click to see a recent
fishing report for the Eleven Point River. After you go fishin there, be sure
to come back to tell us how you did! |
