Little Piney Creek Fishing Reports This page was updated 6/5/11
This report submitted by Vic Schaefferkoetter of Rolla on 12/5/10
Date of trip: 10/30/10 Times fished: 8:00am - noon Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: Elk hair caddis, olive wooly bugger
When I left the house that morning it was 34 degrees
and I live on top of a ridge. At Lane Springs it was
below freezing as ribbon frost was emanating from
several plant stalks...beautiful stuff.
Flow of the creek was excellent and not quite gin
clear...but slightly cloudy is too strong. I was
fishing a new to me 290 South Bend bamboo, 8', 2/2,
(plenty rod for the LIttle Piney!) with a #6DT
Terenzio silk line, silk leader and a 6X tippet, #16
elk hair caddis with a highly modified #10 wooly
bugger as a dropper about 18 inches below the dry.
Things started rather slow but as the sun warmed
things a few Trico's (I believe) started coming off.
Nothing like August & September but enough to start
some activity. I brought to hand 5 or 6 fish with
the best being almost 14 inches according to the
signature wraps on my rod. One a bit smaller and the
rest 8-10 inches. One, the biggest, took the
caddis...violently I might add, almost like a
bass...and the rest ate the dropper. Most were
caught at the tail out of runs or about the middle of
a run. By noon the bite had pretty well stopped, my
shoulder, back and knees hurt so I packed it in.
Whatever the results any crisp autumn day on a spring
fed Missouri Ozark stream is a delight.
I fished the Little Piney several times this year and
even with the presence of a family of otters at Lane
Springs, I believe the numbers have incresed since I
moved back here from Wyoming 7 years ago. Either the
fishing is better or I've learned the creek better in
the intervening years.
A purist! I haven't seen silk fly line in years. For all the extra hassles associated with maintaining it, it certainly does cast like... well... silk! I'm betting you have figured out the creek pretty well over the last seven years, but you're right that the fishing has gotten better. All the little creeks were hit really hard with drought several years back, but the improving water table has given the fish the opportunity to replenish their numbers, and they have taken full advantage! Thanks for the report Vic.
This report submitted by Tom Pennington of Washington, MO on 9/18/10
Date of trip: 9/18/10 Times fished: 7:00am - noon Air Temperature: Balmy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Black stonefly
Fished Lane Spring for the first time. Walked into a
huge trico hatch, fish feeding everywhere. They
didn't like any dry fly in my box. Switched to a
nymph and started catching some fish, mostly 6 to 8
inch. Then I caught a nice 13 inch at the tailout of
a deep hole. I moved up to the head of the same pool
and hooked into a whopper! It was nearly 18 inches
long and must have weighed at least 2 pounds.
I'll definately be going back soon!
Nice! I like fishing the little creeks when the water is a bit off-color. The mature fish got that way by being scaredy cats, and they tend to dart for cover at any motion. But cloudy water helps them feel more secure, and you'll get more opportunities putting a fly in front of them.
This report submitted by Ken Midkiff of Columbia on 6/7/10
Date of trip: 6/3 - 6/5/10 Times fished: Early morning to late afternoon Air Temperature: Steamy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Elk Hair Caddis
Two of us fished areas about one mile below the Lane
Springs Recreation Area. We each caught 8-10
Rainbow trout per day. Most were 8 inches or so, the
largest ones about 12 inches. Nothing to keep (1
fish more than 18 inches in this Blue Ribbon trout
area), but if we want to eat trout, we can always go
to one of the State Parks where there are trout
hatcheries.
We also went to Mill Creek with no success. Spring
Creek was a major disappointment: One Public Access
area was filled with drunken teenagers, another
access area was inaccessible (mud), and the last
place we went to - a low-water bridge - a landowner
had strung barbed wire across the creek upstream and
down and posted "No Fishing, No Trespassing, No
Hunting" signs in the middles of the barbed wire.
This is probably illegal, but we had no desire to
spend a night in jail, so we went back to the more
welcoming Lane Springs RA.
Too bad Mill Creek didn't hit for you guys, but glad you had a good experience at Little Piney. Hate to tell you this, but the only waterways that are considered public property are "Navigable" rivers. In other words, you have to be able to float a boat down the river year 'round. Some rivers are indisputably navigable, like the Missouri River. A good number of smaller rivers are generally considered navigable (i.e. float rivers like the Current River and the Meramec). The little creeks,though, all fall outside of this definition. That means the property owners also own the creekbed, and that means they can keep fishermen out and will certainly run you off and have also been known to press charges for trespassing. A lot of landowners are laid back re: access, but those that string barbed wire or hot wires across the creek with "keep out" signs are not those landowners! They jealously protect their property, which is certainly a bummer, but the payoff is usually a great trout population in the public areas. I hope you'll give Spring Creek another try -- preferrably when school isn't out for the summer!
This report submitted by Steve Masters of Lincoln, NE on 9/8/10
Date of trip: 8/23/10 Times fished: 3:00 - 7:30pm Air Temperature: Sultry Weather: Sunny Water Level: Below average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: #14 Hare's Ear, #10 Superfly dry fry
I started below Lane Springs working a #14 gold ribbed
hare's ear on a large dry (close to a stimulator
dry). I caught one nice 10" trout on the nymph. After
getting rises to the dry and losing the nymph, I
fished only the dry. Six trout were taken in the 8-10
inch range and a dozen smaller trout. It was a superb
afternoon. I saw no one else fishing.
One nice thing about the little wild creeks is that even a "crowded" day usually only brings out a few fishermen. Thanks for the report.
This report submitted by Bradley Wyatt of Fort Leonard Wood on 6/5/10
Date of trip: 6/3/10 Times fished: Late afternoon to dark Air Temperature: Balmy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Black stonefly, blue winged olive
First time going out here after reading about it here
and one of my friends stopping out there to swim and
telling me about it. We got out to the Lane Springs
Rec. area at around 5:30 pm and went out to the water
and worked downstream towards the Vida area alothough
we didn't make it anywhere near Vida. I was very
impressed with this area as there are many great runs
and holes that all seemed to hold trout. We were
fishing wet flies for the most part and produced many
hits and caught a few small guys. I was really
amazed at the coloring and glad to see what everyone
here was talking about. Later as the sun set I went
to the blue winged and elk hair cadis and that proved
to be some fun, fast strikes from smaller fish but
regardless was fun seeing them appear from nowhere
and hitting the dry flies with a purpose. The water
was just barely cloudy and only in the deeper areas
and there was no spotting these fish so it is a nice
little test of your skills in reading the water and
putting the flies in the right spot. The biggest
caught were a couple of 9 inchers but we didnt make
it very far and were getting caught up watching the
little guys and just enjoying the creek. Great area
and will be back there on Monday to put in a full day
of fishing it. Will give a better update after the
long day. Thanks to everyone who has posted before
the information was a great help in selecting where to
start at!
Glad you had a good time. It is one of my favorite places, as I'm sure you can understand.
This report submitted by Patrick ______ of Kansas City on 4/15/10
Date of trip: 4/10/10 Times fished: 9:00am - 4:00pm Air Temperature: Balmy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Beadhead Pheasant Tail, Beadhead Prince Nymph, sizes 14-16
Fished the Blue Ribbon area. Steve, a Rolla native now living in Nebraska, and I landed about 50 wild bows. Steve landed the largest...12 inches but most were from 8 to 12 inches. All good fighting fish that tended to leap out of the water during the fight.
Sweet! Sounds like you guys probably got tired of catching fish! Thanks Patrick.
This report submitted by Edward Richard of St. Louis on 11/25/09
Date of trip: 10/20/09 Times fished: 1:00 - 5:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Very Low Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Light Cahill, Stimulators
I have been to Little Piney several times and have always caught a few fish. This day was different. I had camped at Lane Springs the night before and planned to fish a couple of days. I fished in the morning and caught a few. But in the afternoon, I had the most fun I have ever had fishing; even dunking my cell phone (which I had to replace... lost the picture I took of one good raindbow, too) and bashing my knee against a rock couldn't change that. I caught about 15 fish. Most of them were the average 8 inches or so, but I caught several beautiful rainbows which measured 12 inches. I couldn't believe it. They were loads of fun on my 4wt rod. I was beginning to think I actually knew what I was doing. Now, I just have to think that the fish there just tearing up about anything when they are biting. I was planning to fish the next day, but I decided I wanted to leave on a such a great note. It had a been a beautiful and fun day of fishing. I just packed up the next day and left. Can't wait to go back. I might try Mill Creek next time.
Thanks for the report Edward. Sounds like a great time.
This report submitted by Randy Krause of Mt. Pleasant, SC on 10/20/09
Date of trip: 9/29/09 Times fished: 9:00am - 12:00pm Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Little Cleo's, Joe's Flies, Rebel Crawdads
The address may be deceiving. I am certainly no novice to fishing these waters although I haven't fished it since graduating from UMR back in Dec 96 when I moved to coastal SC. In college I fished here at least 3 days a week mainly for stockers. However I always caught an extraordinary number of wild trout which could always be distinguished by their spectacular color and fin shape. The bait of choice back then was a Pautzke Green Label Salmon Egg but I was always able to catch very nice wild trout downriver of Lane Spring in the fall throwing little cleos far upstream and retrieving them just faster than the current. The 2nd bait of choice is a dark green backed rebel crawdad working it back and forth in the current standing at the head of a hole. That was 13 years ago.
I found myself back in Rolla for a career fair interviewing students for a job in the real world. How could I not find the time to trout fish in my favorite stream of all time? After all, I practically lived on that creek. Now even after all that time with all of the changes rivers go through I still found and caught fish. In just a little less than 3 hours I caught 15 (smallest one was 6" and the biggest was 14") and that's only counting the ones where I had to remove hooks. There were several more that jumped and got off or I couldn't get out of the fast moving water.
13 years ago in one stretch of the creek I caught (1) 22" wild trout in September(1) 20" wild trout in October both on the evening of full moons right @ dark. I had one on even bigger that made the other 2 look like minnows that November. That fish straighened out a hook and I never saw him again. One of those trout hangs on my wall in my living room while the other two swam on. I still remember those days fishing @ Little Piney Creek. The 3 hours spent a couple of weeks ago was marvelous. Even after 13 years of being away - trout are still trout. What catches them today will catch them tomorrow. Take care of "my creek" until I return.
Take a kid fishing. It will stick with them for a lifetime!!!!
I share your feelings for the Little Piney, but I must assert one thing. It's MY CREEK! :-) Thanks Randy.
This report submitted by Greg Strickling of Ft. Leonard Wood on 9/13/09
Date of trip: 9/13/09 Times fished: 9:00am - 2:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Below Average Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, Tung Teaser
I haven't fished the Little Piney in more than a year now and I'd been hearing good things lately. It turns out they were true, especially around the Lane Springs area. Fishing was slow but steady with about a half dozen fish landed. Most were in the 5-7 inch range but a 16 inch fish took a dropper PTN at the bottom of a swift run. Hatchery fish just don't compare to their wild brethren. I never did see any of the fish before they were hooked, just dropped flies in "fishy" looking areas.
Glad you had a good trip. Thanks Greg.
This report submitted by David Mann of Washington on 6/7/09
Date of trip: 6/5/09 Times fished: 7:00 - 8:30pm Air Temperature: Sultry Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly cloudy What worked: Silver Panther Martin
Well, I decided to get a little bit of wild trout fishing this weekend, although my main objective was to fish Montauk. I only got 90 minutes of fishing in before it started to get dark. I waded downstream from Lane Spring Branch, and managed one trout just downstream of the spring, and another in a fast run about 400 yards downstream. They were both caught on a 1/32 ounce Panther Martin. I fished it a bit different than usual. Instead of casting upstream, I cast downstream and across the river as I waded downstream. Both fish were clearly wild trout. They were both about the same size. I'm not very good at estimating the size of fish, but the were between eight and eleven inches.
Sounds like fun! Thanks David.
This report submitted by Mark _________ of St. Louis on 3/16/09
Date of trip: 3/15/09 Times fished: 10:45am - ?? Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Prince Nymph, San Juan Worm
My son and I fished for nearly 4 hours yesterday in the Vida Slab area. We never spotted any trout until we actually hooked a couple in a very swift running hole. We both hooked two beautifully marked trout of about 12-14". Caught two more later in the day. Nice trip and beautiful fish but the trout numbers seemed to be very, very few.
Don't you believe it! I've fished the wild trout section of the Little Piney hundreds of times over the years and enjoyed several 30+ fish days. Even so, I can count the number of fish I've actually spotted on just one hand. Wild fish are just WAAAY better at remaining invisible than your normal hatchery fish. The numbers are certainly not as high as the white ribbon section during stocking season, but the blue ribbon section generally supports several hundred trout per mile, although many of them are fairly small. You can definitely be proud of the quality of fish you caught, though -- probably 3-4 years old fish.
This report submitted by David Mann of Washington on 1/3/09
Date of trip: 1/3/09 Times fished: 9:45am - 5:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly clouded What worked: Size 0 Mepps XD spinner
I arrived at the Vida Slab access to the Little Piney at about 9:45 A.M., and
started wading. In a scour hole (I know no one will believe this, but it really
is true), I hooked the largest trout of my life. About 20", it appeared to be
about three pounds. I got him within about a foot of the bank before he managed
to get the hook loose. Just as I lost him, I saw an approximately 14" rainbow
right beside him. Besides one Smallmouth Bass (also caught on a small spinner),
I had no further hook ups. No Trout landed, but still a great day on the stream.
I believe you! Once a wild rainbow gets close to 20 inches in length, they generally
convert to being meat-eating predators rather than bug-eating grazers. This isn't
always the case with hatchery-raised trout stocked at 12 or 13 inches in length,
but it's almost a certainty for stream-bred fish, and it's very common in fish
stocked when they're small -- 8 inches, for example. Too bad you didn't get a
closer look at him. I'll bet he was real stunner.
This report submitted by David Mann of Washington on 11/29/08
Date of trip: 11/29/08 Times fished: 11:30am - 4:00pm Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Overcast Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: None
We arrived at the Milldam Hollow access at 11:30 in the morning. I started walking
upstream, fishing with a rooster tail, and then tried Panther Martins, both to no
avail. There was no shortage of trout in the deep holes, but none seemed to want to
hit anything I was throwing.The first few casts to a pod of trout would usually yield
one follow, and then complete lockjaw. The fish in this section seemed to look like
they were about 11" stockers. I did manage to catch plenty of suckers and bluegill,
however. Then we headed upstream to Vida Slab. The pool below the bridge looked
impossibly good, but it yielded no trout to a weighted spinner. I then fished upstream
about a half mile, and fished every riffle, and run with significant current that I
came to, but didn't bother to fish the long, slow pools much. I never did see any
trout in this section, although we did catch plenty of smallmouth, suckers and
bluegill. Slow fishing, but still a good day on a beautiful creek.
It's amazing, but once you get into the wild sections of the creek, the fish turn
pretty much invisible. If you see any, you usually only get a fleeting glimpse as
they rocket off at 300mph. Good to hear from you again David. Thanks for the report.
This report submitted by Dave Greminger of Knob Lick on 4/19/08
Date of trip: 4/12 - 4/13/08 Times fished: All Day Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What worked: Green BH Nymph, Green Wooly Buggers
Cold snowy/sleetly conditions with the river falling after flood stage. Much of the bank had been washed
away and the creek was nearly too deep to wade, most of the fish hit on the brief clear weather pockets
and were lite on the hit. The Milldam access was was the starting point and I fished both up and downstream
about three-quarters of a mile each day and had three fish one day and five on the following. Stream gauge
was 757 when i started and around 600 when I left -- I've had the best fishing around 275 c.f.m. on the
Newberg gauge station. It was a great trip, but I earned every fish I hooked into.
Thanks for the report Dave.
This report submitted by George Magyar of Newburg on 10/31/07
Date of trip: 10/31/07 Times fished: Noon to 4:30pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Very Low Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: Hare's Ear Nymph, Wooly Bugger, Glo Bugs
I arrived at Milldam Hollow Access just south of Newburg around noon. I wasn't to impressed by the condition of the access.
Looked like there had been several booze parties going on down there. I didn't have any way of collecting the garbage, but will
come back and get it later. I didn't catch any fish at Milldam. The water was extremely low. I went to Vida Slab to try my luck.
When I got there it too had been the victim of party goers. There were beer cans, bottles, and fireworks remains scattered about.
I did manage to catch a couple of small perch on glo balls and nymphs, but no trout. A fellow from KC was also fishing the hole
with me and he caught several small trout on a homemade nymph he had tied. We both decided to try the area under Hwy. 63
bridge near Yancey Mills. When we got there it was the same story as the other two places. I managed to hook a trout on a wooly
bugger but he broke me off. The other fellow caught some chub and perch, but no trout. The water looked good, but I did not see
a lot of fish moving about. I left about 4:30pm, but I will be back to pick up the trash the other goofs left behind!
Yep, the fishing's been goofy again this fall. At least you didn't get skunked! Thanks George.
This report submitted by Milo B. of Boubon on 10/18/07
Date of trip: 10/11 - 10/13/07 Times fished: Midday to Late Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Overcast Water Level: Very low Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: #16 Soft Hackle Caddis, Green Wooly Bugger,
#14 Mercer's Mayfly, #16 Pheasant Tail
I fished for a little while the first night and caught two average fish on Mercer's Mayflys.
Caught eight the next day, one on a wooly bugger and the rest on swung soft hackle caddises.
All but one struck as the fly hung below. Several struck after the fly had been hanging for almost
30 seconds and another chased it for seven feet up a run as I went for a back cast. Caught nine
or so the next day all but two on the soft hackle Caddis.
Things of interest: one of the 9" trout I caught looked like a cutbow. It had deep orange slashes
under its jaw, hevy spots around the tail peatering out towards head and a heavy orange stomach.
Its stripe was also orange/red with a pink shein. What do you think? Cutbow or anomaly?
I've seen that coloration there as well. I'd be shocked if it was a true
cutbow, since the nearest population of cutthroats or cutbows is in
Arkansas -- unless someone's been raising them in the area. Since the
initial stockings were Shasta strain trout, I've always just chalked up
the interesting, and occasionally strange, colorations as a mutatation of
hybridizing Shasta with the Missouri and Missouri Arlee strains. If
anyone out there has some insider information on this topic, please
let me know.
This comment is from George Magyar:
I just wanted to comment on some of the "weird" colorations of the trout in Little Piney. My grandfather (now deceased)
told me that the Frisco RR stocked trout along the right of way of their trackage at spots where the tracks crossed cool
clear spring fed streams in Missouri and Arkansas. The story has it that a group of railroad barons shipped Gila River
rainbows from Arizona via tank cars to provide a private "wild" trout fishing experience for their guests. I don't know
how accurate this story is, but it might account for the brilliant colors of the fish.
This comment is from Brian Sloss:
Regarding the "cutbow" on the Little Piney, we get the same thing here on the Eleven Point in certain spots. I have asked
the fisheries biologist about this on shocking surveys. He said the colorization comes from diet. Not sure what is in the
diet that causes the color, but you can always catch the fish with that color in the same areas, which seems to confirm
that idea to me. There is something in that stretch that is causing the colorization.
Here's a follow-up comment from Milo:
I just remembered a conversation that I had with a man I met down at Lane Springs
campground concerning the type of trout that lives in the river. He said that they were
McCloud Rainbows. So I looked them up and it says that McClouds were stocked
in several states including Missouri. Click HERE for a site concerning them.
As to the peculiar coloring, it may be the result of the scuds. They could create the orange
on the dorsal and anal fin tips and stomach, much as shrimp make flamingos pink. Just
conjecture.
Many thanks to Brian and George. Haven't heard the rumor about Gila trout being in
Missouri before, but it would certainly be cool if it's true. It occured to me there used to be a
hatchery across the creek from the Lane Spring area, but it's been closed down for years.
Could be that they raised an interesting strain of fish, as well. As far as it being
diet, that is also true to a certain extent, but that usually only effects the shading and
vibrancy of a trout. For example, the same species can have a pink stripe in one section
of the river but will have an almost-purple stripe in another section. And, yes, McCloud
blood is present in many of Missouri's trout populations -- mostly hybridized with the Arlee
strain of rainbow trout. I'd be very curious to see what genetic testing would tell us.
Anyone got an extra thousand bucks or so laying around?
This report submitted by Milo B. of Boubon on 5/29/07
Date of trip: 5/26 - 5/27/07 Times fished: 12:00-3:00pm, 4:00-8:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Overcast Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Gin Clear What worked: #20 Benacle, #14 Brown Mercer's Mayfly,
#16 Soft Hackle Caddis Pupa
On my first day I hooked my first fish, 9", on a soft hackle fly with a green body
that I swung through some broken water. I caught two more 7-8" trout over the
next hour on a Mercer's Mayfly. Then I tied on a #20 Benacle I caught two large
11" and 12" trout on it out of two different but similar fast shallow riffles. After
landing the 12 inch trout, on a hunch I cast again into the same area of the riffle it
had come from. Something big took the fly. After a vigorous eight run fight I landed
a very fat 13" trout that looked nothing like any other I have ever caught in the Little
Piney. It was thick with dark olive sides a dark red band and large black spots that
covered its entire body. It also had a square tail and slightly hooked kype. It had
taken the Mercer's Mayfly.
The second day was less eventful. I caught five standard 8" trout. Once again the
Mercers Mayfly was the big producer, though the Benacle did take a couple and
lost one larger 11 or 12" fish. No other flies were working.
I used a well weighted ten foot leader and heavy flys. Almost all the trout were
caught below the picnic grounds and all but one trout were taken in fast water.
The faster the water was the larger the trout were as a rule.
I am guessing that the overcast skies and rain caused this. I have also begun my
conversion to smaller flys for large trout. This Memorial Day was a blast.
You're partly right. The rains oxygenated the water, so the fish
felt frisky. With warmer water, their metabolism is up, meaning
they need more calories. In other words, warmer water with good
oxygen content leads to aggressive and competitive feeding.
Springtime is about the only time you find this in Missouri.
Thanks again for the help Milo.
This report submitted by Tim ______ of Columbia on 12/29/06
Date of trip: 12/28/06 Times fished: 1:00am - 1:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What worked: BH Pheasant Tail, Black Wooly Bugger
Planned on starting at Lane Spring access... closed for the season! So, started at the 63
Bridge and then fished back to Lane Spring campsites. Fishing was slow, but the day
and the solitude was nice. I was only able to catch chub, bluegill and I belive river
horseheads? No trout. I'm either not able to find them, or don't have what they want
(tried: elk hair caddis, stimulators, wooly buggers, zebra midges (tungsten bead head
in cinammon, brown, etc.), bead head phesant tails, etc. I saw no surface activity
even though there were lots of bugs around so I stayed down deep and under most
of the day. Even though that first Missouri wild trout eluded me, I'm not discouraged!
This is a beautiful stream and is a wonderful getaway, even when the "catching" is
not so great (the fishing is always good!). This is the second time I've been (same
results then also!) and I'm sure I'll go again and someday... I will be successful at
catching my first "wild trout". What I love about this experience is that you really
have to use different skills than, say, the trout parks (everything from bushwacking
to stealth to quiet wading skills, different casting techniques....
I did catch two trees! Roll casts are a must). I would recommend this stream to
anyone who wants a beautiful place to work on their skills, get away from it all,
see a beautiful part of Missouri and who knows... you just might catch a trout.
Thanks for a great site....I check it often!
Thanks for the report and the kind words. Remember, when the
water feels good to the fish, trout swim upstream. You might
have had better luck moving upstream from the bridge rather
than down. On streams like Little Piney, finding the fish
is half the battle!
This report submitted by Mike ______ of Belleville, IL & Jeff G. of St. Louis on 12/11/06
Date of trip: 12/10/06 Times fished: 9:00am - 12:30pm Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Jigs, Beaded Pheasant Tail
Mike's Report: We took the last left off W before the the Vida Slab Bridge and headed downstream
about a half-mile. Temperatures were cool, but bearable, and the water was clear.
My friend headed upstream and I headed down. Fishing was slow, and we each
were able to land only one rainbow in three plus hours of fishing. A little slower
than we had hoped, however if you are looking for solitude this was the place to
be on a Sunday morning. The only noise I heard was the slightly audible sound of
the stream as it rushed by my waders, a few fox squirrels playing on the bank, and
the sound of water as it raced down a nearby riffle. The fish I landed was about 11"
long and marked like the fish I have caught previously in the upper portions of the
creek. My friend's fish looked like a stocked fish and was about the same size.
We left the Little Piney a little after noon and headed to Meramec Springs.
Jeff G.'s Fish
Thanks for the help, guys.
This report submitted by Milo B. of Bourbon on 10/22/06
Date of trip: 10/13 - 10/18/06 Times fished: Afternoon to Evening, primarily Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: #14 White Mayfly, #18 Brown Quill, #14 White EHC, #14-16 Tan EHC, #14 Mercers Micro Mayfly with Green & Brown dubbing
We arrived at Lane Springs Campground on the 13th, but it was too late to fish. The next day, I fished from site 8 to the swimming hole,
below the walk in sites, and back. White Mayflys and Caddisflys, both #14, Tan Mayflys, #14-18, Brown Stones, #16, and Black Caddisflys,
#16, were all flying up and down the river in fair numbers. A 14-15" trout in the run just above the swimming hole poped my #14 tan caddis into
the air twice before becoming spooked. I worked the pool and saw an occasional large trout rise (read 16-18"), but they were eating emergers,
and I didn't have any to match. I fished my way up the run but didn't see any more trout. The next riffle up stream proved very fruitful. I caught
seven trout between 6" and 9", one of them twice. It had a perfect bite taken out of the top lobe of its tail that sugested a very large fish had done
it. I headed back in an hour before dark.
The next day was slightly warmer. I started fishing at site 13 before noon and worked my way upstream until I could see the bridge but didn't
catch anything. It was still early, so I headed downstream. I picked a couple of small trout out from under a small stump above the riffle that
had fished so well the day before. I don't mind catching small trout in this stream, because they are so beautiful. These even had bright hunter
orange tips on their dorsal fins. I hurried downstream past Lane Spring to where the branch meets the Little Piney I pulled a small trout out
of the top of a hole where the two meet. I ran out of Caddisflies and white mayflies at about this time, so I switched to a #14 brown biot
Mayfly and caught a nine inch trout that was behind some cress on a reaction strike. I caught another small one in a small riffle before heading
back. On the third day, I stayed in, tied flies, and watched the rain fall outside.
On day four I headed straight to the spring because it was already about 4pm. The water was very slightly clouded but it was almost imperceptible.
I pulled a 7" trout out of the second riffle below the beach and headed downstream. I fished the deep hole at the confluence, where I had caught a
trout a couple of days earlier. Using an Elk Hair Caddis and Mercers Micro May Fly dropper I pulled two 9" trout out of the hole. As I reeled the
first one in, another trout swam beside it trying to snatch the fly from the hooked trout's mouth. I was working the pool above the confluence lightly
on my way back, mostly for casting practice, when I watched my mayfly go down as it passed a chunk of floating cress on the opposite bank. The
trout was pretty big, but it wormed its way off before I could get it close enough to see clearly. It was easily 14".
Thank you for this wonderful website. It has provided me with a wealth of information, which is indespensable to the young fly fisher. This is the first
time I have posted, as I only get the chance to fish for trout about twice a year, but it will certainly not be the last.
Twice a year!? Where are your priorities, man!!?? Seriously, though, many thanks for the report. Little Piney
is very much underrated by Missouri trout fishermen. If I didn't have to spend so much time on the Meramec, I'd
spend a lot more time fishing for wild Piney trout. BTW, the tail bite you mentioned is actually a clip from MDC
fisheries when shock sample the fish population. If they clip the top of the tail on a survey, it means they're
planning a second pass through in the near future. By sampling twice and counting how many of the sampled fish
are counted on both trips, they can estimate the percentage of the actual population they're pulling up. This
gives them a real census number to work with.
This report submitted by Kevin Handy of Cana, VA on 8/6/06
Date of trip: 8/6/06 Times fished: 9:30 am Air Temperature: Steamy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Spinner Flies
I made it to the creek this morning around 9:00 and proceeded upstream from the slab bridge. Didn't
have a single strike until I got up the creek over a half mile. Then I started seeing and catching fish. I caught
three trout, numerous chubs/redhorses, and a couple of sunfish before I stopped fishing at 11:30. It was really
hot at that point and the fish seemed to of stopped biting. First time that I'd ever fished this creek. More water
in the Little Piney than other small streams that I've fished in this area.
Welcome aboard, Kevin. You're right about Little Piney being bigger than, say, Mill
Creek or Spring Creek -- especially in this time of drought. Haven't studied the
spring pool documentation, but it's likely a safe bet that Lane Spring is pulling water
from the other creeks. Thanks for the report. Come back & visit Missouri real soon!
This report submitted by Mike ________ of Belleville, IL on 4/19/06
Date of trip: 4/17/06 Times fished: 8:30am - 4:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Below Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: #16 & #22 Beaded Flashabuggers
Arrived at Milldam Hollow around 8:15AM and fished downsteam from the parking lot. Caught one trout and one
sunfish all morning on a #16 ginger beaded flashabugger. Saw one injured trout flailing around in the shallows, probably
a bait caught and released fish from the weekend. Drove over to the Vida Slab access and ate a sandwich before proceeding
upstream into the blue ribbon waters. Saw several small trout swimming in one pool and was
able to catch and release one fish on a #22 olive beaded flashabugger. Ended the day with not much more than a good sunburn
on my arms, but the solitude was great
Thanks for continuing to help us out with reports, Mike.
This report submitted by Mike ________ of Belleville, IL on 4/10/06
Date of trip: 4/9/06 Times fished: 3:00pm to 5:30pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Beaded Black & Olive Flashabugger
After fishing Mill creek in the AM, we arived at Midlam Hollow at 2:00PM. I have fished the Little Piney previously, but not
from this access point. I fished downstream from the parking lot and found the stream to be perfect with many riffles, deep runs
and some nice bank structure. My partner fished upstream from the parking area and assured me that there was some nice water
to fish upstream. Unfortunately he was unable to land a fish Sunday afternoon. I was able to find four fish willing to take my fly
and a fifth fish that looked to be 15+ inches broke me off. What a great day to be on the stream!
Thanks for the report Mike. The White Ribbon area of Little Piney is
very much underrated and largely ignored by most trout fishermen. Can't figure out why. There always
seems to be good fishing there.
This report submitted by Joe ________ of Columbia on 4/6/06
Date of trip: 4/5/06 Times fished: Mid-day Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: None
Fished from vida slab up river -- 0 success. Stalked and never saw a fish. Also went downriver to the
stocking areas down from milldam...same story. I went the wrong way, should of tried upstream.
Little Piney's been pretty tough this Spring. Last fall, the Vida Slab area was routinely producing
20-30 fish on a good day of fishing. Springtime is different. Earlier in the spring, the mature fish
all moved upstream for spawning, and good catches were found upstream of the highway 63 bridge. This time
of year, they're migrating back downstream. If you don't find fish where you are, just keep moving upstream
and you'll eventually track them down. Once the Lane Spring area opens (5/1), you should also find good
results downstream from the spring branch. As far as the white ribbon
area is concerned, most success there is on glo-bugs, woollies, spinners, streamers, etc. Those fish have
no idea what a mayfly or caddis looks like.
Thanks for the report, Joe.
This report submitted by Jim ________ of Columbia on 4/6/06
Date of trip: 3/30/06 Times fished: 11:30am to 5:30pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What worked: Dries & Nymphs
Started at vida bridge and fished upstream about 1.5 miles. Caught many fish, most in the 5- 9" range,
a couple between 10-12". Overall a good fishing experience until I returned to my vehicle. Someone
had broken all windows on the drivers side. The vehicle was still locked and nothing was stolen. Just an
act of senseless violence. I wanted to share this info so others would be aware and to find out if anyone
else has had the same problem there.
Tight Lines to All.
My apologies for your troubles, Jim. There are local yahoo's everywhere, but I'm still
embarrassed that someone from my neck of the woods would do something like that. If any
of you folks out there have any ideas on who is to blame, please
let us know. I'll pass on your leads to the Phelps County Sheriff, so we can catch the
little bugger that did this.
On a brighter note, glad you had a good trip (otherwise). It's always good to hear that the
rainbows are finally moving back downstream.
This report submitted by Garett S. of Jefferson City on 1/29/06
Date of trip: 1/29/06 Times fished: 8:00am to 3:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: #12 Olive Mohair Leech, #16 Elk Hair Caddis
This is the first time I've ever had the pleasure to fish this creek. I caught seven rainbows before lunch. They
were all around 6-8 inches with the biggest being just over 12 in. I parked where Hwy 63 runs over the creek.
I fished down from the bridge during the last three hours and caught 8 more trout. The biggest again being around
12 inches. A fun creek and I'm sure I'll fish it again this summer. The terrestrial's would be fun on this creek.
Thanks Garret. I'd say your results are confirmation that
prespawn is in full bloom. Vida Slab (downstream) has been far slower than normal,
but the highway 63 area (upstream) is producing good results with a few bigger fish.
Both outcomes are not normal for most of the year.
This report submitted by Gerry Ferguson of St. Joseph on 1/18/06
Date of trip: 1/9/06 Times fished: Noon to 3:30pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Overcast Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Nothing
I was in the general area, so I thought I'd get a little exercise. I fished from Vida Slab upstream about a mile
and a half. I tried a bead-head pheasant tail, also a brown caddis. Didn't get a look from any trout. I did however
catch 4 bluegill. I'm not complaining. The temp was in the low 60's, great for mid-January. It felt great just to get
out and enjoy the day.
Thanks Gerry. With the Vida Slab area slowing down, it's sounding
like the pre-spawn period may be getting started, meaning the wild trout are moving
upstream. With the Lane Spring area closed, getting to the trout may mean hiking down from
the Highway 63 bridge.
This report submitted by Gary L Bertrand of Rolla on 1/11/06
Date of trip: 1/7/06 Times fished: 10:00am - 2:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Very Low Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Plastic Worms What DIDN'T work: Marabou Jigs
I took a few pictures just upsteam of the stocked area of the Little Piney near Newburg on Sunday 01/07/06. These have
been added to pictures taken a year or so ago. They are linked to a map of the area at
THIS LOCATION.
Thanks for the report, and thanks for the great map and photos.
This report submitted by Adam Sullentrup of Cedar Hill on 12/23/05
Date of trip: 12/21/05 Times fished: Morning to afternoon Air Temperature: Frigid Weather: Overcast Water Level: Below Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Pheasant Tail Nymphs What DIDN'T work: Wooly Buggers & Midges
My brother and I fished vida slab for about two miles downstream. Caught several nice ones, ranging from
6 to 12 inches. Riffles seem to be a key to sucess for winter time fishing on this stream. Fish your nymph
deep with a split shot or heavy bead head right at the end of a riffle and you will get a bite almost evey time.
Thanks for the report, Adam.
This report submitted by Kevin Miller of Linn on 12/17/05
Date of trip: 12/17/05 Times fished: Morning to afternoon Air Temperature: Freezing Weather: Sunny Water Level: Below Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Small Beadhead Nymphs What DIDN'T work: Dry Flies & Streamers
I started fishing at the Highway 63 bridge and went downstream well past the Lane Spring Recreation Area. Caught 13
or 14 trout with the biggest being 6-7 inches long. I caught a lot of tiny ones. Is this normal or am I a lowsy fisherman?
Still a very nice day of fishing.
Thanks for the report, Kevin. It doesn't sound like you're a lousy
fishermen at all. Little Piney's trout population varies dramatically along it's length.
If you were to start fishing at Milldam Access and work your way upstream to the headwaters,
you'd find that the numbers of fish gradually increase while the average size gradually decreases.
As the fish get larger, they start searching for bigger water, which leads them downstream.
While the daily limit is 1 fish 18+", a 15" fish is something to brag about on this creek.
This report submitted by Eddie Brinkmeyer of Kansas City on 11/25/05
Date of trip: 11/25/05 Times fished: Afternoon Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Sunny Water Level: Very Low Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Bead Head Pheasant Tail, Elk Hair Caddis
I fished Little Piney Creek from Vida Slab upstream the day after Thanksgiving. Weather was nice, but not for fishing.
Bright, cloudless skies,with an occasional gust of wind made casting a fly underneath some overhangs a challenge. Water was
ultra-clear. I ended up spooking more fish than I caught. I did land a few nice ones, 7-10" in range, with several little ones. I
switched nymhs & dries all afternoon. The standard BH Pheasant Tail #16 always seems to work here as well as an Elk Caddis
or Adams when the fish are busting the surface.
Thanks for the report Eddie. Sounds like a good trip. Hope to hear from you again real soon.
This report submitted by Brent Vennard of Columbia on 11/5/05
Date of trip: 11/3/05 Times fished: Afternoon Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: 1/24 oz inline spinners, 1/80 oz jigs What DIDN'T work: nothing
On 11/3/05, I arrived at Little Piney Creek about 1:00 p.m. and fished until 4:00 p.m., it was a windy day, so I wasn't sure
what the fish would be doing, but on my 2nd cast, and pretty much everyone after that I had a fish at least chase my spinners
away. Apparently, the MDC has recently stocked this creek, because there is a very good number of fish from the first parking
lot off 7400, to as far upstream as I walked. My best producers were 1/24 oz rooster-tails, and 1/80 oz jigs. Color didn't seem
to matter, but gold got more hits than silver. I was only there 3 hours, but landed 25+ fish.
Holy cow! That's a great day for the White Ribbon waters. MDC usually stocks every 3 weeks or so,
so readers should be able to do the math and time their next trips about right. Thanks, Brent.
This report submitted by Brent Vennard of Columbia on 8/25/05
I fished the Little Piney River on 8/23/05 because of the information provided
on this website. The water appeared to be normal, if not a little low, and clear.
I began my trip at the Mildam Hollow Access and worked almost to County Road 7360.
I was unsuccessful in catching any trout, but I managed to land quite a few nice
smallmouth, one of which was almost 2 pounds. Around 1:00 p.m. I decided to take
the drive up to Maramec Spring and see about catching my limit. The park is very
nice and family oriented, and there are plenty of fish to catch. On day one (8/23)
they were cutting grass when I arrived, and I guess that stirred up the fish, I had
my four in about 20 minutes. On day two (8/24) the fishing was a little slower I'm
guessing due to all the food released when the grass was cut, but I still had a limit
of fish by 10:00. I tried to use power bait, but it didn't seem to work very well.
About 80% of the fishermen at meramec use power bait, but most of them had to spend
4 or more hours to catch 4 fish. I used a bright orange trout worm, wacky rigged
with 2 split shots about 18-24 inches up my line. I cast upstream and keep a
controlled slack in my line letting the current do its thing. Keep up the good
work. Y'all have an outstanding website, My next trip is already in the works.
Welcome aboard Brent, and thanks for the reports. FYI to all, the Milldam area on Little
Piney is populated mostly by stocked trout, and the MDC does not usually stock there during
the heat of the summer. The water warms up too much, putting the newly stocked fish at
risk of mortality. The MDC also often skips 6-8 weeks in the coldest part of the winter.
The best times to fish this area are September through Christmas, and March through June.
The good news, as Brent discovered, is that Little Piney is also a great smallmouth stream.
So strap on a big streamer and hold tight!
This report filed by Mike Quirin on 8/3/05
We arrived Vida Slab bridge a little before 8:00AM on 7/30/05. This was our first
trip to Little Piney Creek so it is a little difficult to judge stream
flow and clarity, but I would call it clear and near normal for Summer.
Fished to 11:00AM, each catching and releasing about a half dozen small
rainbows, the largest being about 11". Enjoyed a nice shore lunch and
then packed up and moved to the Lane Spring Recreation Area. After checking
out the campground, which is very nice, we hit the water again about 2:00PM.
Swimmers were a problem in this section and the afternoon sun didn't help.
I went fishless and jeff hooked and lost one small rainbow before 5:00PM when
we left the stream. We saw only two other fisherman all day, but I'm sure
others may have been waiting for evening -- a luxury we did not have as
we had a long ride home. A black and yellow jig which matched the many
crayfish was working for my partner, and I had success on a beaded olive
wooly bugger. We plan on returning this Fall when the weather is a little
cooler and the swimming a little colder.
Thanks for the tips, Mike. Glad you had a good trip.
This report filed by Walt Fulps on 10/23/04
Fly-fished upstream from Vida Slab starting around mid-day and fished until
dark. Water was in fair shape, but I tend to do better here with the water up a
bit and a little off-color. Had some decent luck with bead-head pheasant tails,
catching several small fish ranging from 5-9" each. Around 4pm, a brown drake
hatch started (see picture), so I switched to dries. Didn't have a good matching
pattern -- started with a #12 Wulff. Had several trout bang my fly up in the air,
but they were apparently too small to get it in their mouth. Changed to a #16
Adams and started tearing them up. Caught at least a dozen, with the largest
going 13" or so. The fishing slowed, but the drakes were still in the air. On
a hunch, tied on a #12 hare's ear emerger (normal hare's ear nymph with a ball
of white poly on top). Hooked and lost what would have been the best fish of the
day on that fly -- perhaps 15" long. Otherwise, had several hits with no other
hookups. Total: about 20 fish landed in five hours of fishing. A very nice
day on the creek with several decent-sized fish, which is usually rare on this
creek.
If you go fishing on Little Piney Creek, please be sure to send us a
report about how you did. Click
here if you would like more information on
Little Piney Creek.
All content and images on this website are under copyright protection 2004. Reprinting is permitted with
written permission. Please contact us if you see something you'd like to use.
