Niangua River White Ribbon Area Fishing Reports This page was updated 3/21/09
This report was submitted by Ben Wade of Columbia on 1/6/09
Date of trip: 12/30 - 1/1/09 Times fished: 7:00am-9:00am; 4:00pm-dusk Air Temperature: Frigid Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above average Water quality: Slightly clouded What Worked: Any nymphs, San Juans
Stayed at Riverwood over the new year. It was clear and cold, but noone to be seen
until New Years Day -- there were 2 brave fly fishermen tube floating. Fishing was
fair below riffles and slower sections behind them. Lots of rainbows in the 10-12
inch range, one or two at 14 inches. The highlight of the trip was a big brown caught
at 4:20pm on New Years Eve. I have never seen a trout this big in the Niangua. I used
a san juan worm with a small split on a 9 ft leader. It took about 20 min to land the
fish. It measured 23 inches. I know it sounds like a fish story, I have been fishing
the Niangua for 14 years and caught many good size fish in the 1-2 pound range but
nothing like this, and the reason I share is to tell you there is hope for that
monster fish. I was told by the guy at Sand Spring that this is more common in the
winter when the water is colder and less travelled, GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
Doesn't sound like a fish story at all. The Niangua is big and deep enough to support
a good number of trophy-sized fish, but it has it's challenges, as well. Number 1 is
that it gets pretty darn warm in the summer, meaning the year-to-year survival rate for
rainbows is fairly low. BUT, browns have the ability to survive warmer waters with
lower oxygen levels better than rainbows, meaning there are plenty of big brownies
present. The challenge is catching them! a 23-inch brown trout is likely to be five
years old, and fish that old are not stupid. Congrats, and thanks for the report.
This report was submitted by David McGowan of Columbia on 10/20/08
Date of trip: 10/17/08 Times fished: 8:00am - 11:30am Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin Clear What Worked: Olive and Black Crystal Buggers
Had another great morning fishing at Barclay Access on the Niangua.
According to the hatchery report, they had put 300 fish in the river
a few days earlier, and Barclay is usually one of the areas they stock.
I was swinging crystal buggers on a sink tip and had a blast, I love
feeling that thump when they hit those things, they practically yank
the line out of your hand. As a non-fly-tier, I have to purchase all
my flies and must admit my go to lure the last few years has been Bass
Pro Shop's beadhead crystal bugger. It's a wolly bugger with crystal
flash in the entire body. It has never failed me. I used it at Beaver
Tailwater last year on my first trip there and think I hacked off a few
of the locals with all the fish I was catching. I also used it on my
first trip to the Current River last February. We're heading for
Taneycomo in November to chase monsters, I'll keep you posted.
Please do! And thanks again for keeping us up to date on the Niangua.
This report was submitted by David McGowan of Columbia on 8/4/08
Date of trip: 8/1/08 Times fished: 6:30am - 10:00am Air Temperature: Steamy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: Olive Leach, Soft Hackles
I got down to Barclay Access a few miles below Bennett Springs about 6:30 am and didn't see a soul
until the canoes started coming by around 9:30. That is my kind of fishing. They missed all the heavy rain
we had in Columbia, and the river was back down to normal stage, easy to wade. I was throwing mainly
an olive leach streamer, then a few other colors. After that died off, I swung some soft hackles across
the current. I landed 4 and missed twice that many easily. When you factor in the quiet solitude out there,
that's a great morning fishing in my opinion. Don't get me wrong. I love the parks and grew up at
Bennett, but I'm really starting to enjoy the challenge and "quiet" (pre-canoe) of fishing out in the rivers.
By the way, I love your site. That is alot of great info in one place.
Thanks for the kind words, and thanks again for the help with reports.
This report was submitted by David McGowan of Columbia on 6/2/08
Date of trip: 5/30/08 Times fished: 12:00 - 5:00pm Air Temperature: Balmy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: BH Olive Flashabugger
After borrowing a couple Water Skeeters from Charley-the fly guy, and Mike-the Niangua guy
(thanks guys) we left the HWY 65 bridge access heading for NRO about noon. I found a sweet
hole right across from the parking lot where the current created a nice washout and hole on the
bank and caught a bunch as soon as we got started. The water was moving fast and I was fishing
an olive flasybugger on a fast sink tip leader and giving it time to get down there before letting it
swing out in the current. Almost all of my strikes occured on the swing, I did very little actual stripping.
After that we started floating and picking up fish at lots of the various holes along the way. That was
my first time in a little mini pontoon boat and I loved it, I'm shopping for one now. That olive flasybugger
was all I caught them on that day and I ended up with about 20 fish by the end of the afternoon. We only
saw about 6 other people the whole day and the guy from NRO told me that during the week, the canoe
traffic stays pretty thin so I'm going to try to make it back soon.
I don't blame you! Definitely, weekdays on the float rivers is the time to go.
Glad you had a good trip, and thanks for the report.
This report was submitted by David McGowan of Columbia on 2/11/08
Date of trip: 2/3/08 Times fished: 12:00pm - 4:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: Crackleback
I fished for about an hour at Barclay Access swinging and stripping every wooly bugger I had.
The water was really moving. I switched to a blue/grey grizzly crackleback and managed to get
3 out of there. Then I went up to Bennett Springs for a few hours.
This report was submitted by Matt Wessling of Overland Park, KS on 9/17/07
Date of trip: 9/13/07 Times fished: All Day Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: 2" Twister Tails, any color
Discovered your site while looking at fishing reports and had to submit my own report. Great site!!
Spent the day with a friend fishing from Ft. Niangua to NRO bringing up the rear of twenty plus
boy scouts from our Scout Troop. Have fished with some success before on Niangua but had
an unbelievable day. Water was coming down from recent rains, and fish hit any color twister tail
on 1/16 oz. jighead in and below riffles in deeper holes using ultralight rigs. Best colors were
orange, yellow and white. The two of us landed 49 trout total and as a bonus caught about 15
smallmouth in same riffles up to 13". Biggest trout went 16". All trout were rainbows. Best luck
was in riffle below 64 Hwy. bridge at access point. Even caught several nice bows up beyond
Riverfront Campground in the hole by bluff.
Got back to NRO late and told scouts and adult leaders story of fishing and got the "yeah, right"
response! That is until I showed them a lot of digital pictures of our fish. My friend hadn't been
fishing since he was a kid, and he's been bugging me ever since to get back down there!!!
Thanks for the kind words Matt. It certainly sounds like you timed it
just right. This time of the year, we need a cool Autumn rain to turn the
bite on. If it doesn't happen, then the fish continue in the same type
of behavior pattern they've been in through the dog days of summer.
Thanks for the report, and welcome aboard.
This report was submitted by Scott Strack of Murphysboro, IL on 8/1/07
Date of trip: July 20-30 Times fished: 600-830am, 500-830pm Air Temperature: Sultry Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: Soft Hackles, White Scud, Sulfur Crackleback
Arrived at Riverwood resort for a family vacation on July 29th. My daughters and I fished the
Niangua Sunday evening. The girls used an ultra-light rig floating small jigs beneath a float. They
had a couple of light hits and finally managed to catch a fish each. I fished a tandem fly rig with a
scud and soft hackle fly. Only had 2 hits that evening in the 100 yard stretch of river that we fished.
I did manage to catch a fat little native rainbow that evening bafore we quit.
Monday morning we worked our way up from the resort toward the Bennett Spring access. We
started early to try to get some quality fishing in before the "aluminum hatch" began. We fished for
about 2 1/2 hours without a single strike. By about 9AM the canoes were starting to come through
with regularity so we called it a morning.
Monday evening we went to the park to see if the fishing was any better there.
Can't wait to get back there in the fall. Maybe the cool weather will make the fish a little more responsive.
This report was submitted by Scott Strack of Murphysboro, IL on 5/19/07
Date of trip: 5/16/07 Times fished: 6:30pm - 8:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What Worked: "Cyclops" tangerine glo-bug, white floss jig
I fished a stretch of the Niangua about a mile below the Bennett Spring access. I
started at the Riverwood Resort office and fished downstream. I was using the glo-
bug and white floss jig in a tandem set-up. My first cast produced a nice fat rainbow
from the undercut bank just 3 feet in front of me. My second fish was a football
rainbow, 17" long and well over 2 lbs. It was a great fight in the elevated water level.
Over the course of the next hour, I brought another 8 fish to hand. The best again
was a fat rainbow near the 2 lb. mark. The fish were evenly divided between the
glo-bug and the floss jig. I have found that offering the fish a choice of 2 different
flies has been highly productive over the years. By the way, if you are looking for
a great place to stay near Bennett Spring, check out Riverwood Resort. They offer
first class accomodations in a secluded setting. Super lodging and great folks to talk
and deal with make this place a great alternative to the park.
I've never done any business with Riverwood, but if the
fishing is that good, I may have to give them a yell! Since
the Niangua is a white ribbon area, most of the stocked trout
are going to be 10-12 inches. So, you were catching some
resident fish that had been in the river at least a year.
That's impressive for white ribbon. Thanks for the report
Scott.
This report was submitted by Michael __________ of Paola, KS on 3/11/07
Date of trip: 3/9/07 Times fished: Mid-day Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Rainy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin Clear What Worked: #10 Peachy King Glo-bug
While fishing Bennett Spring, took an hour off and fished the Highway 64 Niangua
River access. Waded downstream from the last boat ramp and couldn't get a thing in
the deeper water. Finally located the fish in the shallow riffles and took 5 beautifully
colored rainbows on a #10 peachy king glo-bug jig fished in the same manner as in the
park. I suspect that those fish had been in the river for a while. The rain finally drove me
off the river.
Thanks Michael. The upper Niangua is largely ignored by Bennett fishermen,
but it definitely pays to give it a shot -- especially when the park
fishing slows later in the day.
This report was submitted by Steve Fitzgerald of Lebanon on 2/5/07
Date of trip: 2/4/07 Times fished: 11:30am - 1:30pm Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Sunny Water Level: Above Average Water quality: Milky What worked: White PowerBait, White Plastic Jig
Caught and released 5 decent size rainbows in just a couple of hours. First fishing of the new
year right at the mouth of where Bennett Springs runs into the Niangua.
Welcome aboard Steve, and thanks for the report.
This report was submitted by Steve Hill of Kansas City on 5/8/06
Date of trip: 5/6/06 Times fished: 3:30am to 3:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Rainy Water Level: Very high Water quality: Milky What worked: Epoxy back copper john, conehead black streamer, prince nymph
My first time fishing the Niangua between Bennett Springs Access and Barclay Access. Caught 4 rainbows between 12-14 inches
and one brown 17 inches. Water clarity was probably 18 inch visability, moving pretty fast. River wasn't completely blown out, but
definately not ideal fishing conditions. Caught fish both stripping streamers and nymphing the inside seam of fast water meeting slack water.
With all the rain we've been having, catching fish at all is something to brag about. The Niangua is very
much under-rated and under-appreciated as a trout fishery. Not only is it a fine rainbow stream, there are
many browns in the 5+ pound class, and a few 10 pounders are reported every year. It's amazing it doesn't
get more pressure. Thanks for the report Steve.
This report was submitted by Bill Smith of Raytown on 3/26/06
Date of trip: 3/26/06 Times fished: 9:30am to 5:00pm Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Not a lot
Fished from MDC Barclay access to riffle just above Ho Hum. Fishing buddy got 4 browns and I got five
rainbows. I stayed with a streamer all day. Buddy fished a little of everything but got two on a streamer
and two near the end of the day on Caddis. Looked like it should have been a better day. Any suggestions on
where to fish, what to fish and how to fish it?
Thanks for the report, Bill. It actually sounds like you two had a decent day for this
time of the year. In the spring, you'll usually see the resident rainbows move up toward
the park while the browns use the extra space to spread out all over the place. That means
the rainbows you'll see further downstream are recently stocked fish. They tend to bite
better on attractor patterns (i.e. glo-bugs, rubber leg nymphs, etc.), and they'll still
respond to streamers quite well. With the other fish spreading out, you'll need to cover
more water to find the fish. This time of year, finding the fish is the biggest challenge.
This report was submitted by Miles McClain of Lebanon on 12/4/05
Date of trip: 11/30/05 Times fished: Mid-day Air Temperature: Freezing Weather: Sunny Water Level: Average Water quality: Gin clear What worked: #12 Pheasant Tail Nymph
Fished the Niangua at the NRO take out. The weather was very cold, 27 degrees, with a very light breeze.
The fishing was tough. Caught only three in 1 1/2 hours on pheasant tail nymphs. It had to be fished on or within
a couple inches of the bottom. The take was very light and I missed a couple because of it. The ones that I did
catch were 12"-13" but acted a lot larger. I was a little under dressed so I did not stay too long. I plan on going
to Bennett Springs next weekend, give you another update then.
Thanks again, Miles. We appreciate your help.
This report was submitted by Miles McClain of Lebanon on 11/11/05
Date of trip: 11/8/05 Times fished: Morning Air Temperature: Chilly Weather: Partly Cloudy Water Level: Average Water quality: Slightly Clouded What worked: Bead-head gold ribbed hares ear & wooley buggers
Fished the Niangua at the NRO take out. The weather was nice but windy and the water was slightly clouded.
Fishing started with a bang. Caught three or four rainbows on #16 gold ribbed hares ear beadhead and a small brown
on an olive wooley bugger. After about an hour the fishing slowed as the wind picked up. Got a couple of VERY SOFT bites
on various nymphs and scuds but could not keep them on. Moved further downstream to deep holes looking for a big brown
on a streamer but found none.
Our thanks to Miles for keeping us up to date.
This report was submitted by Miles McClain of Lebanon on 11/4/05
Date of trip: 11/2/05 Times fished: Afternoon until evening Air Temperature: Comfy Weather: Sunny Water Level: Very low Water quality: Gin clear What worked: Olive Wooley Buggers & Prince Nymphs
Fished just downstream of Bennett springs. Water was very clear and air temp was mid 70's. Did well on wooley buggers
fished on the tail end of riffles. Even caught a good brown. Switched to midges and nymphs and did not get a bite after that.
I usually fish Bennet and was pleasantly suprised that I was the ONLY one on the water that day. Nice and quiet and good
fishing. Cant beat it. Great website!!!
Welcome aboard, Miles. Thanks for the report and the kind words.
This report submitted by Wes Carillo on 9/22/05
Fished the Niangua below the park to the NRO take out on Sunday
September 18. It had rained a lot the few days prior and was raining
pretty heavy as we got our equipment ready. The water was up and
about as clear as mud. Fishing was really really tough. I landed a
few fish on black conehead buggers in a pretty deep riffle and landed
them quickly. BIG nymphs were the ticket as Jon and I stuck many a
few more fish on BIG Princes and a Y2K Bug. We fished hard and for a
long time and fishing was just downright slow. Water conditions were
terrible and was running really fast...hopefully we'll do better
next time!!!
Our thanks to Wes for our first published report on the Niangua River.
The Niangua is really underrated as a trout fishery. Even when water
conditions are poor, you'll find the fish are willing to be caught.
If you go fishing on the Niangua, please be sure to send us a
report about how you did. Click here if you would like
more information on Niangua River.
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