Roubidoux Spring is the primary cold-water source for this fine trout stream, which
flows right through downtown Waynesville. And the spring is quite the attraction for a
couple of reasons. In the summer time, it's a popular swimming hole. Also, the waters
flow out of an impressive submerged cave system, which is considered among the best
diving caves in the country. The concrete wall constructed above the spring to keep
the road in place definitely detracts from the natural beauty, but try to overlook that.
The spring branch joins the Roubidoux just upstream of downtown Waynesville and flows north
3-1/3 miles to the Gasconade river. The first mile or so is White Ribbon water, but the lower
stretch is Red Ribbon managed primarily for larger brown trout. While the fishing is good in
both areas, there are a few challenges to its becoming a true high-class fishery.
Waynesville is easy to find. It's right on I-44 halfway between Lebanon and Rolla. Take any
Waynesville exit and find your way onto Old Highway 66, which is the town's main street. Drive
toward the middle of town, and you'll find the creek.
The White Ribbon Trout Area
No bait restrictions. Daily limit is 4 trout,
of which only 1 may be a brown trout of 15" or longer.
The White Ribbon Water is a bit less than 1 mile stretching from the spring, through
downtown Waynesville, past the city park, down to the utility cables that cross the river.
The largest portion of the creek upstream from the downtown bridge is deep and wide with
very little structure. Fishing success here is mostly tied to the stocking truck, with the
majority of trout being taken on bait and in-line spinners. Just above the bridge, the
creek begins to pick up more character with a few series of riffles and pools extending to
below the city park. This area can be very productive for fly fishermen and drift fishermen
when the water's up a bit, but it's still more of a spinner creek.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has a big challenge, if they want to develop this
portion of the river into a year-round fishery. With the creek running right through downtown,
the stocking truck simply cannot visit without the locals being aware of it. Those who fish
the area can help the cause by practicing catch and release. Fish who have been eating trout
chow for a year don't really taste that great anyway, do they?
One thing is for certain. The MDC is not giving up on this area. This 1-mile section of the
Roubidoux Creek receives more trout stocked than all other White Ribbon areas in the state
with the only exceptions being the white ribbon areas of the Current River (7-1/2 miles long)
and the Eleven Point River (14 miles long).
The Red Ribbon Trout Area
Artificial lures and flies only (no soft
plastics). Daily limit is two trout. All trout less than 15" in length must be released
immediately unharmed.
The Red Ribbon Area starts at the utility line crossing the creek just down from the
city park and extends all the way to the Gasconade. This portion of the creek is lovely
and has good structure and a lot of character, and there are many spots that hold trout
year 'round. However, the plan for this portion of the river to begin to provide more and
more trophy-sized trout has a number of barriers to its success.
There are no notable additional springs along the length of the creek, so the water warms
significantly along the way. Water temperatures in a trout's comfort zone allow it to migrate
upstream, while water that is too cold or too warm make the fish weak and push them downstream.
For brown trout fishing, this means that the red ribbon section will really only have actively
feeding browns present during the spring and the fall. In the coldest part of the winter and the
hottest part of the summer, the fish are lethargic and largely dormant. And since there is no
rainbow trout stocking in the red ribbon section, and since the rainbows in the white ribbon
section are generally harvested as soon as they're stocked, there are relatively very few rainbows
found further downstream to round out the fishing experience.
Another barrier is that the MDC stocks this area more lightly than the other Red and Blue Ribbon
areas in the state. The other areas typically receive annual stockings of between 700 and 1000
trout per mile per year. In the past, the Roubidoux Creek Red Ribbon Area has typically receives
closer to 360 trout per mile. It's unclear if this difference is due to less fishing pressure
than other rivers, problems with aquatic food sources, water temperatures, or other habitat issues.
What does appear clear, though, is that the MDC hasn't given up on the creek. It simply appears
they're trying to figure out what to do with it. It's been reported to Missouri Trout Hunter that
brown trout will now be stocked twice per year, rather than just once as in years past. Also,
the statewide 15" minimum length limit for brown trout will protect those not-quite-trophy browns
that migrate into the white ribbon area each autumn -- assuming they don't fall prey to poachers.
While their numbers are smaller, rainbows can be found downstream from mid-summer until mid-winter,
and fly fishermen can have decent success with traditional Western fly fishing tactics. At other
times of the year, the rainbows are generally closer to the headwaters. Browns are the opposite.
You can find them upstream during autumn and early winter months and scattered throughout the river
the remainder of the year. The browns usually prefer larger prey and are usually more vulnerable to
bigger flies, streamers, spinners & crankbaits. As an additional perk, you also have an excellent
chance at catching quality smallmouth bass, as well as trout. The further downstream you go, in fact,
the more warm water species you will encounter -- even including gar. Hint: if you see a gar, you're
probably not going to catch a trout. Move upstream.
Call (573) 468-3335 for more information
You can download a detailed conservation department map of the Roubidoux Creek Conservation
Area and the Laughlin and Roubidoux Parks from our Maps Page, and
you can check the USGS water level changes in real-time, both by checking our
Water Levels Page page. Click here for a recent Roubidoux Creek
fishing report. After you fish the Roubidoux, please come back to tell
us how you did.
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