Blue Springs Creek
Blue Ribbon Area
Only flies and artificial lures are permitted, soft plastics specifically excluded. Daily limit is 1 trout at least 18 inches long
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You can get to Blue Springs Creek very easily by taking Highway "N" South from Bourbon, which is between Rolla and St. Louis right on I-44. Staying on "N" while traveling through downtown can be tricky, so pay attention to the signs. A few miles South of town, you'll see Camp Mihaska on the right side of the road. It is on their property where the primary spring is located. A bit further down, you'll cross the creek and will begin seeing conservation department signs. If you want to find the lower end of the creek, follow the signs to "Blue Springs Ranch", which will lead you to turn left on "Blue Springs Rd." Incidentally, that road was previously called "Thickety Ford Rd.". There is plenty of public access, and fishermen traveling from St. Louis should at least swing by to take a look. You'll be able to see spots from your car that you'll want to try.
This is a lovely little (itty bitty) creek that is narrow enough to even jump across in a few places, but it has a good population of wild rainbows to be found in it's riffles and pools. And the creek has a lot of character as well. Several of the best fishing spots are even characterized by small shut-ins. As previously mentioned, the headwaters are on private property, but the majority of the stream is accessible through the Blue Springs Creek Conservation Area. While I haven't actually made the effort, it seems likely that the Camp Mihaska would probably allow you to access the upper stream for a small donation to their ministry -- they're affiliated with the Salvation Army. If you'd like to minimize the amount of swearing, do yourself a favor and fish with a short rod and a long leader. You'll have good luck with small nymphs and wets (i.e. #12-18), but decent sized dries also produce well (i.e. 12-14). Other than that, wade quietly and make some delicate presentations. If you can accomplish those tasks, you'll catch some pretty fish. That’s pretty much it – no secret formula needed. |
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| blue_springs_creek_ca_map.pdf |