Capps Creek
White Ribbon Area
No bait restrictions. Daily limit is 4 trout with a 15 inch length restriction on brown trout. There is also a well-marked "Kids Only" section with regulations posted -- NO FISHING ADULTS!
|
Capps Creek is actually a very nice place to take the family. The Jolly Mill area has been renovated into a park setting, the lawns are manicured, and it is a wonderful spot for picnicking. The mill dam creates a man-made waterfall and a pretty set of riffles. Upstream from the mill a half mile or so, you'll find the springs. On top of these nice diversions, the fishing can actually be pretty darn good. Aside from the mill area shortly after stocking, there isn't usually a great deal of fishing pressure. A good amount of the fishing access requires a bit of walking, so even if it is crowded, you can find some solitude by stretching your legs. In fact, you should find yourself casting to good-sized wild-living resident fish.
While the management area technically extends about 4 miles upstream from the creek's confluence with Shoal Creek, the best trout waters are generally downstream from the springs. At times, though, you'll find good fishing upstream from the springs as well, depending on how much water is up there -- sometimes not very much -- and how cool the weather is. The fish stocked further downstream are blocked by the dam, so there are also times you'll find migrating fish stacked up just below or just above the dam, depending on which direction they're moving. The pool under the bridge just below the mill is a popular spot with bait fishers, but various flies and lures also work well here. Fly and lure fisherman often have good luck farther downstream out of sight of the bridge or upstream of the mill pool. Pheasant tail and hare's ear nymphs are good producers further away from the mill where you're casting to fish who have learned to feed naturally. The closer to the parking lot you fish, the more you'll find that the fish prefer attractor patterns -- cracklebacks, wooly buggers, glo-bugs, etc. Spinners and small spoons are proven successful all along the creek as well. NOTE: the last time I personally visited Capp's Creek, I noted that the gate along the creek had been padlocked, presumably by the landowner. This caused me some concern re: access issues, of course, but the landowner cleared things up for me. On the north side of the creek, the gate has been padlocked to keep people from taking ATV's onto the property. On the south side of the creek, there are "V" gates available to allow fishermen through the fencing. The landowner (Bob) has truly gone above and beyond the call of duty making it possible for fishermen to get into the creek, even going so far as putting in a parking lot for us. So, be sure to respect his property! No littering, no fires, no poaching, etc. He doesn't have any obligation to keep the creek open and accessible for us! And thanks Bob! Capps Creek is located southwest of Monett just south of Hwy 60. |
|
| capps_creek_ca_map.pdf |