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vicrider

White River out of Beaver Lake

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Lots of talk over the years (and recently) about the White River out of Bull Shoals Lake and the Norfork out of Norfork Lake but have seen little to nothing about the White where it comes out of Beaver and heads to Table Rock Lake. I have been doing some reading and searching and am thinking I will give that a try in the near future. Looking for anyone that might have info on the river, guides, lodging (prefer cabins) on the river to fish from the front deck, about anything someone might help with. I am interested because I have a valid license until next fall for AR, a wife who loves to get out and just let me fish, and it is fully two hours or more shorter a drive for me than Mountain Home or Norfork.

I'm kind of thinking about the first week of May but that is very flexible. Just have to go before I inherit the summer grandkids and getting away is not in the picture until school starts again. I would probably figure on a guide trip or two or if I can find a place on river with a dock might bring my tin boat and 15 horse to putz around the river in the cabin area.

Any help or info of any kind appreciated,
Nick

PS...Google Earth for northern Ozarks area, back up and admire the wealth of waters available to them. Amazing. Now look at Google Earth between Amarillo TX and Oklahoma City and you will see why I spend more time tying flies and dreaming about other places than actually fishing.

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That's an hour from me and I used to fish it regularly. Its a relatively short tail-water, I'm not sure trout go lower than the US62 bridge and i never met any one that had fished for trout below Spider Creek.

I wade fished from the dam to about a 1/4 mile down stream and some near the ACOE campground at Parker Bottoms caught mostly 12-15" rainbow and smaller browns, my son-in-law baitfished the Spider Creek and caught bigger rainbows. The biologist I talked to said they had shocked up trout larger than 12#.

 

Parker Bottom campground; https://www.recreation.gov/recreationalAreaDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&facilityId=247802

 

Lake campground above dam; https://www.recreation.gov/camping/dam-site-lake-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=79063

 

The map you want; https://www.google.com/maps/@36.4304245,-93.8335821,15z?hl=en-US (click satellite)

 

Beaver Dam Store (http://www.beaverdamstore.net/) used to be a good+ fly shop but I haven't been there for several years. They had resort attached and a couple others are nearby- see map, zoom out.

Eureka Springs is not far (10 Miles?) away and the whole town is resort and has been for a hundred years, https://www.eurekasprings.com/

 

generation ( https://www.swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx ) is get out asap when the horn blows and be ready to get out if they increase the draw after generation starts

 

Rough shore line, steep in places and hard to wade as I recall. Some one runs boats there but I'm not sure who to contact, boat is surly the safest way to fish that water. I stumbled across this review while looking for the map http://perfectflystore.com/wbeaverdamtr.html

 

Forum pages for that tailwater http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/forum/59-beaver-tailwaterupper-white-river/

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20 miles and 30 minutes north of Beaver Dam is Mo state trout park and hatchery which might save the day if the Army is generating.

https://mostateparks.com/park/roaring-river-state-park

 

https://fishing.mdc.mo.gov/reports/roaring-river-state-park

 

daily tag is $3 and daily NR fishing permit is $7 you can buy both at the park store. Think the annual NR is $42 plus the trout.

 

Tim's Fly Shop just up the hill from RRSP is very good with just about every thing and Tim is a great guy and outstanding flytyer/flyfisher.

Also in that area (may even be at Tim's counter) is a very good maker of flyrods called Gordon Roller, his bamboo are lovely to look at and I want one.

 

RRSP is just a few miles from Table Rock Lake at Eagle Rock so bring your boat and you can use that Ar, license there.

 

I have seen 12# plus trout at Roaring River in past years but as that is heavily fished put and take as well as flood prone, I'd expect 14-17" trout to be the rule. Not much for the lady to see around RRSP though.

 

Time it right and I might buy the coffee.

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This guy fishes Beaver a lot. Give him a call. He uses drift boat All the reservoirs are in flood pool after big rains last week. Not sure if heavey releases will be finished by May. Prolly need your boat, kind a harry/dangerous for you. In the White River guides use drag chains with rope long enough to not hit the motor. They run ahead drift down you fish 2 flies with thingabobber. The drag chain slows the boat and keeps the bow pointed upstream. They have a bouy on the short rope and attach to the boat with couple of tie raps. That way if the drag chain hangs up the ties break and the bow doesn't go under swamping the boat in the heavey flows. Come back and pull upstream to dislodge. Not sure you and the Misses can handle that. Might just stay on the porch. They got rattle snakes and lizards too.

 

http://www.flyflinger.com/fishingreport.php

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denduke, you are not the most encouraging person for that water. So much of what I've been reading on the Beaver tailwater is it fishes almost like a stillwater much of the time unless they're generating. As for snakes, lizards, things that slither and slide around the ground, did you forget I'm from Oklahoma. You forgot to mention scorpions, a local favorite, or black widows or brown recluse spiders,

I have the flyfinger tapped in my bookmarks but unfortunately he places great value on his time, more than I'm willing to pay anyway. Would like to find a person who charges more like they do around the Mountain Home area. I know guide prices vary but his half day is what I'm used to paying for a full day elsewhere.

 

tjm, the Roaring River looks like a nice visit but unfortunately it would involve purchase of another license and more driving. Now if you were going to buy coffee and take me under your wing to fish the river that might be different. For that I'd buy the dinner later. Now if you were to come down to the Beaver then I'd definitely buy and if I can get a cabin at Spider Creek then I would definitely spend time in the big pool created where Spider runs into White.

 

Thanks guys...any more info always appreciated

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denduke, had a good laugh on that one. Couldn't understand the warning about snakes and lizard until I remembered from the Lodge my reluctance to fish in FL canals thanks to giant Iguanas, Alligators, reptiles of all kinds, car thieves in abundance, etc. I am always cautious about snakes thanks to the local populations but some things lose appeal to me like wading where there's sharks, stingrays, jelly fish, and gators. I was given some good info on the Spring River also but that's another hour further yet than Mountain Home but haven't ruled it out.

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Vic, I mentioned the RRSP only because I think the $10 a day is an affordable alternative if this far from your home and the Army decides to make water. If the thirty minutes drive is too much, tis up to you. It is park fishing any way. I have driven an hour just to get to Tim's for tying stuff.

 

I quit fishing AR, several years ago when they doubled or tripled the cost of NR plus Trout permits. Too many times I drove the hour down there and just got wet when they ran unscheduled generation, three hours wasted. With the big jump in prices of permits and that (at that time) frequency of generation, it just became a no go. For me to fish Beaver one day, the permits are $28 or for the annual $62 that I might not use more than once or twice. Where as an old guy my MO resident fishing permit is zero and trout is seven bucks. OK did a giant increase in NR permits about the same time and I don't go there anymore. I drive a little further and spend my money in MO.

 

I don't recall the White at that part ever fishing like still water, the hundred or so times I was there it was largely too deep and to heavy a current for easy wading and then they generated. The Spider Creek might be different, I never found the access as I recall. Get on that Ozarks forum that I linked above and ask about guides and lodging, might even be a local on that forum that would put you in a boat.

 

As Denduke mentioned May is still in the flood season some years, something to think on. I've been stuck home for over a week now by high water and they have more planned

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denduke, I already have the AR license and stamp. Any additional cost is an increase in my license investment. This is only a minor factor though since licensing is still only a small part of any trip, though it is definitely becoming more so and fees keep increasing. Still cost less the average of one night in a motel or cabin for the trip and for me, I usually get the seasonal licenses so I don't have to mess with doing it again if I enjoy the trip well enough for a repeat. Besides, license fees are one of the few things that go to the resource instead of general fund in most states. One thing I'm having a hard time doing is following the RR on Google maps. It seems to be in the Park then disappear in the treeline. How long is the fishable water? Are their guides that do float trips? I couldn't find any. Is there a lot of water easily accessible to a person with limited walking distance? I do have handicap tag so that often helps in parking access.

 

Since the RR is not a tailwater (I don't think) is it pretty much exempt from non-fishable flood conditions? The RRSP is interesting me more as a primary site rather than an alternative and found some nice cabins near the park for not much more than a cheap motel that look nice and had good reviews. The Rock Village Court. If there is enough fishing in RR to make a week interesting great, and if conditions allow it's close enough to do a float on the Taneycomo like is in the Bucket List.

 

TJM, if bamboo rods interest you, meet me at RRSP and I'll show you an old guy that fishes bamboo from UL to heavy spinning, medium to heavy casting, and fly rods from 6' to 9' and 3wt. to 8wt. If I bring any plastic I keep it well hidden. :-))

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Roaring River is 90% a large spring supporting a rainbow hatchery. Basically a spring branch. The heavily stocked and heavily fished Park area has ~2miles of small stream divided into three zones according to methods and baits. Flies can be used anywhere and all is fish from bank with the exception of about 1/4 mile of C&R area that can be waded. Very heavily managed 2miles, with nightly stocking during summer months and bimonthly stocking during the C&R winter season. Millions of trout and they are as educated as fish can be. Stream has been modified into pools and falls throughout this portion.

 

Not glamorous wild trout fishing but guaranteed fish available and pleasant enough that folks come annually from hundreds of miles. Flooding does happen after huge downpours, in this area in the springtime almost all rain fall is total runoff. Our ground is saturated and the karst spits out fountains of water everywhere.

 

Downstream from that area, the "river" is open to all fishing and wading all the way to TR lake (7-12miles?, idk), but has limited access except on foot and consequently not so heavily fished or stocked so regularly. I used to fish about 2-3 miles of this portion but not for last ten years or so. It is in the woods and the stream is small so it might not show on some maps. Hard to think about the stream size in feet but I'd say RR is mostly less than 40' wide and may be 12' in places. (some pools may be wider)

 

I've been caught by generation so often on the White is the only reason I mentioned RRSP as a "save the day" alternative, but the 30 minute distance between the two would allow you to stay in either place and zip to the other at will. I think I mentioned there is not much at RRSP in the way of entertainment for the Mrs. if she doesn't fish. Eureka should keep any one entertained for a few days, as a long time tourist place.

 

These Mo. Trout parks are peculiar in that the land and Park facilities belong to DNR ( governmental branch, main function=mines & sewage) and the fish are MDC (independent, bipartisan, commission) owned and controlled so ...

 

Vic, I guessed you might like the cane. It intrigues me but the $$ won't let me look too hard at them. I'll stick with "vintage" glass I guess and just drool at the bamboo sticks. Gordon makes plastic rods too, and I can't really afford them either.

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More on RRSP might be of interest http://www.missouritrout.com/roaringriver.html

http://missouritrout.com/timsflyshop/report.html (this has flood stage pictures)

https://www.facebook.com/Tims-Fly-Shop-60932709761/

maybe the biggest fly shop in the Beaver Lake area, McLellan's might get you some recent/curent info on the tailwater if you contact them. http://mcflyshop.com/

map of the zones in the park area; https://extra.mdc.mo.gov/documents/area_brochures/6118map.pdf
River flow is south from hatchery then generally to the east (right) and the TR lake at Eagle Rock is that direction

This map can be zoomed in or out and draged to follow the "river" or clicked to satilalite veiw to see terain and forest https://www.google.com/maps/place/Roaring+River+State+Park/@36.5841743,-93.8252666,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c8d5d5855f68d9:0x982186711b62e6f6!8m2!3d36.5841959!4d-93.8364675

 

I guess RRSP is about an hour and a half from upper Lake Taneycomo at Shepard of the Hills Hatchery near Branson. and if you want some of the wildest trout I ever saw in a small stream look at Crane, Mo. the creek there was stocked with McCloud trout about a hundred odd years ago and left ever since. about an hour north of RRSP.

 

Kinda a nasty day so lots of time at hand and not much else to do chugbug27, but if I ever asked for info on water near you, you can give back.

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That has to some pretty country, but if I ever get west again it will be eastern Or. to see my sisters.

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Habit of Rivers by Leeson for a philosopher-writer's version of fly fishing Oregon as an East coast transplant. Not a how to / where to, but gives you a lot of that along the way of explaining why. Not everyone's piece of cake, but I liked it lots.

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