Trout Fishing the Small Streams of Missouri

Small Stream Trout Fishing in Missouri

There is no doubt that fishing the small streams in the Ozarks of Missouri is going to be a lot different than hitting the larger, more popular waterways. On one hand, you are likely to have the entire stream to yourself, which is at least to me almost reason enough. Also, the fish have probably not seen nearly so many lures or flies as their large stream counterparts, so you don't have to be quite so selective about what you throw. On the other hand, the water you are fishing is usually shallow and gin clear, and that usually means one very frustrating thing: fish that are easily spooked.

Sneaking up on the Fish

If you are used to fishing heavily stocked put and take streams, (trout parks, or White River system tailwaters for example), you absolutely cannot fish a small trout stream and expect to catch fish using the same methods. Bar none the most important part of fishing small trout streams is stealth. You can't simply walk right out to the pool take a cast right out to the middle, and expect to hook a trout. You may occasionally catch a trout this way, but it gives you a distinct disadvantage. Instead, you should sneak up to the pool, preferably on your hands and knees, although this is not absolutely necessary. Avoid standing in the stream to cast as much as possible. If there is a fallen tree, or some brush you can hide behind to make your cast, which will improve your chances even more. In order to not spook the trout with your line, use two or four pound test. While fly fishing, use 5x tippet or smaller. This is especially important in summer low water.

Where to Start

One very important thing to check on in the small streams in Missouri is that you are fishing a productive area of the stream. Most trout creeks in the state have a length of two to ten miles of managed trout water, but even if you are fishing in a managed section of the stream, there is no guarantee that the section will be productive. Let me use Little Piney Creek as an example. The Blue Ribbon Trout management area on the creek begins about two miles upstream of the Highway 63 Bridge. There are usually few trout more than a half mile above the bridge any time of the year, and almost all of the trout will be found below Lane Springs, (about one mile downstream of the Highway 63 Bridge) from June through September. The entire Blue Ribbon Area downstream Lane Spring is at least somewhat productive all year, but it is not so with the White Ribbon Area below. The upper part fishes well during the spring and fall, but not during the summer or winter, and the lower part of the White Ribbon Area rarely fishes well anytime. I give this example not so much to give specific information on Little Piney Creek, just to highlight the fact that just because you are fishing an area that is managed for trout, doesnt necessarily mean that they are there in good numbers. You can find out what access points or sections of streams will fish well during the time of you visit by posing the question on a fishing forum.

Where to Cast

Once you find your way to a specific stream, you have to decide where to cast your fly or lure. In the really small streams, the riffles will be too shallow to hold fish, which pretty much confines you efforts to the pools that have considerable depth. Generally the head of the pool is best, but it is best to fish the entire pool thoroughly. In the larger streams, you might be able to find some fish in the riffles. If they are only ankle deep, don't bother, but any riffle or fast run over one foot in depth is worth at least a couple of casts. During the early spring, the fish head to the riffles to spawn. It is, however, questionable ethics to fish for spawning trout. During the summertime, really the only time you should bother fishing the riffle areas is during the early morning and late evening, when trout are likely to come to feed. During this time of year, it is best to concentrate on slowly fishing the deepest pools.

Flies and Lures

Your fly selection doesn't need to be very complicated to fish the little Ozark streams. For wet flies, youll want Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ear Nymphs, San Juan Worms, and a few others, all size 16 or 18. For dries, you will want some Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams, Royal Wulffs, as well as some terrestrials during the summertime. You'll want streamers such as Woolly Buggers, Muddler Minnows, and Don's Crawdad in size 10 or smaller. One important thing to remember while nymphing is to avoid using bulky strike indicators. Spin fishing tends to be a little bit less complicated. Size 0 or smaller Mepp's spinners are my personal favorite, but Rooster Tail, Panther Martin, and Blue Fox Spinners 1/16 ounce or smaller all work quite well in most Missouri streams. Spoons such as Little Cleo, Kastmaster, or Daredevle, also work quite well in the size of 1/16 ounce. The way to retrieve all of the above lures is simple. Cast upstream at a 45 degree angle, and reel just fast enough to give the spinner of spoon its proper action. Some people also fish with various jigs smaller than 1/32 ounce and do quite well, but that is not a very popular method in Missouri's smaller streams, although it works well in the small put and take creeks. It's not likely to work in wild trout streams.

If you haven't tried fishing the small trout streams in the Missouri Ozarks, now is a great time to try. It may take awhile to achieve success, (at least it took me awhile), but if you try it a few times, you will eventually get the hang of it, and before long you may not want to fish any other kind of stream.