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Trout Fishing in the Ozarks

Ozark Trout Fishing Reports

Trout Species that Can Be Found in the Ozarks

Jump to the Ozarks Streams Hatch Chart Section

Trout fishing is generally associated with the Rocky Mountain West or with the streams of the Eastern United States. There are however, outstanding trout fishing opportunities across the middle part of the country, and some of the best of those trout fishing opportunities are found in the Ozark Mountain region, primarily of Missouri and Arkansas.

These trout fishing areas can be generally divided into four categories. First, for Missouri Trout Fishing, the state Department of Conservation has established an outstanding array of Missouri Trout Fishing Parks. These trout parks are all in, or at least on the border of the Ozarks Region. Here you will find healthy (if not ridiculous) numbers of mostly stocked rainbow trout. There are also a few brown trout. These Missouri trout fishing parks are heavily fished during the catch-and-keep seasons. If you would like to have a bit more room to yourself, visit these parks in the catch-and-release season. The streams are less heavily stocked but there are also more big fish. If a trout park is not your style, the next category of waters are the tailwaters.

There are several Tailwater Trout Fishing areas throughout the Ozarks. Perhaps the most famous of them are portions of the White River, especially the section below Bull Shoals Dam in Northern Arkansas. Rainbow trout and brown trout are numerous and large. Fishing opportunities are available via wade fishing or floating and plenty of guides offer their services - perhaps a good investment your first time out.

There are a number of Freestone Trout Fishing rivers for Missouri trout fishing as well. Two of these are the Current River and the Eleven Point River. There are areas on these rivers where you can have plenty of solitude or in the case of the Current River in the Summer months, a party atmosphere. Brown trout and rainbow trout are both found on these rivers. One river that receives perhaps less attention from Missouri and Arkansas trout fishermen, and that has outstanding opportunities, is the North Fork of the White River.

Finally, throughout the Ozarks region there are found many smaller trout fishing gems. These Smaller Trout Fishing Streams are perhaps the truest examples of wild trout fishing available in the region. There are stocked as well as wild parts of these streams, but when you catch one of the wild rainbows out of one of these creeks, its coloration will astound. The beauty of the surroundings as well as the fish are something to behold. So take a bit and look through the pages we have put together on some of these places and plan a trip. You will not be disappointed!

Ozark Streams Hatch Charts

Dates are Approxinmations and are Dependent on Air on Water Temps

MayFly Hatch Chart for Mid-March to Mid-May

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Imitation's
Mid Mar to Mid April	Little Blue Winged Olive	Baetis Species	Early Afternoon	16-20	Blue Winged Olive Emerger and Dry
Mid April to Early May	Blue Quill	Paraleptophlebia adoptiva	Early Afternoon	16-18	Blue Quill Dry Paraleptophlebia Nymph
Mid April to Mid May	Quill Gordon	Epeorus Pleuralis	Early Afternoon	12-14	Hare's Ear Wet Fly, G.R. Hare's Ear Nymph, Quill Gordon Dry
Mid April to Mid May	Hendrickson (Red Quill)	Emphemerella subvaria	Mid Afternoon	12-14	Hendrickson Nymph, Light Hendrickson Dry, Red Quill Dry

Caddis Fly Hatch Chart for Mid-April to Early-May

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Imitations
Mid April to Mid May	Little Black Caddis	Chimarra atterima	Early Afternoon	18	Dark Brown/Black Elk hair Caddis
Mid April	Grannom Caddis	Brachycentrus numerosa	Late Morning - Early Afternoon	14-16	Leadwing Coachman Wet, dark Brown Elk Hair Caddis
Late April to Early May	Cream Caddis	Psilotreta species	Late Morning - Afternoon	14	Cream Elk Hair Caddis, Cream Emergent Pupa
Early May	Green Caddis	Rhyacophila Species	Late Morning - Afternoon	14	Green Caddis Larva and Pupa, Henryville Special Dry

Stone Fly Hatch Chart for Early-March to April

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Imitation's
Early March	Little Black Stonefly	Capnia Vernalis	Mid-day	16	Black body-dun hackle and down wings dry. Early Black Stonefly Nymph
April	Early Brown Stonefly	Taeniopteryx Fasciata	Afternoon	10-14	Early Brown Stone Wet, Early Brown Stone Nymph

Mayfly Hatch Chart for Mid-May to Late June

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Imitations
Mid May to Early June	March Brown	Stenonema Vicarium	Sporadic throughout the day	10-12	March Brown Dry, Stenonema Nymph, Spinner
Mid May to Early June	Gray Fox	Stenonema Fuscum	Sporadic Throughout the day	12-14	Gray Fox Dry, Stenonema Nymph, Spinner
Late May to Early June	Green Drake or Coffin Fly(Spinner)	Ephemera Guttulata	Throughout Afternoon and Evening	8-10	Green Drake Dun, Green Drake Nymph, Coffin Fly, White Wulff
Late May to Mid June	Little Maryatt	Ephemerella Invaria	Evening	14-16	Ephemerella Nymph
Late May to Mid June	Pale Sulfur Dun	Ephemerella Rotunda	Evening	14-16	Sulfur Dun and Spinner
Late May to Mid June	Pale Sulfur Dun	Ephemerella Rotunda	Evening	14-16	Sulfur Dun and Spinner
Late May to Mid June	Pale Evening Dun	Ephemerella Dorthea	Evening	14-16	Pale Evening Dun and Spinner
Late May to Late June	Light Cahill	Stenonema -ithica -canadense	Evening	12-16	Light Cahill Nymph, Emerger, Dun and Spinner
Early June to Late June	Blue Winged Olive	Ephemerella - cornuta - attenuata	Late Morning to Mid-day	12-16	Blue Winged Olive Nymph, Wet, and Dun

Caddis Fly Hatch Chart for Late May to June

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Immitations
Late May-June	Tan Caddis	Hydropsyche Species	Afternoon Evening	14-18	March Brown Spider-Tan Elk Hair Caddis
Late May-June	Dun Caddis	Psilotreta Frontalis	Midday	14	Elk Hair Caddis-Tent Wing Caddis

Stone Fly Hatch Chart for May and June

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Immitations
June	Little Yellow Sally	Alloperla Species	Afternoon	10-14	Michigan Stone Dry
June	Golden Stone	Phasganophora Capitata	Afternoon, Evening	10	Stonefly Creeper
May, June	Giant Black Stonefly	Pteronarcys Dorsata	Morning, Afternoon	4-8	Kauffman's Nymph, Bitch Creek Nymph, Montana Nymph
May, June	Giant Spined Stonefly	Allonarcys Biloba	Evening	4-8	Kauffman's Nymph, Bitch Creek Nymph, Montana Nymph

Mayfly Hatch Chart for Mid-June through October

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Imitations
Mid June through Mid October	Slate Winged Mahogany	Isonychia	Sporadic Throughout the Day	10-12	Leadwing Coachman, Isonychia Nymph, Dun Variant, Rusty Spinner
Mid June Mid July	Blue Winged Olive	Ephemerella	Morning, Midday	14-16	Ephemerella Nymph~Emerger~Dun
Late June and July	Golden Drake	Potamanthus distinctus	Evening	12	Cream Variant
July thru September	Trico	Tricorythodes Species	Morning	22-24	Trico Dun and Spinner
July thru October	Tiny Blue Winged Olive	Baetis and Pseudocloeon Species	Sporadic Afternoon	18-24	Blue Winged Olive Nymph, Emerger and Dun

Caddis Fly Hatch Chart for June through October

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Immitations
June thru Sept	Tan Caddis	Hydropsyche Species	Sporadic All Day	14-20	Tan Elk Hair Caddis
August thru Oct	Summer Sedge (Autumn Sedge)	Limnephilldas Family	Late Day, Evening	12-18	Woodchuck Caddis, Cased Caddis

Stone Fly Hatch Chart for Mid-June through August

Approximate Hatch Dates	Common Name	Scientific Name	Time of Day	Hook Size	Immitations
Mid June, July	Lime Sally	Alloperia Species~Choloroperia Species	Afternoon, Evening	16-18	Michigan Stone, little Green Hairwing
Mid June, July	Yellow Sally	Isoperia Species	Afternoon, Evening	14	Little Yellow Hairwing
Mid June, July	Great Brown Stonefly	Acroneuris	Evening	8-12	Stimulator, Ted's Stonefly
June thru August	Big Golden Stonefly	Paragentina Species	Evening	8	Golden Stone Nymph, Stimulator