Roubidoux Creek Trout Fishing
Roubidoux Creek begins at Roubidoux Spring in Waynesville, has excellent habitat and cold water. With a bit of luck, and a lot of fishing skill, you can catch trout consistently on this stream.
Beginning at Roubidoux Spring, and extending downstream for a mile, the "Ruby" is managed as a White Ribbon trout fishery. This means that all bait is allowed, and there is no length limit on rainbow trout. The stream in this short stretch is stocked every few weeks with rainbow trout, and the fishing is great for a few days after the stocking truck leaves. The problem lies in the fact that this stream section lies right in the middle of the town of Waynesville, so many people see the stocking truck, and the word spreads quickly. It doesn't take long for local anglers to catch most of these naive hatchery trout. Still, a few of the craftier trout survive, and holdover from year to year. This is the reason why a smart angler can still catch fish long after the stocking truck has left. But there is no disputing that the average fisherman will struggle when the stocking truck hasn't visiting for a week or so.
Below the White Ribbon Area, Roubidoux flows two more miles through Roubidoux Conservation Area. As a general rule the fishing is much better here than further upstream. The reason is two-fold. First off, there is a 15 inch minimum on both rainbow and brown trout (both species are well established in this stretch), and artificial lures only are allowed. The second reason is that this stream stretch is a bit more remote, and is less heavily fished, so resident trout are much less educated. Still, this stream has its challenges, and the number one issue is warm water. While the fishing can be great from mid-September through June, the fishing can be quite difficult in July and August. The fish are still there during high summer, but they are just much more difficult to catch. In such a case, sight fishing is your best bet. Drift a small jig or wet fly right to the trout's mouth, and he'll take it more often than not, even if the water is warm. Still, your best bet in the lower Roubidoux in July and August will probably be smallmouth bass, as they are abundant in the stream.