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Fly Fishing On The Current River, Missouri

Current River, Missouri Trout

Current River Missouri Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us  at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.

We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.

Type of Stream
Spring Creek

Species
Brown Trout (Stocked with some wild
and holdovers)
Rainbow Trout (Stocked with some
wild and holdovers)

Size
Medium

Location
Southeast Ozarks Missouri

Nearest Towns
Salem
Akers

Season
Year-round

Access:
Fair to Good

Special Regulations
Yes

Non-Resident License
State of Missouri

Weather
National Weather Service Link

USGS Stream Flow Data:

Seasons:
Fly fishing the Current River is good year-round.
Winter:
Winter fishing is can be good on warm days.  
Spring:
Springtime is the best time to fish the river but you should make sure you check the water level.
Summer:
Since the water is cooled by springs, it stays cool enough to provide good fishing opportunities year-round.
Fall:
Fall may be the best time to fish the Current River. There’s less canoes and fishing pressure.

Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or  6X Nymphing:  
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X

Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X

Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six

Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators

Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.


Copyright 2013 James Marsh

Fly Fishing The Current River Missouri
The Current River is a part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. It’s a beautiful trout stream that flows through some very scenic landscapes. It begins in the Montauk
State Park. Downstream of the park, there’s nine miles of what the state calls Blue Ribbon trout water. The Current River continues through a different type of regulated area for eight more miles.

This stream is best fished by drifting it. There’s few road access points. The bluffs along the stream add to its beauty. You have seventeen miles of water that you can fish from a small drift boat.

The Blue Ribbon area runs from the Montauk State Park boundary downstream for nine miles to the Cedar Grove Bridge. It includes all tributaries within that area. Artificial
lures and flies only may be used. Artificial lures cannot include soft plastic lures. You are only allowed to keep one trout that’s a least 18 inches long.

The Blue Ribbon area has a good population of both rainbows and brown trout including some that are wild. Fly fishing the Current River is best in this section. There are some trout better than 18 inches.

The Current River has lots of different aquatic insects, crustaceans, sculpin and baitfish. Scuds and Sowbugs are plentiful. Blue-winged Olives are the most important mayflies and different species are hatching off and on for about half the year. There are some sulphurs and tricos along with a few other mayflies. There are lots of caddisflies, including several species of Cinnamon Caddis, Little Brown Caddis, Spotted Sedges and a few more less important ones. Streamers often produce the largest fish, especially those that imitate sculpin.

You don’t have to float the Current River to fish it. Access for wading is available in some areas. One area is from the Montauk State Park campground. There’s a good trail and it is noted by signs where the park ends and the Blue Ribbon section starts. If you exit the park at the rear entrance you can follow a unpaved road to the Tan Vat access It’s best to hike downstream a ways to reach the best water. There’s also a Baptist Camp Access, Parker Access and Cedar Grove Access. It’s best to acquire a map of the area to find these locations.

Hiking your way downstream is often difficult or impossible. There is a lot of deep water and some areas of the stream is surrounded by steep bluffs.

There are three access points to the White Ribbon section of the Current River. Cedar Grove, Welch Spring and Akers Ferry. This section cannot be accessed entirely by hiking. Some of the water is too deep to wade. You an drift the stream in a small pontoon type
watercraft or a canoe.