Live wading and fishing conditions for 44 Missouri rivers
Every river below is monitored through its USGS streamflow gauges, refreshed every 15 minutes and rated in plain language for wading safety. Select a river for the live dashboard with current flow, trend, weather and community reports.
Current River
Missouri's premier Ozark float stream and the heart of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways — springs pour cold, gin-clear water in year-round, so the upper river above Cedargrove fishes as a wild-and-stocked trout stream while the reach below Akers turns into world-class smallmouth water. Flow is spring-stabilized and stays fishable when other streams blow out, but big rain still spikes it fast.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Current River At Montauk State Park, Mo, Current River Above Akers, Mo, Current River At Van Buren, Mo, Current River At Doniphan, Mo
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North Fork River
Missouri's finest wild-trout stream — the North Fork of the White below the Rainbow and Double springs runs cold enough to sustain naturally reproducing rainbows and holdover browns, wrapped in one of the prettiest bluff-and-spring valleys in the Ozarks. Wade the trophy reach on low water; it's smallmouth water down toward Norfork Lake.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout · USGS gauges: North Fork River Near Tecumseh, Mo
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Eleven Point River
A federally designated Wild & Scenic river fed by giant Greer Spring, which nearly doubles the river's flow with cold, clear water — the result is a spring-stabilized stream holding stocked and wild rainbows up top and strong smallmouth below. Remote, bluff-lined, and float-only through much of its run.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Eleven Point River Near Bardley, Mo
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Meramec River
The big smallmouth float of the eastern Ozarks — the Meramec runs clear over gravel and bluff from its headwaters near Cook Station all the way to the St. Louis suburbs, gathering springs and tributaries into one of Missouri's most popular and productive smallmouth rivers. The lower river adds catfish and the reservoir-tailwater feel below Pacific.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Meramec River At Cook Station, Mo, Meramec River Near Steelville, Mo, Meramec River Near Sullivan, Mo, Meramec River At Pacific, Mo
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Niangua River
A spring-fed Ozark river with two personalities — a cold, heavily stocked trout ribbon below Bennett Spring State Park, and clear smallmouth-and-goggle-eye float water above and below. The Bennett reach is one of Missouri's four trout parks; the wider river runs as prime spring-and-fall smallmouth water toward Lake of the Ozarks.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Niangua River At Windyville, Mo, Niangua River Ab Lake Niangua Nr Macks Creek, Mo, Niangua River At Tunnel Dam Near Macks Creek, Mo
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Jacks Fork
The Current's wild twin — a spring-fed Ozark National Scenic Riverways float that runs skinny and technical up top and opens into classic smallmouth water below Alley Spring. Bluff-lined, cold, and clear, it's a spring-and-early-summer float once flows come up enough to run the upper canyon.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout · USGS gauges: Jacks Fork Near Mountain View, Mo, Jacks Fork At Alley Spring, Mo, Jacks Fork At Eminence, Mo
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Gasconade River
The longest river entirely within Missouri and a blue-ribbon smallmouth float from its Ozark headwaters near Hartville all the way to the Missouri River — long gravel bars, deep bluff pools, and big fish. The upper and middle reaches are prime smallmouth and goggle-eye water; the lower river adds flathead and channel cats.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Gasconade River Near Hazelgreen, Mo, Gasconade River At Jerome, Mo, Gasconade River Near Rich Fountain, Mo
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James River
A blue-ribbon southwest-Missouri smallmouth float feeding Table Rock Lake — the James runs clear over gravel and bluff from Springfield down through Galena, gathering spring water into some of the best smallmouth and goggle-eye fishing in the Ozarks. The lower river near Galena is legendary float water.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: James River Near Springfield, Mo, James River Near Boaz, Mo, James River At Galena, Mo
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St. Francis River
The wildest of Missouri's smallmouth rivers — where the St. Francis carves the Tiemann and Millstream Gardens shut-ins through the St. Francois Mountains, it's the Midwest's only whitewater and a rugged, boulder-strewn smallmouth fishery. Below Wappapello it flattens into a lowland catfish and bass river toward the Bootheel.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: St. Francis River Near Mill Creek, Mo, St. Francis River Near Saco, Mo, St. Francis River Near Patterson, Mo, St. Francis River At Wappapello, Mo
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Big Piney River
A clear, gravel-bottomed Gasconade tributary that's one of central Missouri's best smallmouth floats — long shoals, spring inflows, and bluff pools from the Fort Leonard Wood country down to the Gasconade confluence. Cold spring branches keep the upper river fishable through summer.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Big Piney River Near Big Piney, Mo, Big Piney Below Fort Leonard Wood, Mo
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Big River
A long, clear St. Francois Mountains smallmouth float draining the old Lead Belt into the Meramec — gravel bars, bluff pools, and shut-in-style rock make it one of eastern Missouri's best smallmouth rivers. Historic mine tailings mean anglers should follow MDC consumption advisories on the lower reaches.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Big River At Irondale, Mo, Big River Below Desloge, Mo, Big River Below Bonne Terre, Mo, Big River Near Richwoods, Mo
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Osage River
One of Missouri's great big-river fisheries — the Osage below Bagnell Dam (Lake of the Ozarks) and below Truman Dam runs cold, generation-driven tailwater famous for paddlefish snagging, walleye, white bass, blue cats, and crappie. This is a bank-and-boat river where the dam-release schedule, not rain, sets conditions.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Walleye, Paddlefish (Spoonbill) · USGS gauges: Osage River At Taberville, Mo, Osage River Near Bagnell, Mo, Osage River At Tuscumbia, Mo, Osage River Below St. Thomas, Mo
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Missouri River
The Big Muddy — Missouri's mightiest river runs the width of the state from St. Joseph through Kansas City, Boonville, and Jefferson City to the Mississippi, a channelized big-river fishery for blue, flathead, and channel cats, plus sauger, paddlefish, and the occasional walleye. This is bank-and-boat water where flows are driven by upstream dam releases and rain over days.
Region: Big Rivers · Fish for: Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Missouri River At St. Joseph, Mo, Missouri River At Kansas City, Mo, Missouri River At Boonville, Mo, Missouri River At Hermann, Mo
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Roaring River
One of Missouri's four trout parks — Roaring River bursts from a deep blue spring in the Ozark hills of Barry County and runs cold and clear through Roaring River State Park, stocked daily with rainbows in season and a marquee cool-water fishery near Cassville.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Roaring River At Roaring River State Park
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Mississippi River
The Mississippi forms Missouri's entire eastern edge, from the confluence pools at St. Louis down through the Bootheel at New Madrid — a giant bank-and-boat fishery for trophy blue and flathead cats, sauger, paddlefish, drum, and gar. Below St. Louis it runs free and open; above, the wing dams and locks structure the fishing.
Region: Big Rivers · Fish for: Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Mississippi River At St. Louis, Mo, Mississippi River At New Madrid, Mo
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Little Piney Creek
A small, spring-fed Gasconade tributary near Rolla holding a wild-and-stocked rainbow population in its cold upper reach around Lane Spring, then turning to clear smallmouth water downstream. Wadeable, intimate, and easy to overlook — a classic small-stream Ozark trout-and-smallmouth mix.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Little Piney Creek At Newburg, Mo
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Black River
A clear St. Francois Mountains river below Clearwater Lake — cold dam releases and spring inflow keep the upper reach around Annapolis and Leeper fishing well for smallmouth, while the lower river at Poplar Bluff broadens into lowland catfish and bass water heading for the Bootheel.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Black River Near Annapolis, Mo, Black River At Leeper, Mo, Black River At Poplar Bluff, Mo
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Huzzah Creek
A clear, spring-fed Meramec tributary and a beloved summer float — the Huzzah and its sister Courtois drain the Ozark forest around Steelville in cool, gravelly water full of smallmouth and goggle-eye. Popular with paddlers, it fishes best early and late once the crowds thin.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Huzzah Creek Near Steelville, Mo
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Roubidoux Creek
A spring-fed Gasconade tributary running through Waynesville, with a cold stocked-trout reach below Roubidoux Spring and clear smallmouth water above and below Fort Leonard Wood. A convenient, wadeable urban-edge trout stream that turns to gravel-bar smallmouth as it warms.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Roubidoux Creek Above Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, Roubidoux Creek At Polla Rd Bl Ft. Leonard Wood
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Shoal Creek
A gem of a smallmouth stream draining the far-southwest corner past Joplin — Shoal Creek runs clear and cool over gravel and bedrock through Wildcat Park and Grand Falls (Missouri's largest continuously flowing waterfall), holding smallmouth, spots, and a stocked winter trout run in the city reach.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass (Kentucky Bass) · USGS gauges: Shoal Creek Above Joplin, Mo
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Bryant Creek
A clear, spring-fed Ozark stream in Douglas and Ozark counties feeding Norfork Lake — bluff pools, gravel bars, and cold spring inflows make it a quiet, high-quality smallmouth and goggle-eye float that sees a fraction of the pressure of the big-name rivers.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Bryant Creek Near Tecumseh, Mo
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Spring River
A spring-fed southwest-Missouri river draining the Joplin plateau toward Kansas — clear, cool water around La Russell and Carthage holds smallmouth, spotted bass, and a strong channel-cat population, with white bass running up from the lower river in spring.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Spring River At La Russell, Mo, Spring River At Carthage, Mo, Spring River Near Waco, Mo
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Bourbeuse River
The Meramec's slow, winding sister — the Bourbeuse loops lazily across east-central Missouri in a series of long pools and gravel riffles, holding smallmouth, largemouth, and good catfish. Slower and more turbid than the clear Ozark floats, it's an underrated, low-pressure river.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Bourbeuse River Near High Gate, Mo, Bourbeuse River At Union, Mo
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Sac River
A southwest-Missouri river with a split personality — clear smallmouth water above Stockton Lake, then a cold tailwater below Stockton Dam that runs walleye, white bass, and smallmouth toward the Osage system. The tailrace below the dam is the marquee reach.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Walleye · USGS gauges: Sac River Near Dadeville, Mo, Sac River At Hwy J Below Stockton, Mo, Sac River Near Caplinger Mills, Mo
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Finley Creek
A clear James River tributary in Christian County — spring-fed and gravel-bottomed, Finley Creek is a quiet wade-and-float smallmouth stream through Ozark and Lindenlure that rewards anglers willing to walk the shoals.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: Finley Creek Below Riverdale, Mo
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Big Sugar Creek
A clear, spring-fed headwater of the Elk River in McDonald County — Big Sugar Creek runs cool and gravelly past Big Sugar Creek State Park and Powell, holding smallmouth and spotted bass in some of the prettiest small-stream water in far-southwest Missouri.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass (Kentucky Bass) · USGS gauges: Big Sugar Creek Near Powell, Mo
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Indian Creek
Another clear Elk River feeder in McDonald County — Indian Creek runs cool and gravelly past Lanagan and Anderson, a lightly pressured smallmouth and spotted-bass float in the far-southwest float country near the Arkansas and Oklahoma lines.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass (Kentucky Bass) · USGS gauges: Indian Creek Near Lanagan, Mo
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East Fork Black River
The boulder-strewn East Fork tumbles out of the St. Francois Mountains past Johnson's Shut-Ins — clear, cold, and rocky, it's a small, scenic smallmouth stream in one of Missouri's most spectacular river-canyon settings near Lesterville.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: East Fork Black River Near Lesterville, Mo
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Pomme de Terre River
A central-Missouri river feeding Pomme de Terre Lake and, below the dam, running toward Truman — clear upper smallmouth water gives way to a reservoir-and-tailwater fishery for walleye, white bass, crappie, and catfish near Hermitage.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Walleye · USGS gauges: Pomme De Terre River Near Polk, Mo, Pomme De Terre River Near Hermitage, Mo, Pomme De Terre River At Hermitage, Mo
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Castor River
Best known for the pink-granite Castor River Shut-Ins at Amidon Memorial Conservation Area, the Castor is a clear, rocky southeast-Missouri stream up top that turns to slower lowland catfish and bass water as it drains toward the Bootheel near Zalma.
Region: St. Francois & SE Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Castor River At Zalma, Mo
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Flat Creek
A clear Barry County stream feeding Table Rock Lake — Flat Creek is a small, gravelly smallmouth and spotted-bass float through McDowell and Jenkins that fishes best in spring and fall and holds a run of white bass and walleye from the lake down low.
Region: Southwest Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass (Kentucky Bass) · USGS gauges: Flat Creek Below Jenkins, Mo
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Grand River
The largest of north Missouri's prairie rivers — the Grand drains a wide swath of the northwest in slow, turbid loops toward the Missouri near Brunswick, holding big channel cats, flathead, and crappie in its deep holes and log jams. Classic Corn Belt catfish water.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Grand River Near Gallatin, Mo, Grand River Near Fountain Grove, Mo, Grand River Near Sumner, Mo
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Salt River
The Salt River drains northeast Missouri into Mark Twain Lake and runs on below Clarence Cannon Dam toward the Mississippi — the tailwater and lower river near New London and Center hold crappie, catfish, white bass, and largemouth pulled from the reservoir. A dam-driven bank-and-boat fishery.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Crappie, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Salt River Near Center, Mo, Salt River Near New London, Mo
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Maries River
A small, clear Gasconade tributary in the central Ozark border country — a low-key wade-and-float smallmouth stream with gravel riffles, bluff pools, and light pressure near Vienna and Westphalia.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Maries River At Westphalia, Mo
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Little Platte River
The Little Platte feeds Smithville Lake north of Kansas City and runs on below the dam — the upper river near Plattsburg is prairie catfish water, while the Smithville tailwater and lower river hold walleye, crappie, white bass, and channel cats from the reservoir.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Crappie · USGS gauges: Little Platte River Near Plattsburg, Mo, Little Platte River At Smithville, Mo
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Cuivre River
A clear-to-stained northeast-Missouri river draining the hills of Lincoln County into the Mississippi — the Cuivre runs through Cuivre River State Park near Troy in gravel riffles and bluff pools holding smallmouth up top and channel cats and largemouth in the slower lower water.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Cuivre River Near Troy, Mo
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South Grand River
A slow, prairie-fed river draining west-central Missouri into Truman Lake — the South Grand winds through farm country near Archie and Urich in a series of turbid pools and cut banks holding channel cats, crappie, and largemouth, with a run of fish up from Truman.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Crappie · USGS gauges: South Grand River At Archie, Mo, South Grand River At Urich, Mo
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Lamine River
A central-Missouri tributary of the Missouri River draining the Otterville country — the Lamine runs slow and turbid through farmland and bluff, holding channel cats, blue cats, and flathead in its deep holes, with largemouth and the odd smallmouth on the gravel.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Lamine River Near Otterville, Mo
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Platte River
A northwest-Missouri prairie river draining down from Iowa through the Platte Falls country toward the Missouri near Agency — slow, turbid water holding channel cats, flathead, and largemouth. A low-key bank fishery with good access near Platte Falls Conservation Area.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Platte River Near Agency, Mo, Platte River At Sharps Station, Mo
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Moreau River
A central-Missouri river draining the hills south of Jefferson City into the Missouri — the Moreau mixes clear gravel-riffle smallmouth water up top with slower catfish holes down low, a quiet, close-to-the-capital float and bank fishery.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Moreau River Near Jefferson City, Mo
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Chariton River
A channelized north-Missouri prairie river running down from Iowa through Novinger and Prairie Hill toward the Missouri — slow, turbid, and full of channel cats and flathead in its deep holes. A quiet bank-fishing river typical of the north-central farm country.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Chariton River At Novinger, Mo, Chariton River Near Prairie Hill, Mo
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Nodaway River
A far-northwest prairie river running down from Iowa through Maryville country to the Missouri — the Nodaway winds slow and turbid through the corn ground near Graham and Burlington Junction, holding channel cats, flathead, and largemouth in its deep holes.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Nodaway River Near Burlington Junction, Mo, Nodaway River Near Graham, Mo
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Marmaton River
A prairie river of the far-west Osage border country near Nevada — the Marmaton winds through farmland in slow, turbid pools holding channel cats, flathead, and largemouth. A low-pressure bank-fishing river typical of the Osage-plains streams.
Region: Osage & Central · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Marmaton River Near Richards, Mo, Marmaton River Near Nevada, Mo
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Blackwater River
A slow, channelized west-central prairie river draining toward the Lamine and the Missouri — the Blackwater loops through farmland near Blue Lick and Valley City in turbid pools and cut banks holding channel cats, flathead, and largemouth. Classic low-gradient catfish water.
Region: North Missouri Prairie · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish · USGS gauges: Blackwater River At Valley City, Mo, Blackwater River At Blue Lick, Mo
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