Fishing in Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Ozark National Scenic Riverways protects two spring-fed Ozark rivers — the Current and the Jacks Fork — running through the hill country of southern Missouri.

Together they account for over 100 miles of floatable, fishable water inside park boundaries, fed by some of the largest springs in the country and running clear and cool year-round.

This is moving-water fishing: pools, riffles, rock ledges, and bluff faces, not reservoirs or flatwater. The Current River is the longer and more storied of the two.

Smallmouth bass and rainbow trout are the primary targets, and the river draws both spin fishers and fly anglers. Trout are stocked into the upper Current from Montauk State Park, where a hatchery operates at the river's headwaters.

Downstream, the river transitions to warmer-water species, with smallmouth dominating most of the float corridor through the park.

The Jacks Fork enters the Current inside park boundaries and holds one of Missouri's designated smallmouth bass special management areas — 38 miles running from Buck Hollow (Highway 17) downstream to the confluence with the Current.

A 15-inch minimum length limit and a one-fish daily harvest limit apply to smallmouth in this stretch; check current MDC regulations before you go. The upper Jacks Fork above Buck Hollow is smaller and faster, best floated in spring and fall when flows are up.

Smallmouth fishing there centers on deep pools below fast riffles, and rock ledges along bluffs are the consistent producers. Goggle-eye (rock bass) are present throughout the Jacks Fork and have their own special length limit on the entire river.

Fishing inside the park requires a valid Missouri fishing permit issued by the Missouri Department of Conservation — permits are not sold within the park itself. A separate trout permit is required when fishing for trout.

The park also prohibits all activity, including fishing, in springs and spring branches within park boundaries. Seasons matter here. Spring and early summer bring the best combination of fishable flows and active fish.

By mid-to-late summer, the upper Jacks Fork can run low between Buck Hollow and Bay Creek, which concentrates fish but makes floating harder. The Current holds water more consistently through summer due to its heavy spring input.

Fall fishing on both rivers can be excellent and far less crowded than the summer float season. Access is by river or by road to designated put-ins and take-outs. The park is remote — Van Buren is the main service town — so come prepared.

The water is worth it.