Boston Mountain Bronzeback Blog

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Welcome to my blog!

When I was 5 years old my dad made a purchase that would result in my foremost passion. He bought a pair of Old Town canoes. These canoes have been across the country, from the Animas River in Colorado to the Flint River in Georgia. Where they have been used most however, is in Ozark streams. The clear water, deep pools, and not too challenging paddling conditions made these ideal streams for amateur paddlers. There are many reasons to love these streams but upon a couple canoe trips to the Ozarks, we discovered what we loved most about them, Smallmouth Bass fishing!

My dad and I have made it our goal to paddle and target Smallmouth in as many Ozark streams as possible. Some of these are well known throughout Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. Several of these rivers are synonymous with partying destinations such as the Illinois in Oklahoma and the Elk in Missouri but are also excellent Smallmouth fisheries. However, there are many rivers that provide the high caliber Smallmouth fishing without the crowds. Some of these streams might be nearer to you then you might think. There are limiting factors that make it difficult to plan floats such as not having outfitters available, poor access, and difficult water conditions. I hope to address these and other questions so deciding on what stream to float is as easy as possible.

Some questions to consider:

Is it best for wading and fishing or paddling and fishing?

When/what are the ideal conditions for paddling and or fishing?

How long is the float?

How difficult is the float?

How good is the access?

Are there any outfitters?

Where is the access?

Boston Mountain Ozark Streams

Upper White River and its Forks

War Eagle Creek

Kings River

Crooked Creek

Buffalo River

Mulberry River

Baron Fork

Illinois River

Osage Creek

Big Piney Creek

More to be added later

Each post after this one will detail a float I know very well and would recommend. I will also describe the fishing opportunities for each float.

Thanks for reading, and get to fishing!

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Mulberry River: Highway 23 Bridge to Milton's Ford Access

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       In my opinion, the Mulberry River is an underrated Ozark stream. I think it should be talked about as much as the Buffalo River. Since the Buffalo is arguably the most famous of all Ozark streams, I’m on the bandwagon for vaulting the Mulberry to that level of recognition. Both have unique characteristics that set them apart as gorgeous representations of what the Ozarks have to offer. But there’s something uniquely wonderful about the surrounding beauty of the Mulberry that deserves praise. For starters, the stream flows directly through Ozark National Forrest. The variety of trees and vegetation accents the rock formations perfectly. As for the rock itself, the Mulberry doesn’t boast the same massive sheer rock walls that the Buffalo does, but the rock has a beauty all its own. The majority of the rock that makes up the basin is limestone. Dust from the limestone causes the river water to be a bluish color similar to other nearby Boston Mountain streams such...
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