Illinois River: Chambers Springs to Siloam Springs Kayak Park

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Illinois River: Chambers Springs to the Kayak Park

The Upper White River is the perfect option for floating and fishing when Ozark streams are getting rain. However, sometimes the opposite is true which is why floating the Illinois River is a good idea. The Illinois River basin holds enough water to be floated year round. During the doldrums of late summer, while other rivers are barely holding water, the Illinois still contains enough water to float.

There are many floats to choose from on the Illinois, but one of the most underrated is from Chambers Springs Access to the Siloam Springs Kayak Park in Arkansas. Chambers Springs is located conveniently along highway 412 east of Siloam Springs while the kayak park is just west of Siloam Springs. Arkansas 59 canoeing and rafting and Gypsy Camp & Canoe are the nearest outfitters but usually shuttles from the kayak park to Highway 59 bridge. There are a few spots with exposed limbs and snags that can result in capsize, most notably, at the very beginning of the float. Also, about halfway through the float is a significant log jam that requires portaging to get around. Of course, like all Ozark streams, this stretch is subject to change due to rain events.

The float itself is 8 miles of perfect Black Bass habitat. Smallmouth tend to inhabit the faster moving sections as well as the deep eddies coming off fast moving current. Largemouth and Spotted Bass are stacked in the pools and are often near cover such as fallen trees. The potential for good sized bass is always present, whether it’s a smallmouth, largemouth, or spotted. I have caught quite a few smallmouth on this float in the 16”-18” and 2-3 lbs range, and many more largemouth and spotted bass in that same size category.

About 2 miles upstream of Chambers Springs is a spring fed tributary, Osage Creek. Thanks to Osage Creek, the Illinois maintains a solid flow even when conditions are dry. When it comes to deciding whether this stretch is floatable, the minimum flow is around 150 cfs, which is still doable. However, during high water events, floating this stretch is not advisable. Any flow over 800 cfs should not be considered.

Here are a few photos of some my best Black Bass from this float.

Thanks for reading and get to fishing!







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