Brian Wise is seen nymphing a run on Spring Creek.

Description of Water

My first encounter with Spring Creek came on a cold January morning in 2005 when snow blanketed the ground and the temperatures were barely above twenty degrees. It is this day that I fell in love with this stream, in my first visit to it due to its shere scenic views.

Make no mistake about it, Spring Creek is not for the faint of heart, or the average Missouri “trout park” trout fisherman. It is a stream that requires stealth and systematic approaches. Both of which I didn’t seem to have on my first trip to this stream.

This stream is similiar in size to Blue Spring Creek and Mill Creek, and as such the fishing is very dependent upon the water level — which has not been beneficial in the recent years. The stream itself starts at Relfe Spring where it travels for almost 6 miles into the Big Piney River. Be careful when fishing this stream, there is some public access but the majority of the stream flows through private land and access is strictly prohibited (part of the land flows through land owned by the Danforth family, a prominent political family of national fame).

Popular Access Points

1. Spring Creek Walk-In Access (Google Earth Download) (Garmin Waypoint Download)

Maps of Stream

1. Missouri Department of Conservation Map of Spring Creek

USGS Stream Flow Data

1. There are no USGS Stream Gauges on this stream at this time.

Recommended Fly Patterns

1. Mohair Leech (Size: 10)(Color: Olive)
2. Crackleback (Size: 16)(Color: Sulphur or PMD)
3. Elk Hair Caddis (Size: 18)(Color: Natural)
4. Tungsten BH WoolyBugger (Size: 8)(Color: Black, Olive, or Brown)
5. Tungsten Flashback BH Hare’s Ear Nymph (Size: 16)(Color: Natural)

Stream Specific Links

1. Weather.com Weather Forecast (Rolla, Missouri)

Stream Photos