The majesty of Missouri's natural resources never ceases to amaze me. Each time I feel I have found the most beautiful place in the state, I round another bend in the road, hit another stretch of river or stand upon another towering vista, and declare to have, this time, truly found the pinnacle of Missouri's scenic views. Yet I know, soon, another mesmerizing sight will eclipse all others.
The North Fork of the White River is a scenic gem. Tucked away deep in the Missouri Ozarks, this fast flowing river is a perfect family getaway destination, as well as an amazing fishery. Combine the two, and the North Fork is ideal for a family fishing adventure.
It's so hard to believe how fast 10 years go by. My wife and I just celebrated our 10-year anniversary. We were married in the Paradise Valley of Montana at a hot springs resort on the Yellowstone River. Rivers have always been an important part of our life together, so to celebrate 10 years we decided a river had to be involved. Many people told me the North Fork of the White is the most western like river in Missouri, so we decided to see for ourselves. They were right.
The North Fork flows for 67 miles across Douglas and Ozark counties before emptying into Northfork Reservoir near Tecumseh. It is heavily spring fed and has long stretches of riffles and even some class II whitewater. Smallmouth bass, goggle-eye and sunfish can be caught throughout the river. The lower 12 miles of the North Fork are trophy trout sections.
The North Fork's Blue Ribbon Trout Area extends from Rainbow Spring to Patrick Bridge Access. There are a good number of rainbow trout in this stretch, with many falling in the 10-14 inch range. The Red Ribbon Trout Area extends from Patrick Bridge to Norfork Lake. This is where anglers can expect to encounter the majority of the river's famed brown trout. Although the overall numbers of browns are down, the number of larger brown trout has increased. Fish over 20 inches are a real trophy, so I hope if you are fortunate enough to land one, you'll capture the moment with a photograph and then quickly release the fish so another angler may know your same excitement.
Since the North Fork is so far south and located a great distance from any large population base, it remains less crowded than some of the more northern float rivers in Missouri. Don't mistake less crowded for not crowded. The North Fork does have its floaters, but it's not the Niangua or the Huzzah.
For our trip to the North Fork, we rented a cabin at River of Life Farm. This resort offers wonderful cabins, including treehouse cabins, in a park-like setting right on the river. The property has a general store, restaurant and canoe rental onsite. It's located right at the The Falls of the North Fork, so as you sit relaxing on the front porch of your cabin, you will be soothed by the sound of rushing water.
Access to the river is fairly limited, as it flows through a remote region. There are MDC maintained accesses at Hebron, Blair Bridge, and Patrick Bridge. Twin Bridges and River of Life Farm also operate private access points.
See you down the trail...
Brandon Butler is an outdoors columnist for the News Tribune. Contact him at [email protected]