Fishing the Little Mo

Your guide to trout fishing in Southwestern Arkansas

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Many years ago, my older brother, Larry, introduced me to the sport of fly fishing for trout in Arkansas. I enjoyed it immensely and now make several trips each year.

For fifty-two years, Arkansas has stocked trout in the cold waters below several hydroelectric dams. My favorite trout stream is the Little Missouri River near Murfreesboro in southwestern Arkansas. It has about six miles of trout water below Lake Greeson’s Narrows Dam.

The Little Mo, as it’s often called, is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from my home in West Monroe. I can get in five or six hours of fishing in a long day trip, which is about all my old body can take these days.

I wear light-weight stocking foot chest waders, although you can fish many places using hip boots. When the water warms up in the spring, some people even wade around in shorts and tennis shoes. A sturdy walking staff is highly recommended because slippery rocks cover the river bottom.

After having two rotator cuff surgeries on my dominant shoulder, I have scaled down to a 4-weight fly rod with floating line and a 9-foot, 6x (3.4 lb.) tapered leader. Despite its light weight, this setup handles the feisty trout just fine.

Wooly buggers, mayfly midges, nymphs and other standard baits will catch Little Missouri trout, but I prefer to use 1/124 oz. olive green micro-jigs. Because I’m a self-taught caster, I don’t try to get fancy with my presentation. I just suspend the jig about eighteen inches below a small strike indicator (cork to us country boys) and continuously fan cast into the deeper pools. If I don’t get a hit within thirty seconds, I cast a few feet to the side and continue on.

Although trout can be caught in the Little Mo year around, the fishing is best from November through May. This is partly because trout are more active in cold water and partly because that is when the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stocks thousands of trout in the river. Most of the fish are rainbow trout but some browns are also included.

On any given day, the fishing on the Little Mo can be nothing short of fantastic. I frequently catch and release thirty to forty trout per day, but, like every other fishing spot, some days are tough and I only land a handful.  

Because of the long drive, I have learned to wait until conditions are just right before heading to the Little Mo. The first consideration is to make sure there will be no water generation from the dam while I am there, and then I look for a sunny day with enough wind to ripple the water. The water is usually very clear and the trout spook easily when it is glassy calm.

An important part of fishing the Little Mo is being aware of water discharges from the Narrows’ hydroelectric dam. When water is generated to produce electricity, the river will rise several feet in a matter of minutes. A siren sounds at the dam about fifteen minutes before the discharge begins, but you cannot hear it if you are farther downstream. Before leaving home, check the generation schedule at swepco.com/community/education/recreation.

Even if no generation is scheduled, always watch the water. Make note of the water level on a particular rock and look at it periodically to make sure the water is not rising. One hint that high water is headed your way is noticing numerous bubbles or foam floating on the river. If you see them, leave immediately. 

To trout fish on the Little Missouri River, Louisianians must have a non-resident fishing license with trout stamp. An annual license and stamp cost $70, but three-and-seven-day licenses are also available for less.

The creel limit is five rainbows per day, and all brown trout must be released immediately. There are some catch and release areas where only artificial baits with single, barbless hook are allowed, and they are marked with signs.

There are four public river access points off Hwy 19 that runs north from Murfreesboro to the Narrows Dam, and there is one access point at the bridge on the Muddy Fork Road. Look for the brown signs pointing the way to the river.

While you’re there, check out the Crater of Diamonds State Park outside Murfreesboro. It is one of the only places in the world where the public can look for diamonds, and visitors have found more than 35,000 diamonds since the park opened in 1972.

Dr. Terry L. Jones is a professor emeritus of history at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. For an autographed copy of “Louisiana Pastimes,” a collection of the author’s stories, send $25 to Terry L. Jones, P.O Box 1581, West Monroe, LA 71294.