Did this in April - first link is to my trip report (no pic's)
  might be a warmer trip a couple of weeks later or so.

second link is to other report

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Ditto.

And use the smallest wobbling lures in your box.  The Smallie bite can be pretty darned good!

Jimbo 

Yes, spring much better for weather and water levels. Check this out, reporting very low and not floatable.  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

And definitely only go on weekdays.

Considering a Buffalo River float instead of the BWCA if the fires keep us from going but also want to try it one year in addition to a trip up north. I live in OK, so I'm not far from the Buffalo, but the prospect of camping in Arkansas in August is no super appealing . We want to do a multi dap float, probably the 50 mile variety.

I did a 2 night Eleven Point River trip in Missouri in 1987.  It was really beautiful and small.  Sandbars and clear water through a forest.  It's been a long time but I highly recommend unless you like to run rapids.  Some swifts but no rapids to run.  The drive through the winding 2 lane roads is very cool too.  Could be different now though.

I lived in southern illinios for 6 years and did the bufflao once, and the current and elven points multiple times.  Do  not recall that much about the buffalo but similar experieince to the other two.

And yes watch the weather foecasts.  On one of the weekend river trips in Missouri, heavy storms upstream one day out led to flooding.  We pulled off at a spot that had some higher ground and watched the river rise FAST. Sat around the next day and was too dangerous to continue.  Finally left Monday morning, with water still high.  It was difficult to even know where the main river channel was.  Eventually one canoe flipped (spring, very cold water), so we all pulled out onto a field.  Built a fire to warm the dunked.  Luckily a road was nearby and one of us hitched a ride to our waiting vehicle.  No cell phones in those days, so a number of worried people were glad when they finally heard from us.

Thought I'd bump this up as options for this year.

If you're passing through Missouri check out the Current and Jacks Fork. Both are clear spring fed streams with high bluffs. It's hard to decide wether to look down into the deep or up along the bluffs.

P.S. I picked up some Lyme disease in the spring near the Current. Bullseye rash and achy feeling showed up 10 days later.

Quentin,

Unfortunately, it's been a very long time so I don't exactly remember where.  I DO remember that we were below the section of river that held trout.  Also, while we rented a cabin nearby, I believe we launched our canoes at a campground and arranged for a shuttle to bring us back there.  We did no more than half a day on the river.  The kids were little & we didn't want to push it.

One of the neat things about that area is they reintroduced elk... and they are thriving!  I had never seen one in the wild before but we ran into large herds there.  When they are "bugling", you'll know it!  All in all it was a very nice vacation.  My two small boys & three nieces had a blast but, as I recall they were quite young at the time, I'm guessing that trip was well over 20 years ago.  The funny thing is that I kept all the old books & maps up until just a few months ago, then trashed them!  Otherwise, I could tell you a good bit more & send you some materials.  Oh, well....

Yeah, I hope not to miss Copia next year.  I missed my time away with the guys.

Later,

Jimbo   

Hey Jimbo,

What section/area of the river did you paddle?  Hope your doing well, missed ya at Copia.