The Niangua: Paddling from Bennett Springs to Barclay Conservation Area
Beware the Ozark Mountain River Pirates.
Nikki and I headed up to the Niangua for a short day float. We put in at Riverfront campground, about a mile upstream from Bennett Springs and floated the seven or so miles down to Barclay Conservation Area in about four hours.
The water was flowing pretty well for mid-August, though we did drag a couple of times in the short portion we floated above Bennett Springs. Below Bennett Springs’ consistent flow the water is always navigable, though you will encounter obstacles, such as downed trees. The water is also much cooler and the trout much more plentiful below the Spring.
While I only caught a small rock bass on this outing, you can normally catch a wide variety of fish for miles below Bennett Springs, including smallmouth, largemouth, rock bass (goggle eye), rainbow trout, and sunfish. I have a friend that often uses live crawdads to catch large smallmouth in the pool just upstream from where Bennett Spring flows into the Niangua.
Sun-bathing turtles on the Niangua.
Though we didn’t catch a lot of fish we did see a lot of wildlife. The ducks, turtles, kingfishers, and heron were plentiful.
The most popular floats are downstream from Bennett Springs and there is an abundance of private outfitters and campgrounds to offer a variety of float trips. Camping on the river is also an option as there are a multitude of large gravel bars.
The Niangua is easy to reach as it is only a few miles off Interstate 44. Simply take the exit for Hwy 5/64 at Lebanon, MO and stay on 64 to get to Bennett Springs, the Niangua, or Riverfront Campground.