Floaters flock to Eleven Point River

A view of the Eleven Point River from a canoe.

After talking to Wally Meeker, Springfield, about his float on the Eleven Point River near Alton, my son, Brad, and I had to give it a try. Meeker was excited about his float on the river where he saw big rainbow trout swimming in the deep, clear waters and the lack of other floaters, even on a Memorial Day Weekend.

"It was a very good river to float," he said. "I had planned on floating many of the float streams in Missouri, but I don't think I will see and enjoy any of them as much as my son and I did on the Eleven Point."

The Eleven Point River is located in Oregon County within the boundaries of the Mark Twain National Forest. The river starts near Willow Springs and flows southeast through Oregon County.

Oregon County is located in south central Missouri, along the Arkansas border. It is around 170 miles from Nevada.

The Eleven Point River is fed by several of the loveliest wild springs in Missouri. Greer Springs is the 10th largest spring in the world and doubles the size of the river. Greer Springs gushes more than 220 million gallons of water per day.

The river is floatable year-round as it winds its way, primarily, through the Mark Twain National Forest.

The Eleven Point River is not blessed with a lot of gravel bars for camping like many Ozark streams, but along its 44 miles, it moves in a hurry and is better known as an excellent canoeing and trout fishing stream by floaters from Memphis to Dallas.

Greer Springs is a sight to behold. Greer Springs Access is the start of the Blue Rainbow Trout Area that extends to the Turner Mill Access.

In this area, anglers may only keep one trout larger than 18 inches long, but while floating from the mill to Riverton Access, fishermen may keep four trout of any size. That area is stocked regularly by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

On a float-fishing trip down the Eleven Point River, a floater might see a lot of wildlife, including deer, turkey, otters, blue herons and even beavers.

Last week, Brad and I gave the river a try. After checking in with Brian Sloss, owner of 11 Point Canoe Rental, we headed for the river.

It didn't take long to see why floaters like the river. Moving along at a fast pace, we made casts with a Castmaster spoon.

In one spot, we caught rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and even several pumpkinseed sunfish. We caught many smallmouth and trout, which are the most sought after species on the river.

One thing we noticed about the river was that it moves faster than most of the streams in the state. After floating streams such as the Current, Jacks Fork, Sac, James, Black, Pomme, Niangua and even North Fork, we found the Eleven Point a surprise.

Brian Sloss has owned the 11 point Canoe Rental business since 2004.

"I had been coming down to the river from Columbia for many years and fell in love with the river and the area," he said.

He decided he would like to own a float business and asked the owner of the canoe rental spot in Alton if he knew of any place for sale. The owner's answer was that his canoe rental was for sale, so Sloss took the opportunity to buy it.

After nearly 10 years running the business, Sloss said, "It was the best investment I ever made. I had been coming down to fly fish for nearly 20 years.

"Today, we get floaters from all over the country. Memphis and St. Louis are regulars and we have people from Springfield, Kansas City and well as from other states."

On the day, as Brad and I floated and fished the Eleven Point, we talked to floaters from as far away as Dallas who said this is the best river they had ever been on and they keep coming back at least three times a summer.

Sloss is an avid fly fisherman who has guided and taught others how to fly fish with success. Years ago, while living in Columbia, he started guiding fly fishermen in the Ozarks on a part-time basis.

Besides guiding fly fishermen and running the canoe rental business, Sloss is always aware of the importance of protecting and preserving the trout fishing on the river. On guided trips, he doesn't let the anglers keep trout they catch, to preserve the trout population.

The two prized fish in the river are rainbow trout and smallmouth bass.

"The smallmouth seem to max out at around 18 inches and every once in a while, someone will catch a 20-incher," Sloss said. "The largest trout I have heard of was taken last summer.

It weighed more than 14 pounds. There are plenty of rainbows that are between 18 and 20 inches."

The best way to experience the Eleven Point River, according to Sloss, is to pack your gear with you. Camp overnight on a gravel bar or one of the U.S. Forest float camps, which are basically first come, first served.

When ask how the river got it's name, Sloss said, "There are a lot of different stories about that. The one I like best is that there was a hunter who shot an 11-point deer near the river.

"Other stories include that there were some early Indians that counted 11 points, or hills around the stream. Another was there were 11 springs along the river, but in reality, there are many more. There has been nothing documented regarding the name."

Jerry Walters, a visitor to the river, said, "If you ask 11 people about how the river got its name, you might get 11 different answers."

The Eleven Point River is the only wild and scenic river in Missouri, so designated when the U.S. Congress created the National Wild and Scenic River System, back in 1968. A 44-mile stretch of the Eleven Point River was just one of eight rivers included.

After our float trip down the Eleven Point, we now see what Meeker was talking about. Floating the fast river, catching fish and taking side trips -- including a hike to Greer Springs -- made for a rewarding experience.

The Greer Trail is a 1.8-mile hike through old growth forest and descends 250 feet to the spring. It is a beautiful and challenging hike that is less than 500 feet from the Highway 19 bridge over the river. Greer Springs is the most secluded and undisturbed spring in the Ozarks.

Camping is common for floaters on the river. The U.S. Forest Service maintains campsites at various access points along the river, as well as more secluded campsites accessible only by river. Primitive camping is permissible along the banks of the river.

Our Eleven Point River adventure ended by catching several trout. We will be back.