Fishes Black River
River · Ozarks · Missouri
Black River Fishing Guides
Exceptionally clear upper Black River above Clearwater Lake, floated by canoe and kayak through Lesterville and Annapolis for smallmouth bass, goggle-eye and largemouth bass over deep gravel-bottomed pools.
Map of the Black River
36 numbered points: 11 access points, 4 campsites, 2 outfitters, 7 bridges, 7 parks and conservation areas, 2 hazards, 2 springs, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Sep 16, 2026.
- Access / boat ramp (11)
- Campsite (4)
- Outfitter / canoe rental (2)
- Bridge crossing (7)
- Park / conservation area (7)
- Dam / hazard (2)
- Spring (2)
- USGS gauge (1)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 36 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Franklin Floats Lesterville | Outfitter / canoe rental | 37.45015, -90.82960 | Float service at the top of the run; tagged as a camp in OSM but it is a float outfit. |
| 2 | Twin Rivers Landing campground Lesterville | Campsite | 37.44256, -90.82878 | Campground at the landing where the East and West forks come together. |
| 3 | Twin Rivers Landing Lesterville · ramp | Access / boat ramp | 37.43863, -90.82782 | Launch at the head of the main-stem Black, just below the forks. |
| 4 | County Road 342 bridge Lesterville | Bridge crossing | 37.43676, -90.82248 | The Peola Road crossing that reaches the Lesterville accesses. |
| 5 | Riversedge Campground Lesterville | Campsite | 37.42886, -90.82646 | Riverside campground on the Lesterville stretch. |
| 6 | Lesterville Access MDC · walk-in | Access / boat ramp | 37.41724, -90.82565 | Department of Conservation access; walk-in only, no ramp. |
| 7 | Cave Spring Reynolds County | Spring | 37.35965, -90.80518 | Spring on the bank between Lesterville and Clearwater Lake. |
| 8 | USGS 07061500 — Black River near Annapolis USGS gauging station | USGS gauge | 37.33814, -90.78875 | The upstream gauge for the free-flowing river above Clearwater Lake. Coordinates are the station's own. |
| 9 | Highway K Public Use Area USACE · upper Clearwater Lake | Park / conservation area | 37.32588, -90.76679 | Corps use area where the river enters the head of Clearwater Lake. |
| 10 | Jeff's Canoe Rental Highway K | Outfitter / canoe rental | 37.32593, -90.76020 | Canoe and kayak rental at the Highway K use area. |
| 11 | Highway K Campground USACE · Clearwater Lake | Campsite | 37.32504, -90.76128 | Corps campground beside the Highway K ramp. |
| 12 | Highway K boat ramp USACE · Clearwater Lake | Access / boat ramp | 37.32467, -90.76510 | Ramp at the Highway K use area. |
| 13 | Bluff View Public Use Area USACE · Clearwater Lake | Park / conservation area | 37.18199, -90.79068 | Corps park on the lake's west shore. |
| 14 | Bluff View boat ramp USACE · Clearwater Lake | Access / boat ramp | 37.17790, -90.78673 | Unnamed in OSM; the ramp serving the Bluff View area. |
| 15 | Piedmont Park Public Use Area USACE · Clearwater Lake | Park / conservation area | 37.14255, -90.77041 | Corps park above the dam on the Piedmont side. |
| 16 | Piedmont Park boat ramp USACE · Clearwater Lake | Access / boat ramp | 37.14079, -90.77283 | Unnamed in OSM; the ramp at Piedmont Park. |
| 17 | Clearwater Dam USACE · NID MO30203 | Dam / hazard | 37.13698, -90.76912 | The dam that divides the lake from the river below. Fishing is barred inside the wing walls and the water below the spillway carries its own restrictions; read the current Missouri rules. |
| 18 | River Road Public Use Area USACE · below Clearwater Dam | Park / conservation area | 37.13366, -90.76819 | Corps area on the tailwater, the first public ground below the dam. |
| 19 | Boat ramp below Clearwater Dam Tailwater ramp | Access / boat ramp | 37.12806, -90.75565 | Unnamed in OSM; the ramp on the cold tailwater reach below the dam. |
| 20 | Union Pacific railroad bridge UP De Soto Subdivision | Bridge crossing | 37.03479, -90.65575 | Rail crossing on the reach between the dam and Markham Spring. |
| 21 | Markham Spring Recreation Area USFS · Mark Twain National Forest | Park / conservation area | 36.98172, -90.60428 | Forest Service recreation area built around the spring branch. |
| 22 | Markham Springs Campground USFS · Mark Twain National Forest | Campsite | 36.98055, -90.60360 | Forest Service campground at the spring. |
| 23 | Markham Spring Mark Twain National Forest | Spring | 36.97887, -90.60364 | The spring itself, feeding the river through a short branch. |
| 24 | Markham Springs Dam NID MO30207 | Dam / hazard | 36.97868, -90.60248 | Small dam on the spring branch at the recreation area. |
| 25 | Markham Spring access USFS · ramp | Access / boat ramp | 36.97639, -90.59966 | Launch at the downstream end of the Markham Spring area. |
| 26 | Bradley A. Hammer Memorial Conservation Area MDC · small boats and canoes | Access / boat ramp | 36.96331, -90.55438 | Conservation area access near Williamsville; the launch suits canoes and small boats. |
| 27 | County Road 417 bridge Williamsville | Bridge crossing | 36.95678, -90.54984 | The county crossing on the road into the Hammer area. |
| 28 | Hilliard Access MDC | Access / boat ramp | 36.82135, -90.42292 | Conservation Department access on the lower river above Poplar Bluff. |
| 29 | Sportsman's Park Access MDC · Poplar Bluff | Access / boat ramp | 36.76428, -90.37803 | Town access at Sportsman's Park, the Conservation Department launch in Poplar Bluff. |
| 30 | Line Park City of Poplar Bluff | Park / conservation area | 36.75856, -90.38520 | City park on the bank in Poplar Bluff. |
| 31 | Hillcrest Park City of Poplar Bluff | Park / conservation area | 36.76101, -90.38983 | Riverside city park upstream of the Business 60 crossing. |
| 32 | US 60 Business bridge, Poplar Bluff East Pine Street | Bridge crossing | 36.75652, -90.39035 | The main town crossing. |
| 33 | Poplar Bluff boat ramp Poplar Bluff | Access / boat ramp | 36.75173, -90.39286 | Unnamed in OSM; the ramp by the Route WW crossing at the south end of town. |
| 34 | Route WW bridge (Ditch Road) Poplar Bluff | Bridge crossing | 36.75173, -90.39650 | Crossing at the downstream edge of Poplar Bluff. |
| 35 | County Road 658 bridge Butler County | Bridge crossing | 36.64695, -90.30051 | Crossing on the lower river below Poplar Bluff. |
| 36 | County Road 214 bridge Butler County · near the state line | Bridge crossing | 36.58544, -90.33623 | One of the last Missouri crossings before the river runs into Arkansas. |
Guides on the Black River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
About the Black River
The Black River in Missouri is really two rivers. Above Clearwater Lake it is a clear, fast Ozark stream draining the St. Francois Mountains, with the East, Middle, and West Forks joining near Lesterville to form a smallmouth river that runs past Johnsons Shut-Ins and down to the lake near Annapolis. Below Clearwater Dam it is a cold tailwater for a few miles, then a slower lowland river through Poplar Bluff toward Arkansas.
The upper river is the float-trip water. Lesterville to the K Highway bridge, and on toward Centerville and Annapolis, is classic smallmouth fishing with clear pools, boulder gardens, and long gravel runs. Goggle-eye and largemouth mix in, and the river is a popular summer tubing and canoeing destination out of Lesterville, so weekend traffic is heavy in July and August. The forks above Lesterville are small, intimate wade water that is at its best in spring.
The USGS gauge near Annapolis sits above the lake and reads the whole upper basin. Around 200 to 500 cfs is a comfortable floating flow for the Lesterville reach; below 150 it is low and clear and wades well; above 1,000 the river rises fast in its narrow valley and should be left alone. The Black clears quickly because of its rocky bed.
Lesterville has outfitters, campgrounds, and cabins. Johnsons Shut-Ins State Park and Elephant Rocks are the well-known stops nearby, and the Taum Sauk area draws hikers to the same valley, so lodging fills on fall weekends. Guides on the Black are mostly wade and canoe guides rather than drift boat operators, which suits a river this size, and a half-day trip on the forks in April is one of the best introductions to Ozark smallmouth fishing anywhere in the state.
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Access
West Fork and Middle Fork accesses near Centerville and Lesterville: wade and short-float water in spring.
Lesterville area: outfitter accesses and the Highway 21 bridge, the usual launch for one-day floats.
Highway K bridge and Sutton Bluff area: middle river accesses.
Annapolis and the Clearwater Lake arm: takeouts at the bottom of the free-flowing river.
Below Clearwater Dam: Corps of Engineers accesses on the tailwater, and Poplar Bluff ramps on the lower river.
Seasons
March through May: best flows on the forks and the upper river, spawning smallmouth, few people.
June through August: warm, clear, and busy with tubers on weekends; fish early or float midweek.
September and October: low clear water and hungry smallmouth before winter, fall color in the shut-ins.
Winter: tailwater below Clearwater Dam holds fish through the cold months; upper river is quiet.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Black River?
As of Oct 18, 5:15 pm, the USGS gauge Black River near Annapolis, MO reads 174 cfs, the 46th percentile for this date. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Black River?
Anglers target Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Shadow Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Black River in Missouri.
Are there fishing guides on the Black River?
GuidedFloats lists 1 guide and outfitters on the Black River. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Black River?
West Fork and Middle Fork accesses near Centerville and Lesterville: wade and short-float water in spring. Lesterville area: outfitter accesses and the Highway 21 bridge, the usual launch for one-day floats. Highway K bridge and Sutton Bluff area: middle river accesses. Annapolis and the Clearwater Lake arm: takeouts at the bottom of the free-flowing river. Below Clearwater Dam: Corps of Engineers accesses on the tailwater, and Poplar Bluff ramps on the lower river.
When is the best time to fish the Black River?
March through May: best flows on the forks and the upper river, spawning smallmouth, few people. June through August: warm, clear, and busy with tubers on weekends; fish early or float midweek. September and October: low clear water and hungry smallmouth before winter, fall color in the shut-ins. Winter: tailwater below Clearwater Dam holds fish through the cold months; upper river is quiet.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Black River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Missouri agency site: https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/regulations