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.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mammoth Spring About nine million gallons an hour, 58 F year round | Spring | 36.49781, -91.53594 | The largest spring in Arkansas and one of the largest in the world. Every cold-water mile of the Spring River below it runs on this flow. |
| 2 | USGS gauge - Mammoth Spring at Mammoth Spring USGS 07069190 | USGS gauge | 36.49813, -91.53569 | Spring discharge and water temperature. Read it before committing to a Spring River float. |
| 3 | Mammoth Spring State Park Arkansas State Parks - spring lake, 1886 Frisco depot | Park / conservation area | 36.49621, -91.53282 | Walking trail circles the ten-acre spring lake; the visitor centre is in the restored depot. Parking and restrooms at the spring. |
| 4 | Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery US Fish and Wildlife Service | Agency / conservation office | 36.49602, -91.53188 | Federal hatchery on the spring lake, across US 63 from the state park. OSM tags the entrance node as a public building. |
| 5 | Mammoth Spring Dam No. 1 Spring-lake outlet dam in the state park | Dam / hazard | 36.49517, -91.53468 | The spring lake empties over this dam into the Spring River. There is no float water above it - the river starts here. |
Gauge: USGS 07069190 — Mammoth Spring at Mammoth Spring. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Longear Sunfish, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
Regulations: www.agfc.com/regulations/general-fishing-regulations/
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Mammoth Spring State Park - the spring pool, the historic depot and the park at the river's head.
Dam Three Access - the first major fishing and float access below the spring.
Saddler Falls - a well-known shoal access on the upper river.
Hardy - the main town downstream, with outfitters, lodging and tackle.
Many Islands - a popular float access on the middle river.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission accesses - several developed river accesses along the corridor.
US Highway 63 - the main route paralleling the upper river.
Spring: strong flows, heavy stocking and excellent trout fishing before the paddling crowds arrive.
Summer: the spring keeps the upper river cold and fishable all summer, though float traffic is heavy midday.
Fall: lower water, clearer conditions and the best wade fishing of the year.
Winter: cold air but constant water temperature, with the river ice free and trout fishing steady.