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 Source of the river · ~9 million gallons an hour, 58°F year-round | Spring | 36.49781, -91.53594 | One of the largest springs in the world; the whole trout fishery runs on this cold flow. |
| 2 | Mammoth Spring State Park Arkansas State Parks · spring pool, 1886 depot museum, picnic area | Park / conservation area | 36.49621, -91.53282 | Walking trail around the spring lake; the National Fish Hatchery is across US 63. |
| 3 | Mammoth Spring Dam 1 Spring-lake outlet dam in the state park | Dam / hazard | 36.49517, -91.53468 | Trout-managed water begins 100 yards below this dam. Do not launch above it. |
| 4 | Spring River trout water — upper limit 100 yards below Dam 1 at Mammoth Spring State Park | Regulation section limit | 36.49488, -91.53564 | The AGFC-managed trout reach runs about 12 miles to the mouth of Myatt Creek. Rules on the AGFC site; approximate marker. |
| 5 | US 63 bridge at Mammoth Spring US Highway 63 | Bridge crossing | 36.49478, -91.53643 | |
| 6 | US 63 bridge (lower Mammoth Spring) US Highway 63 | Bridge crossing | 36.48121, -91.52200 | |
| 7 | Spring River Dam 3 Low dam · portage | Dam / hazard | 36.46656, -91.53010 | Do not run the dam. Between here and Hardy the river drops over a series of ledges — Saddler Falls (the sharpest) and the braided Many Islands reach — scout or line them at unfamiliar levels. |
| 8 | Dam 3 Access AGFC · public put-in below Dam 3, off Bayou Access Road | Access / boat ramp | 36.46484, -91.52873 | Standard start for the Dam 3–Hardy float (about 12 miles; most parties split it at a private outfitter camp). Approximate marker just below the dam. |
| 9 | US 62/412 bridge at Hardy US Highways 62 & 412 | Bridge crossing | 36.31576, -91.49044 | |
| 10 | Loberge Park City of Hardy · riverside park and camping | Park / conservation area | 36.31504, -91.48765 | |
| 11 | USGS 07069305 Spring River at Town Branch Bridge at Hardy Gauge used for this water's flow reading | USGS gauge | 36.31361, -91.48278 | Spring-fed base flow is steady; the river rises fast after rain on the Warm Fork and Myatt Creek. |
| 12 | North Spring Street bridge, Hardy Old downtown crossing | Bridge crossing | 36.31312, -91.48276 | |
| 13 | Hardy Beach (Buford Beach) take-out City of Hardy · gravel beach and ramp at the Walter Norman Memorial Garden | Access / boat ramp | 36.31265, -91.47295 | Main take-out for the Mammoth Spring floats. High Falls (about 6 ft) sits just above the South Fork confluence downstream — do not float past town without scouting it. |
Gauge: USGS 07069305 — Spring River at Spring Street Bridge at Hardy, AR. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Bluegill, Brown Trout, 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 head of the river at the Missouri line.
Dam Three Access: the standard upper put-in below the spring.
Riverside and Bayou Access: upper river accesses with parking.
Hardy: town access near the gauge, ramps and liveries.
Saddler Falls: the best-known ledge drop on the river.
Cherokee Village and Ravenden: lower river access as the water warms.
Black River confluence: the bottom of the run.
Year-round; the spring keeps the river cold and flowing in every month.
March through May: the best trout fishing, cool water and moderate float traffic.
June through August: heavy recreational canoe traffic; fish early or fish weekdays.
September through February: quiet water, stocked trout and the best fishing of the year for anglers who do not mind cold.