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 | Smallmouth Bass Special Management Area — upper limit MDC · head of the Elk | Regulation section limit | 36.58833, -94.38325 | The special management area covers the whole length of the Elk in Missouri; its upper limit is where Big Sugar Creek and Indian Creek join to form the river. Read the current Missouri regulations before you fish it. |
| 2 | City of Pineville Elk River Access City of Pineville · ramp | Access / boat ramp | 36.58884, -94.38682 | Town launch at Pineville, the usual top of the float. |
| 3 | US 71 Business bridge, Pineville South Business 71 | Bridge crossing | 36.58867, -94.38768 | Crossing at the Pineville access. |
| 4 | I-49 / US 71 bridge Corporal Bobbie J. Harper Memorial Highway | Bridge crossing | 36.58610, -94.39760 | The interstate crossing below Pineville; twin spans. |
| 5 | CPKC railroad bridge Heavener Subdivision | Bridge crossing | 36.58473, -94.45380 | Rail crossing at Elk Springs. |
| 6 | Elk Springs Road bridge McDonald County | Bridge crossing | 36.58492, -94.45470 | County crossing in the Elk Springs float-camp stretch. |
| 7 | Mount Shira Access MDC · gravel launch | Access / boat ramp | 36.57651, -94.46362 | Conservation Department access two miles north of Noel. |
| 8 | MO 90 bridge, Noel Main Street · Noel | Bridge crossing | 36.54547, -94.48933 | Town crossing at Noel. |
| 9 | MO 59 bridge, Noel North Cliffside Drive | Bridge crossing | 36.54902, -94.49361 | The Noel crossing under the bluff road. |
| 10 | Weir below Noel Tagged waterway=weir in OSM | Dam / hazard | 36.55294, -94.49701 | A weir sits across the channel just downstream of Noel. Scout it before you run it. |
| 11 | USGS 07189000 — Elk River near Tiff City USGS gauging station | USGS gauge | 36.63146, -94.58689 | The flow reference for the float. Coordinates are the station's own. |
| 12 | Cowskin Access MDC · concrete ramp | Access / boat ramp | 36.63092, -94.58758 | Conservation Department access eight miles north of Southwest City, beside the gauge. |
| 13 | Smallmouth Bass Special Management Area — lower limit MDC · Missouri–Oklahoma line | Regulation section limit | 36.65744, -94.76999 | Lower limit of the area, where the Elk leaves Missouri. Read the current Missouri regulations before you fish it. |
Gauge: USGS 07189000 — Elk River near Tiff City, Mo. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass
Regulations: mdc.mo.gov/fishing/regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Big Sugar Creek accesses near Cyclone and Pineville: spring floats and wade fishing on the main tributary.
Pineville (Highway 71 area): outfitter accesses at the top of the Elk proper.
Highway 59 corridor between Pineville and Noel: multiple private livery accesses and gravel bars.
Noel: town access near the Highway 59 bridge, a common takeout.
Tiff City area: lower river accesses near the gauge above Grand Lake.
March through May: the best fishing of the year with good flows, pre-spawn smallmouth, and white bass from Grand Lake.
June through August: the busiest floating season in Missouri; fish at first light or on weekdays.
September and October: low clear water, few floaters, excellent wade fishing on Big Sugar Creek.
Winter: quiet and slow; fish the deepest pools near Noel and the lake arm.