Fly fishing report · Midwest

Eleven Point River

A practical Eleven Point planning page built around the river's warmwater upper float water, coldwater Greer-to-Turner trout reach, and the official access points that actually define a good day.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Good

Best option: Wade.

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachWade

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade · Best fit82/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank / edgeCheck

This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.

Float82/100

A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

Treat the Eleven Point as two different fishing days on one river.

The upper river above Greer fishes like an Ozark smallmouth and goggle-eye float when levels are healthy, while the Greer Spring branch turns the middle river into a colder trout system with tighter regulations and clearer wade decisions. The best days start by choosing which version of the river you actually want.

RiverReports is the quick trend check, backed by USGS 07071500 near Bardley for official streamflow context.
Missouri's special waterbody regulations split the river into Blue Ribbon trout water from Greer Spring Branch to Turner Mill and White Ribbon trout water downstream from Turner Mill.
The Missouri annual prospects report points anglers to Thomasville, Cane Bluff, Greer, Turner Mill, Whitten, and Riverton as the main public access anchors.
Mark Twain National Forest manages the Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River corridor with official vehicle accesses, float camps, and river-use rules including the 25-horsepower limit.

Why this score moved

HeatUse caution

The NWS forecast is near 89F. Fish early and verify water temperature where trout stress is possible.

FlowHelps score

USGS shows 478 cfs with a stable over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1922-2025, 104 readings) puts the normal middle range around 414 cfs-801 cfs. Flow is inside the same-date normal range, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.

SeasonHelps score

Early summer: Strong for mixed trout and bass planning before heat and traffic squeeze the easiest accesses.

Public alertsHelps score

No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.

Fishing usefulnessHelps score

Skip when the upper river is too low to float without repeated dragging, when the middle river is overcrowded, or when fast-rising weather makes a long shuttle feel reckless.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

The Eleven Point is strongest when you either have enough water to float the smallmouth water cleanly or enough clarity and moderate current to fish the trout sections around Greer and Turner Mill deliberately. It loses value when levels get too low for the upper float, when summer traffic turns the obvious accesses into a parade, or when anglers mix warmwater expectations with the trout-only rules.

Higher spring float levels

Best for covering the upper river from Thomasville toward Greer without dragging boats over riffles.

Moderate clear trout flow

Ideal for the Greer-to-Turner Blue Ribbon stretch and the stocked White Ribbon water below.

Low summer water

Usually pushes you toward shorter trout-focused sessions or selective upper-river wading instead of long floats.

Heavy recreational traffic

Fish early, choose less obvious access transitions, or shift to a weekday plan.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Enough flow to float the upper river cleanly or moderate clear conditions that leave the Greer-to-Turner trout seams readable without turning every public access into fast pushy water.

When to skip

Skip when the upper river is too low to float without repeated dragging, when the middle river is overcrowded, or when fast-rising weather makes a long shuttle feel reckless.

Local plan

Pick one section before you start, fish one access well, and let the level check tell you whether to stay in trout water or commit to a fuller float.

Backup water

If the Eleven Point is too thin, too crowded, or too warm in the wrong section, pivot to a bigger Ozark tailwater or a more straightforward float river rather than forcing it.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

SpringMidges, caddis, and early mayfliesZebra midge, caddis pupa, pheasant tail, Adams

Reviewed pattern · report says “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “caddis pupa”Caddis Pupa PatternsCaddis pupa is a life-stage family. Curved bodies, wing pads, legs, beads, and soft-hackle collars differ among exact patterns and must be labeled.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Late spring to early summerCaddis, PMDs, and attractor terrestrial startsElk hair caddis, PMD emerger, yellow stimulator

Reviewed pattern · report says “Elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “PMD emerger”Pale Morning Dun PatternsPMD names an insect group, not one fly. Pale nymphs, trailing-shuck emergers, upright or low-riding duns, cripples, and spent-wing spinners stay visibly separate.See family guide + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

SummerCaddis, beetles, ants, and hopper windowsFoam ant, beetle, hopper-dropper, caddis dry

Reviewed family · report says “Foam ant”Ant PatternsAnt patterns can be foam, fur-bodied, winged, or sunken. The narrow waist and paired body lobes matter more than one material recipe.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “beetle”Beetle PatternsBeetle flies range from simple foam shells to hair-bodied and sunken forms. A rounded back and compact profile distinguish the family from ants and hoppers.See family guide + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

FallBWOs and streamer windowsParachute BWO, olive bugger, soft hackle

Reviewed family · report says “Parachute BWO”Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO describes a hatch group, not one fly. Nymph, emerger, dry, cripple, and spinner profiles must stay separate because they occupy different parts of the water column.See family guide

Reviewed pattern · report says “olive bugger”Woolly BuggerThe shared pattern language is a marabou tail, chenille or dubbed body, and palmered hackle. Bead heads, dumbbell eyes, flash, rubber tails, colors, and body materials materially change the tied variation and must be labeled.See photos & how to fish it + 1 more reviewed guide in the Fly Box

Choose the river version before you leave the truck: upper-river float water, Blue Ribbon trout water, or White Ribbon stocked water.

On trout-focused days, fish the Greer and Turner accesses well instead of trying to sample every visible turnout.

On upper-river float days, make sure levels are high enough to avoid constant dragging before committing to Thomasville or Cane Bluff mileage.

Respect the lure and harvest restrictions in the trout reaches because the bass-friendly habits that work above Greer are not legal everywhere below it.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Use Missouri's Eleven Point special regulations page every trip. The Blue Ribbon reach from Greer Spring Branch to Turner Mill is artificial-only with a one-trout daily limit and an 18-inch minimum; the White Ribbon reach downstream has different trout harvest rules, and upper-river bass and goggle-eye limits still apply.

Greer Crossing

A developed Mark Twain National Forest access and the key trout-water transition around Greer Spring.

Turner Mill North

Day-use river access just below the Blue Ribbon reach, useful for scouting and short trout sessions.

Turner Mill South

Forest Service access with primitive camping and easy launch value for the middle river.

Whitten and Riverton

Lower-river public access anchors for White Ribbon trout water and longer downstream floats.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-02

flowRiverReports: Eleven Point River flowUSGS Eleven Point River near Bardley regulationMissouri Department of Conservation: Eleven Point River regulations backgroundMissouri Department of Conservation: Eleven Point River annual prospects accessMark Twain National Forest: Eleven Point National Wild and Scenic River accessMark Twain National Forest: Turner Mill North River Access safetyNational Weather Service forecast point near the Eleven Point

Common questions

Before you leave.

What should I check first on the Eleven Point River?+

Start with RiverReports and USGS 07071500, then decide whether you are planning an upper-river float or a trout-focused Greer-to-Turner day and confirm the matching Missouri rules.

Is the Eleven Point better for floating or wading?+

Both work, but they fit different sections. The upper river is more float-driven, while Greer and Turner are often better for focused wading or short launch-to-access trout planning.

When should I skip the Eleven Point?+

Skip it when upper-river levels are too thin to float cleanly, when trout water is overwhelmed by summer traffic, or when recent rain has the river rising too quickly to plan safely.