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Current River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Ozarks’ spring-fed jewel: the Current runs cold and clear through the first national scenic riverway.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
774 cfs
Air / High
102 / 103 F
Wind
SSE 2 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07067000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Current River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 774 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 2 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 103. Water sits around 73 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 105 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Current River at Van Buren.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07067000.

9921,3971,802774 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp102 F
High / Low103 / 73 F
WindSSE 2-4 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain20% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:37 / 19:28
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 103/73 F, wind 7 mph, rain 5%

Slow. 103 F: be on the water at dawn and off by mid-morning, or fish after dark.

Species guide

The species that matter on Current River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Current River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Current River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 101 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 102 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 102 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Missouri requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Missouri license plus trout permit for trout areas. Special regulations apply in the Montauk area and blue ribbon reaches: check current MDC rules.

Access

National Park Service accesses throughout the Ozark National Scenic Riverways; Montauk State Park at the headwaters.

About this water

A 184-mile spring-fed Ozark river within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shannon and Carter counties, Missouri.

Fishing Current River: the full guide

America’s first national scenic riverway

The Current River flows about 184 miles through the Missouri Ozarks, fed by enormous springs including Big Spring, one of the largest in the country. In 1964 it became the core of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, the first national park unit created to protect a river. Cold spring water keeps the upper river trout-capable, while the middle and lower river holds smallmouth bass.

Trout and smallmouth

The upper river below Montauk State Park holds rainbow and brown trout in cold spring water, with Missouri stocking the park section heavily and wild fish holding downstream. From Round Spring down, the water warms and smallmouth bass take over: an excellent float fishery on tubes, crankbaits and topwater through gravel bars and bluff pools.

Floating the river

The Current is a float river above all: canoe and johnboat trips through bluffs, caves and spring branches, with gravel bar camping and clear water that lets you watch fish. Summer weekends bring heavy recreational float traffic to the popular reaches: fish early, fish weekdays, or fish the less-traveled stretches.

Ozark logistics

National Park Service accesses serve the river throughout, with Montauk State Park at the top, Akers, Round Spring, Two Rivers and Big Spring among the major points. Outfitters provide canoes and shuttles. Eminence and Van Buren are the local towns. Spring flows and rain can raise the river quickly.

Common questions

Trout or smallmouth?

Both by reach: trout in the cold spring water up top, smallmouth from Round Spring down as the river warms.

What makes it historic?

It anchors the first national park unit created to protect a river, designated in 1964.

Is it crowded?

Popular reaches see heavy float traffic on summer weekends: fish early, weekdays or the quieter stretches.

Is fishing good at Current River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Eleven Point River23 miSpring River55 miNorfork Lake82 miReelfoot Lake98 miKinkaid Lake104 miCedar Lake105 mi
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