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Montauk trout water down the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The river tops out around 10 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Traced from the shoreline, Current River runs 11,165 acres with 234.2 miles of edge. With a shoreline index of 15.8, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 74.8 mi of water from one end to the other, 13.9 mi at the beam. The water lies in Shannon County. The nearest mapped water is Jacks Fork, 11 mi to the northwest.
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 10 ft, and they winter in 2 to 10 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 20.5), a prime-rated current seam around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 10 ft. The depth story barely changes: 3 to 10 ft through summer, 3 to 10 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 13.7), a rock pile in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
When the water first warms, walleye slide up into 3 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 13.7). It's a rock pile holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run the evening and early morning. Keep a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & night | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
In spring, longnose gar run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer keeps them at 1 to 10 ft, and they winter in 3 to 10 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for fall longnose gar. Time it for midday and the evening. You won't need more than a rope lure or a small white spinner most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | open water | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 10 ft | midday & dusk | open water | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (8 ft) |
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 1 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 10 ft, winter 1 to 10 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 20.5). It's a current seam holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 13.7) (4 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 20.5) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 53 features, led in depth by Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at roughly 8 ft.
Access data: Missouri Department of Conservation — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Missouri waters are set by the Missouri Department of Conservation — and special regulations can apply to Current River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Missouri fishing regulations →
Current River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, longnose gar, brown trout on Current River.
Current seam (mile 20.5) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Current River is regulated by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Check the official Missouri regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Jacks Fork 11 mi · Mark Twain National Forest 24 mi · Eleven Point River 27 mi · Clearwater Lake 27 mi · Ripley Lake 31 mi · Council Bluff Lake 51 mi · Wappapello Lake 52 mi · Big Piney River 56 mi · North Fork of the White 57 mi · Duck Creek Conservation Area 64 mi · Norfork River 65 mi, AR · Norfork Lake 69 mi, MO/AR
See how Current River stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Missouri · best walleye lakes in Missouri · best rainbow trout lakes in Missouri · best longnose gar lakes in Missouri
Browse all Missouri fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.