Am I biased? You bet. My favorite Missouri trout streams are all under Blue Ribbon or Red Ribbon management options. I enjoy catching wild trout -- trout born in the streams I fish. The beauty of these wild athletes, caught in a wild setting, takes trout fishing to a new level of enjoyment for me; the Purina Chow trout stocked in our trout parks and White Ribbon Areas pale by comparison.

North Fork Of The White River
Let me start with my No. 1 all-time favorite among Missouri trout streams: the North Fork of the White River in Ozark County.

The North Fork in Missouri is a classic Ozark stream, heading up in Douglas County and then flowing south through Ozark County, ultimately joining the White River in Arkansas. Trout water extends from Rainbow or Double Springs downstream to Dawt Mill Dam. It's Missouri's only Western-style trout fishery. The Blue Ribbon Area extends from the spring downstream four miles to Blair Bridge, the Red Ribbon Area from Blair to Dawt.

The North Fork supports the largest wild rainbow population in the Midwest, with numerous 14- to 20-inch trout and a few very large brown trout, stocked downstream in the Red Ribbon Area. Brown trout approaching 20 pounds have been caught from this river.

It's a big brawling river on bedrock, furnished with shallow pools and rocky riffles that lend themselves to fly-fishing with all of the classic insect hatches, and to spin-fishing with small artificial lures representing small fish or crayfish. The trout water features public accesses for wading anglers and for launching canoes, boats, or small float-boats about every four miles beginning at Kelly Shoal, just east of the junction of Highway 181 and H and downstream from Rainbow Springs.

It's an easy river to float -- both an advantage for trout anglers, and a curse. A canoe or small float-boat allows easy access to the entire trout stream, and it's my favorite way to fish the area; that said, however, it needs to be noted that the North Fork is one of Missouri's most popular summer float destinations, with hundreds of recreational floaters using the trout water daily.

During the summer, fish early in the morning before the canoe hatch reaches trout water, usually about 10 a.m., and late in the evening after the floaters leave the water. This timeframe also increases the likelihood of your catching one of the large brown trout that move out of sheltered areas used during the day to more-accessibly open positions to feed.

For more information, call the regional MDC office at West Plains at (417) 256-7161

Current River
In my mind, the Current River Blue Ribbon Area ranks second to the North Fork by only a few points. It's smaller, easier to access, and closer to St. Louis, Columbia, Rolla, and Kansas City. It supports an excellent -- if not the best -- brown trout population in any of Missouri's trout areas, and a developing wild rainbow population as well.

The Blue Ribbon Area extends from Montauk State Trout Park boundary downstream about six miles to Cedar Grove access, all within Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri's only national park. It's easily accessed by wading anglers as well as by anglers floating through using a canoe or small johnboat. I don't recommend using float tubes or float-boats: The upper Current River is small, with shallow riffles; most floaters drag. With a small johnboat or canoe, you can wade through the riffles and then use the boat to access the deep pools.