Missouri Float Rivers

Live conditions, access points, and float planning for 17 rivers in Missouri.

• Big Piney River

  108 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  A classic Ozark float and the main tributary of the Gasconade, winding north through Mark Twain National Forest past pine-topped limestone bluffs. Spring-fed but flashy, with clear water, Class I-II riffles, and some of Missouri's best smallmouth fishing.

• Big River

  142 mi · Class I (beginner) · St. Francois Mountains / Missouri Ozarks (Old Lead Belt)

  A slow, scenic beginner (Class I) float rising in the St. Francois Mountains and winding north to the Meramec. Long pools, gravel-bar riffles, and historic mill sites, with Washington State Park a popular float base and a few low-head dams to portage.

• Black River

  195 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  A clear, popular southeast-Missouri Ozark float below the St. Francois Mountains. The Lesterville reach above Clearwater Lake is a summer-float hotspot of gravel bars and bluffs, fed by the East, Middle, and West Fork headwaters that converge nearby.

• Bourbeuse River

  149 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  The slowest large stream in the Ozarks and one of its crookedest, winding through farm country to the Meramec. Runoff-fed and often murky, with an unhurried pace favored by local anglers over the rental-canoe crowd; the upper half runs thin in dry summers.

• Bryant Creek

  64 mi · Class I (occasional Class I-II riffles; upper reach above Hwy 95 more technical) · Ozarks

  A wild, spring-influenced Ozark float running south to meet the North Fork of the White River. Gentle Class I water with clear pools, bluffs, and gravel bars, prized for smallmouth and goggle-eye — narrower and flashier than the neighboring North Fork.

• Courtois Creek

  28 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  Beautiful Meramec tributary with clear water and gravel bars. Popular with kayakers for its narrower, more intimate character.

• Current River

  174 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  One of the first National Scenic Riverways, featuring crystal-clear spring-fed waters. The Current River is renowned for its blue-green color from numerous large springs including Big Spring.

• Eleven Point River

  97 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  Wild and scenic river with remote float sections and abundant wildlife. Designated as a National Wild and Scenic River with exceptional water quality.

• Gasconade River

  261 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  The longest river entirely within Missouri and one of the world's crookedest — a winding, low-gradient Ozark float to the Missouri River. Scenic dolostone bluffs, springs, and caves, with easy Class I water and quiet, uncrowded floating.

• Huzzah Creek

  33 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  Tributary of the Meramec, popular for shorter float trips. Crystal-clear water with numerous gravel bars ideal for swimming and camping.

• Jacks Fork River

  45 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  Major tributary of the Current River, part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Known beautiful views and the stunning Alley Spring mill.

• James River

  93 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  A southwest-Missouri float and smallmouth stream draining the Springfield plateau to Table Rock Lake. The Galena reach is the classic float; upper reaches near Springfield carry urban runoff.

• Meramec River

  224 mi · Class I · Ozarks

  Popular float stream in east-central Missouri, known for scenic bluffs, caves, and easy access. Flows through the Ozarks with numerous gravel bars and camping spots.

• Niangua River

  122 mi · Class I · Central Missouri

  Popular central Missouri float stream with moderate flow and scenic beauty. Features limestone bluffs and excellent smallmouth bass fishing.

• North Fork River

  58 mi · Class I-II · Ozarks

  The North Fork of the White River, a classic spring-fed south-central Missouri float and wild-trout stream fed by Rainbow and Blue Springs. Clear, cold, and reliably floatable; small ledges/rapids.

• Spring River (Missouri)

  101 mi · Class I · Ozark Border

  A fast-paced southwest-Missouri float on the Ozark border, running from near Carthage down toward the Kansas state line; one of the streams Native Americans knew as the 'Seven Bulls.' Distinct from the Arkansas Spring River.

• St. Francis River

  123 mi · Class II-IV (upper whitewater); calmer below Sam A. Baker SP · St. Francois Mountains

  Missouri's only whitewater river. The upper run through Millstream Gardens and the Tiemann Shut-ins is a rain-dependent, 2.3-mile Class II-IV pool-drop; below the shut-ins it mellows into an easy float toward Sam A. Baker State Park.