Crooked Creek, Arkansas
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On The Fly Freshwater
December 2025
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs
Crooked Creek is a spring-fed tributary of Arkansas’ White River, entering that flow just below Rim Shoals. This large creek is noted for hosting a great smallmouth bass fishery that is ideal for fly casting. The stream also has the designation from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission of being an Ozark Zone Blue Ribbon Stream. Before heading out for some fishing, make sure of your destination. Arkansas has 10 different Crooked Creeks!
This one rises near Sulphur Spring in northern Newton County. The creek then crosses Boone County, before entering Marion County and reaching the White River. Along the way it meanders through a panorama of lush pastures, rolling hills, bottomland thickets and cedar glades. The entire course is composed of deep pools of clear water separated by fast chutes. The lower section has a big enough flow that it would be rated a river in many other areas. The bottom is made up of limestone gravel, bedrock and sand, which is ideal for wading and smallmouth bass habitat. As a result, and most importantly, the stream is loaded with those bronzebacks.
These bass run the gamut from 12 to 15 inches in length, up to 2- or 3-pounds. Even some in the 4- to 6-pound bracket are taken each year. Based on that reputation, Crooked Creek attracts a lot of angler attention. The forage base to support the smallies is composed of good populations of hellgrammites, crawfish and minnows. Flies that mimic any of those usually attract plenty of attention from the predatory smallmouths.
Particularly along the lower portion from around the town of Yellville to its mouth, Crooked Creek gets fairly heavy fishing pressure. This is especially true from the low water bridge at Kelly’s Slab downstream to the city park in Yellville. However, a 2019 survey by the AGFC found that despite all the fishing, the harvest rate for smallmouths was quite low. That wasn’t because anglers weren’t catching fish, but because the vast majority were practicing voluntary catch-and-release.
Most of the fishing on the flow takes place on its lower 22 miles that are contained in the AGFC designated Crooked Creek Water Trail. This paddling trail provides six access points along the course, with three of these having primitive camping areas. The campsite at Brooksher has no road access and the one at Fred Berry Conservation Education Center requires obtaining permission to camp. Camping is limited to one night at each of the locations. For a map and more information click here.
Kelly’s Slab on Crooked Creek near Yellville.
On a trip to test the creek for smallmouths, the On The Fly South crew chose to take advantage of the most accessible section for wade fishing. This is at the Fred Berry Center, which takes in Kelly’s Slab. Here there is 2.75 miles of the creek running around a big bend and through the 421-acre state-managed area. Fishing is allowed from sunrise to sunset daily, but with a special catch-and-release regulation in effect.
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We waded into the section that features basically shallow flats with some deeper pools and runs. It is possible to wade much of it and place casts into the deeper areas. Since there’s nothing more exciting than having a smallmouth bass blast a popping bug on the surface, I started with a white Boogle Bug popper.
Casting to a deeper run at Kelly’s Slab.
Meanwhile, Associate Editor Polly Dean opted to toss a flashy silver minnow-imitating streamer. After watching her hook up on several fish, I too switched off to a sub-surface fly since the smallies obviously were not looking up to the surface this day. Consistently, when one of the bass took the fly, it would come rocketing out of the water to tail-dance across the surface.
Polly Dean with one of her smallmouth bass from Crooked Creek.
On this day we did not get into any of the trophy-sized smallies for which Crooked Creek is famous. On the other hand, we brought multiple fish in the 12- to 15-inch range to the net. All of them featured the “shoulders” found on stream-bred bass, putting up a fight that far exceeded their size.
When it comes to making the decision of whether to wade or float fish, water level is a determining factor on Crooked Creek. Check the USGS water gauge for Kelly Crossing at Yellville, Arkansas.
If the cubic feet per second is under 50, it is too low to float. At 50 to 75 CFS you will be scrapping bottom in a lot of places. Between 75 and 150 CFS is best.
When wading, anything under 75 CFS is ideal. Up to 150 CFS can be waded, but requires caution to avoid stepping into deeper holes. Above 150 CFS, you need to be in a boat.
To reach the best wading at the Kelly’s Slab area, take Marion County Road 4002 west from U.S. 62 in the town of Yellville. The parking area is on the west shore of the creek.
