Strawberry River Overview

Flowing out of the Ozark foothills in north central Arkansas is the Strawberry River, a friendly stream good for family excursions. It begins just a few miles west of Salem in Fulton County, and meanders in a southeasterly direction for slightly over 100 miles before merging with the Black River. While it does not offer the whitewater of the Mulberry or the bluffs of the Buffalo, the Strawberry has a lot going for it: convenient access, interesting scenery, and a smallmouth bass fishery. In fact, because of its fine qualities the stream's upper section has been placed in Arkansas's Natural and Scenic Rivers System.

Section Description & Characteristics
The upper one-third of the Strawberry River is generally too low for good floating, although wade fishing is a possibility for the diehard. The best bet for a good outing is in the river's middle third—the section between the U.S. 167 crossing north of Evening Shade and the Arkansas 115 bridge northeast of Jesup.

Length
The entire length runs a distance of approximately 109 miles.

Highway 167 to the Arkansas 58 Crossing
The first float, a nine- to ten-mile journey, begins at Highway 167 and concludes at a low-water bridge that is about two miles north off Arkansas 56 and roughly halfway between Evening Shade and Poughkeepsie. A second float—also nine to ten miles in length—begins at this same crossing and ends at the next low-water bridge about two miles north of Poughkeepsie, just west of Arkansas 58. The third float is from this second low-water bridge to the Arkansas 58 crossing, a distance of about two and a half miles.

These three floats offer certain similarities. They all possess fine gravel bars and something else not too common to Arkansas streams—sandy beaches. In addition, these sections all include some very fishable waters, with bass (smallmouth, largemouth, rock, and spotted) and sunfish receiving the most attention.

The Arkansas 58 Crossing to the 115 Bridge
The Strawberry can also be floated from the Arkansas 58 crossing on down to the 115 bridge near Jesup, but it's a lengthy trip (around 20 miles). Rather than floating the entire distance, some fishermen prefer to paddle (or motor) upstream from either of these access points, and then leisurely fish their way back down to the vehicles.

Maps
Map of Strawberry River, northern half
Map of Strawberry River, southern half

Seasons
For floating, the time to visit the Strawberry is in spring. The river is also a prime candidate for wade fishing when water levels are too low for a successful boat trip.

Access Points
Primary points of access include U.S. 167 near Evening Shade; a low water bridge north of Arkansas 56 and about halfway between Evening Shade and Poughkeepsie; the Arkansas 58 crossing; and the Arkansas 115 crossing near Jesup. The Sharp County General Highway Map helps in locating these and other put-in/ take-out points.

Scenery
The scenery, in a word, is attractive. The river itself has easy rapids, deep pools, and good-looking water. In many places canoeists are sheltered by overhanging trees. And the surrounding country, while not wild, is very quiet and peaceful.

Fishing
The gravel-bottomed Strawberry offers ideal habitat for channel catfish, one of the primary sport fishes found here. These sleek underwater bulldogs usually lurk near rocks and downed timber out of strong current. Crayfish are their primary forage and consequently the best bait, but channel cats will take a variety of other offerings, including worms, minnows, liver, and stinkbaits. Huge flathead catfish also haunt the Strawberry, offering heart-pounding thrills to catfishermen in-the-know.

While catfish abound in the Strawberry, they are often overlooked by anglers who usually come here to try their luck at spotted and smallmouth bass. Wade fishing for bass is popular in the upper reaches where a fly rod and popping busy can produce nonstop fishing entertainment. However, most bass are taken in the lower two-thirds of the river using ultralight rods and reels equipped with small spinner-baits, jigs, plastic worms, or salamanders or crayfish-lookalike crank-baits. Other less important, but often caught, fish include crappie, bluegills, saugers, and warmouths.

Services Available
Supplies can be obtained in the nearby communities of Ash Flat, Evening Shade, or Cave City, but bring your own boat since rentals are not available locally. The nearest camping facilities are at Lake Charles State Park, located about 15 miles east of Jesup.

Additional Information
The Strawberry is another one of those streams receiving a good deal of public recreational use, despite the fact that there is little if any public land along the river. Traditional access points may be on private property. Therefore visitors are encouraged to check with local residents concerning recommended put-in and take-out locations.