What's the deal with the Arkansas river? Is it drying up? Is it widening? Has it always been that shallow? It just looks like a big flat slow flowing creek. I've always wondered if there's any fishing spots in that river. It appears that a big tire 4x4 pickup could probably drive from bank to bank in most places.

 

nah it aint drying up, just spreading out a little. it is just doing what all rivers do, just moving around a little. yes it is probably shallow enough in places that a truck could probably drive across it, but i dont think it would be a good idea. go dig a hole in the sand and see how deep you get before you hit water! i have seen four wheelers stuck and sinking in the river sand. stuff just turns to water in the right conditions. also been stuck in it a few times, once in a big tire 4x4 that had never been stuck so bad!

 

Lots of fun when you are up to your running boards and running out ot time when the Corp. of Engineers are planning on letting water out of the lake at Manford! Their are good reasons why the police will haul both you and your veh. off for doing exactly what you are planning.

 

Ya, I figured it was a muddy soft bottom. I don't plan on driving across it. I don't have access to a 4wd. I was just wondering if that river has always looked like it's dying or it was a fairly recent change.

 

Just depends on what the are doing downstream Ron. In eastern OK it's barge navigable, 40' deep in parts of the channel, and even deeper around the dams. If Kerr Lake is up, and they are holding back water upstream and letting it out down, you'll notice the river swelling a bit where you are at... but if it's been dry and they are trying to maintain the lake levels it could all but dry up at certain times of the year there where you are at. I've never fished it any further west than Gore, we always put in there at the landing off of the turnpike and drifted down to the lake... so I'm not sure how many dams there are between there and Tulsa. But down around gore there is some excellent fishing, I enjoy catfishing in there in the summers, running jugs or trotlines.. especially when you can find the big green Katapa worms, we'll slaughter them with those. Certain times of the year the sand bass will bite good, especially where the river "spills over" into a little pot hole or something, or around bridge piers too, they hang in that turbulent water there and catch shad so a big twister tail jig with a spoon will usually bring them out. Of course you have gar, carp, drum.. the trash fish, and I've even got into some crappie at times looking for the sand bass.