The end of the park is marked by a steel cable suspended over the river and there starts the Blue Ribbon section of the river. Blue Ribbon areas are for the most part catch and release; however, one fish Rainbow or Brown can be kept daily if the fish is eighteen inches or over. This is pretty good fishing! Nine miles of Blue Ribbon water, end of the park to Cedar Grove Bridge.
The upper section is much narrower and probably fished a little more due to easy access. Tan Vat, a Missouri Department of Conservation access (MDC), is approximately ¾ of a mile down from the end of the park and Baptist Camp also an MDC access is little over a mile more. Below Baptist Camp, around Ashley Creek the river widens out some and while most the 9 miles of this Blue Ribbon water is wadeable, this stretch does have some deeper holes and you may have to take to the bank depending on water conditions.