Bell Slough WMA?

[Lupe]

I was curious if anyone has ever paddled around the Bell Slough area? When I have limited time I usually paddle the Little or Big Maumelle near Pinnacle Mt., but I have always wondered about the Bell Slough area near Mayflower every time I pass it on I-40. I'm curious to know how the area would be for a canoe/kayak paddle...

[DeBo]

Palarm Creek is the stream that you see at Bell Slough. Water is released into the creek from the gates at the lower end of Lake Conway. There is only enough water in the creek to paddle when they are releasing water. You can paddle upstream from Bell Slough Trail parking lot to the dam or put in at the dam and paddle down; it is only about two miles.

Another paddle in the area is Grassy Lake. It is a very pretty area but also very shallow and brushy unless they are releasing water from the dam. If you want to go, I would really like to explore Grassy Lake some more.

[Cowper]

And on Friday, there was actually a surfable wave where the water was releasing from the gates at Lake Conway. Just for giggles, you could have also run through one of the gates, if you had ducked low and tucked your paddle; but of the two gates only one was lifted up far enough to allow passage.

[Richard]

There are no surfable waves here but it is still an interesting place to paddle. Sandbars can be very interesting and they provide a great place for a picnic lunch. You might find yourself paddling under a coal train or beside a barge. Or in the summer you may be dodging water skiers who create a wake bigger than what the barges do.

[Lupe]

Michael Strobel and I drove out there today just to scope it out (decided to leave the boats at home). Grassy Lake looks interesting and we definitely want to explore that some while the water is still up. Chatted with a couple guys launching a john boat. We would have had to break ice to launch at either Grassy Lake put in today!

Palarm at Bell Slough was up and flowing. Looked like it would have been difficult to make much upstream progress. The nature trail there looks very nice and probably offers great birding opportunities.

Just for the thrill of exploration we might put in at Bell Slough one time and work our way out to the Palarm/Arkansas River access in Richard's map. Have you gone from Bell Slough down Palarm to the Arkansas before Richard?

Anyway, if anyone feels adventurous we might try to do one of these soon...hopefully on a day when the temperature finally gets a bit more above freezing!

We're thinking of trying to put in and paddle around Rosenbaum Lake one late afternoon too (that little lake just off of the Arkansas at I-430), and maybe exploring White Oak Bayou from Maumelle to Burns Park as well...just for some local in town/near town adventures.

Cheers

[Cowper]

There are no surfable waves here but ..... Or in the summer you may be dodging water skiers who create a wake bigger than what the barges do.

No surfable waves??? Barge Wakes could be good...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgiL-SWdp-g" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Ferry boat wake surfing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5PsF7y1 ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Super Tanker wake surfing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99P4Grmq ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And some final proof that "Fun" is a state of mind - Texas Ditch Surfing...

[Richard]

Heather, I have never paddled above the Palarm access. I have hiked the Bell Slough trail a couple of times. If you have never hiked it I would recommend doing it.
I have paddled out to the sandbars on the Arkansas though and I found that enjoyable. When I had my son's dogs staying here I would frequently take them out to the sandbars at Cadron Settlement. That is an interesting place with a fascinating and tragic history. I think it would be interesting to paddle from Cadron Settlement out to the sandbars or even go downstream thru the lock at Toadsuck and perhaps go all the way to Palarm. To Palarm from Cadron Settlement would be 20 miles so it would be an overnighter.

[Richard]

Ok! Since Cowper hollered "Liar Liar Pants of Fire", I have had to rethink my position. At the right level the jetties on the Arkansas do provide surfable water. And if you hook onto a paddle fish or who knows what else, no tellun the ride you are likely to have.

[Shark Attack]

There used to be an iron fence (gate) accross Palarm Creek about 2 miles upstream from the Arkansas River. During normal water levels paddleing up to the fence & fishing back down was very nice if you were fond of a lot of SNAKES!. I haven't been up to the fence in there for a few years so it may have been taken down or washed out.

[Stan]

I spent the afternoon on Grassy Lake. What a fantastic place with lots of cypress, water tupelo and huge beaver lodges!! My only regret is not spending the entire day there. Much of the time I followed "kinda sorta" water trails marked with foil, painted lines, faded squares nailed onto trees and sundry other things that caught my eye. However, I relied on my compass & GPS tracking function to find my way back to my vehicle. I recommend using the putin at the end of Grassy Lake road. A short "canal" facilitates getting to deeper water. Today there was plenty of water to float my canoe as long as I stayed on a "trail'. I can't help but wonder how floatable Grassy Lake will be later this spring and summer when the water level may be lower.

"Stan" AKA Margaret Bartelt

[MStrobel]

2 weeks ago I put on the Creek at the boat ramp near the AR river and used my trolling motor to head up-stream about 4 miles. There were a few trees to get around, but no fences. It is a very windy creek so I was always wondering what was around the next bend. At the furthest point I went up-stream, the current was only about 1 mph and diminished going downstream. Lots of animals and birds along the bank. I am definitely interested in putting in at Bell Slough and paddling down the entire length. Maybe this weekend while there is still water.