CAUTION: THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS A BIG RIVER WITH VERY FAST AND STRONG CURRENTS. TAKE CARE WHEN FISHING OR BOATING. (See more below) The river can offer opportunities for good fishing in an exciting environment! Be sure to take all precautions to make sure it's a safe trip.

Current River levels for 11/19/09 are:

GAUGE - LEVEL - RATE OF CHANGE

Memphis- 16.2' Slow rise

Helena 24.4' Slow rise

Arkansas C. 26.6' Slow fall

Greenville- 40.1' Slow fall

Vicksburg- 36.7' Slow fall

Natchez- 46.3' Slow fall

Key to rate of change: Fast rise/fall - river levels change more than 1 ft. per day. Moderate rise/fall - levels change between .5 and 1 ft. per day. Slow rise/fall - levels change less than .5 ft. per day. Steady - levels remain within +/- 0.1 feet between adjacent days

for an update on current river levels see rivergages.com

BOATING SUGGESTIONS - When fishing in the river use a boat with the size and horsepower appropriate for the current. (Remember the river as it passes Mississippi drains almost 1/2 of the continental U.S. That is a lot of water that can be moving extremely fast.) Try to go up-stream from the boat ramp and try not to cross the river if you don't have too. Give barges a wide bearth, they are too big to be able to stop and in constricted waters they have the right of way . The wake behind a barge can be very dangerous, and at certain river conditions barges create dangerous turbulance for quite a large distance behind them. WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKET AT ALL TIMES WHEN BOATING OR FISHING IN FAST CURRENT.

BOAT RAMP INFORMATION:

Helena - End of boat ramp - N34.52179 – W090.58259 (north side of low water ramp) – the end of the ramp on the north side is at a level equivalent to approximately -4.5 feet on the Helena gauge. The end of the slab is 110 feet from the end of the parking area located on the slope of the ramp. The north side of the ramp extends farther and deeper than the south side. The ramp has an 8.5/1 slope.This ramp is in the river park. Take US 49 Business to second traffic light and turn right. You will pass the court house and the WWI memorial. Top of ramp - N33.52163 – W090.581582

Quapaw Landing - End of boat ramp - N34.26344 – W090.74493, a level equivalent to approximately 0 feet on the Helena gauge. The ramp has an 7.1feet / 1feet slope. This ramp is 9-10 miles west of Rt 1 at Farrell turnoff to ramp is 1-1 ½ miles past crossing of main line levee. Look for crossing over spur levee. The ramp is on the chute to Island 63. Access to the river is open to about -2 feet on the Helena Gauge (with 3' depth over shoal)

DeSoto Lake, Hill House Ramp - End of boat ramp - N34.13525 – W090.84303 (east side of low water ramp) – the end of the ramp on the east side is at a level equivalent to approximately 1 feet on the Helena gauge. The end of the slab is 61 feet from the top of the eastern slab that is below the line of mature willow trees, or 31 ½ feet below end of that slab, or 18 feet from top of last slab on west side. The east side of the ramp has a 1.2 foot drop-off. The west side of the ramp is covered in semi-firm sand that drops off at the following rate – 3’ deep at 9’ out 4’ at 13’ and 4.7’ at 17’. (P.S. This sand was not there in 2004, so it may not be there in the future.) The middle section of the ramp has an 7.55’/1’ slope, the last slab on the west has a 4.25’/1’ slope, while the upper section, that portion to the willow trees, has a 15.6’/1 slope. NOTE: Boaters need to be VERY cautious of rock wall in the chute at levels 8- 10 feet (Helena gauge).

DeSoto Lake, DeSoto Landing Park Ramp - End of boat ramp - N34.16040 – W090.80569 - the end of the ramp is at a level equivalent to approximately 1.5 feet on the Helena gauge. The end of the slab is 65 feet from the top of the slab that is nearest to the line of mature willow trees. The ramp ends in firm sand that drops off at the following rate – 3’ deep at 9’ 4’ at 12’ The ramp has a 7.35’/1’ slope, with the last 9 feet of the ramp having a 4.5’/1’. Top of ramp - N33.15988 – W090.80501

Dennis Landing - Directions turn west on paved road 1.7 mile north of jct Hwy 32 and 1. It is 3.5 miles to ramp- bear to the right where pavement ends, ramp is 1 mile, bear left on levee, then run down spur levee. The end of the ramp is near 1 foot on the Arkansas City gauge, but the end of the ramp sits on a maticulated concrete mattress. Dennis landing near River Mile 610, 10 ½ miles upstream of the “new” mouth of the White River and 15 miles downstream from chute to DeSoto Lake.

Log-Loader Lake (Port of Rosedale) - End of boat ramp – N33.81910 - W091.02115 - the end of the ramp is at a level equivalent to approximately -1 on the Arkansas City Gauge. The end of the slab is 81 ½ feet from the broken off end of the curve that is on the north side of the ramp. There is a ½ foot drop off from the slab onto a firm bottom that slopes off at .2 feet per foot. Slope of the ramp drops 0.15 foot per foot. The wide part of the ramp ends at N33.81926 – W091.02097 – the ramp continues on the north side - this spot is 30 feet from first break in curve on north side of ramp. Top of ramp – N 33.81987 – W091.02041 – equivalent to 50 feet on the Ark. City Gauge. Log Loader Lake is located at the Port of Rosedale. The port is located on the south side of town, off route 1.

Lake Ferguson (Main St.)- End of boat ramp - ??? – The best low water access is middle ramp: this ramp is between the words ‘city’ and ‘of’ in signage on levee that reads “Greenville Port City of the Delta”. At lake level equivalent to 11 feet on the Greenville gauge a boater has 23 feet of good ramp that will drop down 2.9 feet deep (this point is N33.41211 – W091.06781 and is 24 feet from the end of the small hump in the middle of the ramp). Another slab is beyond this point but it has slipped on a drop-off. There is a ½ foot drop off to this slab and the slab is on a much steeper slope.The end of the parking lot is equivalent to 9.5 feet Greenville gauge and it has a sharp drop of 1 foot or more. The end of the parking lot is in line with the break between the 2nd and third triangular canopies to the gangway of the Bayou Caddy Casino. Top of ramp - N33.41158 – W091.06674

Lake Ferguson, New Public Ramp - End of boat ramp – N33.41211 – W091.06166 – the end of the ramp is at a level equivalent to approximately 8 feet on the Greenville gauge. The end of the slab is 14 feet from the end of the curb (the end of the curb is very close to level equivalent to 11 ft., Greenville gauge). In 2005 there was a ½ foot drop off into moderately firm sand. Top of ramp – N33.41832 – W091.06084 – equivalent to 50 feet Greenville gauge