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Arkansas
Poteau River
No verdict for this water
We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.
What we do know
Inside Ouachita National Forest
2 managing-area boundaries mapped — agency alerts for them feed this page automatically.
Boundary data
What's missing
No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.
Nobody's filed a report here yet — be the first.
Why you'll love it
River facts
- Water
- Seasonal — can run dry
- Average flow
- 1,184 cfs
- Average current
- 1.0 ft/s
- Gradient
- 6.3 ft/mi
- Drainage area
- 986 sq mi
Long-term averages modeled by USGS (NHDPlus HR), not today's conditions. Check a gauge before you go.
Here's your day on the water, mapped
Poteau River
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
Photos
Directions & GPX
Permits & access
- Managing agency
- Forest Service
About this water
Poteau River is a 22-mile paddling stretch near Waldron, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 1,184 cfs and a gradient of about 6.3 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
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Keep exploring — more water worth the drive
Photo: Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Fourche LaFave River
~25 min drive
Fourche LaFave River is a 1.5-mile paddling stretch near Boles, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 610 cfs and a gradient of about 10.2 feet per mile.
Little Pines Boating Site
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near Arkansas.
Photo: Robert Nunnally, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Ouachita River
~34 min drive
Ouachita River is a 14-mile paddling stretch near Mena, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 367 cfs and a gradient of about 30.7 feet per mile.
Photo: Jamie Camp, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)Cossatot River
~1h drive
Cossatot River is a 6.8-mile paddling stretch near Mena, Arkansas. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 736 cfs and a gradient of about 28.1 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Little Missouri River
~1h 14m drive
Little Missouri River is a 7.8-mile paddling stretch near Caddo Gap, Arkansas. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 1,846 cfs and a gradient of about 40.3 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Jones Creek
~6 min drive
Jones Creek is a 12-mile paddling stretch near Waldron, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 175 cfs and a gradient of about 20.0 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Packsaddle Creek
~15 min drive
Packsaddle Creek is a 3-mile paddling stretch near Waldron, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 39 cfs and a gradient of about 25.4 feet per mile.
James Fork
~16 min drive
James Fork is a 5.7-mile paddling stretch near Mansfield, Arkansas. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 236 cfs and a gradient of about 55.4 feet per mile.
Petit Jean River
~23 min drive
Petit Jean River is a 6.2-mile paddling stretch near Booneville, Arkansas. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 63 cfs and a gradient of about 46.0 feet per mile.
Prairie Creek
~24 min drive
Prairie Creek is a 11-mile paddling stretch near Huntington, Arkansas. It flows year-round. USGS models an average flow of about 93 cfs and a gradient of about 12.8 feet per mile.
