See all 6 routes on Crooked Creek
Arkansas | Ozark Arkansas
Crooked Creek
Mark Oliver Access to Kelley's Slab Access
Check current paddling conditions for this Crooked Creek route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
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Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Mark Oliver Access and take out at Kelley's Slab for the lower middle official Crooked Creek segment. This is a rain-sensitive Ozark creek float keyed to the Kelly Crossing gauge rather than to a broad flatwater assumption.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Mark Oliver AccessMark Oliver and Kelley's Slab are named public AGFC Crooked Creek Water Trail accesses with simple rural launches rather than full-service park ramps.
Take-out
Kelley's Slab AccessThe current Kelly Crossing gauge reading during this run was below AGFC's moderate band, so expect more scraping and slower riffles than the best Crooked Creek days.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- Mark Oliver and Kelley's Slab are named public AGFC Crooked Creek Water Trail accesses with simple rural launches rather than full-service park ramps.
- The current Kelly Crossing gauge reading during this run was below AGFC's moderate band, so expect more scraping and slower riffles than the best Crooked Creek days.
- Stay with the named public access points and avoid private banks, fences, signs, and purple-painted property along the creek.
- Scout Kelley's Slab before committing to the final take-out when the creek is up, dirty, or unfamiliar.
Watch for
- Water below about 12 ft, when scraping and slower riffles become more likely.
- Fast post-rain rises, fresh wood, strainers, muddy exits, and stronger current than the clear-water appearance suggests.
- Shoals, riffles, small waves, rural self-rescue conditions, and the Kelley’s Slab finish hazard AGFC flags under some conditions.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Crooked Creek at Kelly Crossing at Yellville, AR |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| Discharge | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 12.00 ft |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Arkansas Game and Fish Crooked Creek moderate-level guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route segmentMark Oliver Access to Kelley's Slab Access, 6.6 miles
AGFC lists Mark Oliver-to-Kelley's Slab as an exact Crooked Creek Water Trail segment.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 07055607 at 217 cfs / 10.84 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Crooked Creek at Kelly Crossing values of 217 cfs and 10.84 ft at 2026-07-11 17:45 CDT during this run, below AGFC's moderate band.
- Level guidance12-12.5 ft moderate floating band
AGFC says a moderate level for floating Crooked Creek is 12-12.5 ft at the Kelly Crossing gauge. Paddle Today treats 12 ft as the conservative minimum-only floor because AGFC does not publish a complete high-water ladder for this route family.
- Put-in accessMark Oliver Access, 36.24973, -92.7486
AGFC publishes Mark Oliver Access as a named public Crooked Creek Water Trail access with a Google Maps coordinate link.
- Take-out accessKelley's Slab Access, 36.22921, -92.71045
AGFC publishes Kelley's Slab Access as a named public Crooked Creek Water Trail access with a Google Maps coordinate link and a hazard caveat under some conditions.
- Camping supportFred Berry nearby basecamp with permission
AGFC says paddlers may camp at Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center with permission from the center manager and a one-night limit, but that support is separate from the river access endpoints.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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More in Arkansas
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All 6Nearby routes by distance
Quick answers
Crooked Creek paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Crooked Creek?
Paddle Today watches Crooked Creek at Kelly Crossing at Yellville, AR and uses 12.00 ft as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Crooked Creek route start and end?
This route starts at Mark Oliver Access and ends at Kelley's Slab Access, about 6.6 mi on the water.
Is this Crooked Creek route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.