St. Louis to Caruthersville

Mile 161.0 - LBD Meramec Bar

John Ruskey

20 Apr 2026 � 1 min read

161 LBD Meramec Bar

This chain of wing dam bars forms around the dams scattered over four miles of river roughly centered around and opposite the mouth of Meramec. The water starts flowing behind this Island of the Meramec Bar around 10SLG, and the entire island disappears underwater with a few scraggly willows gasping for air around 25. The best campsite in this stretch has one severe downfall: it is opposite the electrical thunder-bluster of the Ameren Meramec Power Plant. If you can ignore the light and thunder show, pull in below the 1st wing dam LBD below the powerline crossing. Even in low water the eddy pool is deep, and usually close access can be gained to the island sandbar and the protection of the scrubby growth of trees above. There are plenty of other campsite choices in low water throughout this stretch of river, so if this one doesn’t look good, or if it’s inhabited keep searching downstream.

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