# River and Creek Bottoms Question- Morels



## jdk32581

Does anyone have any luck in river/creek bottoms? Like along the flats of a river that are subjected to flooding? I know this is a well practiced technique in the plains states but never hear much about it in Ohio?

Also are the river bottoms more productive late or early in the season?

Any advice/experience would be much appreciated. Thanks

J


----------



## sharpsbarn99

Hey jdk, I ALWAYS find big grays and yellows along creeks. In SW OH, a lot of the soil is clay. If you find a creek with a sandy bottom, open your eyes. The morels should not be far away!


----------



## mattyp17

I'm with sharpsbarn, I live in Athens (SW Ohio) and later in the season, once the elms have began to produce, I always have good luck with greys scanning the creek bottoms. Usually only find 1 or 2 at a time hunting this way, not found in huge patches, but it adds up. 
Look for grassy areas near the creek bank, that includes down in the banks where the water sometimes floods over during times of high water, and also near the edges of the stream channel. And as mentioned above they don't like clay. Also, check downstream from honeyholes and places that you already know produce shrooms for sure, I have tons of luck hunting the creek banks downstream from my honeyholes! My theory is the spores get carried there via the water and get deposited on creek banks along the way.


----------



## ant

Dito on the above comments.


----------



## cotty

late season to mid season for sure, i live in fairfield county, there are alot of washouts and creek beds here most of my shrooms are found in creek beds, anywhere from late season blacks, to early mid and late season yellow patches, i found my record 32lbs in one day in a creek bottom, so for sure they do produce, but not all bottoms are the same look for elm and sycamore and tulip poplar, if you find them and a sandy black loam soil, you will have a productive day 99% of the time, but like the other two comments say, THEY DO NOT LIKE CLAY yes you will find them in CLAY from time to time but more likely than not you will find them in SANDY SOILS.


----------



## buckeyebowman

I've never had any luck in creek bottoms, but that doesn't mean that they aren't there. Just that I haven't found them. Yet. Now that I think about it I have to believe that the season would be a bit later since lakes and creek bottoms are low spots where the cold air settles at night. This would keep the soil temps behind those of, say, an elevated hillside. And everything I've read about sycamores is that they are a sign of rich soil. Hmmm. I just thought of some places to go look.


----------



## ant

Buckeye thats a great observation seeing as river beds is where Ive found my latest shrooms.2nd week of June but that was years ago.


----------



## fbm821

i live in Athens Ohio and get my biggest numbers from these spots


----------



## jdk32581

Are we talking small creeks or more wide rivers? Would the floodplain FLAT area of a river bank be good? Do you ever see them growing out of the actual bank hill or just the flat areas above the water?

Trying to scout more areas and I have never found them near moving water just trying to get a better idea.


----------



## buckeyebowman

Ant, man that is late! BTW, I didn't come to that realization from 'shroom hunting, but from fishing. I got a tip, years ago, from an old-timer that the walleye bite at Mosquito Lake would really heat up when the dogwoods bloomed in the woods surrounding the lake. Well, we'd see dogwoods blooming in suburban yards and think that it was on! We'd haul the boat up there and there would be absolutely NOTHING going on the woods. That's when it hit me that it was a much colder micro-climate around that low lying body of water.


----------



## cooley

Buckeyebowman.......I have fished mosquito since I have been a kid and wading with jig and minnow I can tell you yes when the dogwoods where in bloom that usually was May and the walleye was coming off spawn usually we would have 100 to 200 hundred fish put up by then. Limit was 10 back then and sometimes you were done fishing 30 mins. To hour because the bite was that good the last 8 yrs. have been horrible weeds are up in April in stead of May. The lake is full of those Zebra mussels, they have hurt the lake it is to clear on the shorelines. Boats still have done well I hear though and by the way I have picked morels at the lake too!


----------



## cotty

i have never found a morel past may 20th not saying they are not there, but personally have not myself, but if they were to be there creek and river bottoms would be where they would be, but also depends on where you are in the state im in southeast ohio, latest season ive seen in my life was last year, earliest i have found a morel is march 12th, and yellows at that, that early, but on that, sandy bottoms are better than hard clay bottoms, not all bottoms contain morels, but when they do, look hard there is probably a big patch there, or a good dozen or two atleast, early season ridge tops, mid to late season, sides of hills top bottoms, and late late season bottoms, thats my rule of thumb has worked out for me every year so far, but i have also seen years where they went from bottom to top as well, so gotta kinda look everywhere, they grow where they want to grow!!!!!


----------



## jdk32581

I have found fresh young morels may 20th and later but by that time I am usually ready to call it a year. I am gonna go as long as I can this year though. Gonna shoot for a June shroom. However I believe I am further North than you guys I believe, we live in a pocket of cooler weather up here.


----------



## jdk32581

I have been scouting out some river bottoms. Definitely seeing lots of Sycamores and cottonwoods. Also check the soil and it sure seems sandy and dark. Lots of grassy flood plain areas too. Gonna add this to my late season routine this year. Thanks for all the tips!


----------

