Trout Fishing
Report-White River-Arkansas
White River:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said
fairly steady levels of heavy generation have impacted the fishing. The
catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam is open. Remember that
there are numerous spawning beds (redds) containing freshly laid and
fertilized eggs. Please avoid dragging chains through these areas. The
redds will appear as clean depressions in the gravel. Some shad are
coming through the dam. Be on the lookout for gulls feeding on the shad
below the dam. The most effective flies will be white shad patterns. Be
sure and have both floating and sinking versions. The hot fly during
the past week has been a white marabou jig. The shad have been
trickling through a few at a time. Concentrate on the bank or any heavy
structure where fish can escape the current.
Sportsman’s
White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is still running high.
Trout fishing is good on Power Bait, frozen shad and white jigs.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides
said Bull Shoals is running around the clock with seven units.
Drift-fishing nymphs for numbers of fish or streamer fishing for fewer
but larger are the two most popular techniques. For high water nymph
rigs, use split shot and large indicators and adjust your indicator to
maintain the proper depth. Use San Juan worms, scuds, copper Johns and
egg patterns. Streamer fishing with integrated shooting taper sinking
lines with 3-4 foot 0x-2x leaders and large flies is producing large
fish. Try dead-drifting shad patterns with a twitching action near the
dam or pound the banks with sculpin patterns further downriver. Fly
patterns for streamer fishing should include circus peanuts, zoo
cougars, fathead minnows, Arkansas beadheads, Davy's shads, white
zonkers and woolly buggers.
White River
(From Shipp’s Ferry to Red’s Landing):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and
Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185)
said fishing has been steady, but not fast-paced. The best fishing is
before noon each day. For the artificial bait fisherman, the Rapala
still reigns as the best producer. Black/Gold/White is the best color
and the best size is No. 7 or 9. There is still plenty of water, as the
Buffalo River is still 4 feet above its normal winter range. Combine
that input with the six or seven generators coming from Bull Shoals
dam. One-quarter ounce White River Zig Jigs will produce a few trout
when worked slowly near the bottom.
Buffalo
River:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides
said the water is too high for fishing pretty much through the entire
river.
Crooked
Creek:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides
said the water level is 13.71 feet, about 11/2 feet over the low-water
bridge at Kelly's Slab. The creek is too high for fishing.
As
of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s
elevation at 654.16 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).
As
of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s
elevation at 552.11 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April –
552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).
101 Grocery and Bait said
cold weather has kept some anglers off the water, but fishing has been
good for those who have managed to get out. Live bait and jigging
spoons are catching fish well. The surface water temp is in the mid-30s
depending on the area of the lake you are in. (Last updated 2-3-2010)
Norfork
Tailwater:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said
there have been several windows of no generation at night. On the high
flows, brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and hot fluorescent
pink) and egg patterns (peach and orange) have been the go-to flies.
Work the banks and submerged weed beds. Dry Run Creek has fished well.
The hot fly has been sow bugs in size 14. Worm brown San Juan worms and
egg patterns have also done well.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides
had no report.