Arkansas Fishing Reports - February 22, 2006

White River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said there has been very little generation below Bull Shoals Dam lately, providing plenty of wade fishing on the upper river from late morning through the rest of the day.  Wade fishing the upper river has been very productive with tan and olive McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds and Woven Sow Bugs.  Fishing high water out of a boat has also been very productive using large scuds, eggs, and San Juan worms.

Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and pink.   With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, Blue Fox, and Rooster Tails are the bait of choice.  The fly fishermen have done well with very little generation on olive Woolly Bugger, scuds and sow bugs.  The Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, Jointed Rapalas, nightcrawlers and sculpins.  

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been a little sporadic lately, but when they have turned on the generators, they haven’t stayed on for very long.  The wade fishing has been very good lately, and fishing high water from a boat has been productive as well.  Scuds, sow bugs, midges, and eggs in low water, and eggs, San Juan Worms, and big streamers like the Articulated Zoo Cougar in high water have been producing plenty of hook-ups.

Norfork Trout Dock said the river is clear and the generators are only running in the mornings lately. Rainbow trout have been biting well on PowerBait, corn, nightcrawlers, Little Cleos and Countdown Rapalas. Many Browns have been pulled from the river on Countdowns and Cleos as well.

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 644.59 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail said the winter weather has everything taking a step backward for a week. Up to 6 inches of snow fell around the lake, so many people decided to stay indoors until the thaw.  Largemouth bass can be found in the back of the creeks in the upper lake areas above Lead Hill in 6 to 10 feet of water.  Rogues and small crankbaits are the key baits. Largemouth are hard to find through the rest of the lake, but a few are along the bluff walls with pole trees on them. Brown jigs and green pumpkin Baby Brush Hogs are the best baits to try for these fish. Smallmouth have been spotty. Last week they were on the bluffs and in channel swings where there was a transition area. An angler can try casting Wiggle Warts all day around points and maybe catch one or two, but the bluffs and transition areas fished with Spider Jigs and tubes is producing more fish and better quality. Kentucky bass are on the bluffs ends with schools of shad. Spooning is working on the schooling Kentuckies and brown jigs or black hair jigs are working along the bluffs around the trees.  Walleye are active in the upper lake on points and chunk rock banks striking suspending rogues and Lucky Craft 78 DDs.  Whether the drop in lake temperature will pull them back out to deeper water or not remains to be seen. Walleye around the rest of the lake seem to be in the 46- to 50-foot range. Vertical spooning is the best technique on the deeper walleye.  Also try a shiner down deep.

Sugar Loaf Harbor said crappie were biting fairly well from 30 to 35 feet deep on minnows and jigs before the cold snap. Walleye have started their move up the creeks, and can be found in around 6 to 8 feet of water at night.

Lake Norfork: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.74 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is about 141/2 feet low. Before the weather, bass fishing was very good anywhere from 8 to 50 feet deep, with some bass already beginning to stage for the spawn. The severe cold snap shut everything down, but the fishing should recover by the weekend.