Arkansas Fishing Reports - March 22, 2006

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said there were only two days of generation last week. The lake level has risen more than 2 feet thanks to the recent rains in the Ozarks. Fishing has remained excellent using white or yellow PowerBait with a wax worm on a No. 6 hook. If you prefer artificials, any type of white or silver spoon is the best right now, such as a Little Cleo, Rooster Tail or Krocodile. A gold Flat Fish lure has been the hottest lure lately. Anglers are having a lot of luck on gold and silver Mepps and Rapalas spinners. Fly anglers are enjoying the spring hatches of midges and caddis, and are using sow bugs with much success. Fishing has been great for everybody from kids fishing with corn or PowerBait, to the most seasoned fly fishermen trying every fly in their extensive box.

Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been up and down depending on generation. With low or no generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and pink have worked well along with floating Rapalas. During generation, Buoyant Spoons, Super Dupers and Countdown Rapalas are the baits of choice. Fly anglers have done extremely well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, zebra midges and sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Shad Raps, Suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.

North Fork River: McLellans Fly Shop said one generator has been coming online, usually between 5 and 6 in the morning, but it’s only running for a couple of hours.  However, there has still been plenty of low water during the middle of the day to provide some very productive wade fishing. On the upper river, the usual McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds and woven sow bugs are still hooking plenty of trout, but on the lower river, it’s time to switch to caddis patterns like the Z-Wing Caddis and the Graphic Caddis. As more adults start to hatch in the late afternoon/evening, be sure to have plenty of Elk Hair Caddis and Web-Wing Caddis for some fun dry fly action. During a caddis hatch is also a good time to swing soft hackles across the river.  New soft hackle patterns like the swing caddis and swing nymph have all been hooking plenty of trout this spring.

Norfork Trout Dock said there has hardly been any generation lately. Fishing has been good on Blue Fox spinners, Rapala Countdown minnows and yellow or white PowerBait.

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 646.52 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail said the water temperature has dropped to around 50 degrees. The lake is still dangerous to run in some places, so be careful and swing wide around points.  There is a little stain in the back of Jimmie Creek, Big Creek, Howard Creek and East and West Sugar Loaf creeks, the rest of the lake has 12 to 14 feet of visibility. The white bass spawn has held up, but they are still close to the back of the creeks holding in 20 to 30 feet of water. Roadrunners, small silver spoons, Junior X-Raps and 1/8-oz. Rat-L-Traps were key baits last week. Crappie are not doing their thing as yet but live bait anglers are having some success outside of brush piles and around docks that have brush with crappie minnows on slip bobbers or a minnow on a crappie drop-shot rig.  Largemouth bass have been active on secondary points and in the back of northern pockets, coves and creeks. Crankbaits, Suspending Rogues, Lucky Craft Pointer 78DD’s and grubs have all been working well along with spinnerbaits when the conditions are right.  Kentucky bass have followed the shad into the small pockets and toward chunk rock banks.  Tubes worked fairly well last week but the key baits have been Rogues fished with a dead stick technique. As the lake warms back up you will need to speed up your return.  Walleye moved in and cruised some points and banks during the night hours last week but the bite was slow and spotty.  The day bite is here and there on Lucky Craft Pointer 78’s, Suspending Rogues and Lindy Munchies fished on a Max Gap jig in 25+ feet of water.  We probably won’t see any movement until the lake warms back up to 52 degrees and the weather patterns stabilize.

Sugar Loaf Harbor said a few crappie are being caught and the fish are still suspended, but fishing has been tough with the rains, murky water and rising levels.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 542.89 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake has risen about 2 feet in the last week. Crappie are biting well in 2 to 10 feet of water on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting well wherever the water clarity is a bit off-colored. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits are working the best. Catfishing is good on trotlines placed back in the creeks. White bass, hybrids and stripers are all biting well early and late in the day on Rapala X-Raps and Super Rogue