White River: Gaston's White River Resort said high water and shad are coming through making it an excellent time for trophy fishing. Many browns being caught in the 2 to 4 pound class and larger. Ten pound browns have been somewhat common. This is the first shad "run" the area has had in four or five years. Most browns are being caught on #9 and #7 Countdown Rapalas, 1/8 ounce white jigs, Silver Rogues and spoons. Water generation has been running around the clock, with 6 to 7 units running fulltime. Power Eggs in yellow and white with Glo-worms are still catching plenty of rainbows. The gold Cleo Spoons and Buoyant Spoons will catch rainbows as well. Fly fishing on this high water will probably be best with red San Juan Worms, white wooly buggers, white shad flies and Egg Patterns in yellow, peach and red. The rainbows are hitting white/chartreuse and yellow Power Bait. Other baits that are working on the rainbows are white worms, gold Cleos and Buoyant Spoons. Fly fisherman are using egg patterns, wooly buggers, and red San Juan Worms can help weigh down a stringer.

Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said fishing the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white along with white marabou jigs with or without a chrome dome head. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Colorado spoons and Little Cleo’s are the baits of choice. The fly fishermen have done well with little generation on olive Woolly Buggers, San Juan worms in bright colors, white doll flies (jigs) and “unreal” eggs in peach or white. The browns are being caught on Countdowns, Rogues and nightcrawlers. 

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 654.33 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said the area has had a nice break from the freezing weather this week with temperatures in the 70s for a few days. Rains came in over the weekend and the day time temperatures have leveled out in the mid-50s. Lake level is at 654.69, 1/2 foot above normal pool and the lake temperature is at 44 degrees with 46 to 47 degree water temperatures up in the Theodosia arm and above the Lead Hill area. With the lake warm up the shad kill is all but over and there are a lot of shad moving up onto the surface. Crappie were active this week both around brush piles and docks that have crappie brush hanging around them. Best baits are crappie minnows, Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows and crappie tubes. Bass have started to move toward the banks overnight and are staying up close in shallow water until 8 or 9 a.m. and on sunny days they are moving back up in the afternoon. Largemouth bass can be caught along the banks both in the main lake pockets and in the creeks in the mornings on stick baits and Wiggle Warts, but the bite lasts only a few hours. After the largemouth move off the banks work brush piles, docks and watersheds with Spider Jigs, Shaker heads and tubes. Smallmouth bass are not up on the banks, but they are staging on secondary points throughout the lake and they are holding in 30 to 38 feet of water. Even though crawdads are smallies favorite food source, they are still foraging on shad for the most part. Fish the points with stick baits, Sinko’s and grubs first, then if the bite seems off switch to Spider Jigs and tubes. Kentucky bass are not known for running the banks, but they are moving to the banks with the largemouth bass at this time. Stick baits and crankbaits will trigger the roaming Kentuckys in the mornings and on very windy days. The Kentuckys that are not moving onto the banks are staying with schools of shad in the middle of cuts, coves and pockets in 48 to 60 feet of water. Best baits remain spoons and drop shot rigs with a finesse worm. Walleye are on the move. They should be staying at the entrances of the creeks, but instead they are at the back of the creeks in the middle of the creeks, in creek pockets and cuts and they are also on main lake points, pea rock banks and bluff walls. But don’t get excited – they are not spawning there, just swimming around for some reason and they are shallow, 15 to 30 feet of water. Fish suspending rogues, Glass Shad Raps, Wiggle Warts, jig and grubs or in line spinners in the mornings or late afternoons and see if you trigger a few. It will be interesting to follow the walleye the next few weeks to see what they are up to.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552.58 feet MSL.

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said the water is clear and there has been two generator running. Trout fishing has been good with corn, frozen shad and red worms.

Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is clear. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows and jigs in 25 to 40 feet of water around brush piles. Bass are good on crank baits in 10 to 60 feet of water. Striper fishing is fair with jerk baits in the main part of the lake and in the lake arms. Trout are biting fair on live shades of jerk baits.