Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas

From Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

March 14, 2007 Edition                                                

White River:
Gaston's White River Resort said high water and shad are coming through, the gates, and many brown trout in the 2- to 4-lb. class have been caught. Most browns are being caught on no. 9 and 7 Countdown Rapalas, 1/8-ounce white jigs, silver Rogues and spoons. Water generation has been running around the clock, with six units running full time. Power Eggs in yellow and white with Glo-worms are still catching plenty of rainbows. Gold Cleo spoons and Buoyant Spoons will catch rainbows, too. Fly-fishing on high water is best with red San Juan worms, white woolly buggers, white shad flies and egg patterns in yellow, peach and red. Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said fishing the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white along with Power Wigglers in chartreuse or white. With generation, Buoyant Spoons, Colorado spoons and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. Fly-anglers have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, San Juan worms in bright colors, and “unreal” eggs in peach or white. Brown trout 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 654.01 feet MSL. Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said main-lake temperature is slowly warming, but we are still 10 to 14 days away from the magic 52-degree mark. Crappie are grouped up and have moved into cuts that have brush piles and around docks that have brush around them or hanging from then. The bite is not hot and heavy, but they are feeding in the mornings and late afternoons. This time of year the best bait is small crappie minnows because the crappie are not very aggressive yet. There are a few white bass showing up in the backs of some northern creeks but most of them are small males. They are back in 20 to 30 feet of water and they can be caught on Roadrunners, small spoons and Super Spots. Largemouth bass are still cruising and moving into the pockets and creeks throughout the lake. At certain times of the day they will move up onto the banks and crankbaits or suspending Rogues will trigger a bite. Although the bites are few and far between, the quality of bass is very nice (2 1/2 to 5 pounds). Back off the bank when the aggressive bite dies and fish a football jig on the drop offs from 20 to 30 feet of water. Smallmouth bass have just started to come in. It will take a few weeks for them to become oriented and stage up on points and pea rock banks. Meanwhile work these areas with Rogues, Lucky Craft DD78s and X-raps for the early smallies that are roaming. Kentucky bass are schooled up like the crappie and are following the shad into the creeks, pockets and coves on the northern side of the lake. Kentuckies on the bank will react to Rogues, Lucky Crafts or any other jerk bait while the crawdad feeders are starting to strike tube baits and spider jigs. Secondary points and chunk rock banks are where you need to start looking. Walleye are moving up onto the banks at night and are staying up for a few hours in the mornings. Jerk baits, Glass Shad, Shad Raps and Wiggle Warts are working at night as well as in the mornings. Don’t expect a lot of strikes, but you should be able to find a few. During the day, the walleye are off the banks in groups and are very difficult to pinpoint.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 551.81 feet MSL. Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is clear and around 49 degrees. Crappie are fair in brush piles lining the shore from 4 feet deep all the way to 50 feet deep. Bass are biting well in the mornings on jerk baits and crankbaits and on soft-plastics in the afternoons. Catfishing, bream fishing and walleye fishing are all poor. Striper fishing is good, with a few very large stripers being caught on spoons and jerk baits.

Norfork Tailwater:
Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said the water is clear and running off and on. Brown trout are biting well on no. 7 silver Countdown Minnows and corn.