Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas

From Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

March 28, 2007 Edition                                              

White River:
Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said fishing has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, pink and bubblegum along with Power Wigglers in pink. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Colorado spoons and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. The fly-fishermen have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, San Juan worms in bright colors, and sow bugs.

Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 653.83 feet MSL. Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said the surface temperature has moved up to 53.8 degrees in the main lake with some 57 to 58 degree water in the backs of some creeks. Crappie have moved from in front of the brush piles into the brush piles where they will stay until they move to the banks to spawn. Crappie minnows will work as a search bait but artificial crappie tubes, grubs and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows are now out-fishing live bait. White bass are in the backs of the creeks getting ready for their spawn. Small spoons, Roadrunners and tiny Super Spots are key baits. Largemouth bass have moved from the points at the front of the pockets and cuts to secondary points or channel swing banks halfway back in. They are cruising the banks and for a while you will see more than you catch. A number of baits will work during this staging time. Suspending Rogues, spider jigs, Wiggle Warts, spinnerbaits and Senkos are all good choices. Smallmouth bass are up on the pea rock points in 10 to 20 feet of water both on the main lake and in the creeks and coves. They are not real aggressive as of yet but you can catch a few on spider jigs, tube baits, Wiggle Warts or mojo-rigged centipedes. Walleye are up staging in the mid and low lake areas but in the upper lake where the water temperature is 57 to 58 degrees walleye are starting to spawn in the northern creeks. Jerk baits and grub fishing is the best technique during spawn. In the rest of the lake walleye are up roaming the banks in the creeks and around secondary points and are striking jerk baits late in the afternoons until dark. If the weather pattern stays on the warm side, we should see walleye spawning throughout the lake by next week.

Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552.02 feet MSL. Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is around 50 degrees and the clarity ranges from 10 to 12 feet. Crappie are biting fairly well on Bobby Garland’s Swimming Minnow and live shiners from 2 to 20 feet deep. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting well on softplastic worms and jerkbaits near secondary points. White bass are being caught upriver on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Rooster Tails. Catfishing is poor.

Norfork Tailwater:
Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said water releases have been between one or two generators. The early morning hours have proven very good for low water, and fly-fishing has been great. Olive and black woolly buggers and sow bugs have dominated the eating pattern. Fishing was tough when the turbines ran last week. Be patient and get your fly or bait down far enough for the trout. Don’t add more weight to your line, just slow your boat’s drift. Frozen shad, nightcrawlers, corn, red wigglers, Power Eggs and salmon eggs are always a good choice to use for bait.