Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas

From Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

January 21, 2009 Edition                                     

White River: John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said the catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam will open Feb. 1. It also is nearing time for the shad kill. Threadfin shad will be drawn through the turbines on the dams. The shad are tasty morsels to the spawned out browns just below the dam and are welcome food. The shad kill produces a feeding frenzy that has to be seen to be believed. For the shad kill to occur we must have very cold conditions coupled with high generation. The gulls feeding just below the dam will signal the start of the action. The state park is fishing well. The hot fly here has been the peach egg and various midge patterns. Be careful on lower flows to avoid walking through redds. On higher flows, try brightly colored San Juan worms with an egg dropper. Some anglers have done well fishing streamers on sink tip and full sinking lines. The hot streamers have been sculpins and white zonkers. The catch-and-release section at Rim Shoals is fishing well. The hot fly on lower water has been the Y2K. Also try sowbugs, olive scuds and midges (size 14). Olive woolly buggers stripped over weed beds have accounted for some large brown trout. Anglers also have done well on higher flows. The hot flies for this water were cerise San Juan worms and Y2Ks.

Mountain River Fly Shop said Bull Shoals is back down into power pool levels, so on cold days you can expect some generation. The bite during generation is pretty good from a boat. Clint caught a bunch of fish on Gary’s River King, a more streamlined version of Jim Mengle’s Ozark Sculpin. Clint was also tossing white Zonkers for some of his browns. But we have also had good reports on larger buggers in brown, olive and chartreuse. The Journal also has an affinity for Hansen’s Stay Hungry Streamer in the white/gray shiner colors. Egg patterns and San Juan and Dynamite worms are good on the higher flows, on the lower water levels try midges (12-14) and sowbugs. With temperatures expected to improve there is a good chance of some lower flows.

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said trout fishing has been good on woolly buggers.

Crooked Creek: John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek is slow with all the cold weather and water.