Trout Fishing Report-White River-Arkansas
April 28, 2010 Edition
White River:
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water was off Tuesday morning. There is a lot of moss and algae in the water. Trout fishing is good overall. Rainbow trout are biting well on pink Power Worms and nightcrawlers. Brown trout are biting fairly well on shad and white jigs.
(Updated 4-21-2010) Cotter Trout Dock said the number one brown trout-catching bait between Arkansas Highway 62 bridge/Cotter and Buffalo City is minnows. The guides caught more than 25 browns on Saturday, 10 of those were over 22 inches. The water is high and somewhat mossy, but it hasn't stopped the fish from biting. We’ve had some luck with rainbows using white Power Bait but the big fish follow the minnows. Smithwick barbless suspending Super Rogues with blue backs and silver sides worked well. This is a great time to catch big fish. Don't let high water stop you – the guides know the river and want to provide a safe, productive fishing excursion.
Guide Davy Wotton said last weekend’s fishing was just about as good as you will find anywhere. We saw way lower water flows for the White, which gave opportunities to wade fish and float the rivers. Caddis hatches were awesome, with many 20-inch browns rising to the occasion along with many good cutthroats. This gives the fly fisher the opportunity to use dry and soft hackle techniques during the emergence when the trout can be seen rising to take the naturals. Standard caddis patterns such as the elk hair, balloon caddis and Davy's caddis will do the business here in sizes 12 and 14. Pretty much any soft hackle in the hare’s ear range, such as green butt, partridge and HE, partridge and gold, hare’s ear and woodcock, grouse and green will catch fish at this time. Wet flies should include Invicta, Whickham’s, hare’s ear and mini muddlers. We will see caddis hatches slow down in the next few days, but look for action at least for a while even if the hatches are moderate. It often pays to fish dry and soft hackles in likely looking fish holding zones, riffle water and fast to slow back water seems. Catch rates at Bull shoals dam increased due to the lower water levels. Hot flies were sow bugs, white tail midges, zebra midges, dynamite and prism worms. The lower White was still pretty ugly this past weekend due to rain storm run off, moss and suspended matter making life difficult for all methods of fishing. Hopefully the lower generation levels will clear the river before too long. High water generations will likely not as that increases further moss and shoreline trash into the system at lower levels of the river. Spin fishing during the lower flows for Norfork and upper White has been very good. Likewise bait fisherman have done well with both natural and artificial baits of all sorts. Here again the algae levels may make life a little difficult. Spin fishing is probably the best option if you are fishing zones that moss is a problem.
White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the rain did not muddy up much of the White. The Buffalo came up only a foot, so there was no dirty water coming into the White. Fishing has been very steady on bottom baits and artificials. Power Bait, worms, corn and corn tipped with Power Bait are working well. Countdown black/gold/white Rapalas will work anywhere you can find a swift run that has more food supply and oxygen.
Buffalo River:
(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water temperature is in the mid 60s. The water level at St. Joe is 6.03 feet. This is high for fly-fishing. Spin fishing with heavier lures along the bottom should produce.
Crooked Creek:
(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said water levels are at 13.40 feet. This is just over a foot higher than the low-water bridge at Kelly’s Slab. This level is high for fly-fishing, but spin fishing should be good later in the day. Water temperatures are hitting 63 degrees in the heat of the day. Smallmouth should be working on soft-plastic lures on the bottom.
Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 656.95 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).
Bob Pauletti at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock had no new report.
Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 555.28 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).
(Updated 4-21-2010) 101 Grocery and Bait said the surface temperature ranges from 57-62 degrees. Fishing has been good for all species. Monster bluegill have been hitting minnows, red worms and crickets. Crappie are hitting minnows and jigs, and are moving to shallow water. Bass fishing has been good on jigs, crankbaits, flukes and top-water lures. Stripers, white bass, walleye and catfish have all been good and will only get better.
(Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the upper 50s to the low 60s. The top-water bite is starting to get going and the night bite is getting better. The top-water striper bite is good for about an hour when the sun gets higher the fish go deeper. There is some activity about a half hour before dark too. Throw stick baits after it gets dark. Swim baits were also producing stripers, hybrids, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.
(Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said fishing is still hot for both live bait and stick baits. Stripers have been caught early along the shore. As the wind picks up, fish wind-blown banks out to about 40 feet deep. Gizzard shad are working the best, but flukes and stick baits are producing as well. The dam area, Big Creek and Brushy Creek are holding good fish.
Norfork Tailwater:
Shannon Murphy with Charlie’s Rainbow Trout Resort said the tailwater has had low water almost every day. The fishing has been exceptional. Fisherman are catching all four species of trout found in Arkansas. The fishing is at its best. There were some really big rainbows caught in front of our dock. The biggest was caught by guide Paul Storm, and it was 22 inches and weighed 7 pounds. Plenty of fish over 18 inches are being caught, and some 20 to 22 inch browns are being caught in the middle of the day.
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the handicapped access to the confluence with the White is fishing well. White River Zig Jigs in ginger, olive and ginger/orange are working well on rainbows and a few browns. Be sure to let the jig settle almost to the bottom, and then pop it up. The hit will almost always come on the drop.