More reports and other videos are on the Cotter
Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report
July 20, 2016. Bull Shoals Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the
lake’s elevation at 660.78 feet msl (normal conservation
pool – 659.00 msl).
(updated 7-13-2016) K Dock Marina (417-334-2880)
reported lake conditions have pretty much remained the
same the past few weeks. Despite all the rain and pop up
thunderstorms, the water looks great! Good color with
little to no debris. Fishing has slowed down for many
anglers due to the extreme heat and humidity. But, still
seeing a lot of big bass and walleye being caught. The
boat launch has more parking available, but the lower
road is still under water at the current level. Courtesy
dock remains under water as well. Water level on Tuesday
was 661.00 feet msl. Water temperature was 85-88 degrees
and water is stained. Black Bass are good off of points
and steep bluffs with a jig, Texas rigged worm and large
plastics. Also good on topwater plugs early. Deep-diving
crankbaits are also working for some. Walleye are good
to fair on medium to large crankbaits trolling in 20-30
feet. Running baits around 12-18 feet range. Also good
on dragging nightcrawlers. Also hitting white or silver
half-ounce spoons off the points. Crappie fishing is
slow on live minnows, due to the heat. Catching some in
the 20-foot range around trees. Fair when trolling.
Suspended in deeper water.
(updated 7-6-2016) Bull Shoals Boat Dock reported that
fishing patterns are finally changing into the basic
summer patterns. The water temperature is in the 80s on
the surface on the lake. There is a thermocline anywhere
from the 22-30 feet level depending on who you talk with
or what part of the lake you are at. There is a lot of
brush in the water on the shoreline still and the
largemouth bass and catfish seem to be up in it. The
smallmouth bass are a little deeper on the gravel and
chunk rock banks. The spotted bass are in deeper water
along the bluffs, timber and points. The walleye are
being reported in 15-30 feet of water by the fisherman.
The good thing is that the divers are reporting seeing
lots of bass, walleye and catfish. Seems like the lake
is loaded with fish. Lake level is around the 662 mark
and falling. Visibility is good with the divers
reporting it to be 25-30 feet in most places. Here are
the fishing patters that are being reported: Largemouth
bass – topwater baits early and late, plastic worms in
the brush, jigs in the brush, spinnerbaits after dark;
smallmouth bass – jigs and plastics in 10-20 feet of
water outside the brush line. Split shot a nightcrawler
same depth, parallel a crankbait outside brush line
early and late; spotted bass – drop shot plastic worm,
jigging spoon, live nightcrawler, live crawfish in 25-35
feet of water off of steep drop-offs and points; walleye
– troll deep diving crankbaits in 15-20 feet of water,
bottom bounce with nightcrawler in 15-30 feet of water,
lead core trolling in 25-35 feet of water with longer
stick baits, jigging spoon in 25-35 feet of water;
catfish – limb lining around the bank in the brush and
trotlining in the coves; white bass – haven’t seen many
but would think under lights at night would work;
crappie – same thing, haven’t seen many, but would think
night under lights would work.
White River (Bull Shoals Tailwater)
(updated 7-20-2016) Sportsman’s White River Resort
(870-453-2424) reported the water has been very clear in
the mornings, but clouding up as the day goes on, once
they crank up the generators. AS many as eight
generators are running in the afternoons. Brown trout
have been very slow, but a few have been caught on jigs
and stick baits. An occasional brown has been caught on
shrimp by anchored anglers as well. Rainbow trout are
biting well on White River rigs baited with Berkley
PowerBait or worms. The clearer water of the mornings
has been tough, but fish have been active once the
current begins.
(updated 7-13-2016) Ron Gamble at Cotter Trout Dock said
they’ve had a couple of heavy rain storms this week.
When that happens and the water gets dingy, it's time to
go to worms. Everybody took worms to the river this past
week, including the guides, and the trout were biting.
Remember, too, if you’re not having any luck, try
something different right away; change up the color
you’re using, or even just reverse the order. If you're
not having much success with your yellow Rooster Tail
with black dots, try the black with yellow dots), if the
gold Cleo isn't producing, tie on a silver/blue Thomas
Buoyant. Most of all, relax and enjoy your time on the
river.
(updated 7-20-2016) John Berry at Berry Brothers Guide
Service (870-453-2424) said rain events have combined
for about an inch and a half in the past week, to go
along with hot temperatures and moderate winds. The lake
level at Bull Shoals rose 0.1 feet to rest at 0.2 feet
above seasonal power pool of 661 feet msl. This is 33.8
feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock
fell 0.7 feet to rest at 0.6 feet below seasonal power
pool and 14.6 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver
Lake fell 0.2 feet to rest at 2 feet below seasonal
power pool and 10.6 feet below the top of flood pool. On
the White, we had less generation this week with more
wade-able water. On the White, the bite has been
erratic. Some days it fished well others not so good.
The hot flies continue to be olive Woolly Buggers (sizes
8, 10), Y2Ks (sizes 14, 12), prince nymphs (size 14),
zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or
red with silver wire and silver bead sizes 16, 18),
pheasant tails (size 14), ruby midges (size 18), root
beer midges (size 18), pink and cerise San Juan worms
(size 10), and sowbugs (size 16). Double fly nymph rigs
have been very effective (my current favorite is a pink
San Juan worm with a ruby midge size 18 suspended below
it).
Norfork Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the
lake’s elevation at 552.71 feet msl (normal conservation
pool: September-April – 553.75 msl, April-September –
552.00 msl).
(updated 7-20-2016) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said
stripers have finally started their summer feeding
pattern. He is seeing larger schools of stripers and
hybrids each day. The beginning of the week he saw only
five or six stripers at one time, now he’s seeing large
schools of stripers feeding in water 70 to 130 feet
deep. Look for them in 35 to 40 feet of water on a flat
before light. You can usually catch two or three of
them. As it begins to get daylight, follow the fish out
to deeper water. Check out Dam Cove and behind Koso
Point. The lake has now dropped low enough to allow work
on the dam gate. We should see this level of 553 for the
next several weeks. Do not take sharp turns on points,
and if you’re not familiar with the creeks, do not go
far up them. There are a lot of trees that are now above
or just under the surface.
(updated 7-20-2016) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort said Norfork is finally in its summer fishing
pattern. Fish are starting to school, feeding in
relatively shallow water before sunrise and then going
out to deep water after the sun comes up. As summer
progresses, stripers will continue moving out to deeper
water and you will find them early 50 to 80 feet down on
the bottom. As the sun comes up, they will stay at this
depth, but will be suspended in the old deep river
channels. The striper and hybrid bite has been good most
days. He is finding these fish in 35 to 45 feet of water
feeding on the bottom before sunrise off of main long
shallow points. As the day progresses they tend to keep
moving to deeper water, but stay at about the same
depth. Live bait is working very well, but jigging with
a spoon is starting to produce some nice stripers.
Trollers also are having success as long as they can get
their baits down to the proper depth. Crappie fishing is
also in the warm water stage. They are harder to find,
but when you do, you can catch some nice fish. Look part
way back in creeks close to brush in 35 feet of water.
The crappie will be 20 to 35 feet down. Jigs and live
bait are both working well. Catfish are also biting very
well some days. You will find them in the same locations
as the stripers, as they are also following the shad.
When you hook one they typically will not run like a
striper, but instead are very difficult to get off the
bottom as they keep digging straight down. Largemouth
and spotted bass can be found along bluff lines in 20 to
35 feet of water. Look for ledges and good chunk rock
points. Work jigs or your favorite plastic bait along
the bottom. The after dark bite in the evening is
producing some very nice fish. Crappie fishing is also
in its hot-water mode: hard to find, but once you locate
them you will catch some nice fish in the 10-14-inch
range. A couple of his guests have been crappie fishing
and did well both Monday and Tuesday. Start looking for
brush piles back in creeks and coves. The brush should
be in 20-35 feet of water and the fish will be suspended
on the tops of the brush, but some of the nicer ones
will be deeper. There are still plenty of nice crappie
in the shadows of the docks during the day. There are
some nice walleye being caught. Look for walleye in
25-35 feet of water. They will be around main lake
points that have brush nearby or at this same depth
along the rocky bluff walls. Jigging spoons as well as a
crawler harness are working.
(updated 7-20-2016) Guide Steve Olomon said the lake
level is 552.8 and the water temperature is in the mid-
to upper 80s. Stripers are suspended around 35 feet deep
early in the morning. As the sun gets higher, they may
move as deep as 60 feet down in 100-foot and deeper
areas. Look along channel swings on bluff ends and in
the deeper coves and on some of the deep flats. Black
bass are hitting topwater lures early. Once the morning
bite has died, switch to a jig, Texas-rigged worm or
drop-shot rig with a small minnow-style lure or 4-inch
finesse worm in 15 feet of water. The bass will move as
deep as 30 feet during the hottest part of the day. Look
for some white bass hanging in coves. Key in on the
ditches that run through the coves close to any flats.
North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater)
(updated 7-20-2016) Berry Brothers Guide Service
(870-453-2424) said Norfork Lake fell 1.2 feet to rest
at 3 feet below seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet and
27.2 feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork,
we had little wade-able water. The Norfork has fished
better lately. The most productive flies have been small
midge patterns (sizes 18, 20, 22) like ruby midges, root
beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire
and silver bead) and soft hackles (sizes 14, 16) like
the Green Butt. Egg patterns have also been productive.
Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a
small bead-headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or
pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly
colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise
No. 10). There have been reliable hatches of small
midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a
size 18 elk hair caddis). The fishing is better in the
morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. My
favorite fly has been the Green Butt. Dry Run Creek will
be very busy with summer vacation in full swing. It is
cleared and fished well. The hot flies have been sowbugs
(size 14), Y2Ks (size 12) and various colored San Juan
worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise
No. 10). While you are at the creek you should visit the
Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be
sure and remove your waders before entering to prevent
the spread of aquatic diseases.
Buffalo National River
(updated 7-20-2016) Berry Brothers Guide Service
(870-453-2424) said that with the weather warming,
smallmouths are more active. My favorite fly is a
Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before
entering the river. There are no dams and the river is
prone to flooding during and following any rain event.
The water can rise very quickly.
Crooked Creek
(updated 7-20-2016) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service (870-453-2424) said the river is navigable. Try
his favorite lure for smallmouths, the Clouser minnow.
Carefully check the water level before entering. There
are no dams, there are large drainages and the creek
prone to flooding during and following any rain event.
The water can rise very quickly.
