White River
(updated 5-19-2022) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said the lakes in the White River watershed – Beaver,
Table Rock and Bull Shoals – remain very high. You
might expect extensive discharge from the dam to the
Bull Shoals tailwaters, but even with the rains this
past week the releases in the White River below Bull
Shoals have been relatively gentle during the day at
around 1.5 units (5,000 cfs). Bull Shoals Lake
elevation has reached 685.25 feet msl and continues to
rise The dam is doing its job: holding back water to
alleviate flooding downstream.
“We'll enjoy the lower flows while they last, but
don't be surprised to see consistent high water in the
weeks ahead. What's that say about the fishing? It's
good news. Trout fishing on high water is all about
drifting big baits to lure those big (and growing)
fish. River minnows and sculpins drifted near the
grassy banks will bring the browns out of hiding and
every kind of jerkbait is a worthy agent in your
search for the biggest trout to reach your personal
best. We favor the Rapala Rainbow Countdowns, the 5 or
7.”
The rainbows have been biting at just about any worm,
especially when a bubblegum pink or fluorescent orange
worm is used in conjunction with shrimp; but don't
discount the live worms – a red wiggler or the
old-time nightcrawler – for catching great rainbows.
Seems the copper-colored spoons and spinners are the
baits to cast this time of year if that's your style
of fishing. “There have been some hefty hatches giving
our fly anglers a run; try the super midge and some
sparkling caddis flies. Whatever form your fishing
takes, bring it to the river and enjoy Arkansas, our
Natural State. ‘Fish Natural’!”
(updated 5-19-2022) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said river conditions
have been all over the place this last week. The rains
we received caused the river to become muddy. By the
time the river started clearing we received more rain
and the river was muddy again. With the muddy river
conditions the fishing has been difficult at best.
Those who have done well had success with using inline
spinners with Power Eggs and a worm or corn on the
end. Others had limited success using bright color
Rooster Tails, spoons or Rapala Countdowns (gold or
silver). Last Thursday 1,000 rainbow trout and again
this Wednesday another 2,200 rainbow trout were
stocked at the Calico Rock boat ramp. By the end of
the day Wednesday the river was improving, and with
over 3,000 trout stocked in the last week, fishing
should be good the next few days.
(updated 5-19-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service said that during the past week they had just a
trace of rainfall in Cotter, warm temperatures and
moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose 4.3
feet to rest at 22.6 feet above power pool of 662 feet
msl. This is 10.4 feet below the top of flood pool.
Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell 3.1 feet to rest at 7.8
feet above power pool and 6.7 feet below the top of
flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 6.1 foot to rest at 7.1
feet above power pool or 1.5 feet below the top of
flood pool. The White had some wadable water. Norfork
Lake fell 0.9 foot to rest at 14.6 feet above power
pool of 556.75 feet msl and 10.4 feet below the top of
flood pool. The Norfork tailwater had more wadable
water.
The water level for the top of power pool has been
reset higher for all of the lakes in the White River
system. All of the lakes in the White River system are
now above power pool. With the current lake levels,
expect some wadable water on the Norfork to prevent
downstream flooding
On the White, the hot spot has been the Narrows. The
hot flies were Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges
(black with silver wire and silver bead or red with
silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper
Johns, pink and cerise San Juan worms, gold-ribbed
hare’s ears and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have
been very effective. Try an prince nymph with a size
18 ruby midge.
Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry
Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga.
Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the
felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any
other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber
soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are
not as likely to harbor didymo.
John added, “Last week I had a three-day trip with two
clients from Houston. They had booked several months
ago. As the trip got closer they had checked the
weather and got concerned. A lot of heavy rain was
forecast every day they had scheduled. They were
concerned that they would travel far just to sit in a
boat and get rained on. They emailed me with their
concerns.
“I replied that the forecast was for a 45-50% chance
every day. I thought we could get in some decent
fishing despite the weather. I told them a guided trip
with me was a rain or shine event but that I did not
fish when there was lightning about. I always remember
that NASA uses graphite (the same material used to
construct most fly rods) for lightning rods.
“The day before they arrived it rained all day. It was
raining as I went to pick them up at Rim Shoals the
first day. The water there was badly stained. The
river was the color of café au lait (coffee with
milk). Basically the river was blown out and not
fishable there. The best thing to do, when this
happens, is to head upstream until you find clear
water. I knew that the catch-and-release section below
Bull Shoals Dam would be clear. The water coming
through the dam was clear and there are no major side
creeks pumping runoff into the river there. It quit
raining fairly early and we did well catching some big
rainbows.
“The next day the water cleared at Rim and we fished
there. We caught several nice trout. We went to the
cabin my clients were staying at Rim Shoals and took a
late lunch. While we were in there, it began to rain.
We heard thunder and then saw a heavy lightning strike
nearby. We decided to quit early. I loaded the boat
and headed home in heavy rain. It rained all night and
there was a lot of lightning that woke me up around
2:30 a.m.
“It was raining as I left the house the next day. I
picked them up at Rim Shoals. Once again the water was
severely stained. We headed to the catch-and-release
section below Bull Shoals. The water was clear and
inviting. It quit raining but we kept our rain suits
on. Once again, we caught some big fish. We had a big
27-inch rainbow to the boat before it slipped the
hook. We had another big fish break off.
“About 3 p.m. I thought I heard thunder. I pulled out
my iPhone and checked the weather. There was a big
storm headed our way. The thunder got heavier and we
headed in. We got the boat out of the water as the
bottom dropped out. It rained heavily all of the way
home.
“We stayed the course and fished despite the weather
forecast. We ended up catching some nice trout.”
(updated 5-5-2022) White River Trout Club
(870-453-2424) says the river is high and muddy and
they have had no reports lately.
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 681.65 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 662.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 695.00 feet msl). Total outflow from the
dam is 7,244 cfs, though flow has reached about 16,000
cfs on Wednesday midday. The reported lake elevation
at Table Rock Lake was 923.10 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 916.58 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 931.0 feet msl), with outflow of 21,018
cfs.
(updated 5-19-2022) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Wednesday afternoon that limited
parking at the boat dock can be an issue, so plan
ahead. Despite the high water, the lake is really
clear in the main portion. Bigger creeks have stain.
The water temperature is 73 degrees, give or take. The
lake level Wednesday was about 685 feet, or 26 feet
above normal level.
Bass fishing has been up and down of late. The sunfish
are spawning. There has been a shad spawn the last
couple of mornings. Use a 2.8 Keitech on a
quarter-ounce ball head, or swim a grub in shad
colors. Target windy lake secondary points and humps.
Don’t pass up shad way out on the points, and use
topwater, an LC Gunfish or a Zara Spook. For sunny
days, dragging a Jewel Special Ops Football Jig in
green-pumpkin orange, a Ned rig with green pumpkin
variations, and keep the boat out around 30 feet.
A lot of fish are on the old shoreline on secondary
points and channel swings. Bloody tails are starting
to show up in the summer areas. Submerged roads,
flooded parking lots and picnic tables now underwater
are holding fish. Use a floating worm or a drop-shot
around docks.
The flipping bite is tougher as the water comes up, so
around the deep bushes, the standing timber or
laydowns, use Beaver/Senkos/a small jig. If you find
warm, dirty, milky water, use a bright spinnerbait, a
Chatterbait, Whopper Plopper or square bill. Fish the
conditions.
Visit Del’s YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock)
for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals
Lake.
Norfork Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 571.59 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet msl;
April-Sept. 556.40 feet msl; top flood elevation 580.0
feet msl). Total outflow from Norfork Dam at 9 a.m.
Thursday was 0 cfs, though daily flows have reached
3,000 cfs once each day this week, later in the day.
(updated 5-19-2022) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level is 571.43 feet
msl and, as of this report, has risen 1 inch in the
last 24 hours with about 10 hours of running one
generator. The White River at Newport is 20.90 feet
and dropping and the surface water temperature is in
the mid-70s and the water is clear on the main lake
and stained in the creeks. The topwater bite in the
early morning just before sunrise is the best bite. It
lasts longer on cloudy days than on sunny, clear ones.
Temperate bass and black bass are coming up in the
windblown creeks on shallow shad. Catfishing is
getting better as the full moon wanes, and channels
and blues are picking up while flatheads are slowing.
“I did catch a nice flathead (Tuesday) but was
catching several every day before then. Big bluegills
are back under docks and in shallow cover like willows
and are hitting small spoons and live worms and
crickets.
“Some bass are on the old shoreline in 18-20 feet of
water partway back in creeks on soft plastics and
floating worms.
“Fishing overall is good. On clear sunny days get out
early, fish until about 10 a.m., take the middle of
the day off, and go out about 5 p.m. and fish until
sunset. On cloudy days you can fish all day. Some
temperate bass have moved into deep water and can be
caught on the jigging spoon. Walleye are around
Cranfield Island and Robinson Island and can be caught
bottom-bouncing Lindy Rigs with live nightcrawlers and
trolling small crankbaits and are 17-22 feet near the
bottom.
For a daily fishing report and lake condition go to
www.blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
Blog.
(updated 5-5-2022) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort said the bite for most species has been good on
Norfork. The never-ending changes in the weather have
definitely affected the bite by not allowing it to
become consistent. The fish keep moving around as
their comfort zone changes. But with a little looking
each day you will find the fish. The largemouth bite
has been the best, with crappie, walleye and
striped/hybrid bass all being a close second. Most of
the species in our lake have spawned or are in the
process except for bluegills. Catfish are close to
their spawn cycle, if not already in it.
Largemouth bass have started their post-spawn feed.
Topwater action can be found most early mornings and
late evenings. “I have found them surface-feeding both
back in creeks and coves as well as out on the main
lake, especially near long brushy points. It’s prime
time to start fishing with flukes and you can catch a
lot of bass up inside of the newly sunken brush.
Swimbaits and spinnerbaits are also working very well.
If a cool front moves through, the fish do seem to
move off the shoreline, but can be found nearby in
10-20 feet of water, and will move back into the brush
very quickly.”
Crappie are also on their post-spawn feed. You will
find them schooled up, roaming from brush to brush,
out in 20-30 feet of water. A great way to catch these
roaming fish is to troll Berkley Flicker Minnows in
size 7. Some of these crappie are relating strictly to
brush, and the brush is usually in less than 20 feet
of water. A few crappie are still spawning and can be
caught by casting to the shoreline with small grubs, a
small swimbait or a Road Runner.
Striped/hybrid bass fishing has been good, but the
fish seem to be continually moving. You need to find
the shad and the stripers will be nearby. “One day I
found them back in creeks close to the shoreline and
the next day they were out on main lake points that
have a lot of sunken buckbrush. The lake is getting
more and more buckbrush under water due to recent
rains and the rise in the water level. Threadfin shad
are getting very close to spawning, if not already
spawning, in some areas of the lake. If you can find
spawning threadfin, the stripers will be close to them
in very shallow water. Cast out a topwater bait, a
swimbait or a Kastmaster and hang on.”
Walleye fishing has also been pretty good. “The best
bite for me has been early in the morning before
sunrise. Find an area with bait and cast a small
3.5-inch swimbait with a one-eighth- or quarter-ounce
jighead. The walleye will be near the surface feeding
on the shad. You will also find them in about 18-25
feet of water on the bottom. Vertical-jigging or
dragging a crawler harness will pick up some fish. Or
you can troll a hard crankbait that gets down to 15-18
feet to catch some nice ones. Back in the coves and
creeks are good places to find walleye."
The surface water temperature has been keeping fairly
consistent, ranging from 63 to 65 degrees. The water
level is rising due to recent rains. The current level
is 563.37 which is about 9 feet over normal seasonal
pool. The water is fairly clear, but may stain up a
bit with the most recent rains and runoff.
“If you are looking for almost daily fishing reports
and to see what species are being caught, check out
Hummingbird Hideaway Resort’s Facebook page. Give us a
like and start seeing what is happening on the lake.
Happy Fishing and enjoy Norfork Lake.”
Norfork Tailwater
(updated 5-19-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
fell 0.9 foot to rest at 14.6 feet above power pool of
556.75 feet msl and 10.4 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork tailwater had more wadable water.
The water level for the top of power pool has been
reset higher for all of the lakes in the White River
system. All of the lakes in the White River system are
now above power pool. With the current lake levels,
expect some wadable water on the Norfork to prevent
downstream flooding.
There has been more wadable water on the Norfork
during the day and it fished moderately. The most
productive flies have been small midge patterns like
zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver
bead). Grasshoppers have produced fish, particularly
when used in conjunction with a small nymph dropper
(try a size 20 black zebra midge). 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). The fishing is
much better in the morning and late afternoon and
tapers off midday.
Dry Run Creek has fished well. Weekends can get a
quite crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs and
various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot
fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach
eggs have been very effective. Carry a large net, as
most fish are lost at the net.
Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry
Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga.
Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the
felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any
other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber
soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are
not as likely to harbor didymo.
Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 5-19-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are a bit high and off-color.
With warmer temperatures, the smallmouths could are
active. The most effective fly has been a tan and
brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level
before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River.
There are no dams on these streams. They both have
large drainages and are prone to flooding during and
following any rain event. The water can rise very
quickly.
