(updated 8-18-2022) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said school is back in session this week locally and
beginning next week in nearby communities. Be extra
careful, watching for kids of all sizes going to and
from, and when following school buses – they carry the
most important things in life.
Bull Shoals Lake is nearing seasonal power pool at
663.75 feet msl, moving toward 661 feet. “That usually
means less releases from the dam, causing lower river
levels – at least in the early morning hours. We
continue to see a fair amount of fluctuation in
releases from Bull Shoals Dam in the afternoon and
evening hours as the Southwestern Power Administration
continues to lower the lake. The fishing has been very
good to exceptional!
“The daytime temperatures have been a little cooler
than those we suffered during the last weeks of July.
While the threat of rain kept some folks away from the
river for a couple of days, those that braved the
(mostly) misty skies saw a steady stream of catches.”
Small spinners with a Colorado blade were popular this
week. Keep your spoons and Blue Foxes handy and don't
be afraid to try different baits and different colors;
use a wide selection. Lemon-lime egg patterns worked
well upstream from Cotter all the way to the state
park. Peach and olive jigs played during the morning
hours on the lower water caused a lot of action. As
always, drifting red wiggler worms during high water
is the ticket, with worm imitators (red, natural or
bubblegum pink) just as successful. Cast toward the
bank as you drift downstream and the rainbows and an
occasional brown will snap them up. Mimic the menu
provided by Mother Nature and you'll most always catch
a bunch.
“There is a lot of early morning mist and fog, so be
careful on the river, take it slow and easy until the
mist burns off. Come out and spend some time in The
Natural State – you'll be glad you did.”
(updated 8-18-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service said Monday that during the past week they
have had less than a quarter of an inch of rain,
brutally hot temperatures (to include heat advisories)
and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell
2.3 feet to rest at 3.6 feet above power pool of 661
feet msl. This is 30.4 feet below the top of flood
pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell 0.6 foot to rest
at 3.8 feet below power pool and 17.8 feet below the
top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 0.8 foot to rest
at 0.3 foot below power pool or 8.9 feet below the top
of flood pool. The White has had no wadable water.
Norfork Lake fell 1.4 feet to rest at 2 feet above
power pool of 555.75 feet msl and 22.2 feet below the
top of flood pool. The Norfork tailwater has had more
wadable water.
Most of the lakes in the White River system are now
below or near power pool. With the current lake
levels, expect high water for a few weeks. The
prediction for the lakes to reach power pool has been
updated to next Wednesday, Aug. 24.
On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. “We
have had lower flows in the morning,” John said. 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 a cerise San Juan worm with a
pheasant tail nymph.
Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run
Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be
sure and 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.
(updated 8-18-2022) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said fishing
conditions at Calico Rock have been great this last
week. “We continue to see water levels crest at
approximately 9 feet in the mornings and drop
throughout the day to as low as 5 feet by the
evening.” Silver in-line spinners with sunrise Power
Eggs and a piece of shrimp continues to work the best.
As the water got lower, brass-colored inline spinners
were also effective. Additionally, during the lower
water periods quarter-ounce Colorado spoons (copper
and gold), gold-colored Buoyant spoons or gold-colored
Rapala Countdowns worked well. Drift-fishing with
sculpins resulted in a few 17-inch-plus rainbows and
browns. “This week we had one stocking of over 2,300
rainbow trout from the Norfork Hatchery.”
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 663.47 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 661.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 695.00 feet msl). Total outflow from the
dam at noon Thursday was 19,655 cfs. The reported lake
elevation at Table Rock Lake was 913.01 feet msl
(normal conservation pool: 917.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 931.0 feet msl), with outflow of 2,138
cfs.
(updated 8-18-2022) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Thursday that the lake level is at 663
feet, only about 5 feet high, and almost back to
normal. The constant generating from Bull Shoals Dam
has stopped. Water temperature is about 85 degrees.
Typical summer patterns are working. The cooler nights
have the shad starting to move. There are always
shallow fish, especially with recent rains. Target
channel swings, points and ledges close to deep water.
Whooper Plopper, buzzbait and a topwater Lucky Craft
Gunfish are working early in the day. When topwater
slows, use a half-ounce flutter spoon in a shad
pattern and a small swimbait. Then move to a Mooneye
Tater Shad or drop-shot a Jewel Spoon. Most of the
shad are suspended at 25-35 feet. Almost all species
are present. A lot of fish have moved up into the
brushpiles and are coming into play with lowering
water levels. The creek fish have pulled back with the
water coming down. Topwater will slow down when the
sun starts getting high. Move out with a Jewel Special
Ops football jig in green pumpkin-orange variations
and keep the boat out around 40 feet. Fishing is good
around channel swings, standing timber, ledges and
laydowns. Use a Beaver/Big Worm Ole Monster in
green-pumpkin, red or red shad, or plum as well. Fish
the conditions.
Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his
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 557.21 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet msl;
April-Sept. 556.25 feet msl; top flood elevation 580.0
feet msl). Total outflow from Norfork Dam at noon
Thursday was 5,790. Similar generation on Wednesday
ran from noon to 11 p.m.
(updated 8-18-2022) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said Wednesday the lake level is
557.40 feet msl and has dropped 1.5 inches in the last
24 hours with generation from about noon to midnight.
“We received 1 inch of rain Tuesday night. The lake is
now pretty clear down to the thermocline at 27 feet,
cloudy to 30 and then clear again in the cold water.
The creeks are still stained. The surface water
temperature has dropped to 84 degrees with the cooler
weather. There is very little dissolved oxygen at 40
feet and below and there is not much sense fishing
below 35 feet unless you are going after the stripers
and walleye that are in the oxygen bubble at 90-120
feet.”
Several fish are now in the brush at 27-32 feet,
including bass and bluegill, but the new news is that
the crappie just joined them Tuesday. “I was finding
none on brush until yesterday afternoon. The big
schools are not there yet but some nice ones are
showing up along with some smallmouth bass. Small
spoons and Bobby Garland Baby Shad are working well.
Trollers are still catching 5- to 7-pound stripers on
shad at 30-35 feet. Fishing is getting better earlier
than usual.”
For a daily fishing report and lake condition go to
www.blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
Blog.
Norfork Tailwater
(updated 8-18-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
fell 1.4 feet to rest at 2 feet above power pool of
555.75 feet msl and 22.2 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork tailwater has had more wadable
water.
Most of the lakes in the White River system are now
below or near power pool. With the current lake
levels, expect high water for a few weeks. The
prediction for the lakes to reach power pool has been
updated to next Wednesday, Aug. 24.
There has been more wadable water on the Norfork in
the morning. 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 eighteen
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 moderately. School is back in
session and the creek is not as busy. Weekends can get
a quite crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs,
various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot
fluorescent pink and cerise) and white mop flies.
Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective.
Be sure and carry a large net, as most fish are lost
at the net.
Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 8-18-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are low. With hot temperatures,
the smallmouths are less 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.
