White River
(updated 3-9-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said March brings spring break across the country –
perfect for family time enjoying the great outdoors in
The Natural State. That might include some time trout
fishing, and catching, on the White River in the
Arkansas Ozarks. Anglers were rewarded with some
beauties this past week with river, especially if they
had a handful of shad or a couple of Rapala
Countdowns.
Water levels have ranged from about three units (3,300
cfs) to upward of 15,000 cfs as short spurts of heavy
releases are experienced usually in mid-afternoon. We
expect that to continue with the late winter rains we
are encountering. Bull Shoals Lake rose about 5 feet
over the last week and is now at 664.70 feet msl; the
Army Corps of Engineers will work to lower that number
to seasonal power pool of 659 feet over the coming
days.
There is plenty of opportunity to fish "the rise" with
red wigglers or plumped-up nightcrawlers drifted
mid-depth. The early morning water level is often
perfect for some jigging. White jigs have been
attracting larger rainbows, they report, and you'll
see some pretty good action with a black feathered
jig, too. If you start early while the water level
remains low, you can begin your catching day with a
quarter-ounce silver and blue hammered spoon, and
finish up with a Rapala Gold and Black CD5. The
shrimp/PowerBait combo works well for the times in
between.
“Make health and safety as your No. 1 priority right
now and keep angling for trophy trout on the river!
Don't forget: The month of March is time for wearin'
o' the green.”
(updated 3-9-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the rains late
last week caused the river to rise to over 16 feet and
the water to become very muddy. Luckily by Tuesday the
water still had some dinginess to it but it was
fishable. With the dingy water bright colors and
anything that causes a flash works best. If
drift-fishing try using a silver inline spinner with
bright-colored Power Eggs to get the trout’s attention
and shrimp to further entice the trout to bite and
hold on to the bait while you can set the hook. The
brown trout will lie in wait for something to come by
and then ambush what they see. Try using size 7 Rapala
Countdowns in silver or gold.
Happily, the weatherman’s early prediction of 3 to 4
inches between Wednesday and Thursday doesn’t look
like it will happen. The half-inch on Wednesday and
the expected half-inch on Thursday should have little
effect on the river levels and water conditions.
(updated 3-9-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week they
had a little over 2.5 inches of rainfall, warmer
temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull
Shoals rose 5.1 feet to rest at 5.5 feet above power
pool of 659 feet msl. This is 30.5 feet below the top
of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose 2.6 feet
to rest at 3.3 feet below power pool and 12.7 feet
below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose 3.4 feet
to rest at 3.3 feet above power pool or 5.8 feet below
the top of flood pool. The White has had no wadable
water and moderate flows. Norfork Lake rose 4.8 feet
to rest at 4.7 feet above power pool of 553.75 feet
and 21.5 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork
tailwater has had some wadable water.
Streamer season is upon us. The browns trout that have
were spawning from November to late January are now
working their way back downstream. Anglers are
targeting them by banging the bank with big streamers
on sink tip lines.
He said, “On the White, the hot spot has been the
Narrows. We have had higher flows that have fished
well one day and poorly the next. 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. My favorite has been a cerise San Juan worm
with an orange egg dropper.”
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 has been prepping for the Sowbug Roundup in his
area and says, “The Sowbug Roundup is coming to town.
This is the biggest fly-tying show in the area. Over
the years this show has gained international respect
and is a national treasure. This event has been
created and produced by the North Arkansas Fly Fishers
for several decades. It started as a little fly-tying
show in my home town of Cotter and has grown
exponentially over the years.
“This year’s show will be held at the Baxter County
Fairgrounds in Mountain Home on March 23-25. It begins
at 9 a.m. and ends each day at 4 p.m. Admission is $10
for all three days. Adults accompanied with children
under 12 years old are admitted free. The first
$10,000 goes toward scholarships for students majoring
in conservation or fisheries. Other funds are
earmarked for conservation and education projects.|
“How has a small local fly-fishing club been able to
put on a show of this caliber? The secret is hard
work. The committee meets monthly throughout the year.
The club members have been doing this for years and
know their jobs intimately. All are eager volunteers.
“This show is all about the fly-tyers. We have
approximately 150 tyers from all 50 states and several
foreign countries. They come here at their expense to
be a part of this show. On each day of the show, many
of them are tying at tables for the public to watch
them tie, interact with them and learn many of their
advanced techniques.
“There are also seminars, free fly-casting lessons and
fly-tying classes. There are over 20 vendors,
including all of our local fly shops.
“I have been personally involved with the Sowbug
Roundup ever since I moved to Cotter 23 years ago. I
have been a tyer, a seminar presenter, a vendor, a
casting instructor, a committee member and chairman of
the fly-tying contest.
“After all of these years, my favorite job is still
fly-tyer. I have a vendor booth for my guide service,
Berry Brothers Guide Service, and I am there tying my
signature fly, the Green Butt, except when I am
presenting a seminar. My sister, Ernestine, travels
from Memphis every year to help in my booth. My wife,
Lori, will be teaching fly-casting as usual. I am
scheduled to present a seminar on how to fish local
waters and another on fishing Tennessee (my birth
place).
“There is also a plethora of raffles, silent auctions
and live auctions. This is a great opportunity to pick
up a host of fly-fishing equipment and collectables. I
will be there all three days. Stop by my booth and I
will tie you a fly.”
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 665.44 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 695.00 feet msl). By midday Thursday the
flow was 13,066 cfs and has ranged from 6,300 late
Wednesday to almost 15,000 over the past two days;
tailwater elevation was 456.29 feet. The reported lake
elevation at Table Rock Lake was 918.05 feet msl
(normal conservation pool: 915.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 931.0 feet msl).
(updated 3-9-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat
Dock said the lake level has risen 5 feet rise since
last report, to 664 feet. Water temperature is 49
degrees, give or take. We have had dirty water and
temps in the upper 50s. The warm rain and wind helped.
Temperature and conditions over the next month will
dictate your game plan and success. Fish the
conditions. The shad are spread out everywhere from
the main lake to backs of the creeks. Look for bigger
spreads shallower than 60 feet. Gulls and loons can
help you find them. If you can find a wad, then that’s
where the big girls have been hanging, usually above
the shad from 10-30 feet. Tater Shad, swimbait, Jerky
Jerk are good for these conditions, and if there is
not a lot of action, try dead stick on the bait.
While some warmer creeks have a wave of fish up, they
are mostly bucks with an occasional big. Windy, dirty,
cloudy, warm water calls for a crankbait, square bill,
Rock Crawler or Wiggle Wart. Fish on the swing banks.
If it’s sunny with flat water, try slow-dragging a
Jewel Jig or green pumpkin shaky head slow-banging on
the rocks ledges in 5-15 feet.
The fish are in transition. The shad bite video gaming
isn’t over but it’s been nice to hit the bank and
catch them somewhat regularly. Fish are already
staging early prespawn areas in the creeks, swings and
points. The crankbait bite is hit or miss this should
improve with warm days and dirty water – wind, wind
and wind and clouds will help. Parallel steeper
ledges, 45-degree banks and transition banks, and
cover water.
Rock Crawler has worked better. Try the reds on the
steeper, clearer water. A Wiggle Wart will work on
mid-water; and try a Chick Magnet flat side in the
stain. A jerkbait on breezy day bluff ends over
steeper swings and points with shad nearby will fool a
few. “I’m not a rig guy, but they are setting up for
that. The smallmouth are definitely grouping up if you
can find them; they are in roaming mode. A 2.8
McMinnow is on deck. Checker steeper side ledges.
You’ll have keep moving to find them, but when you do
there’s usually a few. Each day is different. White
bass and stripers have started popping up and walleyes
are moving up to spawn. Get up early, or stay out late
if it’s sunny.
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 midday Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers
reported the lake’s elevation at 558.99 feet msl
(normal conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet
msl; April-Sept. 556.25 feet msl; top flood elevation
580.0 feet msl). Flow below the dam Thursday midday
was 3,000 cfs, with on-and-off generation.
(updated 3-9-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said, “The lake level was 558.71
feet msl and still rising slowly with a surface water
temperature of 53 degrees when I came in at 5:30 PM on
Wednesday. The White River at Newport was 24.41 feet
and dropping but a lot of water is flowing into the
river other than from the lakes. They are letting out
about as much as they can and not flood things out
downstream. The water clarity varies with the amount
of generation but has cleared a lot in the main lake
since the big rain last week. The muddy and brown
water is all gone.
“Crappie fishing picked up and then has slowed again
and bass fishing is pretty good. Some are back in the
creeks and some are on brush near the bank on
windblown banks and more are in open water on shad.
White bass are spawning in the backs of the major
creeks and up river and the walleye have finished.
Stripers are simulating a spawn in their normal places
and move to their spawning banks at dark.
“Overall, fishing just gets good and then another cold
front comes through. Trollers are catching a variety
of fish dragging umbrellas through shad; brush fishing
is fair for Kentucky bass and crappie, people beating
the bank back in the creeks, and others casting jigs
and small grubs over brush and letting them sink into
it are all catching fish. Overall, fishing is just
fair but some nice ones are being caught every day.”
For a daily fishing report and lake condition go to
www.blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
Blog.
(updated 3-9-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort had no new reports. However, Lou posts almost
daily on his Facebook page with photos and where the
fish are biting and what’s biting. Check it out.
Norfork Tailwater
(updated 3-9-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
rose 4.8 feet to rest at 4.7 feet above power pool of
553.75 feet and 21.5 feet below the top of flood pool.
The Norfork tailwater has had some wadable water. The
most productive flies have been small midge patterns
like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and
silver bead). Double-fly nymph rigs have been very
effective. Try a small bead-head nymph (zebra midge,
copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches
below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot
fluorescent pink or cerise). John’s favorite rig has
been a size 14 pheasant tail nymph and a size 18 ruby
midge. The fishing is much better in the morning and
late afternoon and tapers off midday.
Dry Run Creek has fished a bit better. 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.
Carry a large net, as most fish are lost at the net.
Remember, 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 3-9-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are fishing poorly. With warmer
temperatures, the smallmouths should be soon 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.
