White River
(updated 4-6-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said the lakes in the White River watershed are
filling up and are being attentively managed by the
Army Corps of Engineers. Bull Shoals Lake is hovering
at 675.2 feet msl as we head into a week of predicted
sunshine – or at least no rain. The river is running
pretty high right now with five units (15,000 cfs)
round-the-clock. Higher water is expected here as the
dams begin to drop back toward power pool. The guides
always tell us, "Fish love water – the more water, the
better," and they continue to do a really great job of
helping folks catch them.
The brown trout bite has been phenomenal, with shad
and the occasional well-positioned sculpin doing well.
Rainbows have been hitting sunrise and orange
PowerBait, especially in combination with shrimp or
crawdad tail – an excellent way to reel in some
nice-sized fish. Floating pink mousetails (artificial
scented worms) and Rooster Tails with black-and-yellow
skirts, gold blades, one-sixth ounce to quarter ounce,
are a great backup to the shrimp/PowerBait mix. The
hatches we saw last week, which sated the trout and
made it really tough to get their attention in the
afternoon hours, have slowed with the rain and cooler
temps. But the hatch is on, often around 3 in the
afternoon. A great time for topwater action.
Deeper water means more drift-fishing, no wading
opportunities for now, but there's always a chance to
cast from the river banks. Bring the kids or grandkids
and together investigate The Natural State of things
in Arkansas. See you at the river.
(updated 4-6-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the fishing has
been good this week. Keeping it simple by using two
Power Eggs on a No. 2 hook with shrimp has done well.
Sunrise-colored Power Eggs have worked best, as have
yellow-colored Power Eggs. We have seen some success
by mixing colors such as orange and white. In the
cloudy conditions, silver-colored inline spinners can
provide a deeper flash of color to attract the trout’s
attention. Lures such as Rapala Shad Raps and
Countdowns had limited success. Use sculpins if
targeting larger rainbows and browns.
The recent storms, combined with Bull Shoals and
Norfork Dams generating water and opening spill gates,
had the river level reach a high of 10 feet Wednesday.
Luckily the rain didn’t muddy the water, so the main
part of the river is fishable. If the river does get
muddy, move up into the creeks where the trout will be
looking for cleaner water, and if a person is lucky
they may catch a smallmouth bass or catfish to augment
the trout.
This week we received one trout stocking at the Calico
Rock boat ramp.
(updated 4-6-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week they
had two events that combined for a half-inch of
rainfall, cool temperatures and heavy winds (to
include lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull
Shoals rose 3.4 feet to rest at 16.3 feet above power
pool of 659 feet msl. This is 19.7 feet below the top
of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell 3.3 feet
to rest at 2.2 feet below power pool and 13.8 feet
below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose 0.7 foot
to rest at 9 feet above power pool or 0.6 foot below
the top of flood pool. The White had no wadable water
and flows. Norfork Lake rose 1.2 feet to rest at 11.4
feet above power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 14.8 feet
below the top of flood pool. The Norfork tailwater had
no wadable water this past week. All of the lakes in
the White River system are now above power pool.
Expect higher flows on the White and North Fork.
John said, “The caddis hatch is just beginning. This
is our best hatch of the year. We have seen some small
hatches in the late afternoon. Before the hatch, fish
a caddis pupa like the Sunday special in size 16. When
you see takes on the top but see no insects, switch to
a caddis emerger like my Green Butt in size 15. When
you observe trout taking insects from the top of the
water, switch to elk hair caddis size 16.
“On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. 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 also said, “A few days ago, my friend Tom
Schmuecker passed away. I met him at the Federation of
Fly Fishers (FFF) Conclave almost 40 years ago. He was
heavily involved in fly-tying as were my brother, Dan,
several friends and I. His beloved wife, Ann, passed
away a few days before him.
“Tom was originally a chicken farmer who raised the
specialized birds that are highly prized by fly-tyers.
He sold the farm and purchased the Wapsi. He sold his
chickens and moved to Mountain Home to run the
company. Over the years, he and Ann built Wapsi into
the largest supplier of fly-tying materials in the
world. When I managed Blue Ribbon Fly Shop, we bought
the majority of our products from there. It is an
innovative company that is always introducing new
products.
“He was an avid fly-tyer and would tie almost every
day. One year I was tying flies at the FFF Conclave
and was sitting next to my friend George Harmeling.
George was a compulsive tyer who always carried pretty
much any material or tool he had to the conclave so
that he would be sure he had anything he may need. He
carried all of this stuff in a big wheeled steamer
trunk.
“Tom came in with a cigar box filled with just hooks
and rabbit strips. He asked if he could sit with us.
We were glad to see him and welcomed him to the table.
He proceeded to borrow a fly-tying vise, a bobbin with
thread and a small pair of scissors. He then proceeded
to tie a great warm-water fly. Here is the largest
supplier of fly-tying materials and tools borrowing
such things from a tyer. He had a huge warehouse full
of this stuff.
“When I organized the first fly-tying contest
(originally at the Baxter Bulletin), my first call was
to Tom. He was integral to planning, organizing and
judging the contest. He insisted on adding a category
for warm-water flies, his favorite. We did the first
judging in the conference room at Wapsi. We did it
there for years before moving it to my house after
Tom’s health declined.
“We have changed the name of the fly-tying contest to
the Wapsi Fly Tying Contest to reflect his company’s
ongoing support to the project. The award for the best
in show in the contest is now the Tom Schmuecker Award
in honor of him. No individual has done more to
promote fly-tying than Tom Schmuecker. His efforts
have made Mountain Home a mecca for the sport.
“Tom you will be missed!”
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 675.31 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 695.00 feet msl). By midday Thursday the
flow was 18.069 cfs and has ranged about that same
level past two days; tailwater elevation was 458.43
feet. The reported lake elevation at Table Rock Lake
was 916.79 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 915.00
feet msl; top flood elevation is 931.0 feet msl).
(updated 4-6-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat
Dock said Bull Shoals Lake level 675 feet msl, or 16
feet above normal pool level, and rising. Water
temperature is ranging 55 to 60-plus degrees. The lake
is on the rise; watch for debris. There is definitely
limited accessibility to ramps, and parking can be an
issue, so call ahead.
Bass fishing is getting better. Still, weather will
hinder some days. The fish are grouped up and they are
prespawn feeding. You can find them spread out on
flats and in the bushes now. Fish it like two separate
lakes. Dirty creeks, cloudy days, warm rainwater calls
for power fishing crankbaits, Chatterbait or square
bills. Try on the last couple swing banks or in or
around the pockets. Cover water. Fish warm runoff if
available. For sunny days with flat water and stain
conditions try slow-dragging a Jewel half-ounce
Special Ops football jig in green pumpkin. For summer
days with clear water look at the old shoreline
points, keep the boat in 25-30 free and try a green
pumpkin three-sixteenth-ounce shaky head or a Ned,
fished slow, then go a little slower.
A wave of smallmouth bass are probably going to go
with this moon. The ol’ Wobble Head with a Menace
slow-banging on the rocks, ledges or points in 5-15
feet of water early in the day, then look 15-20 feet
by midday. Fish outside spawning areas. The fish are
in moving. It’s getting to where you can beat the bank
and run into a few target staging early prespawn
areas. If you’re feeling brave, a Megabass Jerkbait
110 on breezy day over steeper swings and points with
shad nearby will fool a few, but it has been hit or
miss. You might run into a toothy one.
The shad are moving up again. Video gamers are
everywhere from the main lake to the backs of the
creeks. Look for bigger spreads shallower than 30
feet, and be sure to check flats. Graph time pays off.
Throw around the ol’ McMinnow 2.8 Swimbait in white or
shad color, and also a fluke – this pattern has been
the deal for me. The bass are definitely grouping up.
Whites and walleyes are spawn or prespawn and active
early or late in the day unless it’s a cloudy, windy
day. Each day is different, so 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 midday Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers
reported the lake’s elevation at 565.06 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 8,198 cfs, with constant generation in that range
for several days.
(updated 4-6-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 565.21 feet
msl and had dropped three-quarters of an inch with one
generator running continuously and spillway gates open
equivalent to about three-quarters of a generator. The
White River at Newport is 24.04 feet and is rising
slowly. “We received a half-inch of rain on Tuesday.
The water color is still tea colored in the Blackburns
Creek area, but you can find as clear water as you
want. It is not affecting fishing. The surface water
temperature was 57 degrees Tuesday evening when I came
in at about 6:30 p.m.
“The new news is that the smallmouth bass have moved
on to their spring prespawn feeding banks and are
hitting creature baits on a jighead. Other black bass
fishing is also getting better. Male crappie have
started their spawning process and are just outside
their spawning banks right on schedule back in Pigeon,
Middle Pigeon, Twin Coves and Briar Creek. There are
still some white bass back in the bay in Big Creek and
across from Cranfield Campground. Fishing is getting
better, and it needed to.”
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
Blog for a daily report.
(updated 3-23-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort said the bite for most species has been pretty
good Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, but it will
get better once we get some stable weather and a
stable lake level. Normal early spring requests. “I
have several guests in and they are all catching fish.
The bite in the dark is going strong as long as you
find where the fish are hanging out. Casting a small
3.5- to 5-inch paddle tail swimbait with a
quarter-ounce jighead has been working the best.
“You can catch just about any species in the lake,
including walleye, crappie and stripers, by casting
out a swimbait. I prefer white or a Sexy Shad color.
Once it gets light out, the fish tend to move off the
shoreline and into deeper water, about 30-40 feet deep
on the same points. I found fish yesterday morning on
main lake points. I have been using Tater Baits, Tater
Shads in the Bayou Magic, Key Lime and White Trash
flavors. I catch most of my stripers by keeping the
bait motionless about 3 feet off of the bottom.
“On Tuesday morning before the heavier rain started, I
landed my limit of stripers/hybrids, including a
9-pound-plus hybrid. He really gave a great battle.
Bob, another guest, found nice largemouth bass back in
a creek in very shallow, muddy water. He was also
casting out a swimbait. Another area that has been
holding a ton of bait and fish is partway back in a
creek where the fish are in 30-60 feet of water. Most
of the stripers in this area are suspended 20-30 feet
down. You will also find a lot of white bass in the
same areas with the striped/hybrid bass.
“Wednesday morning was another good day to be on the
lake. I checked out a new area and fished a flat in
30-40 feet of water. On one end of the flat I found a
lot of bait and found white bass and a few stripers
feeding heavily. The fish were at all depths, but the
fish on the bottom were the most aggressive. I managed
to land a monster striped bass weighing in at 30
pounds that was suspended 20 feet down in 37 feet of
water. All my fish Wednesday were caught by slowly
vertical-jigging a Bayou Magic Tater Shad. This big
guy took 30 minutes to land on 8-pound test
monofilament line.”
The surface water temp is holding around 50 degrees.
The lake level is falling and currently sits at 556.92
feet msl. The northern part of the lake remains
stained. Enjoy Norfork Lake.
Lou also 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 4-6-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
rose 1.2 feet to rest at 11.4 feet above power pool of
553.75 feet msl and 14.8 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork tailwater had no wadable water this
past week. All of the lakes in the White River system
are now above power pool. Expect higher flows on the
White and North Fork rivers.
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 says his favorite
rig has been a pheasant tail nymph size 14 and a ruby
midge size 18. 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 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.
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 4-6-2023) 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 active soon.
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.
