White River
(updated 4-27-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said, Come join us for some terrific trout fishing in
Cotter, Arkansas: Trout Capital USA. Bull Shoals
Lake elevation is 666.47 feet msl, 6 feet from the top
of power pool with steady releases from the dam,
averaging 4 units (11,800 cfs). Some consider
this perfect floating levels, other feel it's still a
little high. Don't let the higher water levels
intimidate you; it's a great time to cast almost
everything in your tackle box. Maybe add some
extra weight on your line to ensure the bait is
staying near the bottom and get ready to net some
rainbows.
This past week has been an exceptionally gorgeous one
with everybody taking time out to admire the God-given
beauty of the Arkansas Ozarks and shout out a great
big "Thank You" prayer.
The browns kept us busy this past week -- seemed like
a continuous stream sized from 17 to 27.5 inches. Lay
your hands on some really nice shad or sculpin and
you'll attract some really nice browns. The rainbows
are showing interest in shiny silver spoons
(especially Cleos and the hammered blue-silver Thomas
Buoyant). Another good bet this week is the Vibrax
Blue Fox spinners, gold blade, 3/16-ounce or
quarter-ounce.
They're also biting at just about any worm, especially
when a bubblegum pink or fluorescent orange worm is
used in conjunction with shrimp.
"Whatever form your fishing takes, bring it to the
river and enjoy Arkansas, The Natural State."
(updated 4-27-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “What a
difference a week can make! Both Bull Shoals and
Norfork dams have closed their spillway gates and are
back to regular generation with four generators at
Bull Shoals and one generator at Norfork. As of
Wednesday night, water levels are down near 8 feet
with a good color. Fishing has been great the last few
days. Many different color combinations of Power Eggs
with silver inline spinners and shrimp have worked
great. With the lower water, drift-fishing over the
gravel bars is producing some 13-inch-plus rainbow
trout. Additionally, we are seeing more success with
artificial lures, especially the deeper diving Rapala
Shad Raps, either shad color or purple.
“The expected rain on Thursday should have a minimal
effect on the river. The weekend is shaping up to be
nice weather with cool mornings and warming up to the
mid- to upper 60s. It is a great time to get out and
catch some fish.”
(updated 4-27-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week they
had a bit over a quarter of an inch of rainfall,
warmer temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at
Bull Shoals fell 2.7 feet to rest at 7.5 feet above
power pool of 659 feet msl. This is 28.5 feet below
the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose
0.1 foot to rest at 0.4 foot below power pool and 16.4
feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 0.8
foot to rest at 7.8 feet above power pool or 1.8 feet
below the top of flood pool. The White last week had
no wadable water and more moderate flows. Norfork Lake
fell 4.8 feet to rest at 0.9 foot above power pool of
553.75 feet msl and 25.3 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork Tailwater last week had no wadable
water; there had been significant spillway releases to
augment generation. All of the lakes in the White
River System except Table Rock are now above power
pool. At the current rate of drop, expect all of the
lakes in the White River System to reach power pool in
three weeks.
John said, “The caddis hatch is ongoing. This is our
best hatch of the year. We have seen some small
hatches in 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. It will be
difficult to fish this hatch with the high water
levels we now have.
“On the White, the hot spot has been Wildcat 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. Use long leaders and plenty of additional
weight.”
John discusses fishing with barbless hooks: “A couple
of weeks ago, while guiding on the White River, I was
hooked by my client. His errant cast drove a size 10
San Juan Worm into my flesh just below my lower lip.
The cast was packed by a bit of power and the hook
penetrated me all the way to the bend of the hook. The
first thing that I thought was how grateful I was that
I had tied the fly on a factory barbless hook. I
reached up and grasped the hook and painlessly removed
it from my face.
“I was fishing in a catch-and-release area where it is
required by Arkansas Game and Fishing Commission
regulation that you fish with barbless hooks. Years
ago I made the decision to only fish barbless, for
both me and my clients. Barbless hooks are better for
the fish as they are easier to remove. The real reason
I fish barbless is for me. As a guide I think I am the
most likely person in the boat to get hooked. It seems
to work that way. As a working guide, I am hooked
often.
“Removing barbed hooks from your body or someone
else’s can be a painful process. Many victims are
inclined to seek medical assistance for their removal.
In fact, if you go to the emergency room at Baxter
Regional Medical Center, you can see the
glass-enclosed case where they keep all of the flies
and lures that they have removed from unfortunate
anglers. It is quite a collection.
“There is an effective and relatively painless method
to extract a barbed hook. Clip the embedded hook from
the tippet. Wrap a length of stout tippet around the
bend of the hook. Push the eye of the hook down toward
the flesh to disengage the barb. Grip the stout tippet
and back the hook out with one quick movement.
“I first used this technique on my wife, Lori. We were
fishing with her sister and brother in Law on the
Norfork. The fishing was hot. We were catching trout
after trout. We would literally have three fish or
more on at one time. Lori lost her fly, an olive
Woolly Bugger. As she was tying on a fresh one she
lost her balance and almost fell. She caught herself
but in doing so she hooked herself with the new fly.
She had not yet pinched down the barb.
“Due to the great fishing action, she wanted to
continue fishing with the fly securely hooked in her
thumb. I insisted that we remove the hook. I performed
the maneuver described above and the hook came out
easily. She said that she didn’t even feel it. She
tied on the fly, mashed down the barb and finished the
day.
“Be careful out there and fish barbless!”
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported
the lake’s elevation at 666.13 feet msl (normal
conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood
elevation is 695.00 feet msl). By midday Thursday the
flow was 11,854 cfs and has been around that level the
last couple of days; tailwater elevation was 456.18
feet. The reported lake elevation at Table Rock Lake
was 914.63 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 915.00
feet msl; top flood elevation is 931.0 feet msl).
(updated 4-27-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Bull Shoals Lake level as of Thursday
was 666 feet msl, now only 7 foot high. Water
temperature is at or over 60 degrees. Cooler temps and
falling water have slowed things down. There is now
accessibility to ramps and parking again. The bass are
grouped up and they are spawning or prespawn. “We did
lose some beds because of the dropping water that put
them in a funk, but I’m expecting another big wave if
conditions stabilize. There’s a shad spawn with bass
feeding; you can find them around docks, spread out on
flats and in the bushes now. A lot of fish now are
suspending, waiting to move up.
“I’m looking for prespawners by checking pockets with
wind and shad. Most fish still seem to be looking up.
Most the dirty water cleared out but some of the
bigger creeks or up the lake have stain, while there
is high visibility around the dam area. Fish it like
two separate lakes.
Dirty creeks, cloudy, warm rain water you’re best
powerfishing with square bill, perch or shad. Try on
the last couple swing banks or in or around the
spawning pockets. Cover water. Fish warm runoff if
available. There are some fish in the bushes but that
bite is hit or miss. Use a Senko, a popper or a Ned
rig.
Sunny days with flat water and stain conditions, try
points by slow-dragging a Jewel half-ounce Special Ops
football jig in green pumpkin. Sunny with clear water,
look at the old shoreline points, keep the boat in
25-30 feet, try a green pumpkin 3/16-ounce shaky head
or a Ned fished slow, then go a little slower. Focus
on the points outside spawning areas. The shad are
moving up high, so check the backs of creeks and look
for feeding activity. Bigger spreads are shallower
than 40 feet, be sure to check flats. Graph time pays
off. Bomb-cast around the Ol’ McMinnow 2.8 swimbait in
white or shad colors, as well as a fluke and a Lucky
Craft Gunfish topwater. This pattern has been the deal
for me.
The bass are definitely grouping up. The walleyes
caught bass fishing looked spawned out. White bass
look to be absorbing their eggs. 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 554.48 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 3,049 cfs, about 4,000 cfs drop from Tuesday
midday.
(updated 4-27-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 554.58 and
had dropped 5 inches in the last 24 hours when he went
to work at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening. “The new news is
that they have closed the spillway gates and there is
much less water release and we are approaching the top
of the power pool of 553.75 feet msl and the White
River at Newport is 19.58 feet and dropping quickly.
Snow melt is heading our way from up north on the
Mississippi and we are fortunate that they have
dropped the lake level as fast as they have. We are in
good shape here on Norfork but cannot expect big water
releases in the near future. We just do not need
a big rain in the watershed basin.
“The surface water temperature was 54 degrees and I
could see my lure down about 5 feet with a water color
of a greenish brown. The lake is at an excellent level
and a good color for fishing. Use a creature bait on a
3/16-ounce jighead for smallmouth on main lake shallow
points. Crappie are spawning in the creeks. Hybrid
stripers are active in the evenings and early
mornings. Catfish are turning on, on live bait on
short throw lines and jugs in the creeks. Things are
getting better. A slow water drop and a small moon
will really turn on the catfish.”
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
blog for a daily report.
(updated 4-27-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort 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 4-27-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
fell 4.8 feet to rest at 0.9 foot above power pool of
553.75 feet msl and 25.3 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork Tailwater last week had no wadable
water; there had been significant spillway releases to
augment generation. All of the lakes in the White
River System except Table Rock are now above power
pool. At the current rate of drop, expect all of the
lakes in the White River System to reach power pool in
three weeks.
With no 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
headed 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 cerise San Juan Worm and
an orange egg. The fishing is 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.
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 4-27-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are fishing better. 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.
