White River
(updated 6-22-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said, “If you're looking for a place to escape from
the heat but where the fishing is hot, Cotter is the
answer. The White River curls its way around Cotter
and provides all the trout catching action for which
anyone could ask, and the cold, clear water refreshes
the soul.”
Bull Shoals Dam has maintained a steady release
pattern for the last week or two, averaging one unit
(3,000 cfs) most of the morning and early afternoon,
then increasing the flow during late afternoon hours
to supply rising power demand. (That being said, it's
probably due to change.) Bull Shoals Lake is at 660.53
feet msl and continuing to drop slowly.
Healthy, gorgeous rainbows have been consistently
reeled in throughout the week, many of them measuring
over 16 inches. The best way to hook these excellent
fish has been a mix of live worms (usually
nightcrawlers) and spoons with a flash of red in them.
Gold is generally the color of choice for the White,
but our experience so far this spring is that silver
blades and spoons are catching more trout than the
gold.
The usual mix of yellow or orange PowerBait and shrimp
is the best if you're looking for a large quantity of
take-home-for-dinner rainbows.
Early morning is the best time to be on the river with
crawdad tails or crawfish crankbaits cast toward the
bank in the grassy areas. The bigger brown trout have
been looking for sculpin and lures with orange
bellies.
“Enjoy the start to the summer and come ready to catch
lots of trout on the White River.”
(updated 6-22-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said it has been
another great week of fishing. The rain last week had
minimal effect on the river conditions. Bull Shoals
Dam continues increasing generation in the mid- to
late afternoon and decreasing in the evening. In the
morning we are seeing depths of about 3.5 feet
increasing to 5.5 to 6 feet by late morning. Norfork
Dam has been releasing water in the mornings, so as
the water from Bull Shoals is dropping we see a slight
bump in depth from the Norfork water and then the rest
of the day the water continues to drop. Not to sound
like a broken record, but what has been working
continues to work well. With the lower water levels
fishing has been great. Drift-fishing with
silver-colored inline spinners with Uncommon Baits
brand bright orange UV glow eggs and shrimp continue
to work great. Using corn or redworms have also worked
well. Quarter-ounce Thomas Colorado spoons in
nickel/gold or copper/gold have been very effective
for rainbows. Additionally, rainbow CD7 Rapala
Countdowns and Purpledescent-colored Shad Rap lures
worked well. Catching sculpins and drift-fishing with
them have worked well for larger size rainbows and
browns.
(updated 6-22-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week, they
have had several rain events that combined for less
than a quarter of an inch in Cotter, warm temperatures
and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals
remained steady at 1.3 feet below power pool of 661.8
feet msl. This is 34.5 feet below the top of flood
pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake remained steady at 0.3
foot below power pool and 14.3 feet below the top of
flood pool. Beaver Lake remained steady at 0.1 foot
below power pool or 8.7 feet below the top of flood
pool. The White has had no wadable water and lower
flows. Norfork Lake fell 0.6 foot to rest at 0.2 foot
above power pool of 556.55 feet msl and 23.3 feet
below the top of flood pool. The Norfork has had less
wadable water. All of the lakes are below or near
power pool. Expect lower flows in the coming days. On
the Norfork, all turbines are inoperable for the
foreseeable future. Minimum release is being made
through the siphon at continuous flows of 185 cfs and
additional flows are made through the flood gates.
On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We
have had lower flows that have fished well. 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 Copper John (size
14) with a ruby Midge Dropper (size 18).
Norfork Lake fell 0.6 foot to rest at 0.2 foot above
power pool of 556.55 feet msl and 23.3 feet below the
top of flood pool. The Norfork has had less wadable
water. All of the lakes are below or near power pool.
Expect lower flows in the coming days. On the Norfork,
all turbines are inoperable for the foreseeable
future. Minimum release is being made through the
siphon at continuous flows of 185 cfs and additional
flows are made through the flood gates.
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, “I wrote last week about hurting
myself on a guide trip. At the end of two weeks after
my injury I felt much better and was able to cut my
grass, which needed it. As I was pulling out my lawn
mower, I paused for a moment to think about my father.
Several years ago I had gone to Memphis to visit my
family and found my 92-year-old father cutting his
grass with a push mower. I was stunned. I had been
cutting my grass in Cotter with a riding lawn mower.
“It gave me something to think about. Had my father
lived to be 92 because he was mowing with a push
mower, which afforded him a good deal of exercise?
When I got back to Cotter, I parked my riding mower
and went back to mowing my large lawn with a push
mower. I also turn my garden by hand, make my own
compost and am currently spreading 7 cubic yards of
mulch in my yard. Dad was from a generation that did
things like that, and I strive to emulate him.
“Another thing he did that I admired is that he worked
until he was 76. I am currently that age and I think
my guiding career is coming to a close. Like dad, I
want to quit while I am still on top of my game.
“He was never a fisherman and could not understand
when I quit my job as a CPA to move here to be a
fly-fishing guide. He could not comprehend walking
away from a career to start doing something completely
different. He worked at the same place for over 50
years. Over time he accepted it and was very
supportive of my decision.
“Though he did not fish, he knew that his children
loved it and took us. It was not fly-fishing. It was
bamboo poles and crickets. We thought we were in
heaven. He made us a cricket box out of the wood from
an apple crate, some window screen and an old coffee
can. It was awesome. I do not know what happened to it
and I wish I still had it. I would put it in my living
room and pass by it every day. Every time I did I
would remember those trips.
He passed away eight years ago at 94 years of age and
around Father’s Day I think of him. He is my constant
inspiration and I miss him dearly. He and my mother
were married for 60 years and were devoted to each
other, and I know they are watching over me, my
sister, Ernestine and my wife, Lori. Happy Father’s
Day Dad!”
Bull Shoals Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow
report from Bull Shoals Dam, visit the Corps’ Little
Rock office website.
(updated 6-22-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Wednesday that the lake level is steady
at 660 feet msl, only 1 foot higher than normal power
pool. Water temperature is around 80 degrees. Bass
activity seems to be in the 10-25 feet. Del says he’s
spending lots of time graphing offshore, checking
summer spots, swings, points and bluffs as well as
brush piles, drops and ledges. Generation helps the
point bite. Look in large creeks early. If you find
cloudy, warm windy rainwater powerfishing is best with
Chatterbaits, spinnerbait. Early, pick up a big worm
or Beaver in any of the laydowns. There’s a big
Texas-rigged redworm bite in some of the shallower
brush piles close to deep water. As you move out, try
points cracking a tube or stroking a Jewel half-ounce
Special Ops football jig in green pumpkin orange.
Perch colors, too. In 10-20 feet range in sunny
conditions with clear water, natural colors in small
profile baits are good. Look at ledges, keep boat off
the fish. Start early with a topwater and as it slows,
a small 2.8 McMinnow is still working. Once the sun
gets up, drop-shot a Robo Worm. Don’t be surprised if
you find a few walleye on those points in 15-20 feet.
The shad are broken up high in the water column mostly
over deep water. Early morning topwater has slowed up
a bit, but bomb casts and look around for activity –
they are schooled up. Try a Lucky Craft Gunfish, white
popper or Spook Jr. topwater as well as a flutter
spoon or Jewel Scope Spin on schoolers. Fish that in
the early morning, or all day if it’s cloudy. If it
get too hot, jump in the water – it’s fine!
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
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow
report from Norfork Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock
office website.
(updated 6-22-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 556.62 feet
msl and had dropped one inch in the last 24 hours with
sluice gates open to an equivalent of 1⅓ generators
about half the time by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The
generators at Norfork Dam are still inoperable. The
surface water temperature was 83 degrees and the
thermocline is at 18 feet with a mud line at 15 feet
down to the thermocline with cold water below that.
The visibility has deteriorated a bit since last week
but Scuba Conditions are still good.
You can find the water clarity that you desire as you
move south. When you see the bass surfacing in the
early morning and you are in at least 50 feet of
water, there will be stripers under that. Drop a spoon
on their head. Everything is going deeper with the
increase in surface water temperature. Bass are
feeding on crawdads in the evening shallow, and a
creature bait or salt craw are working just at the
first drop-off. Stripers are going deeper and you need
water at least 50 feet deep. There are bass fry
everywhere, so there must have been a good spawn. They
are moving to cover and predator fish are after them.
Big bluegill are under docks and on top of the
shallower brush piles. Main lake points and just
around on both sides are a good place to start. When
in doubt, drop a spoon.
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
blog for a daily report.
(updated 6-22-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort reports from Wednesday, “Happy first day of
summer! Give us a call at 870-492-5113, if you are
needing a place to stay on Norfork Lake. Hummingbird
Hideaway Resort still has a few cabins available
throughout the summer.
“Today (Wednesday) was the first day since last Friday
that I have been able to get out on the lake. I had a
pretty awesome morning of fishing. I started fishing
around 4 a.m. and landed a nice striped bass at the
second spot that I checked out. The stripers were
suspended 30-50 feet down in 100-plus-feet of water.
This fish was released and swam away very quickly. I
moved to a large flat and found a lot of fish in 25-30
feet of water at all depths.
“On my first drop of a white trash Tater Shad, a big
fish hammered the bait on the fall, but it broke off
immediately. Must have hooked on the gill plate and
cut the line. After that, I started to land one after
another big white bass. When it became light enough to
see, the fish seemed to vanish. I moved back into a
creek and found a lot of bait up high in the water
column. I checked a lot of areas in the creek and
nearby coves, but never could find anything exciting.
“I started to head toward the resort at around 8 a.m.
and decided to check out a deep bluff line with some
rocky points. Over the next hour, schools of stripers
came under the boat and I got to land five more
striped bass. All swam away very willingly. My best
bait in this area was the Binks 3/4-ounce spoon with a
green back and white belly. The stripers wanted to
chase the bait. I dropped the bait down to 50 feet and
when the fish swam though at 30-40 feet, I would reel
up as fast as I could. I would see three to five fish
turn out of the school to chase the bait. Before the
bait reached the surface one of the followers would
hammer the bait. Each of these fish had lots of energy
and would peel out close to 100 feet of line. I could
see the fish surface in the distance.
“What great battles these fish gave today. I was
sitting in 70-110-plus-feet of water.
“There was also quite a bit of surface activity. I
landed and released several nice largemouth. Each time
I saw bass feeding on the surface there seemed to be
stripers under them. This isn't the first time I have
noticed these two species feeding together. I don't
know if the stripers are pushing the bait up or if
they are just waited for some leftovers from the
feeding bass.
“The Skole group also had a successful morning
fishing, landing several striped bass and largemouth
bass. They caught their fish jigging a Tater Shad and
also jigging a Ned rig. The surface water temp was
about 82 degrees. The lake level is slowly falling and
sits at 556.7 feet msl. The lake appears to be fairly
clear.
“Have a great time on Norfork Lake doing whatever
water activity that you love doing. Give us a call at
870-492-5113, if you are needing a place to stay.”
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 6-22-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
fell 0.6 foot to rest at 0.2 foot above power pool of
556.55 feet msl and 23.3 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork has had less wadable water. All of
the lakes are below or near power pool. Expect lower
flows in the coming days. On the Norfork, all turbines
are inoperable for the foreseeable future. Minimum
release is being made through the siphon at continuous
flows of 185 cfs and additional flows are made through
the flood gates.
There has been much less wadable water on the Norfork.
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). My favorite rig has been
a cerise San Juan Worm and a ruby Midge. 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.
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 6-22-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are fishing better. With warmer
water, the smallmouths are more 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.
