White River
(updated 7-13-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said the White River that flows past Cotter in the
north-central Arkansas Ozarks, 18 river miles below
Bull Shoals Dam – aka Trout Capital USA – is a perfect
blend of peace and lots of fishing action. You might
have to take you line out of the water to catch a
little of that peace, but you can't ever miss the
beauty of our Natural State.
Bull Shoals Lake elevation is 659.38 feet msl, 2 feet
below normal power pool, the targeted number set by
the Army Corps of Engineers. The water level in the
river is quite variable right now with minimum flows
(670 cfs) in the morning to mid-afternoon, rising to
almost four units (12,000 cfs) in the late
afternoon/early evening.
The rainbow catches were lured in mainly with sunrise
or orange PowerBait tipped with shrimp (don't use
anything much bigger than a size 8 hook), but our
favorite spoons were making a splash, too. The
copper/gold quarter-ounce Colorado and the red/gold
Thomas Buoyant hooked a fair share of trout. Rooster
Tails have been flying off the shelves; just about
every color seems to attract more than a few rainbows.
Brown and black maribou jigs have been a popular tool,
too. You're right in saying, "It sounds like just
about everything is working." We've been catching the
tar out of the rainbows.
As expected, the browns are pooled up in the deeper
holes and might be a little finicky. But if you can
anchor near a deep spot, or repeatedly drift across
one with a sculpin, you'll have success. The mighty
Midge has been working for fly anglers all week.
“Come out and test the waters. Hope to see you at the
river!”
(updated 7-13-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “On average we
are seeing water depths as low as 2.5 feet in the
early mornings rising as high as 5-6 feet. This
weekend we did see water levels stay between 2.5-3.5
feet all day. The low water Saturday and Sunday raised
the water temperature to over 70 degrees and limited
where you could take a boat, but the fishing was good
and it was easy to see the big trout.
“The hard part was getting the big trout to bite. On
Tuesday and Wednesday we saw water levels back to the
average. In the mornings, drift-fishing with a silver
inline spinner with Uncommon Bait UV glow eggs and
shrimp has worked well, as has quarter-ounce spoons.
Additionally, deeper diving Shad Rap size 5 lures in
Purpledescent or orange Crawdad colors did well. As
the water drops in the afternoon, using quarter-ounce
Colorado Spoons with nickel/gold or copper/gold or
Bouyant rainbow trout- or brown trout-colored spoons
work well while fishing the gravel bars.
“The cooler weather has been nice but it hasn’t lasted
long. This week the Calico Rock boat ramp received one
stocking of 750 rainbow trout.”
(updated 7-13-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week, they
had four minor rain events (combined for little over a
half of an inch in Cotter), hot temperatures (to
include heat advisories) and heavy winds (to include
lake wind advisories). The lake level at Bull Shoals
fell 0.2 foot to rest at 1.6 feet below power pool of
661.1 feet msl. This is 35.6 feet below the top of
flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell 0.5 foot to
rest at 1.8 feet below power pool and 15.8 feet below
the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 0.5 foot to
rest at 1.6 feet below power pool and 10.2 feet below
the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had
wadable water every day with moderate flows in the
afternoon during peak power demand. Norfork Lake rose
0.1 foot to rest at 0.6 foot over power pool of 555.85
feet msl and 23.6 feet below the top of flood pool.
The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable water. All of
the lakes are below or near power pool. We can 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 the Narrows. “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).”
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, “About 20 years ago, Gary Flippin, the
owner/operator of Rim Shoals Resort, told me that he
had put a trail along the White River at Rim Shoals,
Menoka’s Trail. My brother, Dan, and I walked it and
noted trail head No. 3, which led to a rock shelf in
the river that was an easy place to cross the river to
the island there. We fished there for years until his
untimely death eight years ago. In 2020 Trout
Unlimited and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
did a major project to improve and substantially
increase the length of the trail.
“Soon after it was completed my wife, Lori, and my
sister, Ernestine (who was visiting from Memphis),
walked the trail to look at how well the project
turned out. It was awesome. The Rim Shoals Trail was
about a mile long and went far downstream, creating
access to some great water that we had not been able
to wade to before. I was duly impressed. On the return
to the parking lot, we were about halfway back when
Ernestine remarked that she could use a place to sit
for a while and rest her feet. I thought about that
for a while.
“About a year later I talked to her about putting a
bench on the trail as a memorial to Dan. We were very
close to him and think of him often. He was larger
than life. He was the best casting instructor around
and a gifted fly-tyer. As a Vietnam Era veteran, he
was committed to working with other vets. He dedicated
the last years of his life volunteering at the VA
hospital in Memphis teaching wounded warriors how to
cast a fly rod and tie flies.
“I talked to Gary Flippin and my fishing buddy Danny
Sabo (a member of TU’s board of directors) about
donating a bench to the trail in Dan’s honor. They
were quite receptive and took it to the board of TU,
which began planning it. They searched far and wide
and found a cast metal bench with a trout motif and an
aged bronze finish. It is gorgeous and nearly
indestructible. They wanted something that was good
looking and would last in the outdoors. Along the way
they thought of other people they wanted to honor on
the trail and expanded the project to eight benches at
last count.
“This past weekend they were able to get Dan’s bench
installed. I called Ernestine and she traveled from
Memphis to see it. When she got here, the weather was
brutally hot, over 100 degrees. We got up early and
drove over to the trailhead, arriving about 7:30 a.m.
It was 75 degrees. We walked down to Dan’s Bench and
took photos and then sat down and looked at the view.
I could see the spot where Dan and I fished so many
years ago. We stayed there until it began to get warm.
It was a special time.
“Now, every time I want to be close to him I can walk
the trail and sit on Dan’s bench.”
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 7-13-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Wednesday the lake level is steady at
659 feet msl. The water temperature is about 85
degrees “and it’s getting hot!” Del says.
“Bass activity seems fair. A thermocline is starting
to form down there around 26 feet. Get up early,
especially with this heat, and you’ll get a chance at
some topwater action. Look for surface activity along
shallow areas close to deep water. If you’re around
them, they will show themselves. They are schooled up
and covering water. A popper or small walk-the-dog
like a Lucky Craft Gunfish or Sammy if you can get it
in there while they’re up. Shad are spread out
everywhere and there’s another big bug hatch.
“Most topwater for me has been closer to the main lake
or on the main lake. Look in large creeks early if
you’re planning to fish runoff or stained water. If
the conditions are right you can catch them on a
Plopper on the flats and remaining bushes. Pick up a
Jewel Jig in green pumpkin orange, a big red worm or
green pumpkin shaky head in any of the laydowns and
drop offs, and cover water. Look at temps back there
before you start. Be sure to fish the conditions.
“If it’s sunny with clear water, stay out toward the
main lake and use natural colors in small profile
baits. Look at ledges, keep the boat off the fish.
Start early with a topwater and, as it slows, a
drop-shot has been my go-to bait matched with a Robo
Worm on brush piles, bluffs, standing timber and off
ledges for suspenders.
“Bonus walleye are mixed in on the brush piles off
points in 25-28 feet.
“It's summer for sure. You’re gonna have to
cat-and-mouse ’em most days. Tater Shad will also work
on the deeper suspenders. Also try a big Flutter if
the largemouths and Kentucky bass are up high, 0-20
feet, and a small spoon if they are deeper, 20-40
feet. Use a spoon or Jewel Scope Spin on schoolers.
Don’t put the topwater away after the morning bite. If
they start generating, there will be a flurry.”
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 7-13-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 556.46 feet
msl and had risen just a bit in the last 24 hours with
no discharge for three days. Both generators are still
inoperable. The surface water temperature was 85
degrees and starting back up with the hot weather as
of 8 p.m. last evening. The thermocline is at 22 feet
and several fish are around that depth, including
Kentucky bass and walleye. The water is clear down to
16 feet and then there is a mudline with little
visibility down past the thermocline.
The best bites now are for black bass after dark on
the first drop-off on steep banks with a black light
and salt craw. All of the bass being cleaned are full
of crawdads, indicating they are going to the bank
some time or another. Stripers are deep and are being
caught on spoons in 70-plus feet of water. Bluegill
are on brush and under docks and biting crickets.
Catfishing is getting better with the smaller moon,
and channels are biting prepared bait after dark under
docks. Crappie are scattered and spooky, “and if you
catch one they are gone. It is a typical summer
fishing pattern,” Steve said.
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
blog for a daily report.
(updated 7-13-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort had no new reports, but 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 7-13-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
rose 0.1 foot to rest at 0.6 foot over power pool of
555.85 feet msl and 23.6 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable water. All
of the lakes are below or near power pool. We can
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.
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 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 poorly. School is out and
it can get quite crowded, particularly on weekends.
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 7-13-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek
and the Buffalo River are fishing well. With warmer
temperatures, 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.
