White River
(updated 7-27-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said lots of things in our world are changing, but
some things remain the same: Trout fishing on the
White River in the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks continues
to produce a great catch of fish and as much action as
you could ask for. The beauty, peace and hospitality
you'll find in Cotter, Trout Capital USA, and the
whole of north-central Arkansas will keep you coming
back for more.
Bull Shoals Lake elevation measured 659.30 feet msl
Wednesday with generation continuing its schedule of
minimum flows in the morning, raising a little earlier
than it has been, to almost 12,000 cfs (four
generators). The lake is currently below the targeted
power pool of 661 feet msl.
Browns have been hiding in the remaining deep holes
and biting on sculpin and crawdad tails. Wouldn't hurt
to cast a Rebel WeeCraw or TeenyCraw and watch for a
chase. There's been a late afternoon surge in the
brown bite this past week, which is a little uncommon
but might be attributed to the changing pressure
systems and the occasional pop-up showers.
Rainbows are hitting gold spinners and pink and white
PowerBait mousetails (scented manufactured worms
topped with white Power Bait). The always popular
red/gold hammered Thomas Buoyant Spoon is living up to
its reputation by adding to the creel count.
Keep a cup of nightcrawlers or redworms on hand during
the late afternoon water rise and play them close to
the banks just a foot or so below the surface.
“Treat yourself to some time on the river. You'll
return home refreshed, revived and thankful for all
the great outdoors in The Natural State has to offer.”
(updated 7-27-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said there hasn’t been
a change to the routine of low water in the mornings
cresting at 6-plus feet by late morning and dropping
the rest of the day. There is some dinginess to the
water in the mornings and clearing throughout the day.
In the mornings drift-fishing with a silver inline
spinner with Uncommon Bait UV glow eggs (bright orange
or Firefly [yellow/greenish]) and shrimp have worked
well. “We are getting reports that, instead of shrimp,
worms have also been doing well.”
As the water drops in the afternoon, using
quarter-ounce Colorado spoons with nickel/gold or
copper/gold or Buoyant rainbow trout or brown trout
colored spoons work well while fishing the gravel
bars. CD7 Rapala Countdowns in brown trout color are
effective. Several reports of people fishing with
sculpins with mixed results. The trout caught with
sculpins have been 17-plus inches or longer. After
applying sunscreen, make sure to wash your hands so
you don’t get any on your bait. The trout can taste
the sunscreen and will spit out the bait. “This week
we received one stocking of 800 rainbow trout at the
Calico Rock boat ramp.”
(updated 7-27-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week they
had three quarters of an inch of rain in Cotter, hot
temperatures (to include heat advisories) and heavy
winds (to include lake wind advisories). The lake
level at Bull Shoals fell 1.4 feet to rest at 1.7 feet
below power pool of 661 feet msl. This is 35.7 feet
below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake
fell 0.6 foot to rest at 2.6 feet below power pool and
16.6 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake
fell 0.6 foot to rest at 2.4 feet below power pool and
11 feet below the top of flood pool. The White has had
wadable water every day with moderate flows in the
afternoon during peak power demand. Norfork Lake
remained steady at 1.3 feet over power pool of 555.75
feet msl and 23.1 feet below the top of flood pool.
The Norfork Tailwater has had 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.
John said, “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
pheasant tail (size 14) with a ruby Midge dropper
(size 18).
John also said, “Here on the White and Norfork rivers,
we spend most of our time fishing heavy flies on or
near the bottom. That is where the trout usually are.
To make sure they are getting down we add significant
weight (split shots) to the leader or use a weighted
sink tip line to get that fly or flies down.
“The big problem with fishing the bottom of the river
is that there are other things than fish down there.
There are rocks of various sizes, weeds, sunken logs
and other interesting things that just lie in wait for
your fly to drift by.
“When you hang the bottom, you see your strike
indicator sink and instinctively set the hook. If it
is not a fish, there will be no movement at the end of
your line. Rocks do not shake their heads. Many
anglers, particularly neophytes, take this feeling as
a result of a huge trout and hold the line tight,
which results in a broken leader and lost flies.
“I once had a lady angler who did this 13 times, which
resulted in my losing 13 girdle bugs that I had tied
the night before. I was out of girdle bugs, so she
went on to lose several San Juan worms. There was a
dropper tied on every lead fly. That doubles my
losses. It doesn’t take a trip to a fly shop to figure
out that this is a bit of money.
“The correct procedure, when you hang the bottom, is
to let out line until you can start the motor. Move
the boat upstream slowly as you wind the line back on
the reel. When you are upstream from where the fly is
hung and the slack is removed from the fly line,
gently disengage the fly from the bottom by moving the
line upstream.
“This usually works about 90 percent of the time. It
works when the fly is stuck on a rock or grass. It
does not work if the fly is stuck in a sunken tree.
When you retrieve your hook, make sure that it is
still there, is clean of aquatic weeds, is sharp and
not bent.
“One way to help prevent this is to fish flies tied on
jig hooks. These flies are weighted with beads on the
head of the fly on special hooks that allow them to
drift with the hook point up and sink quickly. With
the hook point up, they are not as likely to grab the
bottom. Flies tied on jig hooks are the most recent
trend in fly tying and many flies are now available on
them. I tie and use mostly flies tied on jig hooks.
“Fishing the bottom is subject to having hang-ups.
Take care not to lose any more flies than necessary.”
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 7-27-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Thursday the lake level is steady at
659 feet msl. Water temperature is around 85 degrees
and is 90s in the backs. Bass activity seems fair. A
thermocline is starting to form down there around 26
feet. Get up early, especially with this nasty heat,
and you’ll get a chance at a little topwater action.
Look for surface activity along shallow areas close to
deep water. If you’re around them, they will show
themselves; it’s still hit or miss but they are
schooled up and covering water. Try 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. 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 Whopper Plopper on the flats
and remaining bushes. Pick up a Jewel Jig Bass Whacker
in green pumpkin orange or a big red worm, or green
pumpkin shaky head in any of the laydowns, brush
piles, drop-offs – cover water. Look at the temps back
there before you start. Be sure to fish the
conditions.”
If it’s sunny and clear, stay out toward the main lake
and use natural colors on 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 Del’s
go-to bait matched with a Robo Worm on brush piles,
bluffs, standing timber off ledges or suspenders.
Bonus walleye are mixed in on the brush piles off
points in 28-32 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 in 35-45 feet. Also a big R2S
Flutter if the largemouths and Kentuckys are up high
(0-20 feet) and a small spoon if they are deeper
(20-40). 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 7-27-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 556.98 feet
msl at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The surface water
temperature was 87-88 degrees and rising with very
warm ambient temperatures. The thermocline is 23-24
feet with very cold water at 30 feet and a mudline
from 19-25-feet with little visibility. It is very
clear from the surface down to 18 feet, especially on
the main lake. There are a lot of fish in the 20-25
feet range, including bass, walleye and catfish
especially on main lake points with brush nearby.
Bluegill are in the same area but shallower and right
in the brush. Bass and bluegill fry are everywhere
near cover and are attracting the game fish. The water
level fluctuation this spring did not seem to affect
the spawn much with the number of fry in the lake.
Bink is still catching stripers and a few big walleye
deep in 60-70 feet of water near the bottom on the
spoon early and bass anglers are doing well after dark
with black lights and salt craws. “I am not seeing
very many crappie yet, but they should move in after
Labor Day. The lake overall is at a good level and
condition for boating, swimming and fishing, but
fishing and scuba diving are just fair but improving.
It is nice to not have the water level too high.”
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
blog for a daily report.
(updated 7-27-2023) 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 7-27-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
remained steady at 1.3 feet over power pool of 555.75
feet msl and 23.1 feet below the top of flood pool.
The Norfork Tailwater has had 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.
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 Rail) 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 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 7-27-2023) 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.
