White River
(updated 8-24-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said, “We're finally getting those Arkansas summertime
temps we've avoided so far — from blissful to blazing
hot. But our early morning hours on the river are
still blessed with a little bit of chill that
counteracts the afternoon heat. Water releases from
the Bull Shoals Dam, the famous tailwater of the White
River, have been steady throughout each day for the
last week: minimum flow during the morning followed by
higher generation (up to four units or 12,000 cfs) in
the afternoon.”
Bull Shoals Lake is below seasonal power pool of 661
feet msl elevation, currently sitting at 659.70 feet
msl as of midweek. The rainbow catch has been
phenomenal. Bring in some healthy, brightly colored
trout using spinners with gold blades and olive/brown
skirts, or try your favorite Rooster Tail with a
rainbow body and a bright pink tail. An eighth-ounce
jig with white, white-gray or orange-black skirts
bobbed in the center channel will attract a few, or
rig a line with some garlic-flavored yellow or pink
PowerBait and shrimp to keep you busy reeling. Float
your bait just above the bottom — in the clear water
of the White you can easily see the river bed. It's
best to keep it in or near the river channel during
low-water generation.
The browns are continuing to respond best to sculpins
for now, but the best bet is to keep your options open
and carry an array of baits, from shad to lures, to
pique their curiosity. If you're casting flies, the
ruby Midge, as well as red/silver or black/silver,
were a constant success; Copper Johns made a splash
last week, too.
“Visit Cotter and find out why we're called Trout
Capital USA. Hope to see you at the river!”
(updated 8-24-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said river conditions
continue to be mixed this week with Bull Shoals
running six generators in the afternoon and Norfork
Dam releasing water through three to four floodgates
at the top of the dam and sluice gates from the bottom
of the dam. “We are seeing dingy water in the mornings
rising to 8 feet and clearing up in the afternoons
dropping to 5 feet overnight. Using Uncommon Baits UV
glow eggs (orange or green firefly) and shrimp with or
without an inline spinner worked best. With the higher
and dirty water, artificial lures have not been very
effective. With the dingier water, what has worked
best has been the Rapala Countdown CD7 in silver or
brown trout colors. The heat is projected to continue
to be oppressive into the weekend but cooling early
next week. With this heat drink plenty of water and
make sure to use some sort of sunscreen.”
(updated 8-24-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service at Cotter said that during the past week they
had no rain, brutally hot temperatures (to include
excessive heat advisories) and moderate winds. The
lake level at Bull Shoals fell 0.3 foot to rest at 1.3
feet below power pool of 661 feet msl. This is 35.3
feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock
Lake fell 0.1 foot to rest at 2.8 feet below power
pool and 16.8 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver
Lake fell 1.5 feet to rest at 5.4 feet below power
pool and 14 feet below the top of flood pool. The
White has had wadable water every day with heavy flows
in the afternoon during peak power demand. Norfork
Lake fell 1.7 feet to rest at 0.5 foot below power
pool of 555.75 feet msl and 24.7 feet below the top of
flood pool. The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable
water. All of the lakes are below the top of power
pool. Expect wadable water in the coming days with
heavy flows in the afternoon during peak power demand.
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
Wildcat 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
Pheasant Tail (size 14) with a ruby Midge Dropper
(size 18).
John also said, “My last two days of guiding before I
retired were a week ago with George, an old friend and
regular customer. We were both raised in Memphis and
have fished together for years. He brought his friend
Randy to fish with me.
“We began the trip as all guide trips should be —
breakfast at the Sands. We had cooler weather than we
had in a while. The water was incredibly low and gin
clear. I rigged up two fly rods with a Pheasant Tail
nymph with a ruby Midge Dropper.
“I launched the boat and motored upstream to a good
spot. We began fishing and George had the hot hand.
Randy was feeling under the weather due to a visit to
one of our many Mexican restaurants the night before.
I had stopped by my house on the way to the access to
get some over-the-counter medications that my wife,
Lori, keeps on hand.
“Initially the fishing was hot. But as the day
progressed the water dropped lower and lower. This
made drifting more difficult and I banged several
rocks in the process. I wasn’t able to make my desired
drift and the catch slowed down. The wind picked up
and did not help. The Corps of Engineers had run
little water the day before and I had not seen the
White so low in years.
“We broke for lunch and discussed our options. Randy
was ready to return to his motel room and rest. George
wanted to try some wade-fishing. I took Randy back to
Cotter and came back to wade with George. We waded
across to the island at Rim Shoals but did poorly. We
ended the day with about 25 trout.
“The next day we returned to the Sands for breakfast
at 6:30 a.m. for an early start and then drove to Rim
Shoals. The Corps had run more water the day before
and the water level was still low but was much better
for my drifting. It was a gorgeous day with no wind.
We were rigged the same as the day before.
“The bite was on. We were catching two or three trout
on each drift. The guys were stoked. About that time,
Randy hit a good one. I looked down and saw a big
brown fish. I was pumped. The idea of landing a trophy
brown on my last day of guiding really appealed to me.
It was not to be.
“The fight was awe-inspiring. The fish took run after
run. We were using the same rods that I use on Dry Run
Creek so I knew that they were up to the challenge. I
finally got a good look at it. The mouth was in the
wrong place. It was a huge sucker, not a brown trout.
We finished the day at 11:30 a.m. and the bite never
slowed. We had landed over 50 trout. They had twice
the catch in half the time as the day before.
“What a difference a day makes.”
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 8-17-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Tuesday that the lake level is steady
at 660 feet msl. “We needed that rain,” he said.
“Water temp cooled to 83 degrees, give or take. Get up
early, especially when it’s hot, and hopefully you’ll
get a chance at a little topwater action. Topwater has
slowed this week, but don’t rule it out. Look for
surface activity along shallow areas close to deep
water. The shad are starting the transition. Graph
time pays off. The bass are schooled up still. If
you’re around them they will show themselves. Spots
are deeper. I’m still hanging in that 20-30 feet range
and up and covering water.
“If they are busting, try a small walk-the-dog like a
Lucky Craft Gunfish or Sammy if you can get it in
there while they’re up. The main lake and mouths of
large creeks are holding fish. Also halfway back into
the creeks early if you’re planning to fish runoff or
stained water in the back, make sure the conditions
are right after a rain cloud, etc. You can catch them
on a shad square bill, buzzbait or 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 and drop-offs, and cover water. Look at temps
back there before you start. Be sure to fish the
conditions. Sunny and clear, stay out and use finesse
in natural colors and small profile baits. Look at
ledges, keep your boat off the fish. These fish have
been pressured. A drop-shot has been my go-to bait
matched with a Robo Worm on brush piles, bluffs,
standing timber, off ledges and points, especially if
they are generating. Fish in 35-40 feet. You're gonna
have to cat-and-mouse ’em most days. Tater Shad or
Scuba Spoon in shad colors will also work on the
deeper suspenders. Most action will happen if you are
around the shad.
“Them danged walleyes are eating the drop-shot again
in the deeper piles, around 32-40 feet. It’s always a
pleasant surprise bass fishing. Crappie guys are
saying it’s pretty random. Lots of running and gunning
piles. Here today, gone tomorrow.”
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 8-24-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 554.88 feet
msl and had dropped 3¼ inches in the last 24 hours
with sluice gates open to an equivalent of over one
generator for six straight days. Both generators are
still inoperable. We are now below the top of the
power pool of 555.75 feet msl for the first time in
months. We are down from a high of 557.27 a little
over a week ago. The surface water temperature is
rising with the hot ambient temperatures and is now at
90 degrees and the thermocline has pushed down to 30
feet. The water clarity has also diminished and there
is a start of an algae bloom. Scuba conditions are not
the best right now, and fishing has deteriorated in
the last week. Some are catching fish but are working
hard to get them. Kentucky bass and bluegill are the
best bite now in brush piles at 27-32 feet deep on the
small jigging spoon. Trollers are catching a few but
are dragging stuff for several miles to catch them.
The lake overall is at an excellent level for boating,
but fishing and scuba diving is fair at the best. We
were heading in the right direction for fishing but
the hot weather has changed things a bit. A few bass
are coming up on shad early and just a few feet deep
and doing the same thing in the evening. Overall
fishing is fair at best. Things will get better as the
weather cools.
Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's
blog for a daily report.
(updated 8-24-2023) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway
Resort said, “A couple of our guests had a great day,
or should I say night, and early morning fishing on
Norfork Lake this week. Jimmy and Wayne are night owls
and had the first fish boated by 3:30 a.m. They were
trolling deep-diving 5-inch crankbaits in dark colors.
They got their baits down to 30 feet and were trolling
in 30-45 feet of water. Quite a few big white bass and
15- to 16-inch spotted bass are being caught by
vertical jigging a three-quarter-ounce spoon. The
whites and spots are being found on main lake rounded
points feeding on the bottom.”
Walleye are still being caught in 32-35 feet of water,
either by vertical jigging a spoon or Tater Shad, or
by trolling Flicker Minnows. Get your baits down on
the bottom for the walleye, whites and spotted bass.
The striped bass are suspended from about 30 feet down
to the bottom.
“I got my mount back from Summer's Taxidermy and
Wildlife Studio (Tuesday). They did a fantastic job on
this fish. I caught this 30-pound, 41.5-inch striped
bass on March 22 by jigging a white Tater Shad.”
The lake temp is on the rise and was about 88 degrees.
The lake level is falling about 3 inches per day and
currently sits at 554.9 feet msl.
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 8-24-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide
Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake
fell 1.7 feet to rest at 0.5 foot below power pool of
555.75 feet msl and 24.7 feet below the top of flood
pool. The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable water. All
of the lakes are below the top of power pool. Expect
wadable water in the coming days with heavy flows in
the afternoon during peak power demand. 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.
He says, “There has been 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 Worms 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. School is back
in session and weekdays are not as 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.
Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 8-24-2023) 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.
