White River
(updated 10-19-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525)
said Bull Shoals Lake is 4.5 feet below power pool
offering steady releases over the last five days
averaging 3,000 to 6,000 cfs with spikes up to three
units (12,000 cfs). Some days allow for wade fishing,
usually mid-morning hours. At these levels, a john
boat angler can put an anchor down and fish a favorite
deep spot or drift downriver keeping a tight line held
near the river bed without having to use too much
weight.
Rainbows have been feisty and hefty, paying most
attention to flashy baits. Thomas Buoyant Hammered
Spoons (especially blue/silver) continue to cause a
stir. Add some jigs to your arsenal — orange and
ginger are best right now — to increase the action.
Can't beat the white PowerBait topping a pink worm if
you're drifting over the shoals.
The brown bite has been a little challenging with the
onset of the annual spawn, but we're still seeing some
action with sculpin. During these crucial months
(November through January for the brown spawn), be
careful not to disturb the spawning beds (the redds)
while motoring or wading through spawning areas around
Rim Shoals and either side of the catch-and-release
areas.
“We've been promised more sunshine and temperate days
(very cool mornings, though) to continue for a while.
Come visit Cotter; catch some rainbows and enjoy the
beauty of our Natural State.”
(updated 10-19-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins
Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said that this week
they have seen water depths on most days between 3-4.5
feet and on Tuesday a spike up to 6.5 feet down to 4.5
feet on Wednesday morning. Fishing has been great over
the last week. Nickel/gold and copper/gold
quarter-ounce spoons worked well. Also Rapala
Countdowns CD 7 in rainbow trout, silver and gold
colors. Drift-fishing with Uncommon Baits Bright
Orange or Neo Pink UV eggs with shrimp worked best to
catch a limit of rainbows. Fishing with corn also
worked well. If going for bigger fish, drift-fish with
sculpins. On Tuesday the AGFC pontoon raft stocked
2,400 rainbows between Calico Rock and Piney Creek (6
miles downriver) before receiving another load of fish
and stocking down to Sylamore Creek. The AGFC pontoon
raft was set to run again on Thursday and the Calico
area should see about the same number of fish stocked,
Dave said.
(updated 10-19-2023) John Berry, angler and retired
guide/owner Berry Brothers Guide Service at Cotter,
said that during the past week they had no rain, cool
temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at
Bull Shoals fell a foot to rest at 4.5 feet below
power pool of 659 feet msl. This is 40.5 feet below
the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose
0.4 foot to rest at 3.5 feet below power pool and 17.5
feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 0.4
foot to rest at 5.8 feet below power pool and 15.4
feet below the top of flood pool. The White had less
wadable water with moderate flows in the afternoon
during peak power demand. Norfork Lake remained steady
at 0.5 foot below power pool of 553.75 feet msl and
26.7 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork
Tailwater 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 floodgates.
John said the hot spot on the White River has been
Bull Shoals State Park. “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, “I retired from guiding about a month
ago. I am a member of a breakfast group made up of
fellow fly-fishers. A couple of those guys, Danny Sabo
and Mike Inger, wanted to take me fishing. This is a
very unusual situation for me. I have been a working
guide for over 30 years. During that time I have taken
literally thousands of people fishing but no one has
taken me.
“I wasn’t sure that I would know how to act.
“We met at the White Hole ramp at 11 a.m. The plan was
to fish below there until the Army Corps of Engineers
was scheduled to increase generation. That would give
us plenty of water to motor up to Bull Shoals Dam to
fish the water below it, which has some really large
trout.
“We went in Danny’s boat, a XX Power Drifter. This
boat looks like a big drift boat with a big 40-horse
jet. It is an impressive watercraft. Every square inch
was utilized and organized. I found it to be a stable
casting platform. It is gorgeous!
“It was cool and sunny. The water was gin clear and on
the bottom. Danny took first turn on the oars. During
the day he switched off with Mike so they would both
get a chance to fish. Thankfully they did not ask me
to row. I began with my usual bead-head Pheasant Tail
with a Ruby Midge dropper. I did not get a bump. Mike
was catching fish on a regular basis. He had given me
a container of several of the bead-head orange conical
flies (the blob) he was fishing, so it made sense to
fish those flies. I finally caught a nice rainbow. I
fished nothing else for the rest of the day.
“We waited for the water to come up, but it did not
occur when predicted. We kept fishing and finally
stopped for a late lunch. We had individual containers
of ham, cheese, crackers and grapes (charcuterie) that
Danny had prepared with soft drinks. I was impressed
when he pulled some individual chilled containers
containing still frozen vanilla ice cream from his big
Yeti. The containers included a folding spoon. It was
one of the simplest and best shore lunches that I have
had in a while.
“While we were enjoying our lunch, the water finally
came up. We pulled up the anchor and headed to the
dam. It was much less crowded than I expected. We
caught some good drifts and caught a few nice fish. I
believe most if not all of the trout caught were
hooked on the orange fly. The bite slowed and we
decided to head back to White Hole.
“It had been a great day. I had people that decided
where to go, supplied a fly that worked, presented a
great lunch and netted my fish. I could get used to
this.”
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 10-19-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake
Boat Dock said Wednesday that the lake level continues
to fall and is sitting at 654 feet msl. The water
temperature dropped to 69 degrees, give or take, a big
drop from 77 degrees only two weeks ago. “Bass fishing
has been up and down like the weather I have caught
fish on a Whopper Plopper all the way down to 50 feet
on a Tater Shad. It’s a mixed bag. You can catch them
a bunch of different ways without one being better
than the other.
“Looks like we’re getting some shallow fish creeping
up. Early morning topwater is still hit or miss. A
small walk-the-dog-style bait like a Zara Spook or
Lucky Craft Gunfish will work. If they’re busing,
don’t put it away, though, as they can go to the
middle of the day.
“Fall fishing equals junk fishing, covering water with
a Whopper Plopper, buzzbait, square bill, Chatterbait
in shad or white colors are working beset for me. With
a Rock Crawler in green pumpkin orange, target steep
transition banks in wind and hopefully clouds.
“The shad have started their migration into the
creeks. There are wads of shad half to three-quarters
ways back middle of the channel or pushed on the
flats, especially if there is wind. Shad balls are
everywhere right now. Look for areas where they are
bunched up. I have found groups from the surface down
to 50 feet. Graphing can pay off, as 28-34 feet depth
seems to be a consistent depth for the drop-shot.
“On the points, brush piles, ledges, swings, etc., a
big worm, a shaky head worm and Jewel Jig in green
pumpkin orange are working. It seems you need to have
some color in the water for this bite, especially
areas where there are shad nearby.
“If you venture into the stained water in the backs,
there are some shad there. They seem to be moving out
with the cooler nights. Most days you’re going to have
to work for a bite. Try a Beaver-style bait in the
laydowns.
“There’s a lot of roaming suspended schooling fish in
20-35 feet over deep water still. These videogame fish
can be tough to fool; try a small shad swimbait, a
Damiki or Hover Rig with a Tater Shad. Walleye have
started trolling over deep shad. I believe we lot the
thermocline. Crappie guys’ jig bit slowed a bit, but
they are still hopping brush piles and that’s working
for them; they are having to use a crappie minnow
under a float.
“Every day is different, fish the conditions. It isn’t
easy fishing right now, but it’s getting better!”
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 10-12-2023) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at
Blackburn’s Resort and Boat Rental said Wednesday
night the lake level was 553.26 feet msl and creeping
up with no dam discharge for a week as of 6:30 p.m.
The White River at Newport is 4.35 feet and all of the
water is coming from Bull Shoals. Both generators are
still inoperable at Norfork Dam. The surface water
temperature is 70 degrees. The lake turned over on
Sept. 22 but has not cleared up as it usually does in
the fall. The cold water is now at about 45-50 feet
and there is not much oxygen past there and also not
many fish. Scuba Steve says he has been fishing and
diving mostly brush piles on the main lake steep river
channel bank brush piles and finding bluegill shallow,
Kentucky Bass in front of the brush piles, walleye on
the side of them and crappie roaming looking for
baitfish. Use a 3-inch crawdad creature bait on a
3/16th-ounce jighead for the bass in front of the
brush. The smallmouth are right in the brush and a
small spoon vertical-jigged straight down is your best
bet. Crappie are roaming and checking out brush for
baitfish. No baitfish, no crappie; but if you look on
banks where the wind has been blowing into, you will
find them.
Temperate bass are moving north and getting ready for
their night bite near the full moon in November right
at and after dark on a stick bait. Use a 4- to 6-pound
test clear line with a slip float and live minnow and
set it about 5 feet further than you can see your bait
for crappie and big bluegill right over brush.
Fishing overall is just fair but some nice ones are
being brought in every day. The lake is at a good
level and in good condition. Visit
blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's blog
for a daily update.
Norfork Tailwater
(updated 10-19-2023) John Berry, angler and retired
operator of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter
(870-435-2169), said Norfork Lake remained steady at
0.5 foot below power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 26.7
feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork
Tailwater 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 floodgates.
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 bit better despite a lot of
fishing pressure. 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 10-19-2023) John Berry, angler and retired
operator of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter
(870-435-2169), said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo
River are fishing well but are very low. With moderate
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.
