Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  March 20, 2024

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report March 20, 2024.

White River

(updated 3-21-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said winter is behind us and we’re looking at warmer days and more sunshine — mostly. March can still throw us a curve, so come prepared for all kinds of weather conditions. Bull Shoals Lake is at 655.57 feet msl elevation, down about 4 feet below power pool. Generation over the past three days has been variable, rising to 5 or more units (15,000 cfs) and dropping to below one unit (3,000 cfs).
When water releases settle to a steady amount, the bite picks up. Keep your egg patterns handy, along with wriggling redworms. Drifting a bubblegum pink or white worm while letting the current move you downstream should stir some excitement in the rainbow community.

While the rainbow bite has been good, the brown catch has been phenomenal with sculpins and minnows (if you can find one). We’ve netted more browns than rainbows some days, and the trout we’ve netted have been healthy and are providing a lot of action. Most were caught with a sculpin, but shad is also a great treat for the browns.

As we move toward April, the brown bite might slow, but only a little. It might surprise you to find that a gold Cleo hasn’t lost its allure to the browns — they may have lost favor for a while with anglers, but the trout have always been fond of them.

Test the topwater action on sunny days with a tiny white and pink jig-like streamer.
“Come on over and experience trout catching at Cotter on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks. The redbuds are blooming and the dogwoods are starting to pop out. Spring has sprung here in our beautiful Ozark Mountain region of The Natural State. You’re invited to join us.”

(updated 3-21-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the rain last Thursday once again caused the Buffalo River to rise, which caused us to have muddy water through the weekend. The water cleared up some by Monday but it wasn’t until Tuesday before the river was “normal.” When the river was muddiest, the best fishing option for trout was to move up into the mouths of the creeks where the fish were looking for cleaner water, tie up or anchor, and fish using corn. This proved to be successful, resulting in some nice limits of trout plus a few other species of fish caught.
Monday through Tuesday fishing was decent using Uncommon Bait Neo Pink UV eggs and corn. With the river being normal by Wednesday, Uncommon Bait UV eggs (either Neo Pink, Firefly or Orange) worked great with corn, shrimp or worms. Artificial lures were not effective until Wednesday when we saw Rapala Countdowns in silver or rainbow trout colors catching fish, along with Panther Martins with gold blades and black bodies with yellow spots. 

 

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 3-21-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said the lake level Wednesday was 655 feet msl, or 3 feet below pool. Temperature dropped to around 55 give or take. “We had a little runoff bite but it didn’t last long. Bass are in early prespawn. Overall, bass fishing has been fair; it definitely slowed down after the big storm, then the cold front.
“Be sure to fish the conditions. If it’s cloudy and windy you can powerfish cranking a Wiggle Wart, SPRO Rock Crawler or square bill. You need to be covering water on windblown transition banks and swings. If it’s flat and sunny a Jewel Football Jig or Peewee Jig in green pumpkin with either orange or blue is good. Also, if it gets tough try a tube or a shaky head, and a Ned is also starting to get a few. Green pumpkin orange/red variants are best on swings or points or secondary points close to spawning areas in the creeks.
For me I still feel most of the fish are looking up at shad. In the bigger creeks, look for loons and gulls because they are not all out in the middle anymore. Some shad went back deep with the cold; try a 2.8 swimbait fluke or Tater Shad 2.8 all in white or natural shad colors. Guys are also catching them on a shad-colored jerkbait, as well as the Megabass 110.

“Everyone is starting to catch ’em, so go get out there and do your thing! White bass are still in spawning areas,” he said.
Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.

(updated 3-21-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service reports that walleyes have started spawning in earnest on the lower lake. Main lake and secondary points in larger creeks are holding fish. If trolling, try stick baits slow and shallow during low light periods in 8-14 feet of water. Trolling at 0.85 to 1.2 mph should produce a few fish.

If casting, try jerkbaits or small shad-style baits fished slow. Most fish will be caught after dark or just before daylight at this time.

(updated 3-21-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports that crappie are actively feeding in creeks at times and they are also still finding some on brush piles. The depth varies between 8-15 feet. An eighth-ounce jig with a Tater Shad Jr. in Bayou Bleeder and Purple Monkey colors has been working as well as minnows.

 

Norfork Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Norfork Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website. 

(updated 3-21-2024) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at Blackburn’s Resort and Boat Rental said the lake level was 553.70 feet msl and had dropped just a bit in the last 24 hours as of 5 p.m. Wednesday evening. The Army Corps of Engineers started running the one operating generator for about eight hours and then shut everything off again after several days of nothing. The level has been near the top of the power pool of 553.75 feet msl for several months and has been very stable with the less-than-average rainfall. The surface water temperature is 56 degrees on the main lake and a little warmer back in the creeks. The White River at Newport is 9.75 feet and still low but higher than it has been, indicating they are letting out more water somewhere. The average ambient temperature is 62 degrees for a high and 39 for a low.
The main lake is very clear, and is as clear as Scuba Steve has seen it in several years, he says. It gets clearer as you go south and is too clear for fishing near the dam. The creeks are stained a bit but a good color for fishing. The lake overall is in excellent condition and at a good level.
Bass fishing is the best part way back in the creeks, and several are being caught. Single spins are working and crankbaits are catching the active fish. The walleye are back downstream from the spawn and some white bass are, also. Trollers dragging umbrellas are starting to catch them again. Use soft plastics for walleye in the evening on shadowy banks. The night bite for stripers is starting on stick baits. More crappie are showing up under docks back in the creeks, but not a lot. They want to spawn but are waiting for warmer water. Fishing overall is a little better than fair and improving. Blackburn’s has several guests in bass fishing and they report doing well and are satisfied with the bite. More large fish are being caught than last week. 

Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve’s blog for daily updates and more information. 

(updated 3-14-2024) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said Wednesday, “Mission accomplished! I had my daughter fishing with me this morning. Was hoping to have the oldest granddaughter along but she would not wake up. I guess college life for Jordan has set in — stay up all night and sleep all morning.
“I found some striped bass and Keri totally out-fished me this morning. She was casting a half-ounce chrome Kastmaster with white feather trailer and I was casting a 5-inch Sexy Shad Swimbait with a three-eighths-ounce chartreuse jighead. The bait was right on the surface down to maybe 15-20 feet. It was scattered out. The fish were darting through the bait, feeding away. I got quite a few short strikes but no boated fish for me. I should have downsized to a 3.5-inch swimbait. Keri landed two nice striped bass and a really good largemouth bass.
“Keri and I were fishing back in a creek in 30-60 feet of water. Wayne and Jimmy had success casting swimbaits and a Kastmaster. They have had a stretch of bad luck lately with striped bass. They have hooked into quite a few over the last couple of days, but the fish were coming unhooked. They redeemed themselves this morning. Joe was back at finding and catching some really nice walleye, crappie and one striped bass.
“I heard another guest was cleaning some fish, but I have not had a chance to talk with them. Overall, good day for all. The surface water temp was in the mid-50s. The lake level is falling slowly and sits at 553.43 feet msl. Fishing has been pretty good for most species and will only get better and better as the warmer temperature continues. I believe the white bass are spawning, most of the walleye should have spawned and a few others will be still on the beds. Crappie are staging for their spawn, which should happen before long. There are quite a few big slab crappie on or near brush piles back in creeks. The bass are still a little way off for their spawn, but with the early warm weather it might be sooner than normal.
“We have cabins available throughout the spring and summer. Give us a call to make your fishing and/or family vacation plans. Happy fishing and enjoy Norfork Lake.”
Lou posts fishing reports almost every day on Hummingbird Hideaway Resort’s Facebook page.