Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report
April 24, 2024
More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report April 24, 2024.
White River
(updated 4-25-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said water releases from Bull Shoals Dam into the tailwater have been moderate over the past week. While not providing for substantial wade fishing, the current is less swift, offering more access for angling from the shore and gravel bars. Bull Shoals Lake is 2 feet below power pool level, at 656.98 feet msl. The average generation has been about 2,000 cfs with an occasional burst of higher discharges for several hours.
The rainbow-hued spinners and spoons continue to attract a good share of trout, and the overcast days called for shiny silver blades and spoons. The silver Cleo played a part in successful creel counts. When the sun peeks out, change tactics — look for chartreuse or lemon-lime-colored baits, either in an egg pattern or as part of a Rooster Tail or spinner (the body or skirt) with a gold blade. It’ll be easy to keep your bait near the streambed because the White River water level near Cotter has remained fairly low during the past month.
No surprises for the brown bite: They’re nibbling on sculpins and shad, and continue to remain near the bottom and center of the stream.
“The weathermen promise warmer temperatures beginning Saturday, so pack some sunscreen when you’re headed to the river. A rain poncho might come in handy, too. Visit the Natural State for some terrific catches and lots of Ozark hospitality.”
(updated 4-25-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said this week they’ve seen clear water with depths as much as 6.5 feet and depths as little as under 3.5 feet. With the lower and clearer water, our go-to lure remains the Thompson Colorado quarter-ounce spoon in nickel/gold. In addition, catching and using sculpins has worked well. Other fishermen are reporting success using lures similar to Rapala CD5 Countdowns in rainbow trout and silver color. Other fishermen are reporting using dark color (black, olive or brown) jigs with a splash of color, such as orange or red, have resulted in some nice-sized rainbows and brown trout. If nothing else works, drift-fishing with Uncommon Bait UV eggs in Neo Pink or Bright Orange with corn, worms or shrimp will always catch rainbow trout.
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 4-18-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level is 657 feet msl. Water temperature is ranging 56 degrees to mid-60s, give or take depending on your location. Black bass are in prespawn, and overall bass fishing has been good; everyone is starting to catch them but it will definitely slow down after a cold front like we’ve had this week.
Be sure to fish the conditions — if it is cloudy and windy you can still powerfish. Guys are putting away deeper crankbaits for square bills, spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits. It’s been a very windy spring, putting some color in the water. We’re covering water on windblown transitions, banks and swings. If it’s flat and sunny, target swing, points and secondary points with a Jewel Peewee Jig in green pumpkin. Also if it gets tough, try a green pumpkin or Puke Tube, and a C-rig or a shaky head and a Ned rig are all working. Green pumpkin orange/red variants are the best colors. Target swings or points or secondary points close to spawning areas in the creeks or bays. On tough days or with clear water you’re going to want to keep the boat out deep, 25-30 feet,and slow down. In the dirty water you can get real skinny if it’s warm. The shad balls are definitely broken up, so if you’re fishing open water you’re going to have to pay attention — a lot of fish are moving into pockets. If shad are present, try a 2.8 swimbait, a fluke or Tater Shad 2.8 all in white or natural shad colors.
“Everyone is starting to catch ’em, so go get out there and do your thing! Fish the conditions!”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 4-18-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service reports that walleyes are getting more active during daylight hours. Night fishing also is good, especially the smaller male walleye on main lake points and secondary points on 5-inch 110 style jerkbaits. Stickbaits or shad-style cranks trolled just before dark and just after daybreak in 8 to 14 feet of water are working as well. Slide out to deeper water (20-40 feet) after daylight. If open-water trolling for suspended fish, find shad and try trolling from 25-40 feet deep over 80 feet of water with Berkley no. 9 flicker minnows or no. 7 flicker Shads. Troll over the old river channel at 1.2 to 1.8 mph, and that should put some fish in the boat.
(updated 4-18-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports that crappie are mostly staged on shallow brush now and the males are blackening up nicely. Swimming a 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jig with a small fry bait or the Tater Baits Thump Minnow right over top of the brush has been working as well as minnows and bobbers.
Norfork Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Norfork Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.(updated 4-25-2024) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at Blackburn’s Resort and Boat Rental said the lake level was 553.62 feet msl and has been stable for several days as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. They have not generated for 24 hours. The White River at Newport is 6.23 feet and dropping, indicating not much water is being released into it anywhere. They just started up the one operating generator at 5 p.m. The surface water temperature is 64 degrees and has been slowly warming up with a cold front coming through once a week followed by clear cold nights. We need some ambient temperatures in the 60s for lows to warm things up and get the topwater bite going strong. It has been slow coming.
“The gizzard shad have spawned but I have not seen any threadfin shad spawning yet. They like 70 degrees or a little warmer for their first one. There have been reports of the shad spawn but I have not personally seen it. Some black bass and white bass are coming up sporadically early and late. Some big bass have spawned, some are on beds and some are in 30 feet of water on the bottom for some reason.
“The walleye bite has been pretty good on pea gravel banks casting a soft plastic. The crappie that I have been catching are mostly males staging for spawn in about 10 feet of water back in the creeks and have been singles. There are several large females wanting to spawn under Blackburn’s dock. Some stripers are deep in open water on shad but will come up at just before sunrise back in windblown creeks very soon. They are late. I have seen nothing on fire or in a feeding frenzy, but some nice fish of several species are being caught every day and will get nothing but better.
“The lake overall is in excellent condition and at a good level for fishing but the water is too clear for best results. The fish are line, boat and trolling motor shy, so stay as far from them as you can cast and let it sink in behind them. A good place to start looking for topwater fish is in Panther Creek before sunrise.”Visit blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve’s blog for daily updates and more information.