Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  July 17, 2024

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report July 17, 2024.

White River

(updated 7-18-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “The week of brutal heat was broken by a memorable rainstorm. We needed some rain — we got a lot! By the time you see this report, the river will be pretty much back to clear and normal here in the Cotter area and upstream to Bull Shoals Dam. It will take a little longer to recover downriver past Calico Rock (40-plus miles downstream from Cotter.) The remainder of this coming week will bring milder temperatures.

“Bull Shoals Lake is recorded at 662.59 feet msl at this moment and rising. The release schedule will probably continue to be low even as the lake rises because of the flooding downstream, so wading and bank fishing will continue to be viable, taking extra care due to some debris issues. 

“Take advantage of the easy access while we have it. Keeping a john boat floating and not grounded in very low water takes lots of concentration and skill, so please be considerate of all your fellow anglers, however they choose to fish. 

“Bright-colored baits will gain the most attention from the rainbows in the coming days. Sunrise and white Power Eggs will continue to be a favorite this week for both shore fishers and anglers in boats. The browns always beg for sculpins and soft-shell crawdads (keep the Rebel Wee Craw handy). Pull out your hopper flies; we are getting into the best grasshopper time of the year and the trout are looking for them. 

“We have a terrific bunch of folks at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission taking care of our trout fishery, plus the river guides and local residents who care so much about our resources, so keep anglin’ on the White and we’ll see you on the river.

(updated 7-18-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “We saw ‘normal’ water levels during the week with depths as much as 8 feet or more and dropping to around 4 feet. Fishing was steady drift-fishing with Uncommon Baits UV eggs and corn with or without sliver inline spinners. On Sunday we saw depths fewer than 3 feet most of the day. Fishing was amazing using artificial lures such as quarter-ounce spoons in nickel and/or gold, Rapala Countdowns CD5 in silver or anything with a blade that provides a flash.
“The storms Tuesday night/Wednesday morning caused the river to flood. As of 4:30 p.m., the river at Calico Rock was at 17.6 feet and still rising, while Norfork has crested. Hopefully by Saturday the river will be clear enough to fish.
“We did receive on stocking of more than 1,000 rainbows at the Calico Rock boat ramp and another 1,000-plus just upriver at the Chessmond Ferry boat ramp. 

 

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 7-18-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said Wednesday night that lake level was back up to around 662 feet msl, about a 3 feet since last weekend rise and still coming in. “Watch out for debris, and hopefully we can keep up with courtesy ramps. The Army Corps of Engineers has been running some water in the afternoon and evenings, and the water temperature is around 85 degrees, give or take. It’s warmer in the stained water.”

Bass are set up on summer areas and patterns. Shad are spread out from the back off the creeks out to the main lake. Check deeper water, points, ledges, drop-offs and channel swings and saddles. Get up early, or if it’s cloudy, rainy and windy hit the surface with topwater! ”Smaller sizes are working best for me: Zara Spook, Pop-R, Lucky Craft Gunfish and wake baits in shad patterns.
“As the sun gets up, a try a 2.8 swimbait, especially if there’s wind, or Flutter Spoon — that will keep the bite going. Once the sun gets up a lot the fish will move out over deep water. You can follow them out there and try a drop-shot Robo Worm or shad -shaped worm or Tater Shad.
“If we get runoff, I’ll powerfish covering water. Try a spinnerbait and Chatterbait, Whopper Plopper or buzz bait if it’s windy and cloudy, or a frog/toad if it’s sunny. A frog or punch mulch mats. You can still catch ’em on points with small Jewel Peewee Jig in green pumpkin orange or a tube or shaky head in 10-20 feet early on, then try 25-30 feet. Keep boat out and use deep, long casts. There’s lot of activity around the 30 feet range for brush pile hopping. You can also go up there with a big worm, a Beaver or Salt Craw early or late. The shallower brush piles closer to deep water in less than 25-30 feet are holding some fish.”
“Overall, summer patterns are here and suspended fish in large groups are roaming. If you can find them with the front looker, you can get right in a hurry.”

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 7-18-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says fishing for walleye has been fair on the lower end of lake. We’re pulling night crawler harnesses in 30-33 feet slowly (.8 to .9 mph) with 2-ounce bottom bouncers on the sides of primary and secondary points. Fishing with No. 1.5 Smile Butterfly Blades in gold or orange, and chartreuse with an orange bead pattern is working. Also still just a No. 4 split shot and No. 2 Aberdeen hook and nightcrawler, worked slowly around groups of fish or on deeper sides of brush piles, will catch some. Lots of fish in the 16- to 17-inch size are still being caught at this time (to keep walleye, they must be 18 or more inches).

Spooning with a three-quarter-ounce white spoon in water off main lake points in 28-35 feet will also get some fish. 

(updated 7-18-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie seem to be moving deeper and are definitely pickier as the jig bite has slowed down a lot. Minnows and 4-pound line help, but they are still finicky. Just keep moving until you find fish that will cooperate.