Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  July 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 July 24, 2024.

White River

(updated 7-25-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said school will be back in session in a few short weeks. A day on the river offers the opportunity to spend some quiet, one-on-one time with your kids before the mad dash through another school year. You could be enjoying early morning temperatures in the 60s, some great trout-catching action and memories that will last a lifetime. When the afternoons warm up, just dip your cap in the river or wet a hand towel in the cold clear water, lay it across your shoulders and keep angling.

Bull Shoals Lake elevation measured 661.99 feet msl Wednesday with morning releases continuing at around one unit (3,000 cfs) before rising to 12,000 cfs or more in late afternoon. The lake is nearly back to power pool level after the massive rain experienced a week ago and the water clarity in the White River is very good.

“Browns have been hiding in the deep holes, coming out to the call of a sculpin or a crawdad tail. Rainbows are less picky; they’re always attracted to the pink and white PowerBait mouse tail worms and they’ll nibble at shrimp and live redworms when the water is rising. It’s fun to drop a D2 Trout Magnet peachy jig, one-eighth ounce is best, and see what comes up.

“Stop in and say ‘hey’ when you’re in town. Enjoy the day.”

(updated 7-25-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “The storms last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning a week ago caused the river at Calico Rock to rise to almost 18 feet, just 1 foot below flood level but up into our parking lot. All day last Wednesday we saw a lot of debris floating down the muddy river. By Wednesday evening the river had crested and by Thursday morning the river was back to a more normal level. The river remained muddy through Friday and was fishable again by Saturday.
“On Saturday the fishing was tough to catch a limit. Using a silver inline spinner and corn worked best. Fishing was better by Sunday. 

“Early this week the river conditions were good, with morning levels at around 8 feet when the water from Bull Shoals Dam’s previous day generation reach us. Water would drop and then see a slight rise with the water from Norfork Dam’s morning generation reaching us. Silver inline spinners with Uncommon Bait UV Eggs and corn worked well. Some fishermen had success using 1/16-ounce jigs in dark colors.”

 

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 7-25-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said Wednesday that the lake level is around 661 feet msl. Water temperature is around 85 degrees, give or take; it is warmer in the stained water. Bass are set up on summer areas and patterns. The thermocline is at 30-32 feet. Shad are spread out from the back of the creeks out to the main lake. Check deeper water, points, ledges, drop-offs and channel swings or saddles that are close to deep water.
“The topwater bite has been random! If you try topwater fishing, smaller sizes are working best for me, a Zara Spook, Pop-R, Lucky Craft Gunfish, wake baits in shad patterns. As the sun gets up, the bite will definitely slow down. Try a Flutter Spoon; that will keep the bite going. Once the sun gets up, a lot the fish will move into piles and ledges. They can be stubborn. Try a drop-shot or Jewel Scuba or big worm — if you get one to bite you might as well go to next pile. These fish can be tougher to fire; finesse will help. You can still catch them off points with a small Jewel Peewee Jig in green pumpkin orange or PB&J, or a tube or a shaky head, in 10-20 feet early, then 25-30 feet. Keep the boat out for deep, long casts. There is a lot of activity around the 30-feet range.
“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 7-25-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says fishing for walleye has been fair on the lower end of lake. They are pulling nightcrawler harnesses in 30-35 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 orange bead patterns is working. Also, still just a No. 4 split shot and No. 2 Aberdeen hook and a 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.
Spooning with a three-quarter-ounce white spoon in water off main lake points in 30-35 feet will also get some fish. 

(updated 7-25-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are starting to show up on a little deeper brush piles in that 25- to 30-feet range in the creeks. They are also still finding a lot in the 20-feet range scattered in the creek arms “and I have seen this all over the lake the last week, the quality is still pretty mixed up and the bluegill have also appeared since the lake dropped, so that can be a whole another challenge if they’re above the crappie. The jig bite is been OK but you will have to really be patient. I’ve been throwing a 1/32-ounce with a Tater Shad Jr. in a variety of colors and, of course, minnows. Quality seems to be deeper in the brush.”

 

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