Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 7, 2024

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report August 7, 2024.

White River

(updated 8-8-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said trout fishing on the White River below Bull Shoals Dam should be especially pleasurable this week — after a couple of weeks of brutal heat, we’re enjoying a week of cooler temperatures just before the kids kick off the new school year.
“I’m hesitant to say a daily pattern has developed, but each morning we arrive to very low water, minimum flow, and it continues to drop until we see the arrival of the afternoon releases. Here in Cotter we don’t see the increase until about 5:30 p.m. Having said that, watch for a change. The lake is continuing to drop; elevation is 659.54 feet msl, 2 feet below desired power pool.

“Anglers kept the bait near the bottom with a 3/16-ounce sinker, and the rainbows snatched when they detected a little shrimp or fresh crawdad meat on the hook. Try jigging a red wiggler or a white skirted 1/8-ounce jig for a flurry of action. Pink-colored Power Eggs have been a favorite this week for both shore fishers and anglers in boats.

“The browns are still biting at sculpins and soft-shell crawdads, but we’ve had a lot of fun and success with Rapala’s new Elite Series Countdowns. Always have a ruby midge handy on the White when casting flies.
“Lots of sunshine is on call and the trout bite promises to be exciting. With school starting next week in many communities, now would be a great time for a final summer fling with the kids. Come drop a line in the White and pull in a rainbow or two; enjoy The Natural State with us.”

(updated 8-8-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said that this week the saying “wash, rinse and repeat” applies. Bull Shoals Lake is 1.5 feet below the top of the power pool level and Norfork Lake is about 2 feet above pool power pool level. For the last several days Norfork Dam has been consistently generating more than 6,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) and Bull Shoals Dam has been generating in the afternoons to evenings as high as 20,000 cfs. As a result, in Calico Rock we are seeing high water in the mornings between 9-10 feet with some dinginess as the Bull Shoals water passes and by midmorning, water levels start dropping with the water clearing up. During the night, water levels drop as low as 6 feet before rising again in the morning. During the higher water the fishing is tougher but still doable drift-fishing with silver inline spinners with Uncommon Bait UV eggs with corn, shrimp or worms. As the water drops, drift-fishing improves as well as artificial lures such as Rapala Countdowns or quarter-ounce Thompson Colorado Spoons in nickel/gold or Little Cleo in gold or silver. Take advantage of the cooler temperatures this weekend and take the kids fishing one more time before school starts.

 

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 8-8-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said Wednesday that the lake level is around 659 feet msl, down about a foot from this time last week. Water temperature is around 87 degrees, give or take; it’s warmer in the stained water. Bass fishing has been a little slow, typical for the dead of summer. Bass are set up on summer areas and patterns, and the bite has been better for schoolers during generation. The thermocline is set up in 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 and saddles that are close to deep water.

The topwater bite has been random! The bite will definitely slow down as the sun gets up; switch to a Flutter Spoon — that will fool a few. Once the sun gets high, a lot of the fish will move into brush piles and ledges. They can be stubborn. Try a drop-shot or Jewel Scuba or big worm. If you get one or two to bite, you might as well go to the next pile. These fish can be tougher to fire; finesse will help. You can still catch them off points with small Jewel Peewee Jig in green pumpkin orange or PB&J, or a tube or shaky head in 10-20 feet early, then at 25-35 feet. Keep the boat out for deep, long casts. There is a lot of activity around the 30-feet range. 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 8-8-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says fishing for walleye has been fair on the lower end of the lake. They are pulling nightcrawler harnesses in 30-35 feet slowly, 0.8 to 0.9 mph, with 2-ounce bottom bouncers on the sides of primary and secondary points. Fishing with 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 8-8-2024) 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 has 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.”