Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 28, 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 28, 2024.

White River

(updated 8-29-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake is below the established goal of 661 feet msl elevation, currently sitting 656.59 msl. Anglers encountered some challenges this past week as we endured the heat and lower dissolved oxygen in the river. The milder weather this coming week looks to greatly improve the situation. The generation continued the pattern of minimum flows (700 cfs) for the morning and early afternoon; followed by high flows up to 20,000 cfs (six units) in the evenings. Early morning and early evening may be the best times for easy catches.

Pull out the trusty spoons: gold or copper/bronze Colorados and hammered red-and-gold spoons. The Vibrax Blue Fox is a good choice in the afternoon for the rising river levels.

The Rebel Craw baits (chartreuse/orange and ditch/brown with orange belly) were proving successful for waders and bank anglers; live crawdads provided better action angling from a john boat. Scented manufactured eggs, usually yellow or pink, with a little piece of shrimp drifted across the bottom near the channel during the low water releases, never fail to pull in a good number of rainbows. Sculpins continue to be the best lure for a big brown.

Come on over and spend some time with us on the White River — you won’t regret it.

(updated 8-29-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “From Bull Shoals Dam we continue to see generation ramping up in the afternoons with flows as high as 22,000-plus cfs before tapering off at night. From Norfork Dam we are also seeing generation during the day as high as 5,000-plus cfs before dropping off at night. In Calico Rock the water from Bull Shoals Dam reaches us in the morning with depths as high as 9 feet and dingy water. By midmorning we start to see the water dropping and starting to clear up. We see a bump in water levels as the Norfork Dam water reaches us in the afternoon. In the mornings it isn’t uncommon for boats to head several miles upriver to get above the rise and to find cleaner water and then float the cleaner water back. 

“We have seen best results with silver inline spinners with Uncommon Baits UV Neo Pink eggs and shrimp. With the higher and dingier water, we have not had much success with artificial lures. This upcoming weekend and into next week we should see cooler temperatures. Hopefully with the cooler temps we will see less generation, resulting in lower and cleared water and improved fishing conditions.”

 

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 8-29-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said Thursday that the lake level continues to fall and is around 656 feet msl. Water temperature is 83 degrees, give or take. “My favorite holiday, Labor Day, is upon us. Bass fishing has been fair to slow. Bass are set up on summer areas and patterns, the thermocline is set up around 30-32 feet. Shad are spread out from the back of the creeks out to the main lake. They are starting to move in with shorter days. Check deeper water, points, ledges, drop-offs and channel swings as well as treetops that are close to deep water. The topwater bite has been hit or miss. The bite will definitely slow down as the sun gets high, and they will get fired up with wind/rain.
“If you wait until afternoon, the Corps of Engineers has been generating water and the bite will get going regardless of the heat. A flutter spoon will fool a few. 

“Once the sun gets high up, a lot of the fish will move deep and suspend or move into piles or off 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 have been educated all summer; 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 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. Be safe and Good Fishing!”

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 8-29-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says walleye patterns on mid- to lower end of the lake have not changed much these past few weeks. The thermocline seems to be holding between 30-40 feet. There are times and areas that the fish can be found feeding at the 28- to 30-feet levels early in the morning. It seems when they are holding shallow they move deeper fast if there is no cloud clover. If clouds move in, move back shallow as fish move back in just as fast as they move out. A couple of feet can make a difference in the bite. Scan points, both sides and tip, by zigzagging in 25 to 40 to find fish. Try to fish when they are moving water through the dam; that seems to help the bite. 
“Pulling nightcrawler harnesses in 27 to 38 feet — depth depends on wind and clouds – slowly at 0.8 to 0.9 mph with 3-ounce bottom bouncers on the sides of primary and secondary points has been best for me. We’re fishing with 1.5 Smile Butterfly Blades in gold or orange and chartreuse with an orange bead pattern. No. 3 white Willow leaf Blade or No. 3 white Colorado with white pearl beads is also 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 brushpiles, will catch some especially when fishing is slow.”
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 off main lake points in 30 to 40 feet of water will also get some fish.

Here’s a tip: Cutting one of the hooks off a spoon’s treble hook will help reduce snags.

(updated 8-29-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says the crappie bite has been fairly tough for the most part for the last few weeks. Key on different brush on a daily basis and when you find some that cooperate, don’t expect it to be that way the next time you show up, the next day or days. They are very particular lately, and overall we have still been catching a lot of mixed quality and occasionally a few really nice ones. The jig bite is pretty slow, but if you’re going to fish one, a one-sixteenth-ounce with a small fry bait, minnows, have carried the majority of the load lately. The brush that’s around 20-30 feet seems to be the better stuff. Fall is around the corner and it’s going to get better before long.