NORTH ARKANSAS - Weekly Fishing Report

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Randy Zellers (501)223-6406, e-mail: rdzellers@agfc.state.ar.us

This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's fishing report

August 27, 2008

White River: Sportsman’s White River Resort said water conditions are normal. Trout fishing is good on wax worms, Power Bait, Little Cleos, Rattlin’ Rouges and Rapalas. Bank fishing is good on grasshoppers.

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guides said in spite of a major rain event, the reservoir levels on the White River continue to fall slowly. The pattern on the White has been to run all eight generators around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. While these flows make for excellent boating, there have been few safe wading opportunities. The upper river from Bull Shoals Dam, through the State Park down to Cane Island Shoals has been a perpetual hot spot for months. The better fishing is in the morning when the water flows are generally a bit lower. The hot tactic for this area has been to bang the banks with streamers fished with sink tip or full sinking lines. Some guides recommend a fast retrieve while others suggest a slow one. The best bet is to vary your retrieve until you figure out what the trout want. Sculpin and baitfish patterns are the ticket for this technique. Fishing brightly colored San Juan worms under a strike indicator has also accounted for a lot of good fish. The section from the Narrows down to Wildcat Shoals has been red hot during the past week. Anglers have reported success on a variety of nymphs. The key to success has been to fish a brightly colored San Juan worm with a nymph on a dropper. The color of choice for the worm has been hot pink. The most popular nymphs have been zebra midges, trout crack, sowbugs, scuds, and bead head hares ears. Remember if you move into a Catch and Release section it is illegal to fish droppers there. Another hot spot has been the Rim Shoals Catch and Release section. The hot technique for this section has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms on long leaders (twelve to fifteen feet) with a large strike indicator and a lot of lead. The top producing colors have been red, cerise and hot pink.

Mountain River Fly Shop said there are many nice browns and some fat rainbows in the 16- to 19-inch class up and down the White. These fish have been very catchable. You will connect to some of the better fish if you work at it too, but it can be a little tough at time differentiating between the big browns and a stump on the bottom. Depth and weight is key, balancing the two to get your fly close to the bottom but not being dragged along it where it can’t be found. Don’t just tie on a San Juan Worm or Dynamite Worm and stick with the one color all day. Changing conditions can mean the color of choice fluctuating throughout the day, and as the water level changes. Essential are red, brown (including shades like tan in the Dynamite Worm) pink, cerise, orange and maroon. Try two flies outside the trophy zones. Eggs have been a popular choice in front of a worm, but a bright worm can be an attractor in its own right with a more neutral fly following, like a Clint’s Sunday Special, scud or Sowbug. Streamers are still doing well, but darker days, courtesy of this unseasonable August rain, have been best.

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 681.19 feet MSL.

Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said bass are fair on 1/2 –ounce spoons fished in 28 to 32 feet of water around bluff ends and standing timber. Flukes, Spooks and other topwaters are working during low-light hours. Bass are fair on nightcrawlers and ¼-ounce white Road Runners in fished over the top of brush and standing trees in 25 to 35 feet of water. Drop-shot rigs are working in the same areas as well. White bass are fair on trolled Shad Raps and minnow-style stick baits in 25 to 35 feet of water. Some are being caught on spoons as well. Walleye have moved to the thermocline around 25 to 32 feet of water. Spoons are working well, as are nightcrawlers tightlined on a split-shot rig. Trolling shallow and medium-diving Reef Runners and Wally Divers is working around 25 feet deep. Crappie are slow and scattered. Night fishing under lights is the best way to produce some fish this time of year. Catfishing is good in shallower water on stinkbait, liver, shrimp and live sunfish.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 567.22 feet MSL.

101 Grocery and Bait said visibility is good and the water temperature is in the mid to high 80s. Striped bass fishing is good. Walleye fishing has been fair. Bluegill fishing is good. White bass fishing is fair. Largemouth bass are biting well on topwaters in the evenings. Smallmouth are fair. Catfishing is fair. Crappie fishing is fair. 

Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is murky and dropping. All fishing has been slow.

Norfork Tailwater: John Berry of Berry Brothers Guides said Norfork Lake has fallen one and four tenths of a foot to rest at sixteen and one tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or eleven and nine tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run two generators with occasional brief periods of no generation at night. This made for some limited wading conditions at night. The Norfork is still not fishing as well as the White. There have been some night fishing wading opportunities in the last week. Be very careful and be ready to react to rising water. On high water the best strategy has been to fish brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. Dry Run Creek has looked abandoned. Kids are back in school and there is very little traffic there particularly during the week. Poaching continues to be a problem with adults frequently seen fishing there. If you see any illegal activity, call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s poaching hotline 1 800-482-9262. If your cell phone cannot get a signal down on the creek, the adjacent Federal trout hatchery will gladly let you use their land line.