White River -
(Updated 11-06-2013) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear, but is full of moss. Two to three generators are running. Rainbow trout are excellent on drift rigs, small spoons and spinners. Brown trout were slow last week.
(Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said on the White, we have had low levels of generation in the morning and heavier generation in the afternoon. There has been no wadable water. The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed until Jan. 31, 2014. The state park area is catch-and-release only for the same period. Night fishing also is prohibited in this area during this period. The hot spot has been the section below the state park. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper Johns, pink and cerise San Juan worms, gold ribbed hare’s ears and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed pheasant tail suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). Some anglers have been fishing large streamers on the heavy flows and having success. This requires heavy sink tip lines and heavy rods. The hot flies have been large articulated streamers in various colors.
Buffalo River - (Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service (Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are extremely low. The smallmouth are less active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.
Crooked Creek -
(Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service (Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are extremely low. The smallmouth are less active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.
Bull Shoals - As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 657.45 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
(Updated 10-30-2013) Mike Worley’s Guide Service had no new report.
(Updated 11-6-2013) Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said the lake is turning over as it usually does this time of year. The water temperature is around 70 degrees on the surface and in the low 60s all the way down to 45 to 50 feet. The thermocline was around 45 feet and moving down. Topwater lures are working fairly well for bass over 10 feet of water. Mustard- or watermelon-colored soft-plastic tubes are working fairly well in the middle of the day in 10 to 15 feet of water. On cloudy days, a spinnerbait in natural colors is working well on windy banks. No report on white bass. Walleye are fair on nightcrawlers bottom-bouncing rigs and split-shot rigs in 30 to 40 feet of water. Crappie are fair on small minnows and 1/16- through 1/64-oz. jigs around brush piles.
Lake Norfork - As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552.66 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 552 msl, April-September – 554 msl).
(Updated 11-06-2013) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said the river striper bite has started. We fished near the state line and found lots of bait and stripers. We hooked eight but only boated two (14- and 18 lbs.). We fished with 6- to 8-inch gizzard shad set 16 to 20 feet deep in 30 to 40 feet of water.
(Updated 11-06-2013) Lou Gabric of Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the stripers are here! This morning was a day to remember. I caught eight stripers and four hybrids all on a Zara Spook. Topwater action galore and it lasted the whole time I was fishing. I found the fish heading back into a major creek on a shallow flat. The stripers were skyrocketing out of the water chasing small, 1-inch shad, but had no problem hammering my Zara Spook Jr. The schools of fish were roaming and feeding in 20-60 feet of water. When I got in deeper water I could see huge schools of fish under the boat so dropping a spoon and vertical jigging would have worked great. Get out on the lake at sunrise and if you find the fish, the top water action should last until the sun gets above the trees, but today was very overcast and lightly raining so the action lasted much longer. The same action should also occur in the afternoons around sunset. Crappie have been biting pretty well. I have been using a ¼-oz. jigging spoon in and around brush piles. The crappie are on the top and within the brush. What I have found is that after I catch a couple of crappie the bite stops, so all I do is move to the next brush pile and catch a couple more fish. You can limit out on nice 12 - 14 inch fish, but you do need to keep moving. Small swimming minnows and twister tail or paddle tail grubs will also work, tip them with a live minnow for better action. Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass are starting to move in to shallower water. I have caught some nice spots in the brush piles while crappie fishing. Today I found the largemouth bass along a deep bluff chasing shad on the surface. My Zara Spook did the trick. Once they go down, try using crawdad-colored crankbaits or a jig and pig. The after dark bite has been the better bite for bass lately.
(Updated 11-06-2013) Guide Steve Olomon said the lake level is 552.5 and the water temperature is in the mid-60s. There are some stripers coming up early and just before dark. They are running on the small side, but bigger fish should start showing up with the water cooling down. Some hybrids and whites are coming up with them also. Throw just about any top water bait or cast a spoon to them and jig it back. Try a swim bait as well. Look for some suspended around 30 feet deep and drop a spoon or live shad to them. The night bite should get going soon. Bass are doing the same as the stripers. After the topwater bite is over, throw a jig to the bank and drag or hop it back to the boat. If it's windy throw a spinnerbait or crank bait along the bank.
Norfork Tailwater -
(Updated 11-06-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said there has been wadable water on the Norfork and it has been pounded. Fish early or during the week to avoid the crowds. The bank stabilization project downstream from the Ackerman Access is causing some severely stained water. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have produced fish, particularly when used in conjunction with a small nymph dropper (try a size 20 black zebra midge). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Dry Run Creek has fished well for the youth anglers. Weekends can get a bit crowded. Numerous brown trout have moved into the creek. The hot flies have been sow bugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective.
