On the White River, Sportsman’s White River Resort said the river has been very mossy with the generators running. They run from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and about four generators run in the afternoon. There has been good wade fishing on the river, and nice rainbows and browns have been caught. Shrimp and minnows are the best live baits. Spinnerbaits, Power Bait, stick baits and pink worms are the best choices for artificial baits.
Cotter Trout Dock said fishing is very slow. The best time to try to get a bit is early morning or just after dark. Fishing during the first hour of generation may produce a bite. Fishing for stripers by the dam is recommended.
Guide Davy Wotton said fishing has been great over the past week, and generations have provided opportunities for wade and float fishing. The low water levels in the early morning have provided great surface fishing using midges, dries and small caddis.
Once the sun rises, the trout will move into deeper water. Fishing with wets and soft hackles and indicator nymphing with white tail, prism and zebra style midges has produced great fishing in the riffles. Sowbugs in tan, neutral and gray, scuds in olive or tan have also been good baits. Try to avoid fishing in rising water because algae and other trash has built up due to generation.
The Norfork, Bull Shoals, and Rim Shoals catch-and-release zones have been producing great fish. Spin and bait fishermen have been going great with a number of different natural and artificial baits. Stick baits, Rooster Tails, Cleos, Mepps, Buoyants and jigs are all producing fish. If you are after a trophy brown, dawn or the late evenings to dark are the best times to fish.
ON the White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing), Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge said the stained water and heavy moss has caused fishing to be slow. The moss has caused most of the problems with fishing, but if you have a favorite spot that usually produces fish stick with it.
The moss should flush through over the next few days and hopefully fishing will pick back up.
On the Buffalo River, Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the river is at 6.88 feet. The surface temperature ranges between 65 and 72 degrees. Spin fishing has been successful with soft plastics and heavy weights.
On Crooked Creek, Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water level is still high around Yellville. The water temperature is between 65 and 72 degrees and is slightly off color. Large plastic lures have worked well in green and brown colored water. In the mid section, the water is too high for fly fishing, but anything above Pyatt has been producing good fish.
At Bull Shoals Lake, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 667.24 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).
At Lake Norfork, as of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 560.61 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).
101 Grocery and Bait said the surface temperature is in the mid 70s. The fishing has been good overall on Lake Norfork. Bluegill are biting well on crickets. Crappie are good on minnows fished along the bluffs and around brush piles. Bass are biting well on any plastic baits, spinnerbaits and buzz baits.
White bass are fair using spoons and inline spinnerbaits. Stripers are biting well on live bait such as shiners and shad, crankbaits, Road Runners and spoons. The best time to fish for stripers is in the morning or late evening. Catfishing has been good using worms, shiners and stink bait.
Guide Steve Olomon said stripers and hybrids are still coming up in the early morning chasing shad. Look for the surface activity near points and along bluffs. Use a jigging spoon fished at 40 to 60 feet.
Guide Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said the best time to fish is in the afternoon and evening. Stripers are in 35 to 45 feet of water, and Tom said they caught their limit in 30 minutes fishing in the 6A area. Although the stripers are very active later in the day, fishing in the morning has not been very successful.
At the Norfork Tailwater, Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge said generation has been off and on which has caused fishing to be slow. It is still possible to catch fish upstream with jigs and Power Bait tipped with a piece of shrimp.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said generators are running at least eight hours a day providing low water wade fishing. Nymphing with various patters has been the most productive method. Scuds, sow bugs, midge, caddis and mayfly patterns are all producing successful fishing. Observe how fish are feeding to determine which fly to fish.
