April 21, 2010 Edition

North Arkansas
White River:
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is dirty and high with four to 6 generators running. Trout are fair on wax worms and Power Bait. Some brown trout have been caught on artificials and drifted shad or sculpins.

Cotter Trout Dock said the number one brown trout-catching bait between Arkansas Highway 62 bridge/Cotter and Buffalo City is minnows. The guides caught more than 25 browns on Saturday, 10 of those were over 22 inches. The water is high and somewhat mossy, but it hasn't stopped the fish from biting. We’ve had some luck with rainbows using white Power Bait but the big fish follow the minnows. Smithwick barbless suspending Super Rogues with blue backs and silver sides worked well. This is a great time to catch big fish. Don't let high water stop you – the guides know the river and want to provide a safe, productive fishing excursion.

(Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Davy Wotton said heavy generation for the White River continues. Two sluice gates have also been opened, resulting in an additional 7,000 cfs of discharge and a lot of debris coming through the dam. The addition of sluice gates open and the algae bloom is making the White a little difficult to fish. Big number days are not likely, but fish can be caught if you look for slower water seams and backwater channels. Some very nice browns have been caught over flooded grass banks and slower backwater channels over gravel bar drop offs. Fly fishing these higher water conditions as a rule demands long leader set ups and weight for dead drift fishing using larger flies, which would include Dynamite, Prism and San Juan worms in colors of red, orange, tan, brown and pink, jigs are also a further good option, white, pink and red. Eggs are also a further option with two fly rigs of egg and worms. Most of the algae is at mid- to lower levels in the water column, so spin fishing is restricted to spinners and other lures that run higher in the water. Some good reports have come from bait anglers using worms and sculpin, and on artificial in red, white or orange.

White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) had no report.

Buffalo River:
(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water temperature is in the mid 60s. The water level at St. Joe is 6.03 feet. This is high for fly-fishing. Spin fishing with heavier lures along the bottom should produce.

Crooked Creek:
(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said water levels are at 13.40 feet. This is just over a foot higher than the low-water bridge at Kelly’s Slab. This level is high for fly-fishing, but spin fishing should be good later in the day. Water temperatures are hitting 63 degrees in the heat of the day. Smallmouth should be working on soft-plastic lures on the bottom.

Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 657.51 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).

Bob Pauletti at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock had no new report.

Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 555.16 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).

101 Grocery and Bait said the surface temperature ranges from 57-62 degrees. Fishing has been good for all species. Monster bluegill have been hitting minnows, red worms and crickets. Crappie are hitting minnows and jigs, and are moving to shallow water. Bass fishing has been good on jigs, crankbaits, flukes and top-water lures. Stripers, white bass, walleye and catfish have all been good and will only get better.

(Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the upper 50s to the low 60s. The top-water bite is starting to get going and the night bite is getting better. The top-water striper bite is good for about an hour when the sun gets higher the fish go deeper. There is some activity about a half hour before dark too. Throw stick baits after it gets dark. Swim baits were also producing stripers, hybrids, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.

(Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said fishing is still hot for both live bait and stick baits. Stripers have been caught early along the shore. As the wind picks up, fish wind-blown banks out to about 40 feet deep. Gizzard shad are working the best, but flukes and stick baits are producing as well. The dam area, Big Creek and Brushy Creek are holding good fish.

Norfork Tailwater:
Shannon Murphy with Charlie’s Rainbow Trout Resort said the tailwater has wadable water. There has been low water every morning until 9-11 a.m., and then one generator coming online until 5 p.m. before generation is ramped up for the evening. There have been some extremely large stripers and walleye near our dock. Trout fishing has been excellent. Guides and boaters are catching large rainbows and cutthroats. Fly-fishing is incredible. Just about anything will work – brown or olive woolly buggers, San Juan worms and pheasant tails are killing the trout. Come now while it is hot.


http://www.agfc.com/fishing/fishing-reports.aspx