Arkansas Fishing Reports 5/22/2013

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During the past week, we have had a couple of minor rain events, warm temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose one and eight tenths feet to rest at nine and one tenth feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty one and nine tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose two tenths of a foot to rest at two feet above power pool and fourteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one and two tenths feet to rest at two and six tenths feet above power pool or seven feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, we have had significant generation and no wadable water. Norfork Lake rose three tenths of a foot to rest at five feet above power pool of 553.75 feet or twenty one and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. On the Norfork, we have had wadable water most days. The lakes in the White River system are all above the top of power pool and we are getting much more generation. I expect this trend to continue for the next few weeks.

Our major mayfly hatch, the sculptures, is just beginning to come off. This is a size fourteen yellow/orange aquatic insect. Before the hatch, concentrate on fishing mayfly nymphs. My favorite is the copper John. When you observe fish feeding near the surface but see no insects, the trout are keying in on the emerges. The best fly for this phase is a partridge and orange soft hackle. Then, when you observe insects on the surface of the water and trout keying in on them, you switch over to the adult insect fly. My hands down choice is the sculpture parachute (size fourteen).

On the White, we have had no wadable water. The hot spot has been the section from White Hole down to Wildcat Shoals. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. Midday can be slow. The hot flies were 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 nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise).

Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are navigable. With spring here, the smallmouth's are active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Closer minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

There has been wadable water on the Norfork almost every day. The action has picked up somewhat. With no wadable water on the White, it can get crowded, particularly on the weekends. You should fish early or late to avoid the crowds. The most productive flies have been small (size 20 or smaller) midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and Dan’s turkey tail emerge or soft hackles like my green butt or the partridge and orange. There has also been a sparse hatch of very small mayflies; reliable hatches of midges (try a size 22 parachute Adams for both) and some smaller caddis (size 16). The crane flies have been hit or miss (try a size fourteen light Cahill or a partridge and yellow soft hackle). Olive woolly buggers have also accounted for a lot of trout. The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

Dry Run Creek has fished well. The hot flies have been sowbugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Use at least 4X tippet to increase your chances of landing these big fish. Carefully handle and release all trout. Take the biggest net that you can lay your hands on. Some of these fish are huge. While you are there take a few minutes to tour the adjacent Norfork National Fish Hatchery. It is fascinating. Be sure and remove your waders, before entering, to prevent the spread of aquatic diseases.

The water level on the Spring River is fishable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season will soon begin and the canoeists can a problem. Fish the upper river at the Lassiter Access to avoid them. Be sure to wear cleared boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.

Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymium, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over thirty years.

Greer's Ferry
Updated: 5/22/2013
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 461.03

Outflow: 2601

The water level at Greer's ferry lake is at 463.06 and rising it is 1.02 feet above normal pool of 462.04 and the temp is in the middle 70’s during the day.

Crappie fishing is still going good with fish being caught shallow and out to 20 feet of water on jigs and minnows.

The white bass fishing is on and off day to day with fish being caught from 15 feet out to 50 feet, try spoons , in-line spinners and swim baits.

Catfishing is good all over the lake with the blues spawning , jugs and line both working well.

Bream fishing is good with bedding fish all over the lake, on crickets and crawlers.

The bass fishing is pretty fair with fish scattered every where , spawning fish ,fish on the shad spawn and also up chasing bream, some have made it out deep with more to follow soon.

Hello everybody! The bass fishing continues to be great. We are seeing lots of good stringers and fish being brought in. The bass are in spawn mode or post spawn mode mostly. We watched a couple of spotted bass spawn right here next to the ramp to the office yesterday. They went at it for several hours. The water temperature is finally starting to rise around the lake. See this chart - water temperature . As you can see the water temp is up in the mid 60's on the surface. Not much change in the fishing patterns. We still haven't seen a major walleye bite yet. Very disappointing for this year. The ones that are being caught are in 20 to 25 foot of water. We never did have a shallow bite on the stick baits this year. The water temp zig zagging had to affect it.

BASS Spring patterns working now. Carolina rigging a lizard in 5 to 15 feet of water. With the water being clear the natural colors should work better. The hula grub, gitzit, tube jig, salt craw, all types of plastic baits can catch fish. These can be worked in 5 to 20 feet of water depending on where the fish are that day. Crawfish colored crankbaits are catching fish on windy banks. Cloudy days also seem to help the shallow patterns Spinner baits on cloudy windy banks. Mostly natural colors in clear water and bright colors in dingy water Stick baits such as the rebel, rogue, x-rap, are starting to catch some fish. I dot think we are going to have a shad kill this year so this pattern might not be as effective as normal. the old jig-n-frog combinations seem to be catching bass in 5 to 25 feet of water. The trailer can be a variety of things such as any type of plastics. live minnows on a simple split shot rig in 5 to 20 feet of water. slow retrieve of any type of artificial minnow bait. Winter patterns still working Alabama rigs- this bait works well in cold water rigged with some type of plastic minnow pattern bait. White Twin spins on the bluffs - this also simulates and dying shad and may not be as effective as colder years. Swimming a black jig-n-eel. I am not sure why this works or what it simulates but the old timers use to throw this a lot back in the day in the winter. Spooning in 10 to 50 feet of water under the shad balls. This works better on a bright sunny no wind day.

WHITE BASS - casting anything that looks like a shad or minnow. Working it 5 to 30 feet deep back in the creeks. Very slow retrieval. Spoons, jigs, road runners, shad raps, white plastic baits, ect. jigging a spoon will also catch white bass in 20 to 30 foot deep water.

Walleye - Stick baits such as the X-rap, rogue, rebel in shallow water at night or close to dark. Minnows colors seem to be the best.

Crappie - Small minnows around brush piles small 1/16 ,1/32, 1/64 oz jigs around the brush piles.

As of Monday 13 May, the lake level is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. There is reduced current in Little River. The Largemouth Bass and Crappie bites, have begun an improving trend over the past week with improved water clarity and temperature. Little River's oxbows over the past week have began clearing with the reduced pool and current. Surface water temps crept upward again over the past week.

Majority of Largemouth Bass are post spawn, and the topwater bite continues to improve.

Surface temps as of Monday 13 May are ranging 69ºF early to 77ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday 13 May is currently is 259.43 mfsl, and steady, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 2,798CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 225.48 mfsl.

Clarity and visibility drastically improved over the past week. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-20 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 10-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current of Little River, albeit, with light stain, ranging approx 2-3 feet depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

The USACE upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is complete and River Run East park at the spillway is now open.

To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Tony Porter at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office. To receive project updates, daily lake level information updates, gate release flows, tailwater information, park and campground information, or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

Largemouth Bass: The bass, over the past week, improved their attitude toward topwater surface feeding, since most Largemouth are post spawn. Best bite of the day currently is running from daylight hours through mid-afternoon. Males and female bass have already completed most of their annual spawning activities over the past 3-4 weeks.

The bite continues to improve into Largemouth summer routines. Best bite is occurring around daybreak, and best reaction baits lately continue to be buzz baits, Spooks, Spitn' Images, Chug Bugs, Pop-R's and Bass Assassin Shads. Frogs are beginning to draw strikes around new lily pad growth. Buzz Baits in Casper Ghost, Blue Glimmer, or Black Bayou colors are getting reaction strikes from solid Largemouths at dawn. Chatterbaits in white shad, lizards in blackberry or green pumpkin, Yum Dingers in watermelon red, and War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Spot Remover or blue herring continue getting good reactions over the past couple weeks. Largemouths continue hitting the Rat-L-Traps in Transparent or Spring Bream colors in clearer water of the oxbows, around 6-8 foot drop-offs of flats with stumps nearby. 6" to 10" worms, and plum or junebug/red are working near old bedding areas around cypress.

Bass Assassin Shads in salt and pepper, baby bass, and gizzard shad colors have been taking some nice size bass as well, up Little River in the oxbows around vegetation lines and lily pads. Eager Beavers in June Bug or Watermelon Candy colors continue working along drop offs from flats into the stumps from 5 to 9 feet deep in the better water clarity areas.

Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs in VooDoo, June Bug, and Baby Gator colors with black and blue or pumpkinseed craw trailers continue working for 14-18" Largemouths on cypress trees, knees, and stumps in 5-8 foot depths around patches of sawgrass and where alligator weed is in close proximity to cypress trees.

White Bass: have finished their annual spawning runs up Little River near Patterson shoals. Whites are roaming the deeper sections of Little River now, and Rat-L-Traps in Chrome / black or chrome/blue back and Millwood Magic; or crankbaits in shad patterns are randomly working between White Cliffs and Highway 71 bridge.

Crappie: continue improving around cypress trees and some are finishing their annual spawning rituals. Several Crappie in the 2-3 pound range have been caught over the past week moving from bedding areas back toward creek channels and depressions between 8-12 feet depths on jigs and tubes in white, white/red, and hair jigs in white & gray w/ silver tinsel.

Cats: Channel Cats and Flatheads are good on trot lines with chicken hearts, gizzards, and livers, blood bait, and cut shad in the outer bends of Little River placed from 8-12 feet deep.

Surface temps as of Monday 13 May currently ranging 69ºF early to 77ºF later in the afternoon hours, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday 13 May, is currently is 259.43 mfsl and steady, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool elevation. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 2,798 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 225.48 mfsl.

Clarity and visibility improved over the past week. As of Monday 13 May, on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges 10-20 approx inches. Little River's visibility ranges 10-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity are much better, albeit, with light stain, ranging approx 2-3 feet depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

The USACE upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is now completed. USACE has now opened River Run East facility on the east side of the spillway below the dam. All other USACE parks around Millwood Lake project are operating normally with a few specific campsites being worked on and some minor dead tree & debris removal.

To volunteer for one of the clean-up dates, to receive ramp or campground and park project updates, daily lake level information and project release flow updates, or tailwater information, call Tony Porter at the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

Wear your Life Jacket and kill switch!! If you are suddenly or unexpectedly thrown from your boat, it could be your only chance of survival. Use caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, SLOW DOWN, and pass friendly to other boaters! As always, careful watch for any random floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD and kill switch is a requirement!

Visit with us on our website and on Facebook, for the most current Millwood Lake fishing report, updated weekly. See some great catch and release photos, sponsor links, tons of great information and resources on the lake available to you, along with excellent related direct links to Arkansas' State Parks, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Black Bass Program, The US Army Corps of Engineers, Arkansas.com and tons more great fishing stuff....

Blue gill fishing on Norfork Lake has been good using crickets and red worms fishing along the bluffs in deep water.

Crappie fishing has been fair using minnows fishing in the deep water around brush. Bass fishing has been fair. As the water cools fishing will continue to pick up

Norfork Lake fishing has been on fire since my last report on 5/8/13. Fishing was good 9 days ago and has only gotten better. I anticipate that fishing will continue to improve with top water action getting better and better. I have been using 3 main baits.

A fluke or bass assassin with a 5/0 worm hook un-weighted, a Heddon Zara Spook junior size and live shad. You can use large shiners if you don't have a shad tank.

Rogues, or a similar type of suspending jerk bait, are working the best for walleye. The best bite has been at sunrise and at sunset. If you are fishing mid-day, you may need to go a little deeper for all species.

A jig & pig has been working well for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass for one of my guests.

All species are showing up in the same areas. It is fun to go out fishing without really knowing what you are going to catch. I just love this time of our fishing year! Fish are being found from the mouth of the major creeks to half way back into the creeks. Some fish have started to move out to the main lake points. This is still slow to happen, but it won't be long.

The shad are in the buck brush possibly spawning. As I have said before, find the shad and you will find fish. I have found shad just going crazy on the shore because the fish have them cornered and are having a buffet.

Overall the best bite has been for largemouth, smallmouth & spotted bass.

Striped bass and hybrid are probable the next best bite with white bass, catfish, walleye and crappie rounding out the species being caught. Look for points in the creeks with sunken brush and I bet you will find a few catchable fish. Norfork Lake is rising very slowly and currently sits at 558.8. The surface water temperature is also rising slowly and was in the mid to upper 60's this morning. The main lake is gin clear with some of the major creeks somewhat stained.

The stripers are still waiting on the weather, the water temp is in the mid-sixties and now starting on the way up.

We should see 70 degree water by the weeks end and the shad should spawn.

Once the shad begin spawning the stripers will move to the clear lake points to feed on the shad. Right now the bite has been slow. There are some fish being caught off the points in the Cranfield area but its hit or miss. I caught fish near the dam off the clear water points on Monday, Thursday & Friday but Sat. & Sun. the fish were gone. The top water bite should begin once the south winds start. Look towards the end of this week to see a big improvement in fishing.

The lake level is 558.2, up 1-1/2 ft. and the water temp was in the upper 60's till this cold front and it dropped back to the low 60's. There were a few fish coming up earlier in the week when the water started warming up busting baitfish.

The night bite is picking up throwing rouges for stripers and hybrids and a walleye or two.

Some bass are on beds. They are hitting swim baits, spooks , pop-r's, Carolina rigs, soft jerkbaits, and jigs. Checkout the Norfork Lake Chamber website for details on the Fishing Derby.