The water level at BullShoalsLake has remained fairly constant at two and three quarter feet above pool of 654.00 feet. Up stream, BeaverLake has dropped a bit to about one third of a foot above pool and TableRockLake has dropped over a foot to one and one half feet above pool. They have been generating a bit less at Bull Shoals Dam than before. They even turned it off for a brief period this past weekend. The pattern has been to run at low levels at night and in the mornings and then spike it with up to seven generators for a few hours in the afternoon. This has produced some limited wading opportunities. At Norfork, the Lake level has remained basically the same at two and three quarter feet above pool of 552.00 feet. The pattern has remained constant. There are a few hours of generation in the afternoon and low water the rest of the day. The lower levels of generation on the White River have been a boon to anglers. The Catch and Release area at the base of Bull Shoals Dam has been particularly hot. There has been a bit of dry fly action in the mornings when there is little or no generation. Good catches of sizable trout have been made on size twenty parachute Adams and larger terrestrials. When the generation picks up, you should switch to a size eighteen or smaller black zebra midge. Later in the day during high water switch again to brightly colored San Juan Worms. Hot pink, fire orange and bright red are the best colors. The Cotter area has been fishing a bit better. The hot fly here has been the sow bug. It is most effective in gray size sixteen. When the water is lower try soft hackles like the partridge and orange and the green butt. There has been a bit of top water action with the few remaining sulphurs but they are definitely on the wane. Down stream the section from Rim Shoals to Buffalo Shoals has been fishing well. The lower water has been productive especially on small zebra midges in black. One hot spot has been the Jenkins Creek area where olive woolly buggers have been working well. The bite is a bit slower on the high water but the San Juan Worms are working well in that area also. The Norfork has had some pretty predictable water with great wading conditions every day. The fishing has been better very early, before sun-up. The section below Norfork dam has been fishing well. There has been quite a bit of top water action on Sulphurs and terrestrials. Make sure that you carry some sulphur parachutes and ants into this area. The Catch and Release section has been a bit slow. The section just below it has been fishing much better. Though the fish are a bit smaller, there are definitely more of them. Try fishing zebra midges, small olive scuds, and partridge and orange soft hackles. In the deeper holes, try swinging an olive woolly bugger or a wool head sculpin. Make sure that you use plenty of lead and get them down on the bottom. If you wade down from the Handicap access, be sure and exercise great care. When the water comes up you will have to wade out against the current. The water can rise very quickly in this area. This problem is made worse by the frequent lack of reliability in the Dam Generation number maintained by the Corps of Engineers. I have personally been on the fishing pier at the Handicap access watching the water come up while listening to the recording tell me the dam was turned off and at the same time observe a hapless angler struggling across the channel. I hung up and raced down stream to help retrieve him when he stumbled and went swimming. Dry Run Creek has been fishing well. The key to success here is for the kids to not attempt any distance casting. Nymphing with a high stick technique will be more effective and keep the flies out of the trees. The hot flies are sow bugs, San Juan Worms, and eggs. Be sure to take a camera and the biggest net you have. Always practice water safety and check conditions before you leave home.
John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas. He has been fishing our local waters for over twenty five years.
