From Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

White River

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and low in the mornings. Trout are biting well in the mornings and tapering off during the heat of the day. The best bet for trout has been small pink worms and small spoons and spinners in the mornings.

Randy Oliver at www.randyoliverguide.com (901-832-1903) said average size rainbows are hitting corn and redworms this week in the deep holes with a clean bottom alongside the moss.

Guide Davy Wotton said fishing is good, despite the heat. Generators are coming online early, before 9 a.m. Before the generators begin turning, wade fishing is good. Once the flow starts, fishing from a boat is the only option. Midge, sow bug and scud imitations are working well, as are small dry flies before the sun rises too high. For boat drift fishing, you may experience trashy water until the rise has taken time to clear out. The early rise of water will provide for a good bite, as water levels increase the fish will often shut down until the rise has stabilized. For clean water then choices of flies to use will include prism, white tail and shimmer midge, sizes 14/16, various versions of San Juan worms, GRHE, PTNs, and other generic type nymphs. Some dry fly activity may be good early before sun and heat hits the water surface. Streamer bite has been good again early and late evening once the sun has left the water. Browns are now starting to move upstream and we are finding some zones that hold good numbers of fish.

Buffalo River

Just Fishing Guides said the water levels are: Ponca – 1.35 feet and 4.1 cfs; Pruitt – 3.17 feet and 6.5 cfs; Tyler Bend – 3.49 feet and 43 cfs; Buffalo Point – 2.32 feet and 91 cfs. The entire river is very low and wading or dragging a canoe is the only way to fish. The river flows are very low and care should be taken to not spook fish. Spin fishermen are doing well bottom bouncing tubes, lizards and brush hogs in watermelon and green pumpkin. For fly fisherman, try crazy dads, near nuff crawdad, near nuff sculpin, Clouser minnow and Shenks white streamer on both floating and sink-tip lines.

Crooked Creek

Just Fishing Guides said the gauge at Kelley’s Slab is reading 9.55 ft. and 4.3 cfs. This is really low water and poor floating conditions. Wade fishing is good for fly fishers using Clousers, Near Nuff Sculpins, Zonkers, Sneaky Petes and size 4-6 hopper patterns. Spin fisherman are doing well using tubes, lizards and baby brush hogs in watermelon and green pumpkin. Crawdad crankbaits and Tiny Torpedoes are also working well.. Try fishing away from the heat of the day. Best bets are early morning and early evening before dark.

Bull Shoals Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 684.48 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).

Mike Worley’s Guide Service bass are biting fairly well on soft plastics, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Top water lures and flukes are working well early in the morning. Walleye are biting well on crawler rigs, trolled crankbaits and jigging spoons in 20 to 40 feet of water. The lake level has dropped, but boats are still being launched from flooded roads as the ramps still flooded. Catfish are biting well on limb lines. Large bluegills are biting worms, meal worms and crickets.

Bull Shoals Tailwater

Just Fishing Guides said generation has been ramping up to 20,000 cfs by 9 a.m. and shutting down at midnight for approximately 5-6 hours. The past two days generators have been around the clock with 1-2 units overnight and increasing to 8 during the day. Drift fishing the rise, throwing medium-sized streamers 3-5 inches long is producing brown trout up to 20 inches. Also, try pounding the banks with hopper patters or hopper/dropper set-ups. Use copper johns, eggs and worm patterns for the dropper. Terrestrials (grass hoppers, beetles and ant patterns) are producing some nice fish as well.