White River

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said rainbow trout are biting well on shrimp. Some nice brown trout have been caught lately on jigs and stick baits.

Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said we had significant generation and no wadable water. 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 most prolific hatch of the year, the Rhyacophilia caddis, is on the wane a bit. Our major mayfly hatch, the sulphurs, are next to come off. 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 emergers. 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 sulphur parachute (14). On the White, we have had no wadable water. The hot spot has been the section from Wildcat Shoals down to Cotter. 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 beadheaded nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise).

Buffalo River

Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo River is navigable, but with the impending rain I would carefully monitor the water level before venturing out. With spring here, the smallmouth are beginning to get active. Look for water temperatures over 55 degrees.

Crooked Creek

Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek is navigable, but with the impending rain I would carefully monitor the water level before venturing out. With spring here, the smallmouth are beginning to get active. Look for water temperatures over 55 degrees.

Bull Shoals Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 661.39 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl)..

Mike Worley’s Guide Service said the water temperature is in the mid-50s to low 60s. Bass fishing is pretty good most days with stick baits, grubs and lizards in less than 20 feet of water. White bass are biting on shad-colored jigs, spinners and crankbaits in the backs of the creeks with colored water on windy days. Walleye have mostly finished spawning and are moving to chunk rock banks in less than 20 feet of water; they are starting to bite on spinner rigs, stick baits and crankbaits.