Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report – July 6, 2016

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 660.93 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 659.00 msl).
(updated 7-6-2016) K Dock Marina (417-334-2880) reported the fishing has been really good the past week The milder weather really improved the bite. The Corps also began dropping the lake level, which has improve the parking on the boat launch dramatically.
Been seeing good-size walleye coming in every day. The are really eating a nightcrawler. Also had some huge limits of bass on the Tuesday night tournament. Surface temperatures were in the low 90s last week, so the crappie are deep and scattered. Some huge ones being caught on crankbaits while trolling for walleye.
Also seeing some good flathead catfish being caught on trot lines on live bluegill in the 8-15 feet range in the nearby coves. Water level last week was 661.1 and falling; water temperature was 85-88 degrees. Water was stained to clear. Black Bass are good on a variety of topwater plugs. (The hot bait that is working right now is the Whopper Plopper made by River to Sea.) Also good catches on a 10-inch plum or blue worm around structure and brush piles. Weedless plastics and jigs also working very well on banks with flooded brush. Walleye are good on dragging nightcrawlers on the flats and in front of coves. Also good on medium to large crankbaits in 20-25 feet of water. Crappie are slow on live minnows. Fair when trolling small to medium crankbaits. The surface temps have made the crappie go much deeper. Look for them suspended in 15-25 feet.
Catfish is good. Flatheads are biting on live baits such as bluegill on trotlines in coves, and are in the 10-18-feet range. Channel cats are good on jug lines.
(updated 7-6-2016) Bull Shoals Boat Dock reported that fishing patterns are finally changing into the basic summer patterns. The water temperature is in the 80s on the surface on the lake. There is a thermocline anywhere from the 22-30 feet level depending on who you talk with or what part of the lake you are at.
There is a lot of brush in the water on the shoreline still and the largemouth bass and catfish seem to be up in it.
The smallmouth bass are a little deeper on the gravel and chunk rock banks.
The spotted bass are in deeper water along the bluffs, timber and points.
The walleye are being reported in 15-30 feet of water by the fisherman. The good thing is that the divers are reporting seeing lots of bass, walleye and catfish. Seems like the lake is loaded with fish. Lake level is around the 662 mark and falling. Visibility is good with the divers reporting it to be 25-30 feet in most places.
Here are the fishing patters that are being reported:
Largemouth bass – topwater baits early and late, plastic worms in the brush, jigs in the brush, spinnerbaits after dark;
smallmouth bass – jigs and plastics in 10-20 feet of water outside the brush line. Split shot a nightcrawler same depth, parallel a crankbait outside brush line early and late;
spotted bass – drop shot plastic worm, jigging spoon, live nightcrawler, live crawfish in 25-35 feet of water off of steep drop-offs and points;
walleye – troll deep diving crankbaits in 15-20 feet of water, bottom bounce with nightcrawler in 15-30 feet of water, lead core trolling in 25-35 feet of water with longer stick baits, jigging spoon in 25-35 feet of water;
catfish – limb lining around the bank in the brush and trotlining in the coves;
white bass – haven’t seen many but would think under lights at night would work;
crappie – same thing, haven’t seen many, but would think night under lights would work.