As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 651.71 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 659.00 msl).

(updated 11-16-2016) Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock reported weather in the 70s, been hot for this time of year. The temperature is beginning to come down, it’s been mid 60s in the morning. Back in the creeks, they cool off at night. Water is coming down and they pretty much have got the lake to themselves. Couple of different patterns are working. Early in morning a bit of a topwater bite is working, on points with wind, the gravel points with deep water nearby. Throw a Sammie or a Zara Spook. That bite will go on and off throughout the day, if you’re at the right place it will go on all day pushing the baitfish up. They are using the channels to go back to the creeks following the baitfish. Pay attention to your graph, pay attention to the birds. They’ve got a lot of seagulls and loons on the lake now. They’re not going to get too far away from the baitfish. If you start graphing fish if you come along the channel swing going back into the creeks, you can pick up a few spooning or dropshottng. That bite is anywhere from 20-45 feet.

Lot of Kentuckies, some largemouth mixed in, some smallmouth. They’re all in there feeding on those baits. The big fish bite has been on the jig. A perch-colored jig, jewel jig, Green Pumpkin, orange, those are primarily what’s been working. For a trailer, use a Aoom trailer or Camper Crawl. If the conditions are right and you get in the back of the creeks, you have to have a couple of things — baitfish and a little bit of dirty water helps. Very back In the flats, the baits are going to change up a little bit. Wouldn’t even pick up a spinner up until you see the water’s dirty. The War Eagle Sexy Mouth is working well. In the back there too, a squarebill’s working. This is shallow, 6 inches of water to 5 feet, anything in that range is what you’re looking for. They are either right up there in the backs or right out or it. As you’re moving out, the first channel swing or first steep back, they’re going to be stacked up there if they’re not on the flat. If they aren’t there, keep moving. If conditions are right, the Rock Crawler is starting to come into play. Keep it parallel along the shoreline. You want to have a little bit of wind and keep the boat in 8-10 feet of water and make that long parallel cast down the shoreline. If it gets a little tough out there, go back to the ol’ Shaky Head. If you’re into clear water, get a watermelon red Zoom Trick Worm. In dirty water go with a Green Pumpkin. You’ll pick up a lot of fish throwing the Shaky Head right now. With the water temperature cooling down, those fish are starting to move back up and fishing is good. You just gotta keep going. Still catching a few on the Whopper Plopper, that’s kind of been sporadic, but that’s another big fish bait. If you get back in there you’ll see those big gizzard shads swimming in there. Just get back there and cover ground, and that can pay off with a big fish.