From Arkansas Fish and Game Commission

White River

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and low with zero to two generators running. Trout fishing is excellent on trout worms fished on White River rigs and on spinners.

Guide Davy Wotton said fishing has been great, and water levels have provided both good wade fishing a drift fishing options. The dry fly bite is still good and well worth fishing at this time. Fish may be a little picky, so hoppers of different sizes and color, ants both black and red, stimulators, elk hair caddis and Wulf wing dries have all done well. Low water levels then options will be dry fly, midge, soft hackles, wet fly or combinations of two or more. Flies to consider include sow bugs, scuds, midge patterns such as white tails, prisms, shimmer, and zebra in sizes 14 to 22. During higher flows, fish prism midges and San Juan worms in red, tan, orange and pink. Soft hackles have been producing well fished in riffles and moving water. If fishing low water levels both at Bull shoals dam and Norfork, then midges in sizes 18 to 22, sow bugs and micro soft hackles are good bets. Browns are moving well upstream at this time, so location is the key as it will change day to day.

Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the fishing has been very good and very steady. With the low water being present for over a week, the fish are concentrated in the obvious places. The White River Zig Jig has been producing many fish. Make sure it gets close to the bottom before working it back in. Ginger and green have been top producers. The fly rod has been very effective as well. Green woolly buggers fished in fast water chutes/lanes/seams produce very well. Sinking line still produces better than floating.

Buffalo River

Just Fishing Guides said the river is very low from the headwaters to the Highway 14 bridge. Much dragging will be experienced. After the bridge, the water level is low but floatable. River level is 2.64 feet and flowing at 139 cfs near Harriet at the Highway 14 bridge. The really hot weather has pushed the best times for fishing to early morning and late evening. Soft plastics such as 4-inch Zoom lizards, baby brush hogs and tube baits in greens and brown shades are working best. Fly fishing is good with top-water flies in the evening and subsurface flies all other times. Crazy dads, Clouser minnows and muted colors of sparkle grubs are working best.

Crooked Creek

Just Fishing Guides said smallmouth fishing continues to be very good on the creek. Crawdad patterns bounced on the bottom along with Clouser minnows and KC’s Slider have been picking up some good fish.

Bull Shoals Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 652.99 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).

Mike Worley’s Guide Service said walleye, crappie and bass are following schools of shad out in the main lake. Trolling large deep-diving crankbaits in 30 to 40 feet of water is catching fish. There is also some surface activity. Fish can be found on deeper brush piles and will bite jigging spoons. Bluegills are bedding 30 feet deep and are biting on nightcrawlers.

Bull Shoals Tailwater

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides says generation has been low, with two generators running until 1 p.m., and then bumped up to five to eight units the rest of the day. Drift fishing has been good using various nymphs. Scuds, sow bugs, Copper Johns, BH Pheasant Tails, BH Caddis and San Juan worms, all fished under an indicator near the bottom with an occasional twitch are producing good numbers of fish.