White River

(Updated 11-19-2013) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said trout fishing has been excellent, except for a couple of days when the high winds were making boating difficult. These high winds also made fly fishing hard, but small midges seemed to be working well. When the wind was not too fierce, drift-fishing Power Bait or shrimp was working very well, as were small spinners and Rapala crankbaits.
(Updated 11-27-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said during the past week, we have had a rain event, much colder temperatures and heavy winds (to include lake wind advisories). On the White, we have had higher levels of generation in the morning and lower generation in the afternoon. There has been no wadable water. The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed until Jan. 31, 2014 for the brown trout spawn. The state park is catch-and-release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period. The hot spot has been the section from White Hole down to Wildcat Shoals. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. The hot flies were Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small beadhead pheasant tail suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). Some anglers have been fishing large streamers on the heavy flows with success. This requires heavy sink tip lines (250 grain or heavier), heavy rods (8 weights or better) and advanced casting skills. The hot flies have been large articulated streamers in various colors.

Buffalo River

(Updated 11-27-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are extremely low. With colder temperatures, the smallmouth are much less active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

Crooked Creek

(Updated 11-27-2013) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are extremely low. With colder temperatures, the smallmouth are much less active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

Bull Shoals

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 656.58 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
(Updated 11-06-2013) Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said the lake is turning over as it usually does this time of year. The water temperature is around 70 degrees on the surface and in the low 60s all the way down to 45 to 50 feet. The thermocline was around 45 feet and moving down. Topwater lures are working fairly well for bass over 10 feet of water. Mustard- or watermelon-colored soft-plastic tubes are working fairly well in the middle of the day in 10 to 15 feet of water. On cloudy days, a spinnerbait in natural colors is working well on windy banks. No report on white bass. Walleye are fair on nightcrawlers bottom-bouncing rigs and split-shot rigs in 30 to 40 feet of water. Crappie are fair on small minnows and 1/16- through 1/64-oz. jigs around brush piles.