Fishing Report – February 20, 2013
White River
(Updated 2-12-2014) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said brown trout are fair close to the dam. That’s about all the information they’ve gathered due to the lack of anglers.
(Updated 2–5-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the hot spot during the low water over the weekend was opening day in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers, 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 cerise or pink San Juan worm with a midge pattern suspended below it). The Corps of Engineers has been running significantly more water during the week, improving streamer fishing. Use an 8-weight fly rod, a heavy sink tip fly line and large articulated streamers. The idea is to bang the bank and strip the fly back to the boat. Some effective patterns are sex dungeons and circus peanuts.
Buffalo River
(Updated 2-5-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 2-5-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable. With the cold temperatures, the smallmouth are very inactive. 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 657.96 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).