Bull Shoals

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 657.57 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).

White River (Bull Shoals Tailwater)

Newland’s Resort below Bull Shoals said water conditions have been on the low side with a few days being the exception. Popular baits for anglers have been frozen shad, nightcrawlers and sculpins. Brown maribou jigs and Rapalas have worked fairly well. Be sure to visit the Projected Water flow page and live web cam at Newland’s web site.
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and at normal level. Generators have been running during the week. Trout are fair on shrimp, pink trout worms and Power Bait. The larger brown trout are being caught on jigs, Rapalas and Rattlin Rogues.
Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the hot spot was the section from Rim Shoals down to Buffalo Shoals. 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). We have seen our first major caddis emergence of the year. Though it was sparse and the trout did not key in on them, it is a harbinger of spring and a promise of what is to come. This is our best hatch of the year. Before the hatch fish green caddis pupa size 14. You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the trout move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers, switch over to a green butt soft hackle size 15. When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern size 14.