North Arkansas Fishing Reports

Beaver Tailwaters (White River) - The lake level is 1118.35 ft, just under the conservation pool of 1120.4 ft. Water releases are occuring early morning and afternoon with the heavier amounts being in the afternoon. Table Rock Lake is still above conservation pool making wading difficult in some areas. The fish are holding close to the bottom and are very spooky with the bluebird skies. Best fishing is occuring when there is a breeze to riffle up the water surface. Best flies are still midges, sowbug/scuds and very small Woolly Buggers. Gray and olive/brown are the best colors for the nymphs and olive or black are the best colors for the streamers.

King's River - The river level at the guage is 2.68 ft. with a flow of 61 cfs. This is low and floating is difficult in a lot of areas. Water temperatures are hitting the mid 80's in the afternoon. The best times for fishing are early morning and late afternoon/evening. Crawdad, minnow and topwater flies are all working. Make sure you are using flies big enough unless you want to catch a lot of sunfish. Clousers, Clouser darters and crazy dads are the best subsurface flies and poppers and sliders are the best top water flies.

Crooked Creek - The river level is 11.11 ft and 130 cfs at the Kelly Access. This is just over a foot below the low water bridge. Fishing has been very good for smallmouth with high numbers being caught. The normal smallmouth flies are working. Crooked is probably the best smallmouth stream right now. The water is a bit low but is still very floatable.

Buffalo River - The upper and mid sections of the river are extremely to very low right now and the lower section is low with the level at Hwy. 14 being 2.84 ft. and 196 cfs. Late evening and early morning are the best times to fish. Take time for a swim in the middle of the day. Streamers such as Clousers and KC's slider are working very well. Use colors that mimic the naturals in the river - tans, olives, white and gray.

Bull Shoals Tailwaters (White River) - The lake level is 655 ft. just about a foot still into the flood pool. Water releases have been light in the morning and higher in the afternoon due to the heat and more a/c's being on. Nymph fishing has been the best with midges and sowbug/scuds ruling. Best colors are gray, tan or olive. There has been some top water action with midges and small grasshoppers. Try throwing a midge dry such as a Griffith Gnat to rising fish. Where there is grass near the bank try plopping a small tan or olive hopper pattern near the bank. As the water rises streamers are picking up a few fish. Throw a sink-tip or full sinking line to keep your fly down in the water column.

Norfork Tailwater - With only a small bump, early in the morning and generation starting mid-afternoon, there is plenty of low water wade fishing. Indicator nymphing with a variety of flies is producing good numbers of fish. Humpback scud, BH Simple Sow, Fox squirrel nymph, BH Pheasant Tail, Zebra midge and small streamers; woolly buggers and .56er's are all working well at various times of the day. Always check the generation schedules before planning to fish the tailwaters and move to the safe side of the river when water starts to rise.