Fishing's heating up on all area lakes and streams, bow hunting is open and today is opening for Canada Goose hunting. Fall is in the air!!
Lake Taneycomo, Phil Lilley
Not a whole lot has changed in the past week here in southwest Missouri except a little rain on Saturday. Well, a lot of rain. Monett is cleaning up after local flooding, which is a town not too far down the road. Looking on our lake level page - SPA's Generation Site - I see that our area lakes rose from six inches to two feet. Taneycomo officials ran water all day Saturday and into the night, which turned out to be a huge blessing to those who fished Sunday. The rain washed muddy water and trash into the lake from creeks in the upper end, but the generation moved it on down lake. Sunday morning we had nice clear water greeting us, and fishing was pretty fulfilling for our anglers here.
Table Rock and Beaver lakes came up about six inches which was nothing to be alarmed about. We should not see any change in generation patterns this week because of the rains. But with more rain in the forecast, you never know what may happen.
Today's generation, Monday, usually dictates what we MIGHT see the rest of the week. The Southwest Power Administration chart reported no water would run until late this afternoon -- but nothing doing. One unit was running early and another unit was added about noon. Right now there are at least two units running. One nice thing about this hard generation is that it will clean out the lake a bit. So it's hard to say what the generation will be the rest of the week.
This morning Guide Bill Babler reported catching a lot of rainbows drifting from Fall Creek down to Trout Hollow using night crawlers. His clients caught their limits early and then caught and released the rest of the morning. Bill said their rainbows were good quality and fought hard. So if the water is running, this technique would be worth a try.
Yesterday, there was no current all morning. Guides reported doing very well using small micro jigs in tan or olive from the former KOA Campground site down to past Fall Creek, fishing them with two-pound line and four- to five-feet deep. There are two ways to work these -- let them sit with no movement or twitch them just a tiny bit every 10 seconds. Trout don't seem to be drawn by too much movement.
The normal Gulp Power Baits are still working. The Missouri Department of Conservation stocked twice last week and there seem to be plenty of rainbows caught in front of and off our dock here at Lilleys' Landing.
As far as fly fishing below the dam, well, I heard several reports from Sunday . . . one good and some bad. The good one was a guy stripping woolies off the point at the big hole; he did well, and he said others were catching trout, too. But others fishing below the big hole down to the former KOA said it was very slow. Farther down towards Lookout and below fishing picked back up and was excellent for most of the morning but slowed down in the afternoon after the water started.
Here's a beautiful rainbow in anyone's book... John Sappington, area fishing guide, had been working on this trout for 2 days, he said. She was nosed up in outlet #1 just below the dam on Lake Taneycomo... right in the flume running into the lake from the hatchery.
A #16 tan scud got her attention and wham... the fight was on.
But the big sow was too big to fight. She came it fairly easy. John and a fishing buddy, dropped to their knees as he pulled the trout to the bank and corralled it so that it wouldn't slip back into the lake.
After measuring her and taking a few pictures, it swam back into the lake, may be to be caught again.
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White River, John Berry
During the past week, we have had cool temperatures and a succession of significant rain events, which raised all of the lake levels on the White River system. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose four and nine tenths of a foot to rest at five and two tenths of a foot above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is thirty five and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake rose one and five tenths of a foot to rest at two feet above power pool or fourteen feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one and five tenths feet to rest at six tenths of a foot above power pool or nine feet below the top of flood pool.
We had some long windows of no generation during the past week. This created some excellent wading. On some days, drift fishing was very limited. Norfork Lake rose three and four tenths of a foot to rest at four and eight tenths of a foot above power pool of 552.00 feet or twenty three and two tenths feet below the top of flood pool. There has been little generation on the Norfork with plenty of wading available.
Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than twenty four inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and Norfork Rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout.
The fishing in the Catch and Release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been much better this week. The rains caused some off color conditions down stream and this was the only clear water for several days. With the low level flows, it was difficult to navigate around all the new habitat structures recently installed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Corps of Engineers. Midge patterns have been the ticket. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead, the red zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. On moderate flow brightly colored San Juan worms (red, cerise and hot fluorescent pink) and egg patterns (orange and yellow) have been the go to flies.
Wildcat Shoals has hit or miss. On low water days, when the water was relatively clear the black zebra midges have been the go to nymph, the hot flies have been the partridge and orange soft hackle and the green butt. Dan’s turkey tail emerger and the olive woolly bugger were also effective. This is a broad shallow shoal that can provide limited wading on low levels of generation. Be very careful, as there is a lot of bedrock in this area, which can be treacherous to wade. Studded boots are highly recommended. It did not fish well on those days when it was severely stained.
Rim was also hit or miss due to the runoff from the heavy rains we encountered. The hot flies have been the black zebra midge with silver wire and silver bead in size sixteen, prince nymphs in size sixteen and beadhead sowbugs size fourteen. Other flies, specifically hot pink fluorescent San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers accounted for some large fish. If you encounter high water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee.
Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are high and off color. Give them a few days to clear. The cooler temperatures have moderated the water temperature. The hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. The White River below Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River is stained and fishing poorly.
The Norfork River has fished a bit better this past week. With wadable water on the White the river was not as crowded as it has been. On low water, small midge patterns have been the ticket. Try black zebra midges, Norfork beadheads in black or olive and Dan’s turkey tail emerger. Soft hackles like the green butt and the partridge and orange have been effective. On sunny windy days the grasshopper has been particularly effective. Use nine foot 4X leaders and carefully work the banks. Drop the fly on the water with a plop and give the fly a twitch from time to time, to initiate a vicious strike. The best patterns have been Dave’s hoppers and Rainey’s hoppers. It should be noted that, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to resurface the parking lot at the ramp at Quarry Park beginning on September 24, and ending on October 9. The ramp will be closed during this process and the area will effectively be closed to fishing. This will leave the Ackerman Access as the only access open on the Norfork River.
There are some spawning rainbows in the Catch and Release section. You should avoid fishing for them to allow them to reproduce naturally. We could use some more wild rainbows. Also avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel.
Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange). Be sure and bring a large net and a camera. The habitat improvement project for Dry Run Creek has begun. If you go down there, you will see trucks or cranes operating in the stream. The fish are still there but it is important to avoid the areas under construction. This project will enhance angling opportunities for the handicapped and improve the creeks fish handling capacity.
The Southern Council Conclave is to be held in Mountain Home next week and there will be a lot of out of town anglers fishing our local streams. Remember that the White and Norfork Rivers are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Be sure and thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water.
Eleven Point River Article, John Berry
Lori and I were hoping to take a trip out west to do some serious fishing this year but we have just been too busy guiding. When Brian Sloss dropped me a line and asked if we would like to float the Eleven Point River in his drift boat, we jumped at the chance. We knew next to nothing about the Eleven Point and I have not fished from a drift boat in several years. Lori had never fished from one. It was exactly the type of adventure we were looking for, a day trip that held the promise of good fishing. It would also be a good alternative for high water.
We left Cotter around seven AM and arrived at Brian’s shop, Eleven Point Canoe Rental, in Alton, Missouri a little before nine. It took a few minutes to acquire a couple of one day fishing permits for seven dollars each and a few flies that Brian suggested. We loaded our gear into his van and headed for the river. While he was launching the boat, Lori and I rigged up our rods. We used five weight rods and tied on large stone fly nymphs (size 8), heavy 4X tippet, a bit of lead and set the depth on the strike indicator at around five or six feet deep. I fished double stone flies at Brian’s suggestion.
The weather was near perfect. The temperature was mild with an expected high of around seventy two degrees and we had cloud cover all day. Rain was in the forecast. In fact, we opted to wear waders just to have some rain protection and we carried rain jackets. It should be noted that we didn’t see a single drop of rain while on the river but we did encounter a light shower on the drive home.
The float was to take us through the top five and a half miles of a trophy trout section of the Eleven Point River that began at Greer Springs. We both caught nice trout within a few feet of the ramp, an omen of what was to come. Lori and I were both impressed with the size and the ferocity of the fight. Both bows were around sixteen inches, fat and sassy. We continued our journey down stream. We caught fish after fish. All were in the fourteen to eighteen inch slot.
While I generally think that a White River Jon boat is the best craft for floating the White and Norfork Rivers, I found the Drift boat to be the perfect fishing platform for the Eleven Point. Most people fish it from a canoe. I just do not see how you could catch as many fish as we did, while paddling a canoe. Brian and a friend had built this boat. It was good looking and featured mahogany appointments and was roomy and stable. Lori took the front and I took the back. There seemed to be no difference as to which was better for catching fish. We finished the day pretty much even in our catch rates.
Brian would hold us in position or run through a given section several times to allow us to fish particularly productive runs. After we drifted through them he would row back upstream in the quieter water on the opposite side of the river. We went through one section around seven times and landed one or more good trout on each pass. There were a couple of riffles where Brian jumped out of the boat and walked us through. This concerned Lori at first but she relaxed as soon as she hooked an eighteen inch rainbow. There were also a few spots where we got out of the boat and wade fished.
We stopped for lunch late. We had deli sandwiches with chips and soft drinks. We sat in the boat because it was comfortable and quick. Brian had brought chairs and a roll up table but Lori and I wanted to maximize our fishing time. We were back on the water quickly.
One thing that struck us was the overall beauty of the river and its surrounding scenery. There were limestone bluffs, riverside caves and colorful wild flowers on the banks. The other thing tat took us by surprise was the seclusion of the river. The section we floated lies entirely within Mark Twain National Forrest. During our float, we did not see another angler, house, road, bridge or any other sign of civilization. It was delightful!
The day drew to an end much too soon. We were still glad it was over because our arms were sore from the constant action and hard fighting fish. We caught well over fifty good trout. It had been an exhilarating day.
We arrived at the take out. We shed our waders and loaded our gear into our duffels while Brian loaded the boat. We drove back to the canoe rental and loaded our gear into my Volvo. We thanked him for a great day and headed back home. We did stop at Fred’s Fish House in Mammoth Springs for dinner on the way home. We were back in Cotter around eight PM.
As we drove home, Lori and I marveled at how the trip had exceeded our expectations. We were wowed by the beauty, seclusion and the overall quality of the fishing. Brian turned out to be a spectacular guide and worked hard to show us a good time. We are going to make this an annual fishing trip. If you want to go there yourself call Brian at (417) 778-6497 or www.11pointcanoe.com . I think you will love it as much as we did.
Stockton Lake, Bob Bennett
Level 868 and rising
temp 73
Sorry this is gonna be a little short but I have another trip in the morning and saturday and am running way behind.
Walleye are moving up on points on the main lake and up the rivers. Use rattletraps and crankbaits for the best bite. Keep the bait between 8-15 foot, but some of these fish will move shallower during cloudy days or early/late.
Bass have been biting crankbaits, baby 1-, and bandit 100 and 200's the best. Haven't got into a good spinnerbait bite yet, but it's any day now. Lots of shad in shallow water and the bass are starting to feed as the water continues to cool. It was only 73 today on the main lake. Top water bite is crazy good (is that a word) in the mornings. I'm hoping I don't oversleep and get on them early tomorrow. Pop r's and chug bugs seem to work best. don't know why the spook bite doesn't work, maybe it's spooking them. I don't know but I can't get them to bite it.
Crappie have moved to brush piles in 12-14 foot of water or around steeper banks. jigs and road runners work the best, but the minnow bite is always there.
Catfish are still excellent on flats up around the 39 bridge on sons creek. and up the sac river arm.
Sorry bout the condensed version, but got to get to bed.
Good luck to all and give me a call if your out there and need anything. 417-208-9535.
Greer's Ferry, Cody Smith
Hello All! The current lake level here at Greers Ferry is 462.4 feet and on the fall. Water surface temperatures are ranging from 71 degrees in the backs of feeder creeks and main tributary arms up to 78 degrees on the main lake. Overall fishing has been simply fantastic! All species are feeding heavily on bait fish of all size from 1 1/2" - 4" long. The game fish are keying in on these tasty little morsels at opportune times of the day, timing is everything right now here on the reservoir. With all the heavy rains as of late the water level came up two feet within a 48 hour period which put the fish that had already pushed to the backs of the creeks and pockets on standby for a short time. They have now turned back on and are feeding well.
Spotted bass (Kentucky's) are simply out of control right now, the fall bite is definitely on in a very big way when considering this species. These fish are in small to medium size schools and devouring anything that crosses there path. Start your search in the back of major and minor creek arms just off of the secondary points located half way too two thirds of the way back. When you pull up on a location and you have bait activity running in the flats, go WITH the BAIT! Once the action slows return to the primary drop in the back of the creek or these secondary point locations and you will continue to have success.
Our smallies are also getting in the mix on these secondary points along with our deeper main lake points and bluffs in the 15 - 22 foot zone. Some of the really big smallies in the 4 - 5 lb. class have been boated over the last couple of weeks. Again, if there is bait activity running... go with the bait. Spoons, Drop Shot rigs, blade baits, grubs and pop-r style baits should be considered when pursuing these fish when live bait is not an option. However, A whole night crawler rigged on a drop shot or 1/8 oz. lead head jig will get you on multi-species action in a hurry.
The Largemouth Bass are the one species that seems to really be spread out more than any other. I have located these fish in the newly flooded bush's at a foot deep as well as depths of 20 feet or more on big chunk rock with timber. Over the next week or so the deeper fish should be pushing shallower and if we hold some of this good water look at those bushes to become primary targets with top waters early then jigs, Texas rigged plastics and swim baits.
Ol` Mr. Walleye is starting show up more frequently with the drop in temperatures. Some of these eyes are holding on the ends of bluffy points with the largest concentration's being mixed with the hybrids and schools of other game fish that are feeding on the bait. Depths of 22 - 36 feet should be concentrated on when pursuing these fish. We have had some good luck as of late catching them on jigging spoons as well as the old trusty night crawler and lead head rig in these target depths either suspended or just off the bottom.
The hybrids and white bass have had better days than others. Cove Creek has been a hot spot for LOTS of anglers as well as fish. When the rains brought the reservoir up to current levels it moved the bait around and scattered the fish out as well. Now that we are on a slow fall these fish are going to be more predictable as the days go on. There is definately a good bite going at different location's around the lake every day, you simply have to be at the right place at the right time. The deeper spoon bite has been best, while there is some surfacing occuring in the mornings and evenings to capitlize on I've found the deeper fish are more dependable.
From now until the first couple of weeks of November is definitely the time to get out and enjoy our fine reservoir. There is very little recreational traffic on the water and days of high numbers and lots of action are upon us! Dates are filling fast for what is to be one of the best fall fishing seasons on record, contact me for rates and to set your guide trip up. If any of you have any questions regarding this report or our area please feel free to contact me and I'll get back with you as soon as I'm off the water.
Trout Troller Guide Service
501.691.5701
Little Red River & Greers Ferry Lake
