Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report & Lake Conditions
by Ricky Eastwold and Crew at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock "We Rent Fun!"
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Current Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Hello everybody! There are a few changes going on finally. The water temperature is starting to warm up in to the mid to high 60's. The bass fishing is still great with lots of fish and good reports coming in. There are a lot of bass on the beds in this cove around the marina. We have been watching them spawn for the last week. Yes, it is a late spawn this year. One of the latest I have ever seen. It should be a good one too. The lake is 7-8 foot high still which means there is some brush in the lake along the shore line. This will give the small spawn a place to hide and survive. Another reason the spawn should be good is the higher lake level. Most species of fish are going to get to spawn while the water is a little high. There has been a few times in the past that the fish will try to spawn then the lake drops and their beds end up out of the water. This is not going to happen this year. The visibility is still really good and should continue to be for a while until the water temperature gets up there where the algae will start to grow.

I am finally getting some reports of walleye being caught. The bite has been around an hour either side of dark with the rogue-rebel-xrap stick bait. Also, I have been getting reports of the bottom bouncing with a night crawler during the day in 20 to 25 feet of water which is deeper then normal. They aren't usually that deep until the middle of June. What a strange walleye year. I have a good picture (click) of a walleye stringer caught yesterday with this pattern. I would also think split shoting a night crawler or drop shoting a night crawler might work for walleye. Everything else is pretty much the same. The white bass have slowed down a little and are starting to hit at night under lights. Still getting a few reports on crappie and seeing some catfish coming in jug fishing.

Until next time! 

Bass -   updated 5-19-13

The plastic patterns seem to be working the best. The mustard colored and watermelon colored tube jig (gitzit) is really hot.

 - Carolina rigging a lizard, brush hog, french fry, or finesse worm in 5 to 15 feet of water. With the water being clear the natural colors should work better.

- The hula grub, gitzit, tube jig, salt craw, all types of plastic baits can catch fish. These can be worked in 5 to 20 feet of water depending on where the fish are that day.

- Crawfish colored crankbaits are catching fish on windy banks. Cloudy days also seem to help the shallow patterns

  - Spinner baits on  cloudy windy banks. Mostly natural colors in clear water and bright colors in dingy water

- live minnows on a simple split shot rig in 5 to 20 feet of water.

- slow retrieve of any type of artificial minnow bait.

- split shot a night crawler in 5 to 20 feet of water.

White Bass - updated 05-19-13

Very few reports of white bass during the day night. The patterns below usually work this time of year. The night bite under lights is starting to work.

- Trolling minnow looking baits early in the morning and late in the day on the gravel banks back in the creeks.

- jigging a spoon will also catch white bass in 20 to 30 foot deep water back in the main lake pockets and coves.

- night fishing under lights is starting to produce some fish. 

Walleye - updated 05-19-13

- Bottom bouncing with night crawlers in 18 to 22 feet is producing some walleye.

- split shoting night crawlers in 18 to 22 feet is producing  walleye

- drop shoting night crawlers is producing in 18 to 22 feet of water.  

- Stick baits such as the X-rap, rogue, rebel in shallow water at night or close to dark. Minnows colors seem to be the best.

Crappie -

- Small minnows around brush piles

- small 1/16 ,1/32, 1/64 oz jigs around the brush piles.

White River:

NOTHING EVER CHANGES ON THE RIVER EXCEPT THE WATER LEVEL!  THE FISHING IS ALWAYS GREAT! This question gets asked a lot. "When is the best time to fish the river?" The answer is anytime. The water comes out of the bottom of the lake therefore it is always very cold. It doesn't have the temperature cycle of a normal body of water. It doesn't matter if its 100 degrees out or 10 degrees out. The water temperature stays the same within a few degrees, Therefore, the fishing is always the same and always good. Arkansas stocks the White River with rainbow trout year around so the fishing is good year around. The water level doesn't matter either, you just have to change how you fish. If the water is high then you usually drift and float fish, if its low then you anchor and still fish. Naturally, fly fishing is better when the river is low. So, come fishing whenever you can !

The river fishing has been great! Check out the 2012 picture page for photos of some big ones caught over the last couple of weeks. Nothing new on the patterns. --- Worms, night crawlers, power baits, salmon eggs, Count down Rapalas, spoons, rooster tails, jigs and just about any other type of trout bait or pattern you have heard of.

Come visit our expanded bait and Tackle department and good luck and good fishing to! 

FISHING -- INFORMATION -- FISHING

FISHING INFORMATION

Photos Of Recent & Past Bull Shoals Lake & White River Fish Catches
See what Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock customers caught on Bull Shoals Lake and the White River

Helpful Links

Road Condition Information For Arkansas
1.  http://www.arkansashighways.com/roads/roads.aspx
Web site detailing any road closings due to flooding or construction.

2. http://twitter.com/#!/AHTD
Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department on Twitter. Shows current road closing status.

3. Phone 501-569-2374 for a recording of Arkansas road closures

Surrounding States - Flooded & Closed Road Information
Links for Arkansas & surrounding State highway and road condition information and maps.

Local Weather & Lake Level Information

Bull Shoals Lake/White River Generation Levels
This shows both Bull Shoals Lake level and White River Level. "Elevation" shows the lake level as feet above mean sea level (ft-msl). "Tailwater" shows the river level as feet above mean sea level (ft-msl). "Release" is shown as cubic feet per second (cfs). Electrical "Generation" is shown as megawatt hours (mwh).

Projected Lake Levels
This simple text table shows what the Corps believes lake levels will be a few days into the future. Useful to fishermen and boaters who are familiar with area lake levels.

Daily Lake Projections
A table showing the current lake levels compared to past years. Also shows the lake level each morning, how full each lake is, the 24 hour change in level, and the average daily water releases in cubic feet per second (cfs). "SEAS/CONS POOL" stands for Seasonal Conservation Pool, which is a fancy term for normal. Looking at this table shows, for any given day, whether lake levels are above or below normal, and by how much. Finally it shows just how much water storage capacity is left within the entire water storage system.