White River in July
I, Al Harper, embarked on an angling excursion to the White River in Arkansas 7/29-31/24. To improve my odds of success, I sought the advice of FATC member and Gasville, AR resident Mike Enger about the local situation and fishing options this time of year.
The weather was perhaps as hot and dry as it had been all summer. Bull Shoals Lake, which provides the water for the White was at a healthy level thanks to frequent rains and a judicious water release policy. But the need to generate power in the hot afternoons when area residents crank up the air conditioning means minimal flow in the morning and a torrent of water in the afternoons turning what looked like a small stream into a muscular river quickly.
Recreational fishing is big business in AR. How big? A 2016 AR Game & Fish Commission report said 751 thousand anglers spent $818 million while fishing statewide that year. And even though that seems impressive, power generation still takes precedence over the tailwater release fishermen might like to have.
Those of us wishing to wade fish or float the river have to allow for the energy dominated water release. To help discern how much water we will be dealing with there are websites by the U.S. Department of Energy Southwest Power Administration.
Thanks to his experience fishing the White and other rivers, Mike is adept at deciphering the release schedules and interpreting the impact on various sections of the river one might be fishing.
My first day fly fishing on the White this trip began with minimal flow but there was still enough to push an inflatable drift boat downstream at a pretty good clip while I tried various flys and techniques. The float I had in mind was 7 miles long and I hoped to get a boost in the current around midday through an increased release from Bull Shoals dam. It was still, quiet and beautiful early on and while the catching for me didn’t take off till late morning it continued pretty well into the early afternoon. I ended up netting 14 trout.
Guide boats and privately owned or rented fishing boats motored up and down the river all day but drifting at a slower pace allowed me to quietly observe an occasional rise and locate small pods of trout to pursue.
Anchoring above or within faster ripples and casting streamers and emergers downstream payed off with some catches. Nymphing or casting dry flys while drifting solo is fairly challenging and doing so with a rapid water flow can be very difficult without another person on the oars to keep the boat properly positioned.
Many sections of the White are straight enough to make a solo float somewhat doable, at least with a moderate water release. Guides marketing their services to fly fishermen, of course, are themselves the dedicated oarsmen.
The push of water I hoped for didn’t catch up with me before I reached my takeout, so I did more oaring than planned. And with temps rising, a handful of chilly river water down the back of my collar every once in a while really felt good.
The next day, I decided to join Mike wet wading at Roundhouse Shoals below the town of Cotter. We marched into cool, crystal clear water sometimes waist deep and cast flys toward the far bank. Visibility was limited early on from rising water vapor (condensation). One sees that a great deal on the cool White. As morning turned to afternoon, Mike scored about 8 bows with olive wooly buggers he had tied that featured extra puffy tails.
Mike acknowledged a willingness to share his insights about how an angler, particularly one who hasn’t fished the White (or the nearby Norfork), might approach fishing here. One suggestion he made was to allow enough time to become a little familiar with the area and the options available. For instance, in addition to the world class trout fishing on the White, an excellent smallmouth fishery, Crooked Creek, flows into the White about 25 miles below the dam and offers nice wading and drifting opportunities.
There are, of course, many guides for hire and good local fly shops that can advise and direct someone new to the area. But for anyone wanting to put forth a little effort and creativity, catching fish here is by no means dependent upon paying for professional expertise.
Figuring out the “projected” water release schedules, while not terribly difficult, is important if one will be wade fishing. And it is helpful to remember that Southwest Power isn’t obligated to follow their release to the letter (though it usually does). Here’s the SWPA website: Southwestern Power Administration | Department of Energy
Figuring out ways to keep public access to rivers is important also. Mike has introduced the concept locally of a group of anglers purchasing inexpensive indemnity policies for the owners of riverfront property who are worried about liability when fishermen access their land.
A final thought is that for those who fish here, there is always the chance of hooking into the fish of a lifetime. Mike caught a really huge brown a few weeks ago on a Sulphur fly on the White. Lunker catches happen here frequently enough to keep many anglers returning. Good fishin’ to ya.
