The Catching is Improving: Water Temps Rise

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Water temps on Bull Shoals lake are rising and so are the temps coming through the dam.  The surface temps at the dam down to 5 feet are at 44.6 f.  and the D.O. (dissolved oxygen) is at 12.40.  At 65 feet the temp is at 43.9 with a D.O. at 11.80  At 140 feet the temps are at 41.5 and the D.O. is at 11.0 ppm.  The bite has improved over the past week with rising water temps and further down stream is even better unless generation is at zero.  The fish are sure liking zero generation and will take just about any fly presented to them.  As the water and air temps warm look for the caddis to begin emerging especially on no generation days.  If fishing on some lower flows caddis larvae and pupae will produce fish further down stream from partee shoals down to Buffalo shoals and that hatch will move upstream through the month of March as temps warm up.  Using 4 & 5 X tippet will increase the hook up rate.  On higher flows use 4X and on lower flows use 6X.  A combination of both flies wouldn’t be a bad idea or even a combo of a caddis pupae/larvae with a midge or worm will produce as well.    The annual Sow Bug Round up begins this thursday and folks are starting to arrive early to get some fishing in.  Above is Tom H from Lawrence Ks with a fish we caught late in the day.  His friend Bill is in the front of the boat and we did spend a short time on the water today.

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UPDATE:  Generation is scheduled to end this morning at 9:00 am.  According to the generation schedule.

Water levels along the river drop at different rates.  The closer to the dam you are the quicker the water levels will drop.  At the first shoal below the dam water will generally drop in 45 minutes to an hour and at due eddy shoals 90 to 120 minutes.  Generation has been off  since midnight and if only run for three hours should not back up and will drop out nicely.  If in fact the water is shut down as scheduled the fishing will be fantastic.  Look for caddis hatches from Partee shoals down.  A few caddis may be seen from Partee shoals just below Gastons Resort up to the dam.  A humpy with a dropper would be a good choice to fish in either slow or fast water.  An Anna K soft hackle emerger would be another good choice and can even be drifted under a humpy or other caddis looking type dry fly.  The fly just needs to be big enough to support your dropper and to be seen by you the fisherman.

Weather forecast for the week:

Today will be partly sunny with highs in the lower 60’s and tonight a slight chance of rain after midnight with lows in the upper 30’s.  North winds 5-10 with a 20% chance of precipitation.  Wednesday there is a slight chance of rain with hiighs in the upper 50’s and north winds 5 to 10 with a 20% chance of rain.  Wednesday night lows in the upper 30’s with NW winds 5 to 10.  Thursday looks good for the first day of Sow Bug with highs in the upper 60’s and mostly sunny.  Friday night brings a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms with lows in the lower 40’s with a chance of rain at 20%.  Saturday brings a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon with highs in the mid 50’s.  The chance of precipitation is 60%.  Saturday night will get colder with a chance of showers, isolated thunderstorms than a chance of rain and snow after midnight.  The chance of precipitation is 50%

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Good fishing.

Jimmy T.