🎣 Fishing Reports
Bull Shoals • Table Rock • Norfork Lake • Taneycomo • White River • and more
Reports updated nightly — pulling the most current conditions from AGFC, MDC, and local guides so you wake up knowing what the fish are doing.
🎣 Fishing Summary
Bull Shoals Lake • Norfork • Table Rock • White River • and more
Bull Shoals Lake is firing right now with water temps at a comfortable 84°F, though Del Colvin warns the Corps is pushing serious generation—three units in the morning ramping to four by afternoon—which will eventually squeeze the lake come summer. The good news? That high flow is pushing baitfish and keeping everything active before the thermocline sets in. You've got a window here on main lake structure and points to throw spinnerbaits and Rapalas before conditions tighten. Down on the White River, the tailwater below Norfork Dam is running gin-clear at 205 CFS with ultra-finicky post-spawn trout—this is finesse territory where #0 and #1 Mepps spinners and tiny Blue Fox spoons are your ticket, especially in shaded runs and deeper pockets. Meanwhile, Lake Taneycomo is quietly producing solid numbers including trophies through the afternoon heavy flows; drifting bait or small flies on the bottom around Branson Landing is the sleeper pattern right now.
🏹 What's Working — Baits & Lures
- 3/8 oz chartreuse spinnerbait (Bull Shoals Lake, main lake points during generation)
- #0 and #1 Mepps spinner (Norfork tailwater, upper dam area low-light)
- #1/16 oz Blue Fox spoon (Norfork tailwater, deeper pockets clear water)
- Black leech pattern (Spring River, post-rain conditions)
- Rapala minnow (Bull Shoals Lake, shallow structure pre-generation).
🎮 How They're Fishing
- Float fishing Mepps #1 spinner (Norfork tailwater, wading during low-flow morning conditions)
- Spinnerbait on main lake points (Bull Shoals Lake, during generation push)
- Drifting bait on bottom (Lake Taneycomo, Branson Landing afternoon)
- Small midges and scuds (Norfork tailwater, fly fishing shaded runs).
💡 Guide's Insider Tip
Del Colvin warns that once Bull Shoals generation slows, the lake will thermocline hard this summer—fish main structure NOW while feeding is aggressive and the water column is mixed.
🏆 Top Picks Right Now
On Bull Shoals, watch the generation schedule like a hawk; the lake level sitting at 661 feet msl means you're near the desired power pool. That transition from three to four units mid-afternoon is when feeding windows shift—hit main lake points hard in the morning push, then move to deeper structure as afternoon generation ramps.
Bull Shoals Lake
Bull Shoals Lake measured 662.01 feet msl Wednesday, fast approaching desired power pool elevation, with generation continuing with three units (9,000 cfs) in the morning, rising a little earlier than it has been, to almost 12,000 cfs (four generators) by midafternoon. (updated 7-9-2026) Local reports indicate the water temperature is around 84 degrees. “Feels great to jump in for a swim if you get hot. The Corps of Engineers have been running big water. Not looking forward to the summer squeeze. Once generation slows down, the lake typically will form a thermocline. The lake level is down to …
Table Rock Lake
Fishing for black bass should be excellent in 2026. Largemouth bass are plentiful throughout the lake as a result of the high lake levels in past years. Fall 2025 electrofishing surveys revealed good numbers of largemouth bass in the 15”-18” range. These surveys also revealed an abundance of spotted bass in the 11”-14” range, with just three percent of the spotted bass captured in the fall 2025 surveys exceeding 15”. Due to the high abundance and slow growth rates of spotted bass in Table Rock Lake, the minimum length limit is planned to be reduced to 12” in 2026. Anglers are encouraged to har…
White River
Cotter Area (updated 7-9-2026) Local reports indicate “Change is hard for some folks, so we hang on to the best of our world: Trout fishing on the White River here in the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks continues to produce great catches and tons of action. The beauty, peace and hospitality you’ll find in Cotter, Trout Capital USA, and the whole of north-central Arkansas will keep you coming back for more.” Calico Rock Area (updated 7-9-2026) Local reports indicate “Last week we saw the river crest in the morning around 10 feet, dropping throughout the day to about 8 feet. We continue to have succes…
Norfork River
[USACE Norfork Dam — 205 CFS total release] # Norfork Tailwater Fishing Report – July 28, 2026 Water & Conditions: We're running a lean 205 CFS this morning—gin-clear and perfect for sight-fishing. The low flow means spooky trout, so downsize everything. Hit the upper tailwater below the dam with #0 and #1 Mepps spinners or 1/16 oz Blue Fox spoons. These shallow, clear conditions demand finesse; long leaders and light tippet are your friends. Wading is excellent. The Bite: Post-spawn rainbows and browns are still sluggish in the warm July water, but they'll chase small spinners and spoons aggr…
Norfork Lake
No report available at this time. Check back after float season begins.
Lake Taneycomo
In the month of June, we saw mostly heavy generation because of a good amount of rain falling in our watershed. They were good rains — well needed rain! But heavy flows made fishing tough for most anglers, especially from the bank or dock. With the rains subsided, July looks like we’ll see more periods of no generation, especially in the mornings. We will see. Trout fishing has improved the last couple of weeks here on Lake Taneycomo. Even with heavy flows in the afternoons and evenings, drifting bait or flies on the bottom has produced good numbers of trout with quite a few trophies showing u…
🚴 Float Rivers
Live gauge readings — Buffalo, Crooked Creek, Spring & Kings
| Type | Period | Time (CDT) | Duration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | Moon Overhead | 12:36 AM | 2 hrs | Upcoming |
| Major | Moon Underfoot | 12:36 PM | 2 hrs | Upcoming |
| Minor | Moonrise | 8:08 PM | 1 hr | Upcoming |
| Minor | Moonset | 5:04 AM | 1 hr | Past |
- Spawn trigger: Full moons signal bass toward spawning beds -- look for fish in 2-8 ft of water on flats and secondary points.
- Fish at night: Full moon nights can outperform daytime. Bass use the bright light to feed aggressively through the dark hours.
- Dark baits win: Black Colorado blade spinnerbait, dark hollow frog, or wacky-rigged worm in junebug are proven choices after dark.
- Work the major periods: Midday lull is real -- concentrate effort around the major solunar windows above.