Prospects for Low Water This Spring
Understanding what happens when the water drops out after months of steady flows
When you have spent years monitoring the constantly changing water conditions of the White River and Norfork Tailwater, it becomes obvious that flow patterns come and go in cycles. The Midwest was mired in drought over the late 1990's and early 2000's, so there were several excessively low water years right after the turn of the century. It takes time for trends to shift, but the drought cycle started to break in 2003, and now, seven years later, we are in the grips of a persistent, wet weather pattern. Most of the area's fly anglers are weary of all the high water of the last two or three years and a drastic change would be welcomed by most. Those who got used to being able to find low water on the White and Norfork during the first half of the decade have since had the rug pulled out from under them many times.
22" Brown trout being released on February 14th, 2010 during the shad kill. Caught by repeat LB client Lars while fishing with wife Pam.
Although long cycles of high water are more biologically beneficial to the fisheries than extended periods of low water, there is no denying the fact that anglers experience greater levels of success when river flows are down. Some years offer the best of both worlds, with a nice mix of wading water and moderate flows, and when this happens, everyone can enjoy the rivers. Unfortunately, it is usually an all or nothing situation, where either floods or droughts dictate water releases.
Both the White River and Norfork tailwater were ravaged by record flooding in 2008, and 2009 was a year characterized by heavy rains during normally dry months. Over the last two years, the lakes have seldom been at or below power pool levels for any significant amount of time, as waves of precipitation have incessantly pounded the region. There is reason to believe that the Ozarks may be emerging from this wet cycle, and the lakes have not come up significantly since November of 2009. If it continues to remain relatively dry, with most precipitation coming in the form of snow, there is a good chance that there will be some decent periods of light or low flows throughout the spring - especially on the Norfork. The transition from steady power generation to minimum releases is not always smooth, because it takes a few days for the fish to adjust to such a major change in dynamics. Almost all of the local fly fishing guides and resident anglers are eager to welcome in changes, and they could get their wish this spring. It is no secret that fishing will be incredible if lower water becomes the norm, and there may even be some opportunities to experience world-class dry fly fishing.
The first few days of low water
The US Army Corp of Engineers is the agency that oversees power production and water releases on the White River and Norfork Tailwater. When they are confident that the lakes are approaching power pool levels, the first course of action is to slow the water down on the rivers. Once the lakes are at or below power pool, the Corp will then start shutting the water down during off-peak hours. The Norfork typically sees more full days of low water than the White does.
"Walter" caught by resident guide Larry Babin's repeat customer Lars on 2/14/2010. See details in following pic.
The first 48 hours of low water can be hit or miss. If the initial slowdown of the flows is somewhat gradual, the fish will feed aggressively right off the bat. On the other hand, if the water has been running hard for weeks or months around-the-clock, and then releases are cut completely off, it often takes a day or two until the fish really get acclimated to the new conditions. Do not get discouraged if the bite is slow right after the water becomes low, and keep in mind that the action will steadily increase until the fishing is unbelievable. There are several patterns that consistently work very well during the first week of low water after months of high flows. Specific scud imitations are effective because when the river is up, millions of these crustaceans will inhabit areas that become dry when the water is cut off. When the water drops, the scuds that lived in shallow water will die and turn an orange color. Inevitably, certain circumstances will cause many of these dead scuds to end up in the river after, and the bigger trout will key-in on this food source. A dead scud pattern will definitely do the trick in this situation. Midges will get very active when the water first gets low, so Zebra and V-Rib Midges are also go-to flies.
2010's potential low water spring
It will often take a week or two for the fishing to peak after the initial shutdown, and once it does, fishing resumes to 'normal'; where weather conditions and other factors influence the bite. During long periods of high water, it is easy to forget the slow days that occurred during previous low water events because they are such a distant memory. Still, when the river is down, it is easier to find safe access to the fish, and the layout is perfect for fly fishing. It is easy to see why most fly anglers favor low water conditions.
If we see a change towards a low water cycle in 2010, the transition and subsequent fishing will be different than what was experienced during similar situations in years past. This is because of just how long the water has been high for. Without going through the records, I would say that there have been less than a dozen brief breaks from steady flows in almost two years on the White and Norfork. This means there are classes of fish that have never felt prolonged exposure to low flows and the pressure that accompanies that dynamic. Also, for at least two years, a high percentage of trout have been able to remain in the river and grow fat instead of being caught and killed, so both waterways are choked with very nice fish. White River Basin trout grow extremely fast when the water is high. Special brown trout regulations enacted in 2009 have been working well, so there are scores of browns in the twenty-inch range ready to be fooled. The first long stretch of low water - whenever it happens - will offer unprecedented chances to hook up with trophy fish.
Blue Ribbon resident guide Larry Babin with repeat client Lars pictured with a trophy brown trout caught during the shad kill on 2/14/2010. 26" and 5+ lbs.
Because flows are completely regulated on the White and Norfork, these rivers do not reap the benefits of natural spring flooding, so silt and other debris accumulates in and along the water. Up until 2008, the Norfork had not experienced a heavy spillway release in its history - that all changed when 80,000+ cubic feet per second of water came crashing down into the river during April of that year. The landscape of this tailwater was forever altered because of this flood event, and years of excess silt was washed away. Floods serve the purpose of cleaning a river, and insect life thrives when silt and other sediments are not able to clog their habitat. If the water stays low this spring, we could see hatches of an epic scale, and the trout will be looking up. The Norfork is a dry fly fisherman's paradise during low water. There may be opportunities to get in on once-in-a-lifetime surface action this spring, as long as heavy rain events are infrequent. Hatches on the White should also be enhanced this spring because the stretch below Bull Shoals Dam also experienced scouring flows in 2008. Big fish on dries used to be what spring was all about, and the last few years have left many of us with strong cravings to rekindle this tradition.
Even though there is no way to accurately predict future water releases on the White River and Norfork Tailwater, the fact that the area is due for some low water will hopefully persuade the fishing Gods to pass some luck our way. If the water stays low throughout April and May, the fishing will be absolutely insane, so be sure to keep checking our site for the latest updates. No matter what transpires over the next few months, many anglers will be hooking up with the fish of their dreams this spring, whether they are wading or drifting. It would be so nice to see everyone get the chance to experience the benefits of years of near-constant high water on these fisheries. Low water would make that possible. Let's hope that 2010 is the year when the low-water cycle becomes a reality once again.
Blue Ribbon Fly Shop & Professional Guide Service
