Of these, twelve species are considered game fish. At least fifty-nine different species of fish find a home at Buffalo National River.

This is an excellent time for sculpin and minnow imitations for those large browns.Buffalo National River is more than just a river. Midge fishing can be good during the winter. Fall:įall is the time for fly fishing the Norfork River if you want to hook one of the river's large brown trout. Dropper fly rigs, using large foam hoppers on the surface and nymphs dropped below them, are popular on this river. From about the middle of June throughout the summer until the end of September, you can catch trout on imitations of grasshoppers, ants and beetles. Crawdads, stoneflies and sculpin will be good imitations. Summer:īrown trout are migrating to find cooler water and this presents a great opportunity. Hook sizes can be as small as #20 to #24. Although the nymphs are most effective, some trout can be taken on dry flies that imitate mayflies as well as midges. They normally hatch during the months of April and May. Other than that, Sulphurs are about the only mayfly that hatches in quantities large enough to be very important. This hatch brings on some good dry fly fishing. They hatch during the months of January and February and then again in September and October. Spring:īlue-winged Olives represent the largest population of mayflies. When the brown are spawning it will be a great time to fish, however fishing will be good for the entire year due to the constant water temperature ranging from 48-58 degrees F. You can catch trout on the Norfork River year-round. Even the largest trout will fall prey to a midge fished on the bottom. Also, midges will be good through the entire year. For the most part, nymphs and larvae will be far more effective than dry flies. They are also very effective in catching the migrating brown trout that come up the river to spawn. Trout can be taken in high water from a drift boat using these large streamers. Large streamers that imitate sculpin and baitfish work great at times and they are a definite staple for your flybox. The scud and sowbugs fished blind will also be effective in the runs and riffles. The weight must be adjusted so that the fly does not drift over the trout. (Polarized glasses are a must.) After your target trout is sighted, establish yourself in the best possible location, using care to not spook the trout, and cast well upstream of the trout. Start with a scud or sowbug imitation, add some weight a few inches above the fly and search for trout. The sight fishing method is one of the best and the most productive means of fishing when the water is low. This is open only to children under the age of 16 and the disabled. It's all catch and release with special regulations on gear. It enters the Norfork River just below the Norfork Dam in Quarry Park. The discharge of the North Fork National Fish Hatchery provides the water for this small stream. There's also special regulation fishing in Dry Creek Run. During the brown trout spawning season, many large brown trout move upstream from the White River into the Norfork River to spawn. When the water is low, however, it is the perfect time to stalk the huge trout of the Norfork.ĭuring the hot summer, trout migrate upriver from the White River into the cool water of the Norfork River. It should be noted that wading can be very dangerous when power is being generated so caution is a must. One place for bank fishing will be at Quarry Park just below the Norfork Dam. The water will be high and there will be only a few places where it will be possible to fish it from the banks. When power is being generated, it is best to float the river in a drift boat. The Norfork River is best waded when the water is low. In addition, the nutrient rich waters from the Norfork National Fish Hatchery flow into Dry Creek and then into the Norfork, further enriching the river. Also, the water temperature of in the Norfork River tailwater stays between forty-eight and fifty-eight degrees year-round.

The Norfork waters support huge populations of crustaceans, sowbugs, and scuds. The reason that the Norfork is good is that it is a limestone spring fed river with a good pH. If that is any indication of the trout fishing, then it is good and indeed it is very good. The Norfork River has produced a 38 pound, 9 ounce brown in 1988. It flows only 4.8 miles before joining the White River at the town of Norfork. The Norfork River is a river of cold water released from the Norfork Dam. Actually, the real name of the river is the North Fork of the White River, but it is far better known as the name given to it by the locals which is the Norfork River.

Trout fishing in arkansas