Phil Lilley

The Midwest has had it's share of rain and much more. It's been interesting here in the Ozarks the last couple of days because of this. The storms have been isolated small pods of heavy rain, not the big storms that sit on the whole White River Shed from a few weeks ago. This has caused some local flooding (you may have seen clips on national TV) but we are fine and so is the lake. Table Rock Lake is rising from runoff and from Beaver releasing water from its dam. Bull Shoals Lake, the lake that can take the most water in the system, has risen to the point that the Corp is starting to let Table Rock rise on into the 920's. According to the Corp, Table Rock will crest from 926 to 926.5 feet by Sunday. That's a rise of more than 7 feet in the past 3 days. The COE has indicated to us that we should see full generation, but no flood gates, in the coming days until the lake stabilize. There is no rain forecasted for the next 10 days. Night crawlers are king! With all the runoff, our trout are seeing a ton of food washed into the lake and worms are at the top of the menu. We are going through more than 150 dozen worms per week and half of that are going to our fishing guides. Steve Dickey told me yesterday that the fish are getting wise, biting off the worms and not taking the hook. I found out he was correct this afternoon, drifting a night crawler myself. Note the mouth of Fall Creek. We experienced a flash flood on Tuesday. Local rain dumped several inches of rain in a very short time in the Fall Creek, Roark Creek watersheds. The chunk limestone rock place on the bank just inside of the mouth blew out and shot rock out into the lake more than 150 feet. The riffle it makes should be a clear indication of boats NOT to travel on the right side heading upstream. Marabou jigs are still catching trout. Most of the time, we're throwing the 1/8th ounce jig straight with no float but there's really no dominate colors. I'm throwing a white or ginger and doing fair, then switching to a sculpin or black and doing a little better. And we're working the bluff and shallow, inside banks with 3 units running right now. Four units is tough working the bluff banks unless you're fishing down past Cooper Creek. Chuck Gries, another one of our fishing guides, had his clients throwing a #7 floating Rapala yesterday below Fall Creek and they caught some nice browns as well as rainbows. He says to work them quick. We are still seeing an increase number of brown trout caught this summer. A lot of anglers drifting night crawlers, as well as throwing lures and jigs, are reporting dozens of browns caught lake wide. There's been a few legal browns over 20 inches caught (and released), but most measure any where from 16 to 19 inches long. That's why throwing a Rapala early and late in the day can produce some great action. The scud bite has slowed down considerably, especially below Fall Creek. We are seeing rainbows spitting up scuds every once in a while but nothing like in early June when we saw schools of scuds along the banks. Guys are boating up above Fall Creek and fishing the eddies behind and along islands and cut in banks and catching rainbows on jigs and spoons. If you're drifting and throwing towards the bank, be sure to target slack water--that's where the fish will be, trying to get out of the fast current.

WHITE RIVER SYSTEM. Rainfall across all of the lakes of about 1 to 1.5 inches; 0.7 at Beaver. This has all of the lakes rising again, but all lakes are rising within expectations...I do not foresee any significant spillway discharges based upon rainfall on the ground. Inflow into the lakes exceeded the releases, so all lakes are rising and expect this to continue for a few days. With the exception of Beaver, we have flood storage remaining in all lakes. BEAVER. Inflow went up to 22,000 last night, so we increased releases this morning to 15,100 dsf, which was about 4000 cfs increase. We plan to keep this release until Saturday morning, then close the spillway release. Maintain full power (7500 dsf) until inflow recedes. Early 4-cast: pool crest at 1130.1 and recede to 1129 by Monday. TABLE ROCK. Maintain full power release, about 13,000 cfs. Inflow increased to 80,000 last night and still expect inflow from James River later today. The pool will rise because inflow exceeds release, but we are restricted by Bull Shoals elevation so we cannot increase to 20,000 cfs now. Early forecast expect pool to crest at 926 to 926.5 ft by Sunday. BULL SHOALS. Restricted by downstream conditions, so it is restricted to firm power. Inflow was about 67,000 cfs & we are restricted to firm energy (3750 dsf), so the lake will rise. We will increase releases as soon as Newport crests and recedes enough to regulate to 14 ft stage. Expect pool to continue rising and crest at 691.5 to 692 ft early next week. NORFORK. Restricted by downstream conditions, so it is restricted to firm power. No opportunity to increase releases because the 3-lake subsystem (BV-TR-BS) has more flood storage in use, so BS will make the release when downstream condition allows. Inflow was about 13,000 cfs this morning, and with restriction to firm power (1,300 dsf) the lake will rise. The lake forecast may be posted by now, which will give you a 3-day look. NOTE: 4-LAKE Upper White River SYSTEM STORAGE is currently 71.2% and rising. Current stage at Newport is 13.14 and rising, NWS forecasting 14.5 peak stage (12' regulating stage). SWL believes this will be closer to 16 ft as an initial estimate. Current stage at Georgetown is at 13.79' and falling (13' regulating stage). Jim Sandberg Operations Project Manager TABLE Rock Lake

It's all a balancing act. BS is the lake that's designed to hold lots of water without flooding homes/businesses. But it's the last of the lakes in the line. Beaver, at the head, is held just below power pool. Then TR and BS are balanced as to their percentage of flood water capacity. That's what they're doing now. They ran flood gates at TR because BS wasn't at the level that TR was. Now it is so they're not running gates at TR, only units. But if they both get to the level and the forecast is such that flood gates are needed, they'll cut it loose, at all the dams. YES thankfully the rain is over for at least 10 days. You'd think we'd enter the summer, dry mode at some point!

Beautiful creature.

WEDNESDAY UPDATE, 8 JULY 2015 Precipitation/Forecast. Widely scattered precip over the past 24-hours. Heavy rainfall fell on the White River Basin. Moderate rainfall in excess of 1" is forecasted for much of the upper White River Basin in the next 24 hours. Rain clearing out for the weekend. 1-Day QPF: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/fill_94qwbg.gif?1436349840365 2-Day QPF: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/fill_98qwbg.gif?1436349858118 3-Day QPF: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/fill_99qwbg.gif?1436349874186 1-3-Day QPF: http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/d13_fill.gif?1436349888632 WHITE RIVER SYSTEM. All lakes remain in their respective flood pools and are rising. Full power release from Beaver and Table Rock were continued through the night in an effort to prevent Beaver from entering surcharge operation earlier today and allow Table Rock and Bull Shoals storage to move toward a more balanced condition. Falling conditions at Newport are favorable for increasing flow from Bull Shoals later today. Beaver: elev 1129.46 and steady (93.4% flood storage in use); full power generation (7500 dsf). Table Rock: elev 921.00 and rising (26.8% flood storage in use); full power generation (12750 dsf). Bull Shoals: elev 687.77 and rising (75.4% flood storage in use); target generation is 7500 dsf. Norfork: elev 566.29 and rising (39.4% flood storage in use); target generation is firm power (1.3k dsf); minimum flow releases being made by siphon. Current stage at Newport is 12.77 and falling (12' regulating stage). Current stage at Georgetown is at 14.21' and falling (13' regulating stage).

Got an email from COE, Jim Sandberg. And just got off the phone with him to get some clarification. Here's the email: Just want to provide you an update and where we are on project operations regarding lake levels. We have reached the point where the Corps must balance the remaining storage at Table Rock and Bull Shoals. With that being said our releases at Table Rock will not exceed what Bull Shoals can release from its dam into the White River. At 10:00 Table Rock's lake level is 919.13 and rising. Bull Shoals was at 686.46 and holding steady since midnight. The main thing I want to pass on and make you aware of is that the lakes are going to rise and our releases will be based on downstream conditions (lake levels as well as regulating stages). Yesterday morning the regulating stages are the following; Stage at Newport was 15.06' and cresting (12' regulating stage). Stage at Georgetown was at 14.3' near crest but still rising (13' regulating stage). From our conversation, here's what I understand. Bull Shoals is at 70% of their flood pool and Table Rock is at only 10-15%. Beaver is at 90% and has been there for quite a while. Now that BS is at 684 feet, The COE will start to regulate all the lakes in accordance of their pools. In another words, they will start bringing Table Rock up and not run as much into BS as they have. But if and when BS rises another 10 feet, then they will start dumping water through the whole system to keep levels at a relatively safe level. Taneycomo- they will control flow only through generation. They will not use the flood gates unless we get a huge rain event in the near future, before they can get this water down and through the system. Only if they HAVE to. That means we will start seeing less generation possibly-- it's a wait and see where the lake levels go after today's rain. They are only running one unit today. I thought it was because of local flood issues down lake on Taney. Jim said no, that's what they were going to run today- scheduled. Jim didn't think Beaver got the rain that Table Rock got and BS isn't jumping up like TR. He also said the White River, downstream, is in good shape and he thought they'd be able to start running water out of BS shortly. This will help the whole situation.

Got an email from COE, Jim Sandberg. And just got off the phone with him to get some clarification. Here's the email: Just want to provide you an update and where we are on project operations regarding lake levels. We have reached the point where the Corps must balance the remaining storage at Table Rock and Bull Shoals. With that being said our releases at Table Rock will not exceed what Bull Shoals can release from its dam into the White River. At 10:00 Table Rock's lake level is 919.13 and rising. Bull Shoals was at 686.46 and holding steady since midnight. The main thing I want to pass on and make you aware of is that the lakes are going to rise and our releases will be based on downstream conditions (lake levels as well as regulating stages). Yesterday morning the regulating stages are the following; Stage at Newport was 15.06' and cresting (12' regulating stage). Stage at Georgetown was at 14.3' near crest but still rising (13' regulating stage). From our conversation, here's what I understand. Bull Shoals is at 70% of their flood pool and Table Rock is at only 10-15%. Beaver is at 90% and has been there for quite a while. Now that BS is at 684 feet, The COE will start to regulate all the lakes in accordance of their pools. In another words, they will start bringing Table Rock up and not run as much into BS as they have. But if and when BS rises another 10 feet, then they will start dumping water through the whole system to keep levels at a relatively safe level. Taneycomo- they will control flow only through generation. They will not use the flood gates unless we get a huge rain event in the near future, before they can get this water down and through the system. Only if they HAVE to. That means we will start seeing less generation possibly-- it's a wait and see where the lake levels go after today's rain. They are only running one unit today. I thought it was because of local flood issues down lake on Taney. Jim said no, that's what they were going to run today- scheduled. Jim didn't think Beaver got the rain that Table Rock got and BS isn't jumping up like TR. He also said the White River, downstream, is in good shape and he thought they'd be able to start running water out of BS shortly. This will help the whole situation.

Table Rock's level jumped .26 inches between 9 and 10 am this morning. We've got lots of local flooding here in Branson. Water is over all low lying roads. Fall Creek is gushing over 165.

Wish I knew... but there is very little. Beetles, ants are good from now through the fall but I wouldn't call it "hot". I used to do good on hoppers in July through September but not the last 3 years.

$5400 plus shipping. Pay to RESERVE one but doesn't say when it will ship (that I saw).

You're in early....

Finally got a reprieve from the 4 unit run... they've dropped the flow from 4 to 2 units. Going out to see if the fish like it! I bet they do.

They are the best tasting...

It really is the same as any fishery in the world... if fish and game say it's ok to keep a certain number of fish, then we have to trust them in believing they know what's best for the fishery. Not sure about this year- it varies each year - you can only keep one or two over a certain size- period. You buy a King Tag and punch it once you've kept your fish. Naknek isn't known for big numbers of Kings because of the spawning grounds themselves... they run the Naknek only up to the rapids. Some spawn there in the river but some run up in Big Creek, King Salmon Creek and a couple of other tribs and all those tribs are closed to fishing for the King spawn. Plus I don't think the King numbers are down on the Naknek system... I do know the size of Kings are down from 50 plus years ago everywhere because that DNA was pretty much fished out way back when they caught and kept everything they could. It's super regulated now- commercially and recreationally. Duane can correct me if I'm wrong...

Here's your chance... Two units open starting next Saturday for a week. Popular units too - #9 and #22. Last minute cancellations.

I'm not normal.

Didn't get on to see your question... but Travis did good in his report. Four units of water- lots of current and yes there's lots of boat traffic. It's the 4th... and it's a Saturday. Double whammy! Had more people tell me this week has been some of the best fishing they're ever had here on Taney. Whether throwing jigs or drifting night crawlers... lots of nice browns (more than usual) and good sized rainbows. Hope you do well.

Wait till DD introduces it to Alaska... the forums will be flooded with posts about the Ned catching big rainbows, char and probably even salmon!! Oh my!

I thought working here was living the dream...

Just talked to Steve Dickey. He said there's clear water above Lookout and they are catching fish. Generation has slowed to 2 units because of local flooding down lake but should kick back up later this morning. That will help push this out.

Bet a lot of that came from Roark and other feeder creeks upstream from you. The lake is clear up here of wood but brown in color. But it's moving and will eventually move down, flush out. There will be fishable water uplake this morning, if you can get there.

Miss ya buddy. Can't catch anything off the dock - no way on One Cast. But are catching some nice fish out in boats. Nothing to compare with what you're doing.

Brian Workman lands another quality trout this evening. He was drifting and casting a 1/8th oz white jig along the dock side of the lake near Trout Hollow when he hooked this 20-inch+ brown. I say + because the brown filled my 20-inch tank with it's tail folded over a bit, nose touching. Cool thing about this tank... we took our time, getting good pics and it didn't hurt the fish at all. Plus, with the tank at 20 inches, it's easy to see how big your fish is. I think we're going to build a 24 inch tank next.

Yea my wife is coming home today from a 2 week tour with her mom and 2 sisters so I'm - you guessed it - cleaning house and running errands. Busy day. No fishing... but I think I will run up right now and drift the near bank. Fog's out... I should be around tomorrow for most of the day.