Greers Ferry

[Cody Smith]

Greers Ferry Lake is currently at 465 ft. above msl. That's right, Only four more feet to go and we are back at normal summer pool of 461.44. With the lake dropping at 2 - 5 inches a day we should be at the target stage by the middle of August with moderate rain forecasted. Mother nature has been very giving this year with the sustained high water we have had since the first of March. Now, Greers Ferry is back down, however the rest of the white river impoundments are still within 6 feet of Top of flood pool. Forecasted dates for the other impoundments to reach normal pool levels are pushing into later November. Water temperatures are ranging from 87 - 92 degrees depending on time of day, wind, rain, and the area of the reservoir you are located.

On with the forecast.....

August is the begining and end to many things. One of which is the end of the warmest average temperatures we see throughout the year. August 16th marks the last day of 92 degree avg. temperatures here. After this point we typically start falling back off a degree or two until September arrives with some much more comfortable temperature trends moving in.

Throughout the month of August you must pick and choose wisely on time of day in which to pursue your quarry. No matter what species you are after, Baitfish should be your #1 objective. Once you have located the bait your target species will be close by. When coming to fish Greers in August, start your seach on Main Lake Points with good drops and ledges located on or adjacet to these points. You will find that the best location's are points and humps that have water from 8 - 26 feet on top and the ole river channel hugging the outside edge. A good topo or Navionics Card will undoubtly reward you with these special "spot on a spot" locals. Sure you will find a few scragglers hanging around bush's and shallow cover but if you want to catch fish consistantly you must concentrate on specific areas that harbor bait and have the relief of deeper cooler water nearby.

Now with all this being said the smallmouth bite has been superb for this time of year. Some really fat 14 - 17 inch fish are feeding aggresively in the mornings and better yet in the evenings. You will have the best luck on Shaky Head's with 6" finesse worms (Gambler and Zoom) and Strike King's Bitsy Bug's in 1/8 oz and 3/16 oz sizes when paired with a good chunk like the small Paca Chunk by Net bait. Fish these bait's when waiting on time of day to play into your favor. Once the fish turn on you will also produce on small profile medium running cranks. My personal favorite is the Bill Norman series. The Spot's are hanging right on the drop off's compared to the Smallies that are staging on top of the points and flat's. Once again it's all about the bait. The Largemouth have been scattered and you will catch a couple scattered in and around these location's. However, if your after the LM's I have found that mid creek points with channel swings are more productive than the main lake location's for this individual species. The Hybrids are on and off from day to day. I have had the best luck when the fish are surfacing on small jerk baits, both hard and soft, rather than strict topwater action. When they are down, Large 1/4 - 1/2 oz jigging spoons or 1/4 4" grubs will catch a few. Fish fast and cover alot of water when searching for the pods of fish. Some nights and morning's have been producing up to 20 hybrids within your window of oppurtunity. You have about 30 minutes and up to one hour to get on them good and then your done. There have been some white's mixed in with them that are taking the same offerings. Walleye are going to be in the same location's, Jig and Minnow or Crawlers cannot be beat. Fish for them right on top of the drops from 12 - 35 feet deep.

Folks, I can't say it enough, Main Lake point's, some better than others, is where your going to catch`em right now through the first part of September. When you locate and catch a fish or two, don't move more than 100 yards fish it thouroughly and then fish it again. Stick with it and be confident that it's only time you need. You can and will produce if you hang in there.

Well, September should kick off some better action as the water temps start to cool. I'll be on the water and reporting the action throughout the month. If you have any question's regarding our reservoir or river please e-mail me and I'll be happy to answer any of them you have. BTW, I'll be at Bass Pro Shops (Memphis) for the Fall classic. Come by and Say hello! Dates are available through August and I am booking now for the fall Brown Trout Spawn on the Little Red River. smittyc888@hotmail.com or 501.362.9958 Cody S. Smith / Trout Troller Guide Service / Greers Ferry Lake and The Little Red River