Trophy Trout ?

[Feathers and Fins]

We all know that the White and Roaring River both feed into Table Rock. Ive caught some trout in the rock by accident as the rock is more a bass lake or thought of anyway.

So here is the question's. Does anyone fish for the trout in the lake? Whats the biggest trout known to have been taken out of the Rock?

With Bows and Browns very likely in it and being in it for years now I was thinking that lake could likely hold a few monsters.

[duckydoty]

My brother-in-law caught a 21 incher in Cow Creek area 3 years ago in late winter.

[Quillback]

There's some monster browns in the White below Beaver dam. The AR bios do an electroshock survey every year and they shocked up a brown weighing 25 lbs. last year. They say they see that fish every year in the same hole.

[Stump bumper]

I can't count how many 5 and 6 lbers I caught last year around the island near Beaver, in fact I have caught more 6lb rainbows then 6lb bass while "bass" fishing that area.

[Greasy B]

How do these fish survive the warm water of summer? Swim up to the tail waters? Is there's enough oxygen down deep?

[Feathers and Fins]

Greasy, Just like the lakes out west they go deep durring summer. I use to target holdover trout in the lakes out there and some of them were very large. Im betting Tablerock has some beast swimming in it but noone targets them because of the lake famous small mouth fishery. It requires trolling 7 colors of lead-core line and panther martins.

I will probably target them a few times this year to sample what the lake holds but I would fully expect rainbows over 5lbs and brown to 10lbs and probably much larger of both species.

[Greasy B]

Thanks F&F,

The prospect of catching big trout in TR is interesting. Didn't MDC stock trout in the lower lake years ago? I wonder if the intent was to start a Steelhead type spawning run or just to provide a fishery to utilize open water areas?

[Feathers and Fins]

Not sure but that would sure be an interesting fish to have in the lake.

[Quillback]

They used to stock rainbows in Bull Shoals lake, lots of folks used to fish for them at night during the summer and there were guides with pontoon boats that took people out to fish for them, don't know if they still have that fishery, but it was fairly popular in it's day.

[powerdive]

Interesting topic. F&F, if you start trolling leadcore I suspect you'll be catching a few walleyes and of course, lots of bass along with any trout you might come up with.