Is It Worth It?

[Nick Williams]

Alright, so next weekend I have free - the weekend before my wedding, and I am free to spend the weekend fishing. #win

Trying to decide where to go and I want to give the White another try.

A few questions, though:

I have read all of this stuff on the new Minimum flow, yes all of it, but for someone who lives 4 hours away and doesn't make frequent trips to the White, will I actually be able to wade enough to keep fishing 'happily'? Having not been there enough, I don't know what is wadeable,, as in CFS, where would be wadeable, etc. I am confident wading, probably too confident, so I am not worried about a couple extra inches to a foot of water. I understand the implications of the MF, but is it going to ruin a weekend of fishing and trying to avoid the crowds? Any advice here would be awesome - not looking for anyone's secret holes or anything, just want some advice on what levels are wadeable and where.

Next question: I really want to camp on the river if at all possible, not worried about cold weather, but just want to get back to basics. Ideas on where is best to do this? I have looked at places like Rainbow Drive Resort, but just looking for some opinions!

That is all for now - if anyone would like to meet up I wouldnt mind putting faces to names! Thanks in advance.

[hoglaw]

There's little in the way of public ground around the river. As mentioned by others on here before, you can run up the buffalo if you have a 9.9, and there are a handfull of resorts that have camping spots. White-Buffalo resort comes to mind. You can always camp at the parks.

If you want guaranteed wading, I reccomend you bring/rent a canoe and float the Norfork.

Currently they're only running one unit on the White around the clock I think. At that level, surely you can find some wadeable wader without a boat, even if you have to take the shuttle from Rim Shoals to the islands.

[Ham]

Quarry Park at Norfork for camping. Walk in wade fishing is almost a sure thing. There will be other People there, but it is certainly a doable deal. Fly shop in Norfork has the flys you'll need or Dally's place in Cotter if you come in on Hwy 62 from the west.

Check out "Hogz on the Fly" website Larry Babin is a great guide and keeps his site up to date. Also general river on the site.

At a minimum, get the generation phone number. Better yet would be to download the free app for the White River. Search Little Rock COE.

[CFowler]

It is worth going! I would take a boat down to Buf city and go just up the Buf and camp. At the current levels you will have great fishing/wading. And the camping is awesome, find yourself a nice little sand bar up there. If you dont have a boat there are a couple of outfitters right there at the confluence. The river gets pretty darn wide and spreads that water out, plenty of wading. Buf shoals will have all kinds of area to wade and is about 3/4 of a mile up river from the confluence. Shouldnt see many or any people either. Good luck, enjoy that last weekend!

[derekburleson]

Alright, so next weekend I have free - the weekend before my wedding, and I am free to spend the weekend fishing. #win

Trying to decide where to go and I want to give the White another try.

A few questions, though:

I have read all of this stuff on the new Minimum flow, yes all of it, but for someone who lives 4 hours away and doesn't make frequent trips to the White, will I actually be able to wade enough to keep fishing 'happily'? Having not been there enough, I don't know what is wadeable,, as in CFS, where would be wadeable, etc. I am confident wading, probably too confident, so I am not worried about a couple extra inches to a foot of water. I understand the implications of the MF, but is it going to ruin a weekend of fishing and trying to avoid the crowds? Any advice here would be awesome - not looking for anyone's secret holes or anything, just want some advice on what levels are wadeable and where.

Next question: I really want to camp on the river if at all possible, not worried about cold weather, but just want to get back to basics. Ideas on where is best to do this? I have looked at places like Rainbow Drive Resort, but just looking for some opinions!

That is all for now - if anyone would like to meet up I wouldnt mind putting faces to names! Thanks in advance.

We spent several days in Cotter about 3 weeks ago and had low water the entire time. I always recommend His Place Resort. Julie and Steve, the owners, are very helpful. They have campsites and all kinds of cheap cabin options. Right on the river, great access and great fishing right there in front of the resort. Plus you can drive a few miles down to White Hole which has some great fishing as well. Google them up. Stayed there a bunch and love it.

[jonbo]

@Nick Williams: I'm really glad to have your report. I've booked His Place for the week of Thanksgiving. I booked it back in June or so based on the fact that you can wade right there. Since then the MF started up, an event I hadn't heard of in my research. It sounded to me as I followed reports like the flow was kept too high to wade. Especially the one guide who's report is posted everywhere, John Berry, he always says there's been no wadeable water. I didn't know how to take that. None anywhere, or no publicly accessible wadeable water, or nothing he can safely recommend. Anyhow, your report gives me relief, as I really don't want to fool with a boat.

Can I pick your brain a little more? I assume you fly-fished and waded. Is that true? If you weren't wading, did it look as if a person can/could wade. If you were fly-fishing, what patterns worked for you? Did you go upstream any?

Thanks!

jonbo

[Nick Williams]

We spent several days in Cotter about 3 weeks ago and had low water the entire time. I always recommend His Place Resort. Julie and Steve, the owners, are very helpful. They have campsites and all kinds of cheap cabin options. Right on the river, great access and great fishing right there in front of the resort. Plus you can drive a few miles down to White Hole which has some great fishing as well. Google them up. Stayed there a bunch and love it.

@Nick Williams: I'm really glad to have your report. I've booked His Place for the week of Thanksgiving. I booked it back in June or so based on the fact that you can wade right there. Since then the MF started up, an event I hadn't heard of in my research. It sounded to me as I followed reports like the flow was kept too high to wade. Especially the one guide who's report is posted everywhere, John Berry, he always says there's been no wadeable water. I didn't know how to take that. None anywhere, or no publicly accessible wadeable water, or nothing he can safely recommend. Anyhow, your report gives me relief, as I really don't want to fool with a boat.

Can I pick your brain a little more? I assume you fly-fished and waded. Is that true? If you weren't wading, did it look as if a person can/could wade. If you were fly-fishing, what patterns worked for you? Did you go upstream any?

Thanks!

jonbo

I believe Derek should answer this! i havent been yet.

[sfiser]

jonbo, the minimum flow only brings the water up maybe 6 inches. There is all kinds of wadeable water at that level. When John Berry says there is little to no wadeable water its because there are running a unit or more most of the time. If you check the generation chart, minimum flow shows at 680 CFS and 7 megawatts of electricity on the chart. 1 generator is around 35 megawatts and 2,500 -3,000 CFS, you can wade on that but your spots are mor limited. If you are staying at his place, you can wade all over the place on minimum flow but on 1 unit it makes it tougher. If they are running minimum flow, you can wade all the way down to the cotter access from his place. Just cross the river at the shoal in front of his place and fish your way down under the first bridge and hop on that first island on your right and fish around it then wade down a few hundred yards and cross again in waist deep water and fish down to the next island on your left and then just pass that is cotter access. More water in that stretch than you can fish in a year but keep an eye on water levels and check the water release chart. If they are running 1 unit i wouldnt wade fish that but at minimum flow or no flow at all, its the most fun you will ever have. swing small streamers and fish midges and san juan worms and you will catch all you want to and then some

[jonbo]

Sorry, Nick. I did mean that for Derek. Sfiser, thanks for your reply. I hope to find some minimum flow. That would be wonderful, but from what I've been able to glean they seem to run at least one unit just about all the time. I'm hoping to find some wading anyhow. Been told to try up around the RV park. Probably take a jaunt over to the Norfork at some point, as well. According to some web-site posters (another site) it's all a conspiracy!

jonbo