Low o2

[jattrout]

Waded friday and saturday below the dam trout not active at all.Last weekend saw a dozen dead trout from the big hole to the ramp mostly Browns. Boated to Lookout today caught some on grey scuds  Lots of dead trout in the shallows between lookout and the narrows Been fishing Taneycomo for 50 years and have seen more dead trout the last two weekends then I can remember. Table Rock (SWPA) has made a fortune this year generating power with all the rain you would think they could put a little more oxygen in taney.

 

[Phil Lilley]

It's not their fault... completely.  They could raise the level of O2 they put in, yes.  Their target level is 4 ppm and it should be 6 ppm.  But it's always been 4 ppm and we suffer through this every fall.

The difference is the water quality and the water temperature.  I don't think it got this high even in 2011.  And I know it wasn't this dirty.

It would help if they ran water all the time like they did back in August and September but even I was wishing they'd shut it off back then--and so were guys who wanted to wade.  Not that our "wishes" made any difference but now that we got what we wanted, it'd be better for the fish if they ran a little and injected O2.

When they don't run water- very little O2 is added.  Night time is the worse - no light, no wind.  DO bottoms out.  That's when they probably die.  That and getting hooked, fought, picture and release. 

I find myself being a cheerleader every fall... "Come on cold, windy weather!  Flip Table Rock!"  Then we're ok for another 9-10 months.

The good news is that there's going to be: 

1. A lot of trout in the lake this winter.  MDC is still stocking- there's just not many being taken out.
2. The fish we're catching are in great shape. 
3. Once they get some air, they'll be slamming our lures and flies.

[Amery]

Just give em a break for a few more weeks. It's the right thing to do. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Bummer.

I'm headed down Friday.

Is it any better farther down river?

Or how about the creeks?

Pete

[Dylan Cluver]

Another argument for minimum flow?

[Dylan Cluver]

Went out last night and hooked a nice brown. Got him to me, and bent down to take the fly out and my tippet snapped. If you see a 2 foot brown around with a megaworm in the corner of his mouth it's mine. Just below outlet 2. Only fish I caught in 3 hours. Tried a lot of different flies. They showed interest in nothing. 

[Phil Lilley]

The trout I'm catching below Lookout are in good shape.  Maybe 1 in 5 are listless when they come in.  I think the O2 is better as you go down lake.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, Dylan Cluver said:

Another argument for minimum flow?

As all min flow did in Arkansas was limit wading opportunties.

More water with no O2 is still no O2

Pete

[Dylan Cluver]

38 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

As all min flow did in Arkansas was limit wading opportunties.

More water with no O2 is still no O2

Pete

I'm under the impression more water means more oxygen. 

[Trout Newb]

Do you really think the Corps will manage minimum flow right? The same people who can't even tell you what generation will be tomorrow (maybe) until late afternoon?

Summer of 2014 - Norfork dam had siphon issues so in order to meet minimum flow they just cracked open the flood gates with warm water to get the required CFS that the new rules required bumping water temperature way up: http://flyfisharkansas.com/archives/2856

I would agree with Pete that minimum flow has created less wading opportunities.  The shops and guides probably love minimum flow though because more people are having to book a guide with a boat that otherwise would be wading on their own.  Plus they don't have to compete with wade fishermen for water.

Conditions are not great right now but I wouldn't be screaming for minimum flow quite yet.