AGFC survey

[Quillback]

If you are interested:

Beaver Tailwater and Greers Ferry Tailwater Public Input Survey   This fall, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's (AGFC) Trout Management Program will update the trout management plans for the Greers Ferry Tailwater (Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam) and Beaver Tailwater (White River below Beaver Dam). We are starting this process with a survey to gauge public perceptions about the two fisheries. The survey enables us to gather information from a large base of trout anglers to aid in making modifications to the existing trout plans. Specifically, we will use information from the survey to evaluate whether management actions outlined in the previous plans were effective and whether those actions align with current public expectations for the fisheries. If you would like to provide your input, please take the time to participate in the survey. During the survey, you will be able to provide input for Beaver Tailwater, Greers Ferry Tailwater, or for both tailwaters. We will use the input to develop draft management plans for both fisheries, which we will share with the public later this fall. Please visit the Trout page of the AGFC website and click on the survey link to participate. The survey will be available until Sunday, September 21.

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[ollie]

I used to fish the Beaver Tailwater quite often about 15-20 years ago but haven't since. I mainly remember there being a lot of stockers and the bait fisherman would show up at stocking. That and the bottom being completely scoured out. Oh yeah, that and I almost broke my leg one night when the fog was bad and I couldn't see anything in from of me!

[Quillback]

I have only fished the trout section a couple of times when I had an aluminum boat and could get it up past the shoals below the bridge.  Caught a few trout but never got a bunch.  

[Devan S.]

High agreement with Ollie.  Lots of stockers, there is some big fish but its a lot more rare then you think and compared to the other tailwaters in Arkansas, it just feels very put and take. I certainly recognize it will never be like the White or Norfork but honestly its not even close to half of what Taneycomo fishes like. 

Its a shame we don't adopt regulations like the other fisheries and then actually patrol and check people. I fish there a lot and outside Walleye season 1 time I have NEVER been checked over there. 

[tjm]

All stockers, some are holdovers but they were hauled there too. It's been a decade or two since I fished there regularly, but back then I always caught trout on flies between the dam and Parker and my bait fishing son in law caught bigger trout near Spider Creek. 

IMO the area is only fit for put and take because it is as Ollie put so scoured out and because the water fluctuates so frequently apparently without schedules.  That doesn't lead to great fertility or food growth. And to add to Ollie's list of reasons not to go there, on two occasions the water came up very fast with no warning that I heard. It was kinda scary for a few minutes.   When  they started trying to mange it as some kind of special fishery, I thought that they had lost the plot. But even back then the guys doing the shocking were finding quite few large trout with one they said exceeded 16#, so some found enough food to grow. The best quality NWA trout fishing back then was in western Benton county in places we can no longer fish or that have been built over. 

[rps]

I, and several I know, are glad they stock all those little trout. Walleye and bass love them.

[Devan S.]

I don't have a problem with the stockers in general I just want regulations that seem reasonable and some protection on the brown trout like the other tailwaters. Right now there are hundreds of them that were dumped in the last couple weeks at the stocking points. They are dumped in under the slot limit at 8-10" and they are getting hammered every day. I've averaged 5-10 the last 3 times down right at the stocking points +/- 200 yards. AGFC will do their shocking survey in the next few weeks and this dump of fish right before will show up in their data.

The special regulation area makes no sense to me compared to a straight catch and release area like other tailwaters. If you look through AGFC studies and surveys you will see this is almost always the section they find the biggest fish and where they find tagged fish they are tracking during studies. Its also probably the most difficult significant length of section to access above Spider Creek. The one good access you have to cross the river and risk getting trapped. 

The 13-16 slot is a joke when its applied to across the board like it is. Look at the BS and NFTW and rainbows are clearly put and take and then they provide some level of protection for the other species. I'd like to see something similar done with browns here but doubt it will ever happen.

Bull and Norfork also both get "other species" that Beaver doesn't get. 

Scouring is a problem in sections but there is several miles of habitat similar to Taney. Lots of similar habitat in the lower SRA area with intermixed boulders down through Parker bottoms and on across from Clayborn creek. Spider Creek through the island below 62 bridge is again a section with decent habitat similar to Taney. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Can you run a boat all the way to the dam?

[tjm]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Can you run a boat all the way to the dam?

There is a ramp just below the dam. And I have seen boats come up from down river,  perhaps  from  another ramp down about three miles at Bertrand access. But there is a safety zone adjacent to the dam. 

[Devan S.]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Can you run a boat all the way to the dam?

Highly dependent on water levels at Table Rock and generation out of Beaver. I would say certainly yes under generation in a jet. 

tjm is right there is a boat ramp just below the dam. 

The TW gage below Beaver is not a good judge of the conditions for no generation as it will almost always read ~916 when Table Rock is significantly lower. 

No generation and Table Rock below ~916 I'd be worried about 2 spots:

There is a riffle run right across from where Clayborn creek enters. Its almost all gravel here and with a run you could probably get through although its a popular fishing location from the bank and not a lot of room to share with others. 

There is another shallow spot directly downstream of Parker Bottom right in the bend of the river. I think this is probably the first really sketchy spot. There is likely enough depth but there is about a 100-150 yard stretch of shallow water with larger rocks(not gravel). 

After that you should be clear until you get to the top section of the Special Regulation Area( you might have to dodge some trees down or big rocks through the upper half of the special reg area but they should be reasonable apparent and as I recall it doesn't get super shallow until you are past them. 

After that I'm not sure as I don't fish that far up very often but it isn't far from there to the dam.