Little Missouri Fly Fishing

They are still "slow rolling " the river. They are barely making a dent in the water level, the lake is at 542.56. Only about 1 1/2 foot down from when they started on the 20th of last month. I can't say why and the Corp puts out no information!!

Jim, like I just noted, I agree with you, seems the Corp could have a little concern for the fishermen but they don't. I don't know what it costs Jeff to maintain this site, maybe he will chime in?? I do know we should all be thankful to him 🙏. It seems like a year since I've seen you and Judy? I made you and Judy each a box of my summer blend flies LAST SUMMER, and still haven't seen you. They will still work this summer if we ever get to fish and y'all get up this way. 🤔🤔. I'll do my best to keep you informed so you will know if waters running before you leave headed this way.

I still see a lot of fisher people standing by the river, shaking their heads, having just driven up here, wondering what is going on since the generation schedule shows no generation. Seems a lot of folks don't know to check Jeff's site. Its a shame that SWEPCO misleads people the way they do.

Thanks Mike!  You're always appreciated.  Enjoy a blessed Resurrection Day

Thanks for the reporting, Mike.  I now want to take back all the bad things I ever said about SWEPCO.  Compared to SWEPCO the C of E seems more secretive than the CIA.  Would it kill them to let people know what they are doing with the water flow at Lil'Mo?  Judy and I are in need of a little time on the river but do not want to make the trip not knowing if we would find a fish able river.
SEARKJim
PS: Do you know how much it costs for Jeff to maintain this site?

Thanks for the update, Mike.

First, yes they are still running the bunger valve!!  8 days straight now I think, and the lake is still around 544. Only taking about .33 hundreds of a foot off in 24 hour period and we had 2 inches of rain last week. Long way to go!, To wherever they are going?? 

Second, in reply to those of you wondering about Albert Pike, I'll quote Ryan Gary, our Lil' Mo' trout biologist. I  just received this in a text today:   "Hey Mike had to double check with hatchery manager but we stocked the April fish in March up at Albert Pike because water temps were getting too high in the lake. I don't think we have any more stockings slated for the year on Albert Pike."  😞😞.

That's about all that's new from here. I feel they are continuing to stock here on high water but it's hard to know. I think some people keep messing with my markers on the stocking tubes, just to keep me confused!!🤔 I know, that's easy to do!!🤪🤪.

Jonbo, I don't know what kind of Howell-Bunger valve is installed at Narrows Dam, but here is a youtube video from the company that makes them explaining operations.  Apparently they're all installed with a high head of water above.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnhOy4YWjsQ&ab_channel=ORBINOXVALVESINTERNATIONAL

Thanks Hen and Jonbo.  I don't know whether they adhere to the published stocking schedules or not, but the Arkansas Game & Fish book shows stocking of 1,000 Jan, Feb, March, and April 2024.  We can only hope.  Hen, you've saved a lot of folks time and money with your timely reports, much appreciated.

Yeah, Albert Pike was extremely slow upstream last week when I went. I had found a report somewhere that they had stocked 1000 earlier in March at AP. I can't find the report now. Maybe I imagined it? Someone else had told me they haven't stocked at the Swimming Hole for a couple of years but at the Car Wash Hole instead. Maybe he had bad information? Donno. All I know is I can confirm YOUR report that AP was very slow last week.

BTW, can you or someone explain what the "bunger valve" is? I know that earlier in the season supposedly the generators were down for repairs and that somehow meant they ran water constantly some other way. Was that the bunger valve?

You weekenders don't waste your gas money, at 6:00 Saturday morning they are still running the bunger valve. They seem to be "slow rolling" the river, only taking about .33 of a foot of water off the lake per 24 hour period.

I checked out Albert Pike last Thursday and it was really slow!  I caught a few in the swimming hole but none father up river!😞😞. Don't know when they last stocked or when they might stock again. Sorry Gordon, just don't have much information for up there.

Quote from: GORDOB on Mar 21, 2024, 11:08 AMMorning Mike.  Thanks for your diligence in the river reports.  Have they done much stocking at Albert Pike this year.  I remember a couple of years ago they made a pretty big stocking during the first week of April.  Hoping to take my grandson and great grandson up there in April, after the eclipse.  Keep up the great work, you're our source of information now and it's rally appreciated.

I fished AP in mid-Feb or so. There were plenty of fish at the Carwash Bridge (about a mile upstream of the Swimming Hole) at that time. I went a couple of days ago, nada, basically. I don't know. I saw a report somewhere online that AP had been stocked in March with 1000 fish, I think. So, I don't know.