Little Missouri Fly Fishing

Yesterday with the lake at 537.50 the Corp cut the flow by about half. It's still too high to fish. I wish they would keep running a full river, cut the flow to 7% as before or stop completely. Any one of those is better than what they are doing now!! However the Corp has never asked my opinion?🤣🤣🤔. I've heard rumors that they are looking for a 534.00 level, hope they don't try to get it running at this flow, it will take forever. I'll keep you posted if something changes.

Fish did get stocked twice this month but I'll bet one of those stockings were Ouachita catch pen fish which would be 8 to 10 inch fish!! 

Festivities begin at noon on Friday.
Fly tying Friday and Saturday.
Saturday 9am tying began
10am Johnny Walker, news on Patriot Anglers projects.
Lunch
1:30pm Gordon Shaw will talk about the Joy of fly fishing with fiberglass.
3pm presentation on raft fishing in Arkansas.
Just some of the things planned.
Fishing trips.
Hope to see you there.

What goes on at the festival?

I was just notified by Mr. Hann that " Fish getting stocked today below lake". That's twice this month on high water!!  They have run water for 22 days straight now, putting the lake at 538.81. Would be nice If they stopped close to 538 like they did on the last long run.

Yes Jeff, for some of us old people, like me, 17 degrees is too cold to fish!! It does however make the river cold and clear like you say. I'll still have to hang close to my 50 degree rule!!

Don't forget the festival coming up the end of this month.

The NLFF will be up there this coming weekend.

Got plans to attend this one, already booked a room.

Thanks for the report! I might try my luck next week at AP.

Yep! With the snow and cold - and more cold and snow to come - the lake is going to have a very cold core next summer!!! That should help with the conditions if they aren't able to run the generators for a long time later in the year.

I was advised by Dillon Hann, District Fisheries Supervisor, that last Wednesday the 8th of January they stocked 870 fish at Albert Pike. They were from the Ouachita Net Pens so I'll bet they are 6 to 8 inch fish. Thank you AGFC!! 

Also the lower Lil' Mo' was stocked this week on high water!!  Again the fish will be scattered all over the river. Don't know any more about the stocking, only that it was done according to Mr. Hann. 🤔.

The lake is currently at 541.66 feet. That's down 7 1/2 feet from where they started at the end of December. That's about right for 15 days of running at about 1/2 foot per day. At this 541 level they will start to get a little more footage each day since the pool is smaller. Still don't have a clue how long (or how low)  they are going to run or when work might begin on the dam.

The good news is with all the snow the water is very cold. It is also fairly clear and thank goodness the river doesn't stink like it did before when they were running the bunger valve!! 

Hopefully they will stop running by the time the trout festival starts at the end of January. By then these fish they have stocked will be bigger and stronger, they will just be hard to find like last time.

Nope, nope and NOPE!!!