29 November 2024 “just so you know”

[HEN]

There were no fish stocked either the week before or the week of thanksgiving this year but there are a ton of fishermen out looking for them!!  I looked back on my calendar and this is first year in the past few years that we didn't get a thanksgiving stocking. Seems like the AGFC just forgets about us down here in south Arkansas. With just a little attention this river could become the next Broken Bow of the Mountain Fork river. It almost is now, it's the closest place for Louisiana and west Texas people to trout fish. It is phenomenal how much this area has grown over the past 10 years, yet the trout program has done nothing to keep up with the increasing pressure and demand. O well, don't get me started☹️.

Conditions on the river are great for trout, water clarity is great and water temperature is VERY cold🥶. There are still trout to be found from the November 9th stocking but you have to get away from the access sites and roam the river, They were stocked on high water so they were scattered and the bait fishermen have mostly harvested the trout at the easy access sites. People everywhere this thanksgiving weekend but there is a lot of river so get out and enjoy.

[ByronT]

There is a lot to be happy about in what you've written. I came over in October from Pine Bluff to do some diamond hunting but also to do some recon for another place to trout fish. There was water gushing out of one of the two whatever you call them. The water was cold but almost no one fishing other than some first-timers at that first public access area almost within sight of the dam. I did a tiny bit of research on the dam - enough to find out that the hydro part doesn't work and they will have to lower the lake enough to be able to fix whatever's broken. I figured all serious trout fishing was over until that got taken care of but your update makes it sound like the fishing will continue. One question - is there any number to call to find out what the river is doing or what they are going to do with it that day? Or better yet, what the flow schedule is for maybe two days out?? I ducked into all of the public access areas on the left side of the river, facing downstream, and could just imagine so many places to fish. But I don't want to drive over from Pine Bluff if it's super high or low. Thanks for your information!! BT