“The catch-and-release area that begins at Otter Creek ends about 200 yards above this access,” Reed said. “Lots of bait-fishermen fish right at the access and most of the fly-fishermen wade upstream. There’s good fishing along two islands upstream from there, and you’ll find deep holes with big fish in them in a big, flat pool that’s called Mill Pond. I went electrofishing with guys from (the AGFC) up there once, and we shocked up a 30-pound brown in Mill Pond. You’ll see a stacked-rock wall and what’s left of an old grist mill that was by the river.”

Although the fishing upstream is excellent, Reed warns newcomers against wading past the first island, known locally as “Cook’s Island.” And for safety’s sake, he stops wading at the first bend downstream from the access. Many flyfishermen now rent boats or canoes to move among the holes and shoals (shallow gravel bars), and a few even buzz around on personal watercraft.

“I’ve bailed a bunch of folks off that river when they were caught by rising water,” Reed said with a laugh. “If I had five bucks for everybody I’ve hauled out of the water just at my place, I could’ve retired by now!”

NORFORK ACCESS
The final public entry is at the AGFC’s Norfork Access, which underwent a facelift in 2006. It now has generous parking above the high-water line. Boaters appreciate the new ramp and a dock with a lift to move wheelchair-bound anglers safely into boats.

Most fishermen avoid ramps, assuming that the commotion frightens fish, but North Fork trout never miss an easy meal. Because motors dislodge nymphs and scuds from the gravel, trout are actually attracted to boat traffic here, and many folks fish from shore or wade at Norfork.

TRACKING UPS AND DOWNS
For recorded information about the lake level, current generation and the last period of generation at Norfork and Bull Shoals dams, call (870) 431-5311. The information on current generation isn’t always 100 percent accurate, but it’s a good starting point for planning a day on the river.

For more details about the flow, dig into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Little Rock District Web site, www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil. Follow links in the Water Management area to a page with today’s and yesterday’s generation information, including the cubic feet per second of water released each hour.

Boating is best and safest with one or both generators releasing enough water for safe passage over rocky shoals. Reed estimates that you could float the entire river in 1 1/2 hours with both generators running.

Flyfishermen relish low water, which allows safe wading. Nighttime fishing can be spectacular, but you must know the water you’re fishing intimately and be prepared for a safe, hasty exit if water rises. Generally, fishing is best on stable or rising water and slows when the level drops.

THE GRAND SLAM!
The North Fork is stocked with a colorful array of more than 100,000 hatchery-reared trout each year and has some very limited natural fish reproduction. A few lucky or skillful anglers land all four species in a single day to score a grand slam.

Rainbows comprise more than 90 percent of the fish stocked and caught. “They average about 10 to 14 inches long, and they’re everywhere up and down the river,” Reed said. Cutthroats, wearing namesake slash marks on their lower jaws, resemble rainbows in size and distribution, and they also take to the air when hooked.