Putting It All Together

So the big question is well what does it all mean? If you are prepared to fish from a boat or wade, or a combination of both, on any given day you have a tremendous playground on the White and Norfork. Every guide on this river who has been fishing the high water this season will tell you they can catch fish on everything up to wide open generation, and something beyond.

But if you are solely intent on wade fishing then you have to stay flexible , be prepared to jump from shoal to shoal and lose some fishing time even in a normal year.

So here is our guide to utilising the information in the previous chapter to fish up and down the river. We are obviously going to err on the side of caution. The White under generation isn’t inherently more dangerous than any other, but the cold water can limit your ability to survive prolonged immersion. Swimming isn’t a good idea.

Safety First

You won’t be the first to be caught out by rising water but do what you can to minimise the risk. Call the Dam to see what is coming before you start.

Mark the waterlevel on a nearby rock landmark, ie a stump or rock, so you can always guage whether its rising or falling. Pay attention to the time and your surroundings.

Always have your escape route to higher water planned, particularly if you waded through deeper water to get to your fishing spot. It doesn’t take much change in depth and speed to make crossing impassable.

If you are caught get to the easiest bank/island, even if its not where your car is parked. Signal fellow fishers, you will be found alive. It might be boring/cold uncomfortable if you are stuck on the wrong bank, but its better than dead.

Wading Windows

Its a rarity to have extended period of round the clock zero generation on the White. Happily since we are fishing 44 miles of river it takes a long time for the water to cover that distance. In the summer months it can be common to see the generators switched off overnight, before being kicked on around 8am or 9am as the airconditioners start for the day. On the White this means good fishing. You can start at the Dam early fishing low water until the horn blows. Jump in your car and scoot downstream. Depending on how muhc water is released it might take 3 hours to reach Wildcat Shoals, or 7 to Rim Shoal. That’s a day on low water.

As a guesstimate you can say its going 3-4 units are going to run around 3mph, more water is faster, less water is slower. So its a simple calculation, divide river miles to your location by the speed, and you get the time it will take.

On the other hand falling water moves a lot slower so its going to take a good while longer for the water to fall ou.And these are only guides.

On Norfork the evening off/morning on, schedule is a curse. Because Norfork is so short it doesn’t take the water long to move downstream. And because it is so narrow and intimate, at low water part of its charm, any generation finishes fishing for the waders.

However if you can float and wade, the 1 unit does offer some wading alternatives around the islands. I always carry my cell when I’m wading the lower accesses on Norfork, where you cannot hear the generation horn. I call the number every 30 minutes. Since it takes 45 minutes for the water to come down I know I have time to escape.

High Water Wading On the White

Unlike Norfork you can keep wading once the horn blows on the White, But its a matter of right place and right time.

The Dam to State Park: Great area in low water and sections remain fishable as the water comes up. If you are below the first shoal start pushing back to the edges once the horn blows, its comes fast here. Right at the top you can fish almost up to 2 units on the grass verge but space becomes tight.

Three Chutes: Nice little fished spot here. But don’t be suckered into wading across the channel at low water with generation on the way, it will become uncrossable fast. Stay on the western side and you can fish a small rise, but watch the slough between you and the road.

Wildcat: Nice to catch a rise at Wildcat but beware of rising water trapping you out in the middle. It can be tempting to keep wading across, but its a long way home. The other issue with Wildcat is that the public access is upstream, so you are walking out against the rise, unless you have access through private property. But even close to the access fish will come up into the shallows on the rise.

Rim Shoals: The crossing to the first island is tricky enough in low water to deter many. But having access to the island allows you to wade fish though just about any rise. The Rim Shoal Resort runs taxi services throughout this section, or rents boats, so you can access the islands, wade fish and come home. They are also developed a riverside trail here with some higher water fishing. Inquire at the Resort.