Nice looking day today.  Temperatures in the low 90s, a little overcast with a slight chance of showers this afternoon (20%).  Forecast is still calling for temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s through Friday with chances of showers each day.  Weekend looks dry so far.  Unless we get hit with a lot of rain, I am going to stop giving a blow by blow on the lake levels after this report.  But, as of this morning the lake levels are:  Beaver – 1128.77, Bull Shoals – 691.80, and Table Rock – 926.26. 

One of the main observations from our guides who were on the water yesterday is the change in our wading areas as well as the rest of the river.  We had our suspicions when the water was high because we were seeing gravel in high water in places we had never seen it before.  With the water off, we now have holes where there were gravel bars and gravel bars where there were none.  Below the MDC boat ramp, the area we always referred to as the “KOA narrows” is now relocated downstream 40-50 feet and is a shallow riffle all the way across the river….maybe ankle deep in some places.  If you can get to them, there appears to be more places to wade than before.  Some more reports on what was working yesterday morning when the generators were off.  Beadhead Hare’s Ear, insect green soft hackle, rockworm caddis green soft hackle, black zebra midge. olive wooly bugger. peach fur bug, and the list goes on.  Lots of different folks coming in saying they were “tearing them up” on these various patterns plus the ones listed yesterday.  What a day!

Friday, generators running, Jim had Price and Marge, from Lawrence, Kansas out for the morning.  They always have fun and were catching fish on the red midge, red San Juan, a gray scud and the sculpin bugger. 

Saturday, the Louisiana Kerrs were on the water again.  This time, Stan had Dawn and Albert, and Darrell took James Albert so they could do some  streamer work.  Another good day for them on the big pink midge, the ruby, and cerise San Juan.  James Albert picked a nice rainbow on a white streamer.  Among the many fish they caught, James Albert also caught a nice white bass stripping his streamers.  Albert jumped ship and caught this nice rainbow on the high bank as they drifted out.

Alexandria and first trout - 6/11/11

 Carolyn was with Dan and his daughter, Alexandria, on the water for half a day.  Alexandria is nine years old and this was her first experience at fly fishing.  For her first time, she did well getting the line into the water and mending.  Once we recognized a strike, she hooked several fish and we finally got a few to the boat.  Real trooper and likes to bring in fish.  Yeah!  Best pattern was the cerise San Juan worm.

Jim helped Dale celebrate his birthday on Saturday.  They spent the day chasing trout with the sculpin bugger, red San Juan and gray scud.  Sounds like Dale has a good birthday. 

Gina got the benefit of the off generation yesterday morning.  Two new fly fishers, Jeff and Julianna, from Kentucky.  They had a wonderful day learning how to cast, catching fish, mending, catching fish, working line, catching fish.  Best patterns were the black zebra midge and the size 18 ruby midge.  After the water came, on they returned to the shop to learn a little about bugs, knots, leaders, lines, and other gadgets.  Both left with a smile on their faces.

Little bit of rain this morning.  Possibly of some more scattered showers later today.  Looks like partly cloudy, temps in the upper 80s to low 90s, and chances of showers all week.  Lake levels are now at 1128.85 for Beaver, Bull Shoals is 691.77, and Table Rock is 926.31.  Keep on dropping. 

Generation is completely off this morning on Table Rock Lake.  Can’t believe that!  Just had a friend call me….to make me feel good?!…said “everyone is catching fish standing in the river this morning.  Catching them on the ruby midge, cicada, crackleback, just anything”.  She then said, “the rebar has changed but there are a lot of people standing down there fishing, there’s one with a fish on, and another one with a fish on”…..So it goes.  I’m in the shop, can’t go fishing.  But, I can picture everyone standing in the river, rods bent with fish on and smiles on their faces.  

It’s been a pretty good and so-so few days on the river with the spastic generation patterns and dingy water.  Jim had Bud out all day Thursday.  They had a good day on the gray scud, red midge and sculpin bugger.  

Will With 18" Rainbow - 6/9/11

Gina had one of her red fish guides from Louisana, Will, on the water Thursday morning.  She got to show him the difference in trout fishing from red fish.  They had a great, fun day on the olive floozie and cerise worm.  This was his first fresh water trout experience.  Good start! 

Friday, the Louisana Kerrs were here.  Nice, good quality fish day.  Dawn spent the day with Carolyn and Albert and James Albert were with Darrell.   The cerise San Juan worm dropped under the big ruby midge were the best patterns, although we did catch a few stripping the crackleback.  It’s just in Dawn’ blood…stripping. 

Dawn & 19" Rainbow - 6/10/11

Warm weather and no rain, the lakes are dropping.  We still expect to see low 90s through next Wednesday with chances of scattered showers Friday through Monday and again on Wednesday.  This morning, the various lake levels were:  Beaver – 1128.99, Bull Shoals – 691.86, and Table Rock – 926.66.  Table Rock is generating 24/7, but not necessarily all four units going all the time.  This morning we actually had two units going and the tailwater level actually was as low as 704.5.  However, not for long.  By 6:00 a.m., it was up to 706.8 and I have two more horns this morning so it is now up to 707.7 feet at 12:45 p.m. 

Wednesday, Gina took Joe and his 8 year old sun, Hunter, out for a half day of fly fishing.  Hunter looks like a natural.  He could get his fly like into the water and even mend.  Landed his first fish by himself on a silver bullet.  Fun day for everyone.  Best patterns were the silver bullet crackleback and a cerise San Juan worm.

Hunter Maddick - 6/8/11Joe Maddick - 6/8/11

Darrell had Jack and Karen from Tennessee on the water for half a day.  Jack fly fishes quite a bit, but Karen is brand new.  Their best patterns were the cerise San Juan worm, and a burgundy midge.

Wow!  Hot weather.  We have had several days in the mid to upper 90s, and with our humidity, it is HOT!  As I mentioned in the last report, the flood gates are.  They turned them off Saturday afternoon, so we are now just seeing a constant flow of generators.  However, the levels on Taneycomo have gone as low as 706.2 feet.  Still too high to wade, but fishing from a boat is much safer and easier.  As of 6:00 a.m. today, Beaver is still sitting in the 1129 foot level.  Bull Shoals is down to 692.01 and Table rock is at 926.88

Weather forecast through Tuesday of next week is temperatures in the low (we hope) 90s.  Chance of isolated thundershowers Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Right now, these chances appear to be more north of us.

Sunday, Carolyn was out with Lynn and David again.  This is the third time they have fished with us and Lynn gets better every trip and catches more fish than the last time.  David likes to pull streamers, but we really couldn’t find a pattern they wanted Sunday.  However, we did boat a good number of fish on the red, size 16 D-ribbed midge.  Dana had a couple guys, Darrell and his son, Jason,  from Wyoming on the water for half a day.  They said all the water is “blown out” on Wyoming.  Their best patterns were the pink San Juan worm and a peach egg. 

Jason's first trout on fly rod - 6/5/11

Darrell - 6/5/11

Darrell and Jim both on the water Monday.  Darrell had Jim and his wife, Jean, from Ohio out for 1/2 a day.  They used to bring their children here many years ago to boat and enjoy the area.  Now that everyone is grown and gone, they decided to start visiting the area again.  They caught and missed several fish on a black zebra midge.  Jim’s couple, Dan and Vivian, are from Kansas.  They are pretty new at this sport so Jim gave them a good fishing and instruction trip.  Best patterns were a red midge, red San Juan and a #6 sculpin bugger. 

Jim on the water again with Dan and Vivian on Tuesday.  Pretty much the same patterns and, of course, a little more instruction.  They had a fun time.  Stan took Rob and Matt, from Nebraska out for half a day.  These guys fly fish….mostly for pan fish, but are now trout fishers!  Said they had a good day and learned a lot.  Best patterns were the red midge and the silver bullet crackleback.

Yesterday, around 4:30 p.m. the five flood gates were shut down. Good and bad.  Would like to see the level dropped a little more, but it certainly makes it a lot safer to get on the river.  At 6:00 p.m. today, Beaver is still in the 1129 level, exactly 1129.13.  Bull Shoals is now at 692.91 and Table Rock is 927.67.  Looks like we are in for a warm week.  Tomorrow will be sunny at temperatures in the low 90s.  Monday through Friday at predicted in the 90s and partly sunny.  Friday and Saturday we are seeing chances of showers and Saturday should cool down a little into the upper 80s.

With the five flood gates open Thurday, Stan and Jim took a group out for half a day.  Stan had Dale and Erick, and Jim tookJim and Gary.  These guys were friends, from various areas in the States.  For the most part, they were new to fly fishing.  Although their favorite past time is the golf course, they decided the fly fishing was also a great sport.  In a short half day, (tee time was 1:30 p.m.) they all had a good day.  Jim’s guys did well on a size 6 sculpin bugger and Stan’s guys caught fish on the pink cerise worm, but their best patterns were the silver bullet and holographic green cracklebacks. 

Friday, Carolyn took Rich and his daughter, Janet, from Kansas out for a full day.  With the flood gates and really dirty water, we managed to get several fish to the boat on the size 16 red tungsten beadhead midge, dropped under the size 12 holographic red midge.  Worked the edges and drop offs along all the banks  down past Pointe Royale.   During the time we were on the water, the Corp turned off the five flood gates…Yeah!…and the water dropped more than two feet.  Hope this will help clear up the water.  It has been a coffee with cream brown for several days.

Saturday, Jim had Craig, from Kansas out for a half day of instructional fishing.  They did a lot of casting and line work, then nymphing and streamer techniques for presenting flies to fish.  Caught several fish on the red midge, red San Juan worm, a holographic green crackleback and a size 10 olive sculpin.  Stan and Carolyn were on the water with friends of Buz and Ginnie who were exposing their friends to the wonders of Missouri.  Carolyn had Chrisie and Kathy.  Christie is from St. Louis and Kathy is from Louisiana.  Cristie’s husband, Larry, and Cathy’s husband Mike, were with Stan.  The group had spent the day before at Dogwood Canyon and learned a little on fly fishing.  They  had a good time there catching fish on a fly rod and learning the “ropes” a little.  Whole new world on Taneycomo with the dirty, fast water.  New techniques, and new flies.  Everyone had a fun day catching fish on the size 16 red midge, dropped under the size 12 holographic red midge as well as stripping the silver bullet using the sinking leaders in seams.

Other than Beaver, there has been a noticeable drop in the lakes.  At 7:00 a.m. today, Beaver is still holding at 1129.23, but Bull Shoals is now down to 693.87 and Table Rock is at 929.52.  They are still running five gates plus the four generators on Table Rock.  This is definitely helping to get the lake level down more quickly.  Weather for the balance of the week looks warm!  Today we will be in the upper 80s with a slight chance for showers.  Thursday through Monday look like sunny to partly sunny with temps. in the low 90s.  By Tuesday, we again have a chance of showers and temperatures in the upper 80s.

Stan on the water Monday morning with Mike and his daughter Amanda.  This was Amanda’s second time fly fishing all within a month’s time frame.  They had a great day, and as Mike put it when he came back into the shop, “we caught a boat load of fish”.  Drifting, they caught several on the cerise worm, but the highlight of the day was stripping the silver bullet and holographic green cracklebacks.  These were their best patterns.

The five flood gates were still on at 8:00 a.m. today.  Thought they might have shut them down, but honestly, glad to see them still open.  Let’s get rid of some of this water just in case we have another monsoon!  At 8:00 a.m. Beaver was at 1129.18, Bull Shoals at 695.10 and Table Rock at 930.57. 

We are still expecting to see really warm weather for the balance of the week into the weekend.  Slight, very slight chance of showers tomorrow evening.  Otherwise, pretty sunny every day.

Kristi and Rick, from Town and County, MO., spend a fun afternoon on the water with Stan yesterday.  Kristi says “Stan’s the man”.  Ho! Ha!…he has her fooled.  They did have a very good day on the cerise worm and stripping the silver bullet crackleback.  They said the water is somewhat off colored…kind of a muddy green color.  A young man whose family stayed in one of our cabins Friday and Saturday nights caught some fish up near the outlets on a gray scud Saturday and Sunday.  Other folks are also catching!

By the way, today and tomorrow are the last two days of the Orvis Reel Deal.  Buy a Helios, Hydros, or Access rod and get a free reel.

Yes, they turned off five of the flood gates on Saturday.  Looking at the levels today, we might just see the other five shut down today or tomorrow.  At 8:00 a.m. today, Beaver is sitting at 1129.11 feet, Table Rock is 931.07 and Bull Shoals is 695.86. 

The weather even looks like it is going to be agreeable.  Today is going to be a pretty warm one in the upper 80s and lots of sunshine.  Monday will be partly cloudy and mid to upper 80s, Tuesday shows a chance of showers with temps again in the mid to upper 80s.  Partly cloudy Wednesday and upper 80s, and partly sunny Thursday through Saturday with temperatures in the upper 80s and lwer 90s.  That should help dry things out!

With the part of the flood gates off, we will be putting boats back on the water tomorrow.  Fish should be settled in by then and fishing pretty good.  Hearing from the fishers managing to get to the water up near the hatchery, they are catching fish, especially on the grey sowbugs and scuds.  Also heard of several white bass and a few other species being caught.

Looking at the affect of this last 10 flood gate opening, it looks pretty much as bad as when they opened them last month.  Not quite as much water, but still, you either have 3 feet of water in your home or five….what’s the difference?  We can only be thankful we are not in Joplin.  As least folks here know where their homes are.  Today at 8:00 a.m., Beaver Lake is sitting on 1128.99 feet.  This is about a 3′ drop from its level on 5/24 (1131.8′).  Table Rock is at 933.98 which is a slight drop and holding stable.  Bull Shoals in up about 2′ from the 24th at 696.10 feet. 

Some chances of showers today, tomorrow evening and into Saturday morning.  After that it looks like sunshine for several days.  Temperatures over the weekend are predicted to be in the 80s!  Dry out time!

Following is an excerpt from the Branson Tri-Lake News, May 25th edition:

Some good news – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to make no changes through Saturday in the release of water from Table Rock Dam.  The current release is 53,600 cubic feet per second.

Barring any major rainfall, the Corps can then begin reducing the release from Table Rock sometime Saturday.  The Corps wants Table Rock level to drop to 931 before cutting back on the releases.  At 9 a.m. today (Wednesday), the level at Table Rock was 933.72.

Table Rock is expected to crest at 935 feet above sea level tomorrow (Thursday)

According to Jim Sandberg, operations manager at Table Rock Dam, it will be August before Table Rock returns to normal operations and lake levels.  This is a longer period of time returning to normalcy than after the 2008 flood event.

The Table Rock basin received 1.5 inches of rain overnight.  Not enough to increase the dam release.

At Beaver Lake, which flows into Table Rock, the Corps plans to begin lowering the gates at the dam later today.  Beaver has already crested at 1131.8 and now falling. 

Ten Gates Again! - 5/24/11

Stopped at the dam this morning on my way into work and took this picture of the 10 gates going full tilt again!.  They started opening them up yesterday late morning and by 4:00 p.m. finished opening the remaining gates.  While I was at the dam taking the picture at 8:00 a.m., they blew the horn to indicate opening a little more.  Understand that by 10:00 a.m. today, they plan to be at 53,600 cfe.   At 9:00 a.m. today the various lake levels were:   Beaver was at 1131.47 feet, Bull Shoals at 694.39 and Table Rock at 932.02.  Table Rock is still below the April 27 high of 935.3.

Unfortunately, we are still expecting more rain through Friday.  Today, so far, is a beautiful, sunny day with just a little wind.  The chances for strong rains are predicted for late tonight into Wednesday.  Thursday might squeek by with no rain, but rain chances are again in the forecast for Friday.  Good news!  Saturday, Sunday and Monday look like “NO RAIN”.

It’s almost irrelevant now, but Jim was on the water this past Sunday with Brandon and Rod from Tennessee.  The guys had a very good day even though the water was high and still pretty cloudy from the Friday rains.  They did well on the red midge with the pink San Juan dropper and also pulling a size 6 sculpin bugger.