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Post by danimal on Apr 6, 2018 20:03:09 GMT -6
If they've started pulling the flow from the spillway yet? Heard they were gonna start dropping it at roughly 200 CFS per 2 hour intervals (too fast IMO), but didn't hear if they had actually began the reduction. Have you guys (and/or ladies) heard anything?
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Post by coldwaterfly on Apr 6, 2018 20:07:19 GMT -6
I've read that it's going to go down fast and likely trap fish.
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Smallfry
Riffle Club
Trophy Sunfish Hunter
Posts: 436
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Post by Smallfry on Apr 6, 2018 20:33:39 GMT -6
I actually called the shop earlier today since I will be out tomorrow, Mr.Coach/Eddie said Monday was the day they're gonna slow it down. If I'm not mistaken, that is.
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Post by FlyAndStream on Apr 7, 2018 9:44:06 GMT -6
I fished it yesterday, and it was still 800 cfs plus run off. Eddie posted this on Instagram yesterday:
RIVER UPDATE! Monday 4/9 at 6:30am the flow will drop from 800 to 600 cfs. At 9:30am it will drop to 400 cfs and at noon it will be set at 170 cfs. -Eddie
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Post by danimal on Apr 7, 2018 12:14:36 GMT -6
I fished it yesterday, and it was still 800 cfs plus run off. Eddie posted this on Instagram yesterday: RIVER UPDATE! Monday 4/9 at 6:30am the flow will drop from 800 to 600 cfs. At 9:30am it will drop to 400 cfs and at noon it will be set at 170 cfs. -Eddie Thanks for the info -- any luck on the high flows?
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Post by FlyAndStream on Apr 7, 2018 12:25:22 GMT -6
Thanks for the info -- any luck on the high flows? Fishing yesterday was interesting, but decent. Battled high flows, limited wading access, and torrential rain and thunderstorms all day – the fish didn't seem to mind, though. The trick for me was finding them, but once I did I was able to net around 24 or so. Mostly smaller fish, 11-14", and just about an even split between Rainbows and Browns. Message me if you're headed out and want to know where they were pooled up together.
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Post by soonermark on Apr 7, 2018 13:01:08 GMT -6
What is the minimum flow for the water not pool and allow fish to swim freely up and down stream?
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Post by FlyAndStream on Apr 8, 2018 8:45:31 GMT -6
What is the minimum flow for the water not pool and allow fish to swim freely up and down stream? I’m not too sure what you’re asking, but fish can still move about even during the high flows. The river bottom creates a hydraulic cushion close to the bottom which allows the trout to not be as susceptible to the faster currents, as does any structure in the stream. Smaller trout will often be found in the slack water, seams, edges, and at the confluence where smaller water enters the main stream, when the current is faster. A good flow from Spillway is 140–200.
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Post by soonermark on Apr 8, 2018 13:29:56 GMT -6
I was as wondering if they reduce the water flow to where the Lower Mountain Fork pools up and the stream does not flow. I am trying to become more familiar with this whole Beavers Bend/Lower Mountain Fork year around as I do not live near it. This will help me better plan for future trips to this beautiful corner of God's country!
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Post by FlyAndStream on Apr 8, 2018 14:04:17 GMT -6
I was as wondering if they reduce the water flow to where the Lower Mountain Fork pools up and the stream does not flow. I am trying to become more familiar with this whole Beavers Bend/Lower Mountain Fork year around as I do not live near it. This will help me better plan for future trips to this beautiful corner of God's country! Ah, got it. I've only ever seen that happen when something mechanically has goes wrong at the Spillway release dam, and like what happened recently where they completely shut off flow for a few hours to fix it. Otherwise, it just fluctuated flow around circumstance that may arise, when there aren't those the river usually flows pretty consistently.
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Post by jonbo on Apr 8, 2018 19:34:33 GMT -6
There are 2 sources for the river coming from the lake. The first, that most concerns us fishermen is the "Spillway". That's the smaller dam that's upstream, more or less. The river flows for, I don't know, 5 miles?, out of here through Spillway Creek, the Evening Hole, Hickory, all the spots we normally fish inside the Park. Now, nearly all the time, as far as I know, that flow is kept pretty consistent, like all the first three years or so I fished the LMF. It's normally been kept at 140 cfs, or something. The thing is, that dam is called The Spillway because it's the release point of last resort for the lake when it's close to overflowing. When they do such an emergency release from the Spillway, it basically can tear up a lot of stuff inside the Park. I think there was such a release in '09 that caused some damage. But in '15 there were 2 big releases (weren't there?). All I know is that the second one, on Memorial Day weekend, tore the crap out of the area we fish in. It changed Spillway Creek completely from what it was, and areas like the Bluffs and even the Evening Hole, a lot. It destroyed one of the Park Bridges. I think I read that when it was going full bore that it was a similar flow to the Mississippi at St. Louis or something insane like that.
Well, the flow hasn't been kept as stable in the 3 years or so since as I think it once was. I think that's mostly due to repairs that have been going on, such as to the Cold Hole Bridge, and more recently, something about valves at the Spillway. That large flow of a few weeks ago, was that related to the high precipitation rate and high lake levels? I lose track. Anyway, if I had to guess I'd say that once all this type of stuff settles down that the COE will probably go back to keeping the flow out of the Spillway very consistent again. In that case, from the top of Spillway Creek to the area we call the Powerhouse, the area we all normally fish, IOW, the flow should stay the same nearly all the time.
Now, from the Powerhouse on, that is, from several hundred yards past the Swim Beach Bridge through the rest of the Park, that flow varies daily. Whenever they "generate", it's way up, when they don't it's way down. But, starting at the Powerhouse, there's no more fishing allowed in the Park. So, for fishing in the Park, we don't have to concern ourselves with generation times. They don't affect us. We fish upstream from there. However, if you drive all the way downstream through the Park, past the big RV campground, you finally come to a steel gate. If you go through that gate there's a nice wide trail following the river for about a mile. That area is called "Zone 2". You can fish to your heart's content there, but it's not really fishable at all when they're generating.
Then, way downstream is Zone 3. You have to go through Broken Bow and back toward Arkansas to get there. You turn up a county road a little before the bridge where the highway crosses the river. I have never fished there. You would have to ask GolferJeff about it.
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Post by FlyAndStream on Apr 9, 2018 8:25:20 GMT -6
Looks like the ACOE has started to incrementally reduce the flow coming from Spillway, currently at 551 cfs. www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/BROK.lakepage.html---- Quick update: BBFS posted on IG that the flow was lowered to 170 cfs today at around noon. For some reason the ACOE page is still showing 551 cfs, though.
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Post by soonermark on Apr 9, 2018 20:22:06 GMT -6
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge & experiences with LMF & Beavers Bend! I appreciate it!
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