what's up with the arkansas river?

[randybenham]

Just curious,

Dr. Pepper, you are a river man, do you think it's safe to venture out in the river at this time now? I was watching the river levels at the nat. weather service website, & it looks like the level is back down to 13 ft. I just don't know if the flow has let up enough that it's safe to fish. Anyone else have a river report?

[LRJoe1]

I know that CEB was on the Little Maumelle this weekend, but I don't know if he got in the river.

[ceb]

Didn't get into the main river. Fished the upper sections of the little maumelle. Water was about 1.5' low. Just a trace of current. Found dark males about 18" deep in 2' of water around cypress. Mostly on the small side. Tightlining blue/chart jig. Goocher caught his on rosie-tipped black/chart jig. I'm not going to go into further details about the spankin' I put on him. It was his B-day after all...:D

I wouldn't think the main river would be a good idea just yet. It's moving at about 172,000 cfs. My cut-off would be less than 100k.

[DRPEPPER]

I am hoping to get my toon on the river for the 4th of July fireworks. I forget when small craft warnings go out; 30000 to 60000. It is running around 170000 and will do so until the middle of May. Then it will gradually decrease to normal flows (0 to 8000) if we don't have anymore monsoons. All of this actually would drain faster if the White and Mississippi rivers were not backing up into the mouth of the Arkansas and the navigation canal. The corps not only has the Arkansas valley to be concerned with; their woes are all the way from St Louis to New Orleans. All of the rain we had went right up the Ohio valley.
You may have noticed some barge traffic in the last couple of days. The liner service has a few boats that can run against this current with half tows although they consider it safe at 130000. We got our first barges here in 6 weeks this last weekend. We still have barges stranded in our fleet that we loaded in Feb.
I wouldn't venture out into the river just yet. I think it will be a couple of months.
DP

[randybenham]

thanks for the info don. I only have the small 16 ft aluminum boat, so I am very hesitant to even attempt getting on the river, unless there is much slower flow. Please keep us posted.

[LRJoe1]

Randy,

I would stick to either the Little Maumelle or the Big Maumelle.

[gooch]

Randy never never never look at the river level as a guage of safety as it means nothing. The only thing that matters is the flow and its scary bad as the others have said.

Whats going on out at your lake with all those condos you sunk. I was seeing you post some nice catches out there for a while

[randybenham]

the nice catches that you are seeing are very scarce. I'm real concerned about the lake here. I just don't know what is going on. been very strange. I am catching very few crappie. I know where they all live, & just can't seem to get on them. I know that a lot of it has to do with the weather, but it has been very frustrating. I'm still trying though.

[DRPEPPER]

[QUOTE=gooch;503783]Randy never never never look at the river level as a guage of safety as it means nothing. The only thing that matters is the flow and its scary bad as the others have said.

I forgot to tell yall one more war story that made a beleiver out of me last year....
Our fleet boat was placing a barge in a tow with less flow than we have now. All of a sudden with no warning a tree shot up out of the water and knocked a lid off of a barge. Now I fear what might be drifting under the surface that I might not see in these currents.
DP