Page 5 - RVO TR Greers Ferry Lake May 2016

Advertising Supplement River Valley & Ozark and Three Rivers Editions of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Life on Greers Ferry Lake • Sunday, May 29, 2016 • 5 GREERS FERRY LAKE / CAST AWAY
ZANE GRIMES/CAPTURE ARKANSAS
The trout have it
COLD WATERS OF THE LITTLE RED RIVER PROVIDE IDEAL HABITAT FOR TROUT FISHING
By Spencer Griffin
SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
Originally a warm-water stream consisting of good fishing for bass, crappie, catfish and other
warm-water fish, the Little Red River has turned into one of the best places to fish for trout in the state.This is a result of its now cold-water habitat. Fishermen from across the state visit the Little Red
River for its excellent trout fishing.
The river’s transformation from a warm-water stream to a cold-water habitat can be explained by an event that occurred in 1962: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Greers Ferry Dam to control flooding.The result of building the dam was the impounding of the Little Red River. This created a cold tailwater that stretches approx- imately 30 river miles downstream.The cold water discharged from the lower depths of the lake re- duced the temperature of the stream to a level that was unsuitable for warm-water fish produc- tion but is an excellent habitat for cold-water fish such as rainbow, brook and brown trout.
Along with the dam and its resulting cold water, the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery was also established in 1965.This federal facility, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was built to pro- duce trout to stock into the river. Sherri Shoults, the hatchery manager, said the hatchery has been stocking fish into the river for 50 years and contin- ues to do so.
“The hatchery began stocking fish into the Little Red River in 1966 and continues today,
producing over 700,000 trout annually,” she said. “The hatchery is a ‘grow out facility,’ which means we receive fertilized eggs from another federal broodstockhatchery.Theeggshatch,andwegrow those fish to a stockable average size of 11 inches.”
Shoults added that the hatchery is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with the exception of Thanks- giving and Christmas, and there is no admission fee. Visitors can take a tour of the hatchery, where they will see trout in almost all stages of life and witness the day-to-day activities required to produce trout on a large scale.
Daniel Davis, hatchery technician, said he fig- ures there are a few reasons for the trout fishing in the Little Red River being so ideal.
“I think the Little Red River is optimal for trout fishing for a couple of reasons. The cold-water releases from the dam maintain a tailwater that is good habitat for the trout. The second reason would be because the hatchery regularly stocks the river with rainbow trout,” he said.“Brown trout reproduce naturally in the Little Red, and I don’t think cutthroats are stocked anymore.”
Davis gave some tips for first-time fishermen looking to capitalize on the prime fishing spot.
“My opinion would be to use a light tackle, a line like 4- to 6-pound test, and power bait or some type of worms,” he said. “The fish are like a small bream or perch when biting.The best time of the year to fish is in the summer because there are more fish stocked during that time of year, but you can catch fish on this river year-round and possibly some large browns in the late fall when they are spawning.”
Davis said his favorite thing about the Little Red River is the fact that it is not costly. He said it doesn’t take a lot of money to catch a lot of fish. All you need is a simple rod, light fishing line, some bait, and you are set.