Here is your weekly Arkansas fishing report for June 29, 2013. Good luck, be safe and have fun catching them. If you have pictures of your fishing you would like to share with us, please do.
| Central Arkansas |
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets all over the lake. Crappie are biting slowly on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, buzz baits and crankbaits. Catfishing is good on trotlines and yo-yos baited with stink bait, shad and night crawlers.
Dan at Gold Creek Landing said bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. Crappie are fair at the base of cypress trees closer to the main lake. Bass are doing fair on white buzz baits, Rat-L-Traps and soft-plastics. Catfishing is good nightcrawlers and livers.
Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) said the water clarity is good and that generators haven’t been running until about 10 a.m. Fishing is excellent on any bait.
Lowell Myers of Sore Lip ‘em All Guide Service said Greers Ferry Dam’s second power unit is up and operating, so be sure to check the Army Corps of Engineers and Southwest Power Administration websites for current and future water released before planning your fishing trip. Pink and purple Trout Magnets used on gold and chartreuse Trout Magnet jig heads are producing good catches for those wanting to spin fish. Pheasant tails, soft hackles, blue-winged olive imitations and tan sow bugs are producing good catches for fly-fishermen. During heavy generation use big, weighted flies and long leaders.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 463.67 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
Jeff Mays of Anglers Outpost Guide Service (501-253-1905) said the lake level has slowly dropped to 464.41. Bluegill and catfish action has been hot with the water temps in the low to mid 80s. Very small jigs (1/64 oz.) tipped with a wax worm are killer on bream beds. Live bream, cut bait and shrimp are working well on trotlines and jug lines for catfish. Top-water baits like Zara Spooks and Pop-R’s fished early and late in the shallows are taking spotted bass and largemouths. Try large spinnerbaits or a weighted fluke in 10-20 water on submerged secondary shorelines and structure during the day. The evening bite for walleyes in 6-10 feet of water is working on Rogues and crankbaits, as well as dragging crawlers at 30-35 feet deep during the day. The aquatic invertebrate blooms are attracting crappie in 15-25 feet of water, try using small grubs and feathered jigs around submerged woody structure. The gar and carp are providing bowfishing opportunities in the creeks and rivers.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 1.34 feet above normal pool and is falling from generation. The surface water temperature is in the mid-80s. The hybrid and white bass fishing is great with the generation and wind combined, they can be caught all day with spoons, in-line spinners and swim baits. There’s some top-water action as well. Find schools of shad in 25 to 40 feet of water and concentrate your efforts below the clouds of baitfish. Bass fishing is good early and late on top-water lures. Once the sun is overhead, switch to drop-shotted finesse worms, Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigged lizards near brush. Walleye fishing is good with a little cloud cover in 15-23 feet of water on crawlers dragged on the bottom. A few walleye also have been picked up on crankbaits. Bream are bedding and can be caught with crickets and crawlers all over the lake. Crappie are hit-or-miss with the generation. The bite will improve once the lake gets to normal pool. Try brush and pole timber 15-25 feet deep. Some catfish are spawning and all species are eating well on trotlines baited with bream, minnows, worms and any other catfish bait you like, try flats close to the river channels.
Cody S. Smith of www.fishgreersferry.com said Greers Ferry is currently above normal summer pool with current generation lasting 6-10 hours a day, bringing the lake down to desired levels of 462.04 ft. Water surface temperatures this year have taken awhile to reach average levels in the low 80s. The reservoir is clear to moderately stained depending on location. White bass and hybrid stripers are feeding well and topwater action is getting better by the day. It has been my experience that the summer months are by far the most consistent and the very best time to catch a boat load in short order. Being on the water early will pay large dividends. Fish Dinner Lures, Cindy K Spinners and the Glitter Spinners are my number one confidence baits when it comes to hooking up with these fish. For topwaters, I like a clear Spook on slick days or albino shad-colored Sammy if you have some wind. I like to fish them on spinning tackle with braided line for long casts and good hook ups once the fish bite. A fast retrieve is necessary to entice the bite and I like to skip it across the top always keeping it moving but varying the speed to provoke the fish and allowing them to catch up to the bait without stopping it.
Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is high and there is 2 feet of visibility. The surface water temperature is 85 to 88 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished around brushy areas of the bank. Crappie are in deep water and are fair on jigs. Bass are biting well on soft-plastics fished on the first drop-off from the bank. Catfishing is good on cut bait, hot dogs and stinkbait suspended from trotlines.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) had no report this week.
Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is at normal level and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. Bass are biting well on spinners and plastic worms. Catfish are fair on trotlines and noodles using cut shad and live bream. Crappie are slow, but some are being picked up in deep water using Stinger Shads and minnows.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are slow on minnows, Baby Shad, Stroll’rs and Slab Slay’rs in white/salt-and-pepper, red/chartreuse, bone white, barbecue chicken and blue/white tipped with a green or yellow PowerBait Crappie Nibble. Bream are slow on nightcrawlers, redworms, mealworms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are fair on tequila sunrise and dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is a little high and clear. Bass are good on spinners and buzzbaits around the bank. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. Catfish are fair on limb lines and noodles using bass minnows and live bream. Crappie are being caught over brush piles on white and white/chartreuse Crappie Stingers.
Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) filed no new report.
Local angler Nicholas Karras had no report this week.
Jolly Roger’s Marina had no report this week.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream fishing is excellent using worms and crickets at main lake points. Crappie are fair in 10-20 feet of water using minnows, white/chartreuse, red/chartreuse, and electric chicken jigs. Bass fishing is excellent using crankbaits, spooks and Big Bite Fighting Frogs. Catfishing is excellent using slicks, shad, nightcrawlers, skip jacks and hearts.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are good and have been biting on minnows, baby shad, slab slay’r and stroll’rs in white /salt and pepper, red/chartreuse in bone white shad and cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken and blue/white with Power Bait crappie nibbles green or yellow. Bream fishing is excellent using nightcrawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are good on tequila sunrise and dark colored worms. Spinnerbaits, rooster tails, flukes and drop worms are also working well. White bass are good on Rooster Tails and shad-colored drop-shot worms
Hatchet jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said catfishing is excellent using chicken livers, nightcrawlers and hearts.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said there’s been one report of a few nice catfish caught on nightcrawlers and then released over the weekend. Some small bream were caught among the catfish and released as well. No reports of crappie or bass being caught recently.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said customers are catching catfish on chicken livers, shrimp and stinkbait. The Wild Cat Full Stringer stink bait seems to be working well in the afternoon. Some bass have been hitting top-water frogs early in the morning and right at dark. Work them right over or just outside of grass or brush. Bream are being caught on crickets and worms. Bigger ones seem to be caught on bottom in 4 to 6 feet of water. Several small crappie were caught one day this past week by a couple walking the path around the lake and stopping periodically to cast some Bobby Garland Baby Shad jigs on ultra-light rods. Electric Chicken and Monkey Milk were the colors used that day..
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said catfishing has been great on trotlines baited with black salties and brood minnows at night. A couple of customers have been having fun catching some big gar in the slow-moving holes on crappie minnows fished about 2 feet under a small cork. Several fat spotted bass and smallmouth bass were caught and released Saturday during a float trip on the Saline. My favorite artificial on the river, the 4-inch Zoom Mini Lizard in pumpkin, green pumpkin and watermelon/red colors worked well as usual. Texas rig them with a 1/0 wide gap worm hook and a 1/16-oz. bullet weight on light clear line. No reports of crappie being caught on the river lately, but as always the bream and sunfish will bite all day long on crickets and worms and will almost certainly provide a kid the thrill of catching some fish.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said if you take the time to locate them, big bream will bend your rod and fight all the way to the boat. Some are being caught on beds in fairly shallow water but for some reason the bigger ones are always deeper in this lake. Find some deep (12-20ft.) brush or logs and drop a cricket or redworm down amongst them on a tight line. Bass can be caught on floating worms or top-water baits early in the morning around docks and over shallow brush or grass. Catfish are biting chicken liver and shrimp and a few have been caught on worms and crickets while bream fishing. No reports of crappie being caught.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said catfish and bass have been biting no. 12 bass minnows around the banks. Bream have been hitting crickets and worms pretty well, but only a few big ones have been reported recently. Crappie fishing has been slow but a few have been caught on minnows.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some regular Winona anglers have been catching some really nice crappie on no. 12 bass minnows. No limits but some nice stringers of slab crappie have made for some good times and good eating. A few bass have been mixed in with the crappie and released. Some nice bream have been caught on crickets and redworms while fishing from the bank around the lake. Catfish seem to be biting pretty well late in the day and after dark on nightcrawlers, chicken livers and minnows.
Charley’s Hidden Harbor Charley’s Hidden Harbor had no report this week.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream fishing is excellent around trees using red worms and crickets. Crappie are fair around brush with white/chartreuse, red/chartreuse and green/ chartreuse jigs and minnows. Bass fishing is excellent in the shallows using creature baits, Senkos and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good using hearts, livers, shad, green sunfish and skipjack.
Palarm Creek: No report this week.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)
Vince Miller from Fish ’N Stuff said the water is muddy and back to normal current levels. The surface water temperature is 82 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in shallow water. Crappie are fair around brush tops in the backwaters. Bass are biting well on , crankbaits, creature baits and buzz baits fished around grass and jetties. Catfishing is good on shad and nightcrawlers.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream fishing is fair using redworms and crickets in the backwater. Crappie are fair at jetty points using minnows, white/chartreuse, red/chartreuse and purple/chartreuse jigs. Bass fishing is excellent in the backwater using jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is excellent on rod and reel and trotlines using green sunfish, shad and skipjack.
Fourche Creek: No report this week.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is high and stained. Bream are slow. Catfishing is good on shad.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water clarity is good and is at a normal level. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets fished close to the bank. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows and jigs. Bass are fair using spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic worms.
Peckerwood Lake
Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are fair. Catfishing is good on chicken liver.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report on the lake this week.
Lake Willastein
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream fishing is good around piers using redworms and crickets. Crappie fishing is excellent around brush using minnows, red/chartreuse and white/chartreuse jigs. Bass fishing is good on the north side of the lake in grass using jigs and topwater frogs. Catfishing is good using minnows, hot dogs, hearts, livers and slicks.
| North Arkansas |
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and six generators are running. Trout fishing is excellent. Pretty much any bait has been working, but shrimp and PowerBait seem to be the best. It’s some great fishing and a great way to beat the heat.
Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said we have had no wadable water and periods of high levels of generation. The lakes in the White River system are all above the top of power pool and we are getting more generation. Our major mayfly hatch, the sulphurs, is coming off. So far, this hatch has been very sparse. Before the hatch, concentrate on fishing mayfly nymphs like the copper John. When you observe fish feeding near the surface but see no insects, try a partridge and orange soft hackle. The hot spot has been Rim Shoals. The best time to fish is early morning or late in the afternoon. Midday can be slow. The hot flies were prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper Johns, pink and cerise San Juan worms, gold ribbed hare’s ears and sow bugs. Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). Some anglers have been fishing large streamers on the heavy flows we have been getting most afternoons and having success. This requires heavy sink tip lines, heavy rods (8-weight or better) and advanced casting skills. The hot flies have been large articulated streamers in various colors. Hopper season has begun. These are tempting morsels for large trout. You need a stiff 6-weight rod and a stout 7½-foot 4X leader. My favorite hopper patterns are the Western style foam hoppers with rubber legs and a bright quick sight patch on the back. Dave’s hoppers are also a good choice but be sure to dress them with plenty of fly floatant to ensure that they ride high.
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185)
Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are navigable and both are receiving a lot of pressure. With summer here, the smallmouths are active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.
Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are navigable and both are receiving a lot of pressure. With summer here, the smallmouths are active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 662.60 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
Mike Worley’s Guide Service said the water temperature is in the lower 80s. Walleye fishing has been good this past week on crawler rigs in 15-30 feet trolled on bottom bouncers or Carolina-rigs. Topwater lures are catching bass in the early morning, late afternoon and during cloudy, rainy days. Soft plastics like tubes, craws and worms fished near the brush or old shore line are catching lots of bass. Crankbaits in shad or crawfish colors are working well casting or trolling on windy overcast days for bass and walleye.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 558.75 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 552 msl, April-September – 554 msl).
Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said the stripers are schooling and are on the feed. Fish have been caught mid-lake and at the lower end. The fish are feeding between 30 and 50 feet over open water ranging from 50 to 80 feet in the channel. Between five boats fishing with gizzard and shad, 40 to 45 stripers were caught. 19 of those fish were kept, and they ranged from 10 to 24 lbs. The lake is in great shape and the best fishing of the year will be from now till the end of summer.
Lou Gabric of Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said fishing continues to be outstanding and expects it to continue to be that way for the next couple of weeks. Topwater action has been great at sunrise and sunset with a lot of fish being caught on weighted flukes. Mid-day fishing is still good but you have to go deeper to catch them. The fish are in about 18-30 feet of water, so find some underwater brush at that depth and fish in it with a jig pig or a Texas-rigged worm. For night fishing, use a black spinnerbait. The catfish have moved into shallow water to feed; use shiners, small bluegill and nightcrawlers. Crappie are scattered and in deep water.
Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the upper 70s to the low 80s and fishing is good. The stripers are starting to go deeper in the 30-40 foot range. There are still a few fish busting baitfish in the mornings. Zara Spooks and soft jerk baits have worked well. The bass are coming up early and just before dark, feeding on baitfish. They will hit any topwater bait, but the most popular baits have been spooks and soft jerk baits. If the wind is blowing, crankbaits and spinnerbaits have been effective. Look for the white bass in coves about 25-40 feet deep and use a jigging spoon. Some walleye and catfish have been reported being caught on crickets and worms while bream fishing.
Campground News: Jordan Campground on Norfork Lake is open April 1-Oct. 1 and managed by Jordan Marina. Formerly run by the Army Corps of Engineers, Jordan Campground is a favorite of families camping on the south end of Norfork Lake and is the gateway to Sand Island and Jordan area beaches. This area also is a favorite of scuba divers, with 30 dive sites within 2 miles of the campground. Jordan Campground has 41 RV and tent sites; sites with 50-amp service and 30-amp service are available for $20 per night. The campground, adjacent to Jordan Marina, also features a swimming beach, picnic pavilion, boat launch and two restrooms. For more information, call (870) 499-7223 or Jordan Marina at (870) 499-7348.
Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said there has been wadable water on the Norfork almost every day. The action has picked up somewhat and, with no wadable water on the White, it can get crowded. Fish early to avoid crowds. The most productive flies have been small (size 20 or smaller) midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and Dan’s turkey tail emerger or soft hackles like my green butt or the partridge and orange. There has also been a sparse hatch of very small mayflies; reliable hatches of midges (try a size 22 parachute Adams for both), some smaller caddis (size 18) and the crane flies are still coming off. Grasshoppers have started producing fish, particularly when used in conjunction with a small nymph dropper (try a size 20 black zebra midge). Olive woolly buggers have also accounted for a lot of trout. Dry Run Creek has fished well. School is out and there is much more traffic on the stream. Fish early or late to avoid the crowds. The hot flies have been sow bugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective.
| Northwest Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,124.05 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said stripers are biting well, but are scattered. Live shad (8-12 inches long) fished on down lines set 20-25 feet deep will work well, as will umbrella rigs with white grubs in clear water and chartreuse grubs in stained water. Three-way rigged Rapala no. 9 Husky Jerks, and Rogues in black- or purple-backed colors will pick up some stripers as well. Be sure to check out the following hot spots for stripers: Indian Creek (past Lost Bridge and the mouth of the creek); Big Clifty (check the humps between Big Clifty and Henry Hollow); Rocky Branch (check the channel between the front of the marina and the road bed that extends to the island); Larue (Try Cedar Creek, Ford Creek and Goat Island). Most walleye are about 15-20 deep and can be caught using a variety of methods. You can flat-line troll with Cotton Cordell Spots, Hot ‘N’ Tot’s, Wiggle Warts, Rapala Tail dancers, Shad Raps, Reef Runners or Ripstiks in natural blue or black back combos in clear water or chartreuse/orange and clown colors in areas of stained water. Slow death rigs featuring orange and chartreuse beads are working very well on a bottom bouncer. Jigging spoons around brush and rock piles are also producing. Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is high and clear. The surface water temperature is in the 80s. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished near the bank in 4 to 8 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows and live shad. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, top-water baits and 7-inch to 10-inch soft-plastic worms Carolina rigged near brush. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and nightcrawlers.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the lake clarity is good and temperatures are now in the 70s. Bream fishing is excellent using worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is good especially at night under lights using jigs, plastic tubes in black and white colors and 2 inch grubs fished off of deep banks. Bass fishing is fair at night using black spinnerbaits. During the day, use plastic worms and topwater baits in the mornings. Catfishing is fair on jugs and trotlines baited with gold fish.
Jason Piper of JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been best at night. Dark-colored, crawdad-imitating soft plastics, Texas rigged or on a shaky head, have worked well along sloping gravel to chunk rock banks. Bass can also be picked off early and late in the day on top water plugs or buzzbaits in and around the flooded brush along the bank. During the day, a Carolina-rigged tube, lizard or worm fished over points and flats has been effective. Monte-Ne, Prairie Creek, Big Ventris and both Clifty arms have all been good. Crappie fishing has been best early in the day. Look for them to be suspending under large docks, between timber and a bluff line and along pole timber close to a channel. Most fish have been down 15 to 20 feet over 25 to 35 feet of water. Small curly tail grubs or tube jigs on a 1/16-oz. jig head worked slowly from the bottom up in those areas has been effective. Trolling Hot “N” Tot or Bandit crankbaits over main lake flats also has been effective. Night fishing has also been good under lights close to channel bends or bluff lines in 25 to 50 feet of water. White River, Eden Bluff, Horseshoe Bend and Monte-Ne have all been good places to fish. White bass have been biting well at night under lights along bluff lines close to the channel and under the Highway 12 bridge. During the day they can be found schooling on main lake flats and can be caught using Kastmaster spoons once a school is located. Catfishing has picked up and catfish have been caught on liver or worms from the bank at Highway 12 bridge, Monte-Ne, Hickory Creek and the 412 bridge access.
Beaver Dam Store had no report this week.
Lake Elmdale
Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat had no report this week.
Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are biting excellently on worms and crickets in water less than 5 feet deep. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms, top-water lures and crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and at normal level. Surface water temperature is 83 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished deep early in the morning. Largemouth bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, topwaters and soft-plastic worms early in the morning or late in the evening. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and shad.
Dennis Kruse (479-444-3475) said some good catches of catfish were brought in on live bait such as worms, minnows and small bream. Crappie are deep, but are still being caught on minnows. Bream continue to be good on crickets and worms.
| Northeast Arkansas |
Lake Poinsett State Park said fishing is still fair on the north end of the lake. Bream are still hitting on crickets well around 2½ to 3 feet deep. Catfish are still biting on just about anything you throw in the water. Bass are still hitting and an occasional crappie will hit on minnows. The best bite is early in the morning.
Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on crickets. Bass are fair on top-water lures fished near the bank around any brush. Catfishing is good on shrimp and chicken livers.
Lake Frierson State Park said the water level is at normal pool; temperatures are in the upper 70s and low 80s. Bass have been fair on soft plastics and crankbaits fished in shallow water. Topwaters are also producing early and late. Most of the best fishing is around dawn and dusk for bass. Bream continue to be caught all over the lake, with small pieces of redworms or nightcrawlers being the hottest bait. Catfishing is poor to fair; the fish appear to be spawning and are not interested in many baits right now. They should be wrapping up the spawn over the next week and will be on the feed. The fish that are being caught are mainly on nightcrawlers and dip bait. No report on crappie or saugeye.
Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running 325 cfs and water clarity is clear. Really nice trout are being caught over the last few weeks. The hot fly for the last week has been the Guppie, a fly I invented to imitate a minnow. A mayfly emerger and hackle fly are working great also. During the heat of the day, when the trout slow down, a Y2K in pink or candy corn will keep them biting. Hot pink and candy corn Trout Magnets and white and black Rooster Tails are working great for spin fishers. If you’re looking to get into some big walleye, spend some time casting big stick baits like a Rattlin’ Rogue or large Rapala. There are huge walleye in the Spring River and with a little patience they can be caught.
Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Spring River is fishable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Canoe season is in full swing, so fish the upper river at the Lassiter Access. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.
| Southeast Arkansas |
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Team said water was 1/2 a foot low on Friday. Water temperature in the mid-80s. Visibility in Lake Langhofer and other backwaters is around 1-1½ feet. Visibility on the main channel is clearing but is still less than 1 foot. There is still moderate flow on the river, but it is slowing. Fish were biting well on rock banks and brushpiles in Lake Langhofer despite having to use slow-moving lures. The bite on the main channel has improved now that the current has slowed. The key seems to be a slow and methodical approach. We’re not catching many fish on “water covering” lures like spinnerbaits and crankbaits lately. WARNING – Trim up while approaching Regional Park’s south ramp. Lower-units can bump the rocks lining the lip of the washout at the bottom of that ramp when water is 1/2 foot low.
Geoff Wright at Cane Creek State Park’s said bream fishing is good at Cane Creek Lake right now. Bream have been caught all over the lake – outside lily pad fields, around stumps in open water, and along structure near shore. Some hot spots are at Cane Creek State Park’s exterior fishing pier and near the lake’s spillway. Fish crickets and worms and move until you find a bed. They’ll hit within a few seconds of dropping the lure in the water if they’re there.
Lake Chicot State Park filed no new report.
Jesse James Charter Fishing (870-355-7800) said bass are biting well on white Bionic Custom spinnerbaits fished around docks with a burning retrieve. One-ounce Seven-Fifteen Brand Swimbaits also are working around docks for bass. Bream are biting well on crickets fished next to cypress trees. Catfishing is good on cut bait practically anywhere on Chicot right now.
| Southwest Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.40 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.2 msl).
Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said surface water temperatures range from 75 to 85 degrees. The lake is 4.3 inches above normal conservation pool with a total discharge of 14,034 CFS. Use extreme caution in Little River, as there is a lot of debris, coming down Little River in the current. Clarity and visibility are poor. As of Monday, on main lake structure away from current, clarity and visibility ranges from 5 to 8 inches. Largemouth bass surface feeding continues to be very good from dawn to around 11a.m. under cypress trees, in lily pads, and out of direct sunlight. The best reaction baits continue to be Bass Assassin Shads, buzz baits, Arborgast Jitterbugs, Moss Bosses and soft frogs. Salty Rat Tails in purple smoke or blackberry colors are good, and War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Firetiger or Spot Remover are working along hydrilla and coontail. Largemouths continue hitting Rat-L-Traps in Wild Shiner, chrome/black or gold/black back colors, around 2-3 foot flats with stumps/grass/pads nearby. Jumbo Gizit tubes are working around cypress trees in the oxbows from 5 to 9 feet deep. Best reactions we have had lately on the tubes are on purple smoke, pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, or black/blue tail with rattles inside. White bass are being caught on main lake points of Little River, and in grass beds, on Firetiger-colored spinnerbaits. Whites also continue biting Rat-L-Traps in chrome/black or chrome/blue back and Millwood Magic. Crankbaits in shad patterns are still randomly working between McGuire Lake oxbow and White Cliffs area, out of the current behind points, in creek channels adjacent to the river, and sloughs. Most crappie have remained scattered with the increase in muddy water and increase of current in Little River. Channel catfish and flatheads continue biting well on trotlines with chicken gizzards, hearts and livers, or cut shad in the outer bends of Little River or creek mouths dumping into the river, placed from 10-12 feet deep.
Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) had no report this week.
Joshua and Jacob Bass of Sarepta, La., said the bream are excellent and the bait shop can’t keep enough crickets in stock to supply to the anglers. The fish have been biting all day and it looks to continue.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.58 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl).
For more information on crappie fishing at Lake Greeson, visit Jerry Blake’s website, www.actionfishingtrips.com/tripreports.htm.
Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.
Cossatot River State Park had no report this week.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 406.40 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is in the mid-80s and the lake is clear throughout. Bass fishing is fair with a decent top-water bite early in the morning around sunrise. Look for breaking fish, mainly on points in major coves along the South side of the lake between points 2 and 6. Try topwaters, such as Zara Spooks, Sammy’s, Flukes, buzz baits and 4-inch swim baits. Get the lure as close to the “break” as possible because the fish don’t stay up very long. Later in the day a few fish are being taken with Texas- or Carolina-rigged worms and lizards deeper off the same points. Green pumpkin, red shad and cotton candy have been producing well. Some nice spotted bass have been showing up along the bluff banks in the Iron Mountain area. Try Texas-rigged finesse worms fished near the bottom 20 to 30 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow mainly because very few are fishing for them now. Try main lake attractors in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish a 2-inch grub or tube on a 1/16-ounce jig head, vertically just above the brush. Best lure colors have been natural shad, white and black/chartreuse. Hybrids have been the fish of the week with many nice catches reported. The fish are schooling along the South side all the way from the dam to the mouth of Brushy Creek. The fish are feeding on shad fry, so just look for the breaking fish. Most of the surface activity you see will be smaller hybrids and white bass. The bigger hybrids are deeper under the surface activity, so let the lure sink to about 30 feet and work it up under the fish. Best lures have been heavy spoons in chartreuse, green and pink. Also big in-line spinners have been producing well. Look for fish early in the morning, even before sunrise and it is pretty much over by 9 a.m. Bream fishing is good with lots of bedding fish under the full moon. Look for the beds and fish in coves just about anywhere in the lake. Fish redworms and crickets under a float in 5 to 8 feet of water. Catfish have been biting well at night on trotlines and noodles. Set the trot lines across coves in 30 to 40 feet of water and drop the noodles in deeper water over timber and set to about 20 feet deep. Use cut shad, hot dogs/soap, liver, night crawlers and Catfish Charlie for the channels and small bream and big minnows for the bigger blues and flat heads.
| West-Central Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 348.01 feet msl (flood pool – 373 msl).
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are good and have been biting on minnows, baby shad, slab slay’r and stroll’r in white /salt and pepper, red/chartreuse, bone white, cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken or blue/white with a PowerBait Crappie Nibble in green or yellow. Bream fishing is excellent using nightcrawlers, red worms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are good on tequila sunrise and dark colored worms. Spinnerbaits, rooster tails, flukes and drop worms are also working well. Catfishing is good using nightcrawlers and chicken, turkey and rabbit livers.
Lake Bailey (Petit Jean Mountain)
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream fishing is excellent using nightcrawlers, red worms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Catfishing is good on red worms, nightcrawlers, minnows, stink bait and chicken, turkey and rabbit livers. Bass fishing is good on dark colored worms, spinnerbaits, rooster tails, flukes and drop worms.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said the river is stained but fishing is good. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in white/ salt and pepper, red/chartreuse, Cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken and blue/white with green or yellow PowerBait Crappie Nibbles. Catfishing is good using stink bait, livers and minnows. Bass are good on tequila sunrise and dark colored worms. Spinnerbaits, rooster tails, flukes and drop worms are also working well.
Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-7419)had no report this week.
Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said the creeks and bays are clear, but the main channel is murky. The surface water temperature is 85 degrees. Upriver, bass are in the backwaters and are being caught on top-water walking baits, such as Zara Spooks. They are also being caught on dark-colored crankbaits and jigs. In the middle section of the lake, bass are still hanging in the backwater, but are being taken on frogs and weightless lizards fished around vegetation. Some good bass have been taken on points, drops and humps as well on jigs, Texas-rigged brush hogs and crankbaits. In the lower section of the lake, around Illinois Bayou, bass are being found on deep rock piles and brush and are being caught on flutter spoons, swim baits and crankbaits. Some good bass are also being caught on Spooks and frogs in the backwaters. Stripers and white bass are still being caught in the creeks with current on jerk baits and Spooks. Bream are excellent on crickets and worms in the shallows. Crappie are slow. Catfishing is good on liver, worms and cut shad.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 387.18 feet msl (flood pool – 419 msl).
Blue Mountain Lake is now full and lake can be accessed at all concrete ramps. Things should start picking up with the warm weather. Many new fish attractors were placed during the drawdown, so it’s a great time to get out and motor around the lake marking new spots on the GPS.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 577.68 feet msl (flood pool – 578 msl).
Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear and is 76 to 80 degrees. Black bass are biting well on jig head worms, brush hogs and Texas-rigged Ol’ Monster or U-tail Zoom worms. Walleye are excellent on spoons and Shad Raps fished over main lake points and humps. Stripers are good and are being caught on live bait and large hair jigs near main lake humps and points. Bream are excellent on crickets or worms in 8-15 feet of water. Crappie are fair near and over brush on minnows or crappie grubs. Catfishing is excellent on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines set 10-20 feet deep.
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports in Hot Springs had no new report.
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports in Hot Springs said the surface water temperature is in the mid to upper 70s to low 80s and the lake level is full. The color is stained due to all the rain. Black bass are biting shallow-running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and any other lure fished in 5 feet of water and less. White bass are schooling in the mouths of most major creeks and biting on shad-type lures. Crappie are in 7 feet of water and less biting on jigs and minnows. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms.
For a report on the crappie fishing at Lake Hamilton, visit Family Fishing Trips.
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro.
Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service said Lake Ouachita has fallen out of flood pool and a greatly reduced generation flow is scheduled below Carpenter Dam. Much of the heavy moss growth has been washed away. Water temperature is 60 degrees in the tailrace and the water is clear. Rainbow trout are present in good numbers, but are difficult to reach from the bank. Artificial lures are largely ignored. Nightcrawlers, wax worms, meal worms and redworms fished off the bottom with a marshmallow floater are proven baits that consistently catch trout. Trout are extremely wary during summer and feed for short periods of time. Attempting to entice these fish into striking lures that they aren’t searching for is a complete waste of time and will always result in a zero catch. White bass are spawning and thriving in the tailrace and are being caught on small Alabama rigs. Jigs in white or gray in 1/8-ounce sizes are also effective in periods of slack water. A few walleye have been taken on these same lures as all area game fish are feeding heavily on available shad. Zero striper action has been observed in the tailrace.
Drawdown Update: Entergy Arkansas says winter drawdowns began Nov. 3. Lake Hamilton will drop 5 feet and Lake Catherine will drop 3 feet. Water released at the dams will be used to generate hydroelectric power. Both lakes will return to their normal summertime levels in March 2013. The annual drawdowns help with shoreline maintenance and inspection, and are part of a plan to help control nuisance aquatic vegetation. Entergy Arkansas coordinates the annual winter drawdown with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no new report.
| South-Central Arkansas |
Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay, had no report this week.
Jaret Rushing said bass are finally starting to bite pretty well in these lakes. The water has receded enough where people can catch bass behind the larger cypress trees by using a variety of different baits and sizes. It seemed like the spotted bass were pretty prevalent in some of these lakes and were hitting faster moving crankbaits, but the largemouth were more prevalent on spinners. Bream are still bedding in spots along these lakes and people can catch them using live baits fished around 3-5 feet deep.
Jaret Rushing said people are catching small bass throughout the day on a variety of different baits. Early in the morning, you can catch bass in the shallow flats on the north side of the lake or among the inlets on either a shallow-running crankbait or spinnerbait in blue/chartreuse. Toward mid-morning, bass are deepening up around boat docks and the deeper channels on the rock banks. You have to slow your presentation down to get them to hit by using some form of soft plastic with a weight light enough to give the bait a slow fall. A few crappie have been caught early in the morning in the channels of the main lake 4-6 feet deep using a lighter colored jig.
| East Arkansas |
Mississippi River State Park said bass are in 8 to 10 feet of water and are biting on soft-plastic worms. The best bite seems to be in the evening. Bream are biting on worms and crickets. Crappie and catfish are slow.
Mississippi River State Park said bass are biting on spinnerbaits in deep water. Bream are biting on worms and crickets. Catfish are good on stinkbait and chicken liver.
Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is clear and fishing is pretty good. Bream are good using crickets. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows around brush piles. Bass fishing is fair using jigs, Hula grubs and crankbaits.
Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. No report on catfish or bass.
Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal level. The water surface temperature is 72 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished near the edge of the lily pads. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs near the deep side of the piers. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and soft-plastics fished near lily pads. Catfishing is excellent on shad and blood bait.
Courtesy Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
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