Weekly Arkansas Fishing Report for June 8, 2013
| Central Arkansas |
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and a little above normal level. Bream fishing is excellent with worms and crickets at the shore line and in lily pads. Crappie are fair with some being caught close to cypress trees. Bass fishing is good using spinnerbaits and soft plastics. Catfishing is excellent using yo-yos and trotlines baited with minnows, green sunfish and goldfish.
Dan at Gold Creek Landing said bream are biting well on crickets, redworms and wax worms. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, worms, frogs and lizards. Crappie are fair on the main lake cypress trees. Catfishing is good nightcrawlers and livers.
Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) said the river is clear and only one generator is running. Trout having been biting well on Carolina-rigged marshmallows and Power Bait. Small steamers and size 14 sow bugs have worked well when fly-fishing.
Lowell Myers of Sore Lip ‘em All Guide Service said expect heavy generation on the Little Red River over the next several weeks. With current river conditions, wade fishing is not recommended. Boat/drift fishing has been good. Work streamers along banks and structure. If drift fishing, use longer than normal leaders with drag free drifts 7-10 feet deep using weighted flies and Trout Magnets. Always check the Army Corps of Engineers and Southwest Power Administration websites for current and future water releases before planning your fishing trip.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 467.36 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
Jeff Mays of Anglers Outpost Guide Service (501-253-1905) said recreational boat and PWC activity on Greers Ferry is up with water temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Most crappie have spawned and bass are on beds and catchable by a variety of methods. Try a Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged lizard on the beds. Hybrids and whites are still schooling and chasing shad in the coves and to the shore. Throw an in-line spinner at the schooling fish. The walleye bite has improved with evening fishing producing numbers in 10-15 feet of water. Try trolling crankbaits near the bottom.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is up 5.33 feet from normal pool. The surface water temperature is in the high 70s and rising. Hybrids and white bass scattered with the rising water and are grouping up and starting to eat again; try topwater baits, spoons and in-line spinners. Black bass also are scattered, with some out deep, some up shallow and some holding in the old brush line; try spinnerbaits, topwater baits, frogs and buzzbaits over shallow grass and brush, also try tube baits fished in bushes. Crappie have not grouped up again yet, so fishing is slow for them. Walleye are scattered in the shallower water and are hard to target as well. Catfishing is good shallow and deep. Bream fishing is good all over the lake in the flooded brush.
Cody S. Smith of www.fishgreersferry.com said Greers Ferry is falling slightly after rising almost 6 feet with recent rains. Water levels are at what I consider the safest possible level for basically any type of water recreation here on the reservoir. Fish have spread out a bit with the rising water, but the bite is still really good on most all species. Depths of 20 feet and shallower are where u want to be. Long, tapering, flat points and shallower drops are producing well. Some of the deeper ledges and typical summer brush piles are holding a few fish, but not many, and I’m not seeing any reason for the fish to move to these locations yet, as water surface temps are still in the low 70s with lots of forage shallow.
Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the lake clarity is normal, but water levels are high. Bream fishing is excellent on worms and crickets in brush piles, stumps and on rocky points. Crappie fishing is fair, and some fish have been caught on minnows and jigs but it seems the fish have remained in deeper water. White bass are also fair and have been hitting on shad. Catfishing is good with flavored baits and hotdogs.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are good on minnows and Slab Slay’rs and Stroll’rs in white /salt and pepper, red/chartreuse shad, bone white, Cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken and blue/white with a green or yellow PowerBait Crappie Nibble. Catfish are good in deep water on minnows, worms, stink bait and chicken/ turkey /rabbit livers. Bass are biting well on tequila sunrise and dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes. Bream are excellent on nightcrawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Redear are biting on redworms fished near the bottom.
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 good 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 in deep water and are biting 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 said bass are biting well early in the morning and late evening on top-water baits and finesse worms. Bream are biting well on crickets. Catfish are good on minnows in the late evening and just after dark. A few crappie have been caught on minnows. The water has risen to just above the handicapped-access platform. Look for levels to drop a foot or two over the next week.
Jolly Roger’s Marina said the lake is at full level with water is steadily flowing over the spillway. The surface water temperature is 70 degrees in the main lake and 73 degrees in the coves. Largemouth and spotted bass are excellent along the edges of grass. Floating worms, top-water lures and swim baits are working well. Spotted bass can also be caught on the first drop from the shallows on jigs, finesse worms and small crankbaits. White bass are biting well in the mid-section of the lake. Rogues, Rooster Tails, Rat-L-Traps and grubs are all working well. Crappie are biting well on dull colored jigs fished in 15 to 20 feet of water near bends in the river channel with cover. Bream are excellent on worms and crickets in 4 to 10 feet of water. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report this week.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting well on minnows, Baby Shads and Slab Slay’rs in red/chartreuse, bone white, pearl, orange/chartreuse, Cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken and blue/white with green or yellow PowerBait crappie nibbles. White bass are biting well in the main channel on Rooster Tails and Baby Shads in white/salt and pepper and on drop-shotted worms. Bream are excellent on nightcrawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are biting well on tequila sunrise and dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Hatchet jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report this week.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some surprisingly big bream have come out of this small lake recently. No big numbers, but some big bream where caught on crickets and night crawlers last week. A catfish or two mixed in filled out some nice stringers. No reports of bass or crappie being caught recently.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said bream fishing has been fair around the lake and a few keepers have been caught by tightlining with redworms 4-6 feet deep. Some bass are being caught on minnows and floating worms around brush and grassy areas. Catfishing has been fair and with two recent, generous stockings of channel cats, it should improve over the next week or so. Crappie fishing has been slow to poor.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some good stringers of catfish were being caught before the rains brought the river to levels too high to fish safely. We have no reports of fishing on the river this week.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said a customer reported this morning that he and his son caught their limit of big bluegill and redear bream on the lake last week. They headed back this morning with plenty of crickets and confidence to catch some more. Bass are still hitting floating worms and Texas-rigged lizards around docks and walls and white spinnerbaits around main lake points, especially in windy conditions. Catfish have been caught since the big rain on live minnows, nightcrawlers and stink baits. No reports of crappie being caught.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said fishing reports indicate fair to slow fishing overall. Some bream and catfish have been caught on crickets, worms and chicken liver but they’ve been scattered and slow.
Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some big crappie were caught last week on no. 6 crappie minnows by a fishing couple that knows the lake pretty well and found a hot spot. One customer has had some catfishing success below the spillway using crawfish and black salties. Bass fishing has been fair to good with Texas- or Carolina-rigged worms or lizards and colorful spinnerbaits. Not much talk of bream fishing other than a few good ones being mixed in with the crappie.
Charley’s Hidden Harbor said the water is extremely high, fast moving and too dangerous for anyone to access until the water subsides. However, the backwaters from the flooding are full of fish and people have done really well bowfishing in fields. Bream have been biting well on crickets in overhanging brush. Bass fishing is good with fish biting Jitterbugs and other topwaters along overhanging brush. People also have had success throwing plastic worms into grass and around flooded timber. Catfishing is excellent using worms in the creeks that are flooded and in backwaters.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report this week.
Palarm Creek: No report this week.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)
Vince Miller from Fish ’N Stuff said the water is very high and dangerous. It is not advisable to get out onto the river in a boat; fishing should mainly be done from the banks. Bream, crappie, and bass fishing have been good. Catfishing from the bank has been excellent, with most of the fish being caught on stink bait and nightcrawlers.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report this week.
Fourche Creek: No report this week.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) had no report this week. The water is high, muddy and dangerous. It is advisable not to access the river at this point because of fast moving water.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is high but has remained clear. Bream fishing is good on crickets and worms on the southeast side of the lake in brush piles and stumps. Crappie are fair with a few being caught trolling with minnows and blue/white jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits fished around the banks.
Peckerwood Lake
Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the lake is clearing up but is still about 8 inches over full. Bream are good with worms and crickets towards the banks. Crappie fishing has been poor. Catfish are excellent and have been biting on just about everything.
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 had no report this week.
| North Arkansas |
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the river clarity is good and no generators are running. Drift fishing with spoons for rainbows has worked well. Brown trout fishing has been excellent with numerous fish being caught on jigs and stick baits.
Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said lakes in the White River system are all over power pool and we are getting much more generation. I expect this trend to continue for the next few weeks. Our major mayfly hatch, the sulphurs, is beginning to come off. So far, this hatch has been very sparse. This is a size 14 yellow/orange aquatic insect. Before the hatch, concentrate on fishing mayfly nymphs. My favorite is the copper John. When you observe fish feeding near the surface but see no insects, the trout are keying in on the emergers. The best fly for this phase is a partridge and orange soft hackle. Then, when you observe insects on the surface of the water and trout keying in on them, you switch over to the adult insect fly. My hands down choice is the sulphur parachute (size 14).
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185)
Berry Brothers Guide Service had no new report.
Berry Brothers Guide Service had no new report.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 664.03 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
Mike Worley’s Guide Service said the surface water temperature is in the mid-70s. Water clarity is very clear to slightly stained in the creek arms. Bass fishing has been great this week with smallmouth bass biting in 5 to 20 feet of water on soft plastics like swim baits, crankbaits, lizards and tubes. Largemouth bass are also biting these baits as well as top-water baits like Zara Spooks and Flukes. Walleye fishing has really picked up with good catches in 5 to 30 feet of water on crawler rigs fished on bottom bouncers, split-shot and trolled Carolina rigs. Jigs and jigging spoons fished vertically on brush piles in 20 to 30 feet of water are also working. White bass are still being caught in the backs of the creeks and large coves. With the main channel water being gin clear, look for the better bite to be in the back half of the creeks where the water is slightly stained and use as light of line as you can.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 560.41 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 552 msl, April-September – 554 msl).
Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said the striper bite continues. Shad are continuing to spawn. Stripers and hybrids are now both less than 30 feet and in deeper water. I marked fish from 40 to 80 feet and caught one striper at 40 feet. The fish are moving from shallow to their summer patterns. In the next several weeks you should fish with free lines and weighted lines. Most of the stripers are still in the upper end of the creeks, some fish are being caught on the main lake.
Lou Gabric of Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said fishing was good nine days ago and has only gotten better. I anticipate that fishing will continue to improve with top-water action getting better and better. I have been using three main baits – a fluke or bass assassin with a 5/0 worm hook un-weighted, a Heddon Zara Spook junior size and live shad. You can use large shiners if you don’t have a shad tank. Rogues, or a similar type of suspending jerk bait, are working the best for walleye. The best bite has been at sunrise and at sunset. If you are fishing mid-day, you may need to go a little deeper for all species. A jig-and-pig has been working well for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. All species are showing up in the same areas. Fish are being found from the mouths of the major creeks to halfway back into the creeks. Some fish have started to move out to main lake points. The shad are in the buck brush, possibly spawning. I have found shad just going crazy on the shore because the fish have them cornered and are having a buffet.
Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the low to mid-70s. Watch for stripers, hybrids and whites busting shad and keep a rod ready with a top-water bait. Some bass are blowing up on points also. Throw a swim bait when you don’t see any surface activity or a soft jerk bait. The bass will hit the swim bait, too. We caught some whites on a jigging spoon suspended 30 to 38 feet deep in 40 feet of water.
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 lakes in the White River system are all over power pool and we are getting much more generation. I expect this trend to continue for the next few weeks. 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) and some smaller caddis (size 18). 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. The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.
| Northwest Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,125.65 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s. Stripers are scattered but on the feed; they are still quite shallow. The white bass run is about done and the whites are working their way back downriver. Beaver lake striper fishing is fair on 8-12 inch live shad fished on free lines and down lines from the surface to 15 feet deep. Also try trolling small umbrella rigs with white grubs for clearer water and chartreuse for stained water or three-way rigged Rapalas and Rogues in black back or purple back colors. Casting Redfins and small umbrella rigs on windblown points also is producing some nice stripers. Be sure to check the following hot spots for stripers: Indian creek (look past lost bridge and in the mouth of Indian creek); Point 5 (check the ridges and humps and casting jerk baits on points with timber); Rocky Branch (try the channel between the front of the marina and the road bed that extends to the island); Larue (check Cedar Creek, Ford Creek and Goat Island); Hwy 12 bridge (check the cove at serenity point and work your way toward Prairie Creek. Free lines are working in this area, fish them 150ft behind the boat and 150ft behind planer boards, also fish a couple of lightly weighted lines in similar manner using a 1/4oz. Also casting jerk baits on points with timber is producing striper);Prairie Creek (Striper, white bass and walleye are being taken here. Fish being taken in the channel between the creek and the islands), and War Eagle/White River junction (Point 12). Most walleye are about 4-8 deep and are headed downriver to the main lake after visiting spawning grounds, the rain slowed them down a bit but they are recovering nicely and starting to feed. 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. Jigging spoons around brush and rock piles are also producing some walleye.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clear and at normal level. Surface temperature is 70 degrees. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Smallmouth bass are fair on Rooster Tails fished near Twin Bridges. Catfishing is fair on cut bait.
Jason Piper of JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass can be picked off early and late using spinnerbaits or buzzbaits in and around flooded brush along the bank. During the day a Carolina-rigged lizard or worm fished over points and flats has been effective. Night fishing has also picked up using black/blue hula grubs along sloping gravel to chunk rock banks. Hickory Creek, Prairie Creek, Rambo and Little Clifty have all been good places to find bass. Crappie have begun to slowly move out to their summer areas and can be found suspending along pole timber and over brush piles halfway back in coves where the water hits 20 to 40 feet deep. A curly tail grub on a 1/16-oz. jighead has been producing well, but once a school is located, a 1 ½-inch tube vertically jigged has also been effective. White River, Piney Creek, Eden Bluff, Monte-Ne and Ventris have all been good places to find crappie. White bass have been biting well at night under lights on minnows or shad along bluff lines close to the channel and under the 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 using liver or worms from the bank at 12 bridge, Monte-NE, Hickory Creek and the 412 bridge access.
Beaver Dam Store said a Clouser minnow in gray over white or olive over white is working pretty good in deep water. Weighted flies and mostly streamers seem to be working best. There’s still a daily midge hatch, so try the standard red, olive or black midges. For bait fishermen, the higher water and rain dictates using a blown-up night crawler and bumping it along the bottom. Table Rock Lake is back above normal power pool. This takes away some access and slows the water down. With the higher and slower water, use larger flies, such as a no. 12 or 14 prince nymph or larger wooly buggers. Fish a soft hackle in the slower water by stripping it. Firetiger Flicker Shad are fun to fish and work well. We used olive and a white micro jigs with good results as well. Gold and nickel Colorado spoons and Rapalas also are great choices.
Lake Elmdale
Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said the water is high and fairly clear. Many redear sunfish and bluegill are being caught on the beds with redworms or crickets fished 16 inches under a bobber. Beds are all over the lake in shallow water. Another method is to fish with a 1/32-oz., white jig head , tipped with a one inch piece of redworm, under a weighted bobber about 6 feet deep. This has produced many crappie as well. Bass fishing has been good on spinnerbaits and on wacky worms.
Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the lake is clear and is at a normal level. Bream are biting excellently in 6-10 ft. of water on crickets and worms. Crappie fishing has been fair, trolling with minnows and jigs around brush piles and treetops. Bass are still on their beds, and fishing has been good with many people catching fish on spinners and crankbaits.
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is muddy and still about 4 inches high with a temperature of 75 degrees. Crappie fishing has shut down with the water being muddy. Black bass are still good on spinnerbaits on all parts of the lake. Catfish have been excellent with the muddy water, and are biting on chicken livers and shad.
Dennis Kruse (479-444-3475) said bass are active early in the morning and are being caught on top-water lures, such as Spooks, Hula Poppers and Jitterbugs. Switch to jerk baits later in the day. Bream are still on their beds and are being caught in large numbers on crickets and worms. Catfish are being caught on live bait, such as small bream, worms and crickets.
| Northeast Arkansas |
Lake Poinsett State Park said they don’t have any first-hand reports from anglers, but crickets are the hot bait and minnow sales have slowed. Looks like the bream bite is on.
Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is dingy but at normal level. Bream fishing has been good on crickets. Crappie have moved out to deeper water, so fishing has been fair. Bass are biting well on Yum Dingers and other plastics. Catfishing has been excellent using shrimp and chicken livers.
Lake Frierson State Park said recent rains will have the lake several feet over normal pool for much of the next week. Before the storms, catfishing was good to excellent; fish are being caught on almost all baits with a slight edge for nightcrawlers, minnows and dip bait. Jug fishermen are having good luck with cut bait, live minnows and goldfish. Bank anglers seem to be doing better with nightcrawlers and minnows under floats. Bass have been a little harder to catch this week as they are recovering from the spawn. Some fish are still being caught on topwaters early and late as well as spinnerbaits and crankbaits during the day; however soft plastics repeatedly cast to cover are starting to produce fish as well. Try the edges of creek channels and main lake points. Bream have been all around the shoreline and being caught on crickets and pieces of worms; small jigs are producing some as well. No reports of crappie this week, a couple saugeye were caught on crankbaits and minnows. With changing water levels, anglers will need to adjust depths for all species until they find the sweet spot
Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running 385 cfs and water clarity is clear. We had a lot of rain last week, but it did not affect the river. The trout have been biting great. The hottest fly this week has been the Guppie. A white woolly would work in a pinch. The trout have been hitting the Guppie really well. We are casting across the current and mending to get the fly down. As it starts to tail out on the downward swing, start stripping short and fast; they will hit it hard. Hot pink and white Trout Magnets and white Rooster Tails are working great for spin fishers. With all the high water around the Spring River is the place to be.
Berry Brothers Guide Service said the water level on 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 will begin this weekend and the canoeists can a problem. Fish the upper river at the Lassiter Access to avoid them. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.
| Southeast Arkansas |
Geoff Wright at Cane Creek State Park’s said bream fishing at Cane Creek Lake is very steady, especially near the spillway and standing timber. Most people are using worms and crickets.
Lake Chicot State Park filed no new report.
| Southwest Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.54 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.2 msl).
Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake level is 8 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. Surface temperatures range from 72 to 79 degrees, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location and time of day. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 15,200 cfs. Use extreme caution in Little River as there is a lot of debris coming down Little River in the rapid current. Clarity and visibility worsened last week. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity and visibility ranges 2-3 inches. Little River’s visibility ranges 3-4 inches depending on location and current. Bass are biting well on topwater lures at dawn. The best surface reaction baits are buzzbaits, Chug Bugs, Arborgast Jitterbugs, Ken-Pops, frogs and Bass Assassin Shads. Chatterbaits in sexy shad, lizards in blackberry or green pumpkin, Yum Dingers or Salty Rat Tails in watermelon red, and War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Hot Mouse or Firetiger continue getting good reactions over the past couple weeks. Largemouths are also biting the Rat-L-Traps in Creole Craw, Toledo Gold, or Wild Shiner colors, around 2-3 foot flats with stumps/grass/pads nearby. Power Worms in Blue Fleck, Junebug, and Black Grape continue working near cypress trees and stumps. White bass have finished their annual spawning runs up Little River near Patterson Shoals. Whites are being caught on main lake points of Little River, and in grass beds on spinnerbaits. Whites also continue biting Rat-L-Traps in Chrome/black or chrome/blue and Millwood Magic. Crankbaits in shad patterns are randomly working between White Cliffs and McGuire Lake oxbow. Crappie have for the most part, finished their annual spawn. Most Crappie over the past few days have scattered with the increase in muddy water and increase of current in Little River. Channel cats and flatheads are very good on trotlines with chicken hearts, gizzards, livers and cut shad in the outer bends of Little River placed from 6-12 feet deep.
Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) had no report this week.
Joshua and Jacob Bass of Sarepta, La., said catfishing is good on Erling with cut up bream and stink bait in the morning and evening. Both channel catfish and blue catfish can be caught on yo-yos and poles tightlining on the bottom in 6-9 feet of water from the dam as high up as Mize’s camp.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 550.33 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl). The Arrowhead Point boat ramp at Lake Greeson is currently closed. Some of the camp sites at Kirby Landing and Cowhide Cove are closed and electrical power is off. Arrowhead Point, Cowhide Cove and Parker Creek lower roads are closed.
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 As of Wednesday, the Vandervoort gauge was at 2.26 and the gauge at De Queen was at 2.33.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 408.24 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
Local angler George Graves said surface water temperature is in the mid-70s and the lake is clear in the lower end and stained above Point 14. Bass fishing is good with the bass now shallow and mostly back deep in the flooded timber. Use a floating worm in bubble gum, Zoom Flukes or jigs with plastic trailers. Get the lure as far back as possible because the fish will be deep in the cover. Sometimes a square-billed crankbait will be hard to beat. The square bill will deflect off the brush and not get snagged as much as a round bill. When the water starts to drop, work outside the tree line with Texas- or Carolina-rigged worms and medium-running crankbaits. Use bright colors like chartreuse and orange in dirty water and natural shad patterns when the water is clear. Lots of surface activity has been reported along the south side of the state park in the morning. Try a Zara Spook, Fluke or Sammy. Crappie fishing is fair with a few fish coming from deep attractors at mid-lake around Edgewood and Arlie Moore. Fish a 2-inch curly tail grub or tube on a 1/16-ounce jig, vertically, just above the cover. Work all around the attractor because the fish will be mostly in one spot. Hybrid fishing is good with lots of nice catches reported. Most fish have now moved downstream around the state park between Caddo Bend and the park marina. The fish will be just outside the big coves in 40 to 60 feet of water, suspended about 15 to 20 feet down. Since there are very few “breaking” fish, trolling is the best pattern. Best lures have been no. 5 or 7 Shad Raps, swim baits, heavy spoons and five-arm umbrella rigs loaded with 3-inch curly tail grubs. Early morning, even before sunrise, is the best time. Bream fishing is good, however with the high water the fish are now deeper at about 15 feet on secondary points with some cover. Tight line a cricket or redworm just off the bottom. Catfishing is good with quite a few reported in shallow flooded coves around the state park. Bottom fish with chicken livers, night crawlers, cut shad or Catfish Charlie. Early morning or night is the best time.
| West-Central Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 366.63 feet msl (flood pool – 373 msl).
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting well on minnows, Baby Shads, Slab Slay’rs and Stroll’rs in white /salt and pepper, red/chartreuse, bone white shad, Cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbecue chicken and blue/white with green or yellow PowerBait crappie nibbles. Bream are biting well on nightcrawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are biting well on tequila sunrise and dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers and chicken /turkey/rabbit livers.
Lake Bailey (Petit Jean Mountain)
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream are biting well on nightcrawlers, redworms, meal worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Catfish are biting well on redworms, nightcrawlers, minnows, stink bait and chicken/turkey/rabbit livers. Bass are fair on dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said the river is stained. Crappie are biting well in coves on minnows, white /salt and pepper, red/chartreuse shad, Cajun cricket, pink cotton candy, barbeque chicken and blue/white Bobby Garland soft plastics with a green or yellow PowerBait crappie nibble. Catfish are biting well on stink bait, minnows and chicken/turkey/rabbit livers. Bass are fair on tequila sunrise and dark-colored worms, spinnerbaits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-7419)had no report this week.
Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said water temperatures are in the mid-80s. Upriver, bass can be taken on jigs, lizards, frogs, buzzbaits and crankbaits in the back water and main river near wood. White bass and stripers have been caught on tailspinners and white hair jigs. Crappie are slow, but some larger fish have been caught on minnows in 5 feet of water. In the mid-section of the river, bass can be taken on stick worms, frogs, buzzbaits and jigs in creeks and main river points. White bass and crappie are being taken in the creeks on jigs, tailspinners and small Rat-L-Traps. In the lower section of the lake, bass can be taken on jigs, frogs, buzzbaits, crankbaits, swim baits and stick worms on riprap, brush piles and new vegetation. White bass and stripers can be taken with small Rat-L-Traps on tailspinners and jerk baits fished near current. Catfishing is good from dam to dam on liver, cut shad and redworms.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 396.48 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 586.43 feet msl (flood pool – 578 msl). Recreational areas and campgrounds closed at Lake Ouachita include Crystal Springs, Highway 27, Joplin, Tompkins Bend, Twin Creek, Little Fir, Avant, Buckville, Irons Fork, Lena Landing and Spillway. Some day-use areas at Lake Ouachita also are experiencing high water. The following areas are closed: Spillway, Brady Mountain, Crystal Springs and Twin Creek . The boat ramps at Lake Ouachita that are closed include Avant, Big Fir, Little Fir, Irons Fork, Joplin, Highway 27, Twin Creek and Washita.
Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is high, stained and muddy. The surface water temperature is 72 to 76 degrees. Black bass are good on jighead worms, brush hogs and Super Spook Jr’s. Walleye are very good on spoons and Shad Raps fished over main lake points and humps. Stripers are still good and are being caught on C-10 Redfins and live bait. These fish have moved to main lake humps and points near major creek basins. Bream are excellent and being caught with crickets or worms in 8-15 feet of water. Crappie are good near and over brush on minnows or crappie grubs. Catfish are still excellent and being caught 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 had no new report, but there is a lot of current throughout the lake as the Corps of Engineers is trying to draw down Ouachita from its current flood level.
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 strong storms and area flooding caused Entergy to implement several high water events that opened flood gates at Carpenter Dam. High flows are the norm this week as Lake Ouachita is well into flood pool. Fast currents and high water will be scheduled at all area dams until the big lake has dropped below flood pool elevation. Little fishing has occurred due to the extreme conditions. It may be several weeks until things return to normal. Anyone attempting to navigate the tailrace should do so at their own risk as powerful currents can easily capsize boats and take lives. Heavily stained water adds to the danger. Fishing will return to normal after these extreme flows subside. Using good judgment can save a life..
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) said the lake is starting to clear up. The surface water temperature is around 72 degrees. Bream and redear are biting very well on crickets and worms with some readear reaching 2 ¼ lbs. Catfish are being caught on limb lines and trotlines baited with whole shad and bass minnows. Bass are starting to pick up. Some crappie have been caught but it remains slow.
| South-Central Arkansas |
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Team said the water temperature reached 80 by mid-day in Lake Langhofer. The storms have the main channel of the river rolling and very muddy. Visibility was near zero on the main channel, clearing to around 1 foot the further you go into Lake Langhofer and more protected backwaters. Water level was 1-2 feet above normal. Fish did not move to the shallows in Lake Langhofer like expected with rising water. They still seem to be off the bank and relating to offshore structure. The bite was very slow again today; partly because it is the tail-end of another major storm system. The key was to slow way down with jigs and plastics.
Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay, had no report this week.
Jaret Rushing said the Ouachita River Oxbows are hitting well right now, but the rains might send them into low flood stage this week. Bass were biting well on tube baits, brush hogs and crawfish around moss beds and larger cypress trees. Bream have been doing well and have started bedding up, so catching several in one spot is not out of the ordinary. They were hitting live worms and crickets well about 3-3 1/2 feet deep.
Jaret Rushing had no report.
| East Arkansas |
Mississippi River State Park said bream are biting on crickets and beetle spins. Crappie biting on red/green jigs in 10-12 feet of water. Bass are picking up near points in deep water.
Mississippi River State Park said bream are biting on crickets and worms. Catfish biting on stink bait and chicken liver. Bass are slow but picking up.
Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) had no report this week.
Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is a little murky and still high. Bream fishing has been good toward the banks with many fish being caught on crickets. Crappie are fair and have been caught on minnows and jigs in treetops. Bass are also fair.
Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water clarity is good and has risen to a normal level with temperatures in the low 70s. Bream fishing is good with crickets and wax worms in the shallows and in lily pads. Crappie are good near the cypress trees and piers on black/chartreuse jigs and minnows. Bass fishing is fair with some being caught on spinnerbaits and purple worms near the cypress trees and lily pads. Catfishing has been excellent on many parts of lake. Fish have been caught on rod and reel, jugs and trotlines.
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