Here is your weekly Arkansas fishing report for May 17, 2014. Enjoy your time on the water and catch a bunch.
| Central Arkansas |
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
(Updated 5-14-2014) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water level is up a little, and the bream are biting excellently around the bank throughout the lake. The best lures for bream have been worms and crickets. Crappie fishing has slacked off some for the most part, but a few good catches have come on pink minnows fished near green cypress trees. Bass are biting well on frogs, spinnerbaits and soft-plastics throughout the lake. Catfishing is excellent on worms, chicken livers, Magic Bait and trotlines baited with minnows and goldfish.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Daniel Zajac at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said the landing is still open and fishing is good. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets and wax worms about 8 to 10 feet away from the bank. Crappie fishing is fair around live cypress trees. Bass are biting well on spinnerbatis, buzzbaits and lizards. Catfishing is good on limblines and yo-yos.
Little Red River (Greers Ferry Tailwater)
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) said the water is cloudy and at normal level for one unit running. During high water, Rapala crankbaits and Marabou jigs are working very well on rainbow and brown trout. When the water is low, wax worms with a marshmallow and Power Bait are working best.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip ’em All Guide Service said recent rains have jumped the Greers Ferry lake level up and caused the Little Red River to be high and muddy on the mid- and lower parts of the river the past few days. Expect one or two units of generation until the lake level returns to top pool of 463.4. When fishing higher water, use long leaders and add weight to get your fly or Trout Magnet down for a good presentation. Purple haze and pink Trout Magnet bodies on chartreuse and gold jig heads are working well. Pheasant tails, caddis, midges, tan sowbugs and streamers are working well for fly fishing.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 465.52 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
(Updated 5-14-2014) Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is rising with all the rain, and the surface temperature ranges from the high 60s to low 70s. Bass fishing is good shallow all over the lake for all three species, they are in all phases of the spawn and after the water settles, the fishing will be great for the next couple of weeks on any shallow method you would like to use. Crappie in the river are just about done spawning, but the main lake crappie are still doing their thing. The bite will be strong in the main lake bushes once the water stays steady. Catfishing is going good all over the lake. Bream are biting well in shallow areas, and should be getting ready to bed up. Walleye will be moving shallow, and will bite well over the next couple of weeks on chunk rock banks, on crawlers and some crankbaits. Hybrids and whites are going to be off the charts when the water settles; they had already started but the rise will make them get re-acclimated somewhat and the shad spawn has got them fired up.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Cody Smith of www.fishgreersferry.com said rain is bringing the water levels up. The overall bite on the reservoir has been really good and will return once the lake settles. Focus on newly flooded shoreline cover for all species. The walleye bite has been exceptional over the last few weeks with multiple limits being the norm. Largemouth bass are running the bushes chasing shad and sunfish. Smallmouth are starting to suspend adjacent to spawning locations and are feeding during early morning and late afternoon. Topwater walking baits and soft-plastic swim baits will play a huge roll once water clarity returns.
(Updated 5-7-2014) Jeff Mays of Anglers Outpost Guide Service (501-253-1905) said the lake has risen about 2 feet and the water is stained full of debris at the upper end. Surface water temperatures range 63-68 degrees and the fish are scattered with some postspawn fish suspending over the river channels. Bass and crappie are in all phases of spawn and can be caught shallow and out to 15-25 feet deep. Trolling jigs in popsicle color is working for most crappie anglers. Walleye are on the main lake flats and points.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is very high from the rain. Bream are biting excellently on worms and crickets. Crappie have slowed, but they can still be caught in deeper water. Bass are excellent along the shoreline on black buzzbaits. Catfishing is good late in the evening and at night on cut bait and prepared baits.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said the water is clear to slightly dingy. Bream fishing is excellent on redworms and crickets. Crappie fishing is good in 3 to 8 feet of water on minnows and Slab Slay’Rs or Baby Shads in bone white, Cajun cricket barbecue chicken and monkey milk colors. Bass are slow.
Lake Overcup
(Updated 4-30-2014) Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is a little high but clear. Crappie are finishing their spawn and moving to deeper water. They are being caught in 8 to 10 feet of water, but some are still shallow. A pink/chartreuse, pink/white/chartreuse and black/chartreuse jig seems to be best. Bream are starting to bed up and are being caught on crickets, redworms and wax worms. Catfish are fair on cut shad and large minnows. Bass are being caught in the shallows on lizards and black sot-plastic worms.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream fishing is excellent on crickets, redworms and Rock Hopper jigs. Crappie fishing is good on minnows and jigs with Bobby Garland baits in bone white, barbecue chicken and blue/white.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Jan Johnson at Brewer Lake Bait Shop (501-354-4108) said the water is at normal level, but it’s a little muddy from recent storms. Crappie are still in shallow water and biting well on minnows, white, blue, red/chartruese and clear/sparkle jigs. Trolling lures around the shore also is productive. Bass are a little slow, but still being caught in the shallows on topwater lures and soft plastics. Blue and channel catfish are very active and taking a wide variety of baits including liver, worms, cut shad, large minnows and bream. Flatheads are being caught at night on noodles and trotlines baited with large minnows and bream. Bream and redear are very good on crickets and redworms.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is clear and still a little low. Crappie are being caught over brush piles on white stingers and red/white/chartreuse jigs. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets and wax worms. Catfish are being caught on noodles and trotlines baited with cut shad, liver and night crawlers.Bass are fair.
(Updated 4-23-2014) Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is a little high and clear. Crappie are spawning and can be caught in shallow water on jigs and minnows. Bream are beginning to bed up and are fair on redworms and crickets. Bass are biting well on spinners and soft-plastics. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and on trotlines baited with shad or liver.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water was already 6 inches above the spillway before the last round of rain, and only got higher. The surface water temperature is 78 degrees. Largemouth and spotted bass are both excellent. Largemouths are hitting black and red spinnerbaits, floating worms and topwater lures in 5 to 10 feet of water. Spotted bass are in the same areas, but are hitting better on jigs. The Tuesday night tournaments are taking a little over 10 pounds to win, but nearly every angler is coming in with a limit. White bass are fair on the west end of the lake, but they should be moving east again soon. Rooster Tails, crappie jigs and minnows are the best bets. Crappie are fair; they have already spawned and moved to 10 to 15 feet of water on underwater cover. Bream are excellent on brush in 10 to 15 feet of water and are biting extremely well on crickets and worms. No report on catfish, but trotline season is here.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bass are fair early in the morning and late in the evening on bone Super Spook Jr.’s, sexy shad-colored crankbaits, white/chartreuse spinnerbaits and watermelon/red Senkos. Fish are holding close to creek channels and ledges, waiting to move up and spawn. Crappie are excellent from 20 feet deep, all the way to 5 feet deep. Some fish are pre-spawn, but most are moving up to spawn now. The best lures are electric chicken Bobby Garland jigs, pink minnows and crappie minnows. Catfishing is fair off main lake points and places with wood and rock both nearby. Trotlines baited with shad, liver, stink bait and green sunfish are working well. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets in 10 to 12 feet of water.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some bream and catfish have been caught on worms and crickets. No recent reports of bass or bream action have come in lately.
Sunset Lake
(Updated 5-7-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said catfish are still biting fairly well on shrimp, chicken liver and nightcrawlers. Crappie fishing has been fair for some customers using pink minnows. Bass are biting well on live minnows, small plastic worms, soft-plastic lizards and small spinnerbaits. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms.
Saline River Access in Benton
(Updated 5-7-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said crappie are biting well in some coves and backwaters. No. 6 crappie minnows and Kalins 2-inch triple threat grubs in black and silver have worked well for some. Bass fishing is good right now on large minnows and crawdad crankbaits fished in the current below shoals. Catfish have been biting fairly well for one customer baiting trot lines with brooder minnows and black salties. Bream will almost always bite a cricket or redworm and provide hours of fun for all ages on the river.
Lake Norrell
(Updated 5-7-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said bream fishing is off to a slow start this year but it is picking up fast. Crickets and red worms are catching some nice ones from various depths. Bass have been biting plastic worms and lizards fished around docks, walls and brush piles. Spinnerbaits will work during windy conditions. Crappie have slowed and customers are reporting very few being caught now. Catfish are being caught on no. 12 bass minnows and black salties at night. Chicken livers and nightcrawlers have worked for a few cats during daylight hours.
Bishop Park Lakes in Bryant
(Updated 5-7-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said crappie fishing has been good for a couple of customers that stay after them. No. 6 crappie minnows are working and catching a few catfish as well. Bream fishing is good with crickets and worms. Bass have been biting fairly well on larger minnows and floating worms.
Lake Winona
(Updated 5-7-2014) Lisa’s Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said crappie have slowed, but a few are still being caught on no. 6 and no. 12 minnows. Customers report the bigger ones being caught on the bigger bait. Some jigs like Bobby Garland Baby Shad have been working, too. Bass have been biting Texas-rigged worms and lizards and spinnerbaits early in the mornings. Catfish are biting live minnows and nightcrawlers right before and shortly after dark. Bream fishing is fair with crickets and redworms.
(Updated 5-7-2014) River Valley Outdoors (501-860-5763) said bass are biting well on Carolina rigs and football head jigs dragged on the bottom in deep water.
Arkansas River at Morrilton
(Updated 5-7-2014) Charley’s Hidden Harbor at Oppelo said the fronts have made fishing hit-and-miss lately. Bass fishing has been good in 4 to 8 feet of water around wood with a green pumpkin lizard. A lot of the grass was out of the water because of low water conditions over the weekend. White bass and stripers were holding around the mouths of Petit Jean River and Point Remove Creek. When the flow was low, a CC spoon worked well on the white bass and stripers, when the flow was high, a wobble spoon produced well. Brea are biting well around sandbars on crickets. Catfishing is picking up, with many catfish beginning to move shallow for spawning.
(Updated 5-14-2014) River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said bream fishing is excellent on worms and crickets. Crappie are not biting as well as they were, but a few have been caught. Bass are responding best to spinnerbaits and soft-plastic lizards lately.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bass are excellent around brush and stumps on watermelon/red lizards, Senkos and trick worms. Black/chartruese crankbaits also are working well. Crappie are excellent around stumps, brush and bridges on Cajun cricket Bobby Garland jigs, red/chartreuse and white/chartreuse MidSouth super jigs, pink minnows and regular crappie minnows. Catfishing is fair on troltines set around stumps and baited with shad, skipjack, livers, stink bait and green sunfish. Some good flatheads and blues are starting to show up. Bream are fair with a few folks catching some in the fresh water trickling in from the rain; redworms and crickets are working the best on the bream.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
(Updated 4-23-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie are biting well on Roadrunners and red/chartreuse or black/yellow jigs fished around wood and rock in slack water. Bass are excellent around jetty points on square-billed crankbaits, Senkos, lizards and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is excellent on trotlines baited with sunfish, skipjack, livers or worms in the main channel. No report on bream
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)
(Updated 5-7-2014) Vince Miller from Fish ’N Stuff said crappie are biting well on jigs fished under a float near the shallow end of jetties. Bass are spawning in the backwater areas and holding on the ends of jetties. Bass are biting fairly well on soft-plastic worms and crankbaits. Catfishing is picking up, with some catfish trying to spawn. They are being caught in the shallows on worms, stink bait and fathead minnows.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bass are fair on the fronts and rear of jetty points on shad-colored square-billed crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps. Soft-plastic lizards adn Senkos have been producing well in the backwaters near cover. Crappie are fair, but are getting better. A few limits have come in lately on white/chartreuse, red/chartreuse and black/yellow MidSouth super jigs fished in slack water near current. Catfishing is excellent drift fishing and trotlining around depe holes. green sunfish, skipjack, livers and worms are working well. Try to fish areas near current with cover.Below the dam, white bass are excellent on chartruese split-tial grubs and bass innows. Crappie are excellent below the dam when the flow is high out of the hdyro plant.
(Updated 5-7-2014) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said bream are biting well in the backwaters on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well in backwater areas on minnows and jigs. Catfishing is good on skipjack and shad. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and soft-plastics fished around rocky points.
Clear Lake
(Updated 5-14-2014) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie have slowed, but a few can still be caught on minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits.
Peckerwood Lake
(Updated 5-14-2014) Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said bream, bass and catfishing are all good, but crappie have slowed considerably. Bream are hitting worms and crickets. Anglers are being tight-lipped about what the best lures for bass and catfish have been the last few days.
Lake Pickthorne
(Updated 4-16-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie fishing is excellent in the stumps on minnows, small, 1/4-oz. spoons and red/chartreuse jigs. Bass are excellent on Senkos, finesse worms and square-billed crankbaits.
Lake Valencia in Maumelle
(Updated 4-30-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said catfishing is excellent on worms, minnows, liver, hot dogs adn stink bait.
Lake Willastein in Maumelle
(Updated 4-30-2014) Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bass are excellent around grass on Senkos, spinnerbaits and top-water lures. Crappie are fair around the bridge and dock using minnows. Catfishing is excellent on minnows, worms, livers and stink bait. Bream are excellent around culverts and docks on redworms and crickets.
| North Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 660.53 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
(Updated 5-14-2014) Ken Minsky of Ken Minksy’s Loch Leven Guide Service said Bull Shoals is fishing well with nice catches of a variety of fish. Walleye, smallmouths and white bass seem to be holding in the same type of water providing a smorgasbord of catches on a single outing. All are being caught by anglers in 24 feet of water presenting jigs toward shore on soft secondary points. Points that also offer a sharp break line from 35 to 50 feet seem to be especially good. Spotted bass fishing is in full swing as the fish are just about everywhere. Spawning fish can be found (males guarding nests) in 3 to 8 feet of water. The lake was running extremely clear last week with visibility in the 40- to 50-foot range, so plan on using a stealthy approach. Other bass which have finished spawning or did not spawn, are being found on primary and secondary points as well as bluffs down to 45 feet deep. I’ve had reports of nice catches of crappies in the shallow brush near the back of major creek arms, however they are running small. Larger females are also being caught trolling small crankbaits near secondary points. Reports of largemouths taking surface baits are coming in and that action should increase over the next couple of weeks with the water warming. A few big bull bluegills are starting to provide action in 10 to 20 feet of water along the bluffs, however the real bite is still a couple weeks off. Bow fisherman will find carp in the brush all over the lake and should continue to provide shooting for the next several weeks. Catfish are moving to shallower water and trotliners are doing well in the creek arms as well as the main lake bluffs. Two- to three-inch bluegills are the bait of choice; however, crawlers and stink bait will also do the trick.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Bull Shoals Boat Dock said fishing has continued to improve with rising water temperatures. Surface temperatures are in the mid- to upper 60s around the lake. Bass fishing is excellent, but anglers will catch many smaller fish to get to the big ones.Crappie are fair on 1/32-oz. and lighter jigs and small minnows fished in brush piles 20 to 35 feet deep. White bass are still back in the creeks, and there have been some reports of schooling white bass during the day. the walleye seem to be done spawning and are scattered in different depths. There are reports of them being caught during the day in 25 to 25 feet of water off the points on plastics on the bottom. There is also some being caught on stick baits late in the day. I would also think working a spoon on the points during the day would work. Bottom bouncing and flatline trolling should start any day.
White River (Bull Shoals Tailwater)
(Updated 5-14-2014) Newland’s Resort below Bull Shoals said water conditions are trending toward the low side, with 1-3 generators running all day during the week and 0-2 generators running on the weekends. Popular baits have been shad, sculpins, Power Bait (white and yellow) and Little Cleo spoons. Several nice browns were caught last week; one customer caught a 16-pound brown off the bank; another caught a 6-pounder out in a boat. Be sure to visit the Projected water flow page and live web cam at Newland’s web site.
(Updated 4-30-2014) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said trout fishing is good, trolling a pink worm with marshmallow or Power Bait from the boat. Two to four generators have been running all day, so wade fishing has been eliminated. Some large brown trout are being caught on Rogues and Rapalas.
(Updated 5-7-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the hot spot was Rim Shoals. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers, Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, ruby midges, pink and cerise San Juan worms, and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective (try a cerise or pink San Juan worm with a prince nymph suspended below it). The Corps of Engineers have been running more water and that has been an advantage to streamer fishermen fishing sex dungeons and circus peanuts. We have had some spectacular caddis hatches. The trout have not been keying in on them due to the higher flows. This is our best hatch of the year and hopefully we can get some lower water before it is over. Before the hatch, fish green caddis pupa or prince nymphs (size 14). You will often get more strikes at the end of the drift as the fly rises. When the move to the surface and begin keying in on emergers switch over to a green butt soft hackle (size 15). When they start taking adult insects off the water’s surface, you should switch to a green elk hair caddis pattern (size 14).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 555.41 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 552 msl, April-September – 554 msl).
(Updated 5-7-2014) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said Norfork Lake is at normal pool. The water temperature is in the high 60s. The water is stained. The shad have moved back into the creeks and are having another spawn. Stripers are staging half way up the creeks and some have moved to the main lake points. The night bite continues to be very strong all around the lake. I caught stripers off the main lake points and bays in Big Creek, Crystal Cove and the Cranfield area. If it’s sunny, stripers move offshore and very hard to catch. The best bite is when the weather is overcast with a slight wind. Crappie are in their late spawning cycle and are biting on minnows, small spoons and jigs on brush piles, stickups and bluff walls in 2 to 8 feet of water in the mornings.
(Updated 4-9-2014) Lou Gabric of Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said fishing is heating up. Stripers, bass and crappie are all starting to bite. The fish are moving to the banks to feed both in the day as well as in the dark. The lake surface water temperature has consistently been in the low to upper 50s. The best bite for striped bass is still back in the creeks. A few fish are starting to move out into the main lake, but the water temperature needs to rise more for a consistent main lake bite. Live bait is working very well; shiners, threadfin shad and gizzard shad are all working. If you are live bait fishing, make sure you have several lines out with no weights. It will not be long before fluke and spook fishing will start to take off. Over the last several days bass fishing has become much better. Largemouth, spots and smallmouth bass are moving into the shallows feeding on baitfish. Stick baits, swimming minnows, crankbaits and plastics are all starting to work. Crappie have started to move into shallow water over brush. The water is pretty clear so when you are fishing brush piles you will need to stay away and cast into them. The fish will not be very deep, so you don’t want to spook them. Live bait with a slip cork or small paddle tail baits tipped with a minnow work great. Walleye, white bass and catfish fishing should start to heat up very soon. Look for these species on shallow flats and main lake points. Currently the walleye and white bass are back in the creeks and will be moving out. Catfish will be starting their spawn soon if not already so look shallow.
(Updated 5-7-2014) Guide Steve Olomon said the surface water temperature is in the upper 60s in the creeks and in the mid 60s in the main lake. he main lake visibility is clear. There hasn’t been much topwater activity yet. Just a few fish coming up sporadically. The night bite has been picking up the last couple weeks throwing stick baits and reeling them very slowly back to the boat. The stripers are hitting live bait and some were hitting swimbaits early in the mornings before the sun was hitting the water surface. There are some bass still on beds and there are some hitting swimbaits, jigs and Texas-rigged worms. Some walleye are hitting stick baits at night but it’s been hit or miss the last few nights.
North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater)
(Updated 5-7-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the Norfork has fished a bit better of late. Since it has had the only wadable water, it has been a bit crowded. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles like the green butt. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis).The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. Some anglers have been fishing heavy articulated streamers on sink tip lines on the higher flows.
Buffalo River
(Updated 5-7-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River is navigable and clear. With the water warming, the smallmouth will soon be active. The most effective flies are Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. Carefully check the water level before entering the Buffalo River.
Crooked Creek
(Updated 5-7-2014) Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek is navigable and clear. With the water warming, the smallmouth will soon be active. The most effective flies are Clouser minnows and crawfish patterns. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek.
| Northwest Arkansas |
Beaver Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,120.63 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
(Updated 5-14-2014) Roger Cravens of JT’s Crappie Guide Service (254-315-2927) said look for bass to be along gravel banks with timber and visible cover. A Texas-rigged craw flipped around the cover or a spinner bait fished parallel to the bank should entice some strikes. For fish that are staged a bit deeper, look for them to be holding in the middle of small pockets and the adjacent points. A Carolina-rigged lizard or tube should catch those fish. Monte-Ne, Blackburn, Prairie Creek, Both Clifty’s and Van Winkle have all been good. Crappie are post-spawn on the south end of the lake and are starting to spawn north of the 12 bridge. Look for fish to be under log jams in the backs of pockets, under laydown trees along sloped banks and along pole timber close to the bank or suspended between 4-8 ft over brush piles in 15-25 ft of water. A 1/32 or 1/16 oz jig under a bobber will do the trick in these areas. For deeper fish look along a channel close to brush piles or timber in 15 to 30 feet of water. A curly tail jig on a 1/16-oz jig head will work in those areas. White River upstream from point 12, Piney Creek, Monte Ne, Joes Creek and Blackburn have all been good for crappie. White bass continue to bite well in the backs of windblown coves and far up each river arm. Anything that resembles a injured shad will do the trick. Indian Creek, Coose Hollow, Monte-Ne, Hickory Creek and both War Eagle and the White River have been good. Catfishing has been good late in the day into the evening using liver and worms in Monte-Ne, Hickory Creek and the 412 bridge area.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said stripers are on the prowl looking for food. They are biting throughout the day, but are best at dusk and dawn. Live shad fished from the surface to 25 feet deep will work best, but Trolling with Rapalas, Bomber 15A and 16As, small umbrella rigs and Smithwick Rogues will work as well. Watch for schooling fish and have a spoon or Cordell Redfin ready! The Highway 12 bridge and the mouths of Prairie Creek and Coose Hollow are extremely good right now. At Prairie Creek, and the north side of Deer Island, the bite starts at 6 a.m. and is typically over by 7:30 a.m. with a few stragglers being caught a little later, but it’s absolutely loaded with stripers right now. Try any of the bars or flats between Prairie Creek and Highway 12 Bridge as well. The mouth of Coose Hollow is hot, but not as good as Prairie Creek.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie fishing is slow, but a few can still be caught on jigs. Bass are biting well on topwater lures, spinnerbaits and soft-plastic lures in the shallows. Walleye are biting on Trolled crankbaits and cast Roadrunners and Rooster Tails. White bass also are being caught on Rooster Tails and Roadrunners.
Beaver Tailwater
(Updated 5-7-2014) Beaver Dam Store said walleye fishing is still good from Houseman to Spider Creek. Nightcrawlers or minnows drug along the bottom are the best bet. We are still catching some white bass on the lake at the north cove. Hopefully they will come back up the river after a couple of warm days. Midges, pheasant tails, peacock herl soft hackles and woolly buggers will get some attention from the trout. Nickel and gold Colorado spoons are hard to beat for spin-fishermen. White and yellow Power Bait with a wax worm and GULP maggots on a micro jig will work when nothing else will.
Lake Elmdale
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said things were going well before the big rain. Now that the lake is up 2 feet, it could change. Redear and bluegill beds have been plentiful along the Grassy Flats area of the lake. Spawning beds are also on the shallow side of Goose Island. Crickets fished 2 feet under a bobber have been good. The best crappie areas have been around the flood discharge area and near Rock Island. Minnows fished with a bobber set 4 feet deep will work. Crappie jigs tipped with a nibble would be a fair substitute if you run out of minnows. Bass fishing has been good in many areas of the lake. Look for beds in 5 feet and shallower areas. A 4-inch watermelon green lizard will produce some action, as will a short-billed crankbait, suspending jerk bait or spinnerbait. No word on catfish, but try cut perch on set lines, or use chicken liver or Power Bait catfish bait on rod and reel.
Lake Fayetteville
(Updated on 5-14-2014) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water level is normal. Crappie, black bass and white bass are all biting well. Catfishing is very good.
Lake Sequoyah
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is murky and at normal level. The surface water temperature is averaging in the 70s. The crappie have completely stopped biting, but the bream have picked up on worms and crickets. Black bass are biting spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics. Catfishing is excellent on worms, shad and chicken livers.
Prairie Grove Lake
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lake Manager Dennis Kruse said fishing was good for all species last weekend. Crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows. Catfishing is very good on worms and prepared dough baits. Bass are biting well and are coming off their spawn. Bream are moving into spawning areas and are biting very well.
Crystal Lake
(Updated 5-14-2014) Jake Knoedl at Knoedl’s Outdoor Tech in Hiwasse (479-344-6131) said the shallow end of the lake is very mossy. Crappie are slowing but can still be caught on small minnows and white Bobby Garland jigs around brush early and late. Bass are working fairly shallow and hitting soft plastics around brush. Some bass are being caught on a football jig with a small salty craw near the bluff walls. Bream beginning to bite well on crickets and worms; they are starting to make beds.
Lake SWEPCO
(Updated 5-14-2014) Jake Knoedl at Knoedl’s Outdoor Tech in Hiwasse (479-344-6131) said catfish are being caught on nightcrawlers and stink bait. Bass are hitting Texas-rigged green pumpkin worms, brush hogs and wacky rigs.
| Northeast Arkansas |
Lake Poinsett
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lake Poinsett State Park said lots of bass are being caught. There are average catches of crappie, bream and catfish as well. The bait shop at the state park is still selling a good amount of minnows, goldfish, worms and crickets as well as other fishing supplies.
Crown Lake
(Updated 5-14-2014) Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is a little murky and up 6 inches from the rain. The bluegill and redear sunfish are biting well on crickets and minnows. Bass are excellent on soft-plastic finesse worms. Catfishing is good where the water is running on stink bait and nightcrawlers.
Lake Frierson
(Updated 5-14-2014) Lake Frierson State Park said water temperatures have stabilized well into the 60s, and bass are on beds in the bushes and spawning areas around the lake. Jigs, soft plastics and poppers have been the best lures lately. Channel catfish and blue catfish have been fair to good on nightcrawlers and dip baits fished under floats set 3-5 feet deep. Flatheads have been poor to fair with a few fish being caught on bream or goldfish. Crappie are slow in the northern portion of the lake. They appear to have moved out from spawning areas to deeper water. Bream have been good on crickets, pieces of nightcrawlers or redworms. A few saugeye were caught last week on crankbaits near the levee.
The renovation of Dam No. 3 on the Spring River is underway. Accesses at Lassiters, Cold Spring and Bayou are available for the Spring River, and anglers may have better success launching at these places during heavy traffic periods.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running at 400 cfs at the spring and water clarity has been mostly clear with green tint. The catching has been excellent over the last few weeks. Brownies, guppies and Y2Ks have been producing trout all day long. Hot pink and white Trout Magnets and white and red Rooster Tails have been working great for spin fishers. The diversion of water to the front of dam 3 has been going well. The water increase on the east side of the hatchery has actually made the fishing better on that side. Caution should be used in this area. Be aware and cautious of surroundings. Parking will be limited to the east side of the train tracks on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m.-noon.
| Southeast Arkansas |
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)
(Updated 4-30-2014) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Team said water temperature is in the low 70s. Water clarity is right under one foot in Lake Langhofer and a little murkier on the main channel. The main channel is not flowing much. The post-spawn slump has taken hold. Largemouth are still being caught, but they are tougher to find and smaller. You can still catch fish on rocks and shallow woody cover; they have not yet moved out to brush piles but should do so in a few weeks. The crappie and white bass are biting extremely well in Lake Langhofer. Crankbaits and small swimbaits over sandbar points and humps in Lake Langhofer are producing lots of 1- to 2-pound white bass with the occasional large striped bass. If you’re looking to just have fun, give the largemouth a break and go after white bass and crappie for now.
Cane Creek Lake
(Updated 4-23-2014) Seth Boone at Cane Creek State Park in Star City said bass fishing has been very good on soft-plastic worms and real nightcrawlers. Crappie have been hit-or-miss with the weather. Catfishing is good.
Lake Chicot
(Updated 5-7-2014) Geoff Wright at Lake Chicot State Park said catfish are still biting profusely on a wide variety of baits — nightcrawlers, liver, dough baits, etc. There have been reports of good catches of largemouth, too. Crappie still seem to be slow.
| Southwest Arkansas |
Millwood Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 260.11 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.60 msl).
(Updated 5-14-2014) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said navigation on Little River is extremely dangerous with the huge amount of current and debris in the river. As of Monday, the lake was 11 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. The gates were releasing around 15,400 cfs of water Monday. Surface temperatures range from 68 to 78 degrees. Clarity and visibility are pretty much 0 inches in the lake and in the river. Before the rapid rise of water, bass were good. Large worms, jigs, Rat-L-Traps, frogs, and Bass Assassin Shads were the go-to baits, taking bass on flats with stumps, and in creek channels. Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs and Bass Assassin Shads were catching largemouths in the 4-5 pound class over the past couple weeks and plastic frogs are beginning to draw reactions in the new pad growth. White bass are post spawn and are still scattered. Crappie were improving in creek channels around cypress trees before the recent deluge of muddy water, on Blakemore Roadrunners, beetle spins, grubs and jigs. No report on catfish.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 547.92 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl).
Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 408.70 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
(Updated 5-14-2014) Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is near 70 degrees and the lake is clear throughout. Fishing has been only fair the past week with the exception of bass which is still pretty good. Lots of nice catches of bass reported coming from the upper portion of the lake between Arlie Moore and Cox Creek. In fact bass should only get better with the rising water. Look for fish in just about any pocket and in the shore line brush. The best baits are square-billed crankbaits, floating trick worms and buzz baits. Early and late try a surface plug such as a Zara Spook thrown parallel to the cover. Quite a few nice spotted bass are coming from the rock bluffs on 4-inch finesse worms rigged Texas style. Fish the edges of the bluff where the rock is broken. These fish are pretty deep at 15 to 20 feet down. Look for bluffs at Points 14 and 15, also along the west side of Goat Island. Crappie fishing remains slow with virtually no fish reported. Hybrids are scattered between Point Cedar and point 15. Trolling is the best bet when the fish are not schooling. Try no. 7 Shad Raps, swim baits, heavy spoons and a small umbrella rig loaded with 4-inch curly tailed grubs. White and chartreuse are best on all rigs. The shad spawn is starting and this should school up the fish. Catfish are biting well on trotlines set across points in about 20 feet of water. Best areas have been around Point 10 and up Brushy Creek. Bait with cut shad, chicken livers, hot dogs, night crawlers or Catfish Charlie. For bigger cats try small live bream and big minnows. Quite a few small bream have been reported. Fishing will improve with bedding fish on the next full moon. Try redworms and nightcrawlers fished in coves with some cover.
| South-Central Arkansas |
Moro Bay
Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay, had no report this week.
Ouachita River Oxbows
(Updated 4-2-2014) Local angler Jaret Rushing said the Ouachita River Oxbows are beginning to see an influx of new water from the rains we had last weekend. This should slow bass down from moving into spawning stages. Bass are still actively hitting slower moving “shad-like” baits and jigs. Again, color selection is key when targeting bass in these lakes and tributaries. Anglers should match their color choices based on water clarity. Crappie are still biting well on minnows and lighter colored jigs fished around outstretched trees in about 4 feet of water. Their bites are somewhat light, so pay attention and use fluorocarbon lines if possible to help detect the strike.
Tri-County Lake
Jaret Rushing had no report this week.
White Oak Lake
(Updated 4-30-2014) Stacey Jackson at White Oak Lake State Park (870-685-2748) said on the lower lake, the catfish daily limit is 5 and the bream daily limit is 50; and all other fish are catch-and-release only. Catfish are biting on trotlines. On the upper lake (where there are no special regulations) bream are biting well on crickets and worms early in the morning and evening. Catfish are biting well on worms in the evenings. Bass are a little slow but can be picked up in the mornings and evenings on artificial lures. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs, and bream on crickets and worms. For lake information or a camping reservation please call White Oak Lake State Park at 870-685-2748 or visit http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/whiteoaklake/
| West-Central Arkansas |
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 355.55 feet msl (flood pool – 373 msl).
(Updated 4-23-2014) Good Ole Boys Trading Post (479-272-4710) said crappie fishing is excellent on minnows and jigs. Catfishing also is excellent; anglers are having the best luck with shad.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream are excellent on redworms, and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and Bobby Garland Slab Slay’rs and Baby Shads in 3 to 8 feet of water. Bass are biting well on worms and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.
Lake Bailey (Petit Jean Mountain)
(Updated 5-14-2014) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream are excellent on worms, crickets, nightcrawlers and Rock Hopper jigs. Bass fishing is hit-and-miss on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on redworms, minnows, stinkbait and chicken livers.
Fourche La Fave River
(Updated 5-14-2014) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said the water is stained and low. Crappie fishing is good on minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shad. Bass are hit-and-miss right now on spinnerbaits, topwater baits and worms. Catfishing is good on chicken liver, minnows and stink bait. Bream are excellent on crickets and redworms.
Lake Hinkle
Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-7419) had no report this week.
Lake Dardanelle
(Updated 5-7-2014) Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said the surface water temperature is 60 degrees in the mornings, rising to 70 degrees by mid-afternoon. The river is murky, with 1 to 3 feet of visibility. Upper river bass have been very good on buzzbaits and frogs early and on jigs, lizards, brush hogs and worms at mid-day. Mid-river and lower-river bass have moved out to the points and up in the creeks; these bass also can be taken on topwater early and late with poppers and prop baits. Crankbaits have been doing very well around points and rock piles,as has a swimming jig in new vegetation. Crappie are post spawn and scattered. Stick to the pockets with stumps and fish jigs and minnows. Bream have been very good in the shallows around new vegetation and wood on worms and crickets. White bass and stripers are at the heads of the creeks, and will bite swimbaits, topwater walking baits, tailspinners and inline spinners. Catfish are firing up for the spawn, and can be caught on live bream for flatheads, cut skipjack, dead minnows and worms for blue catfish and channel catfish.
Blue Mountain Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 394.04 feet msl (flood pool – 419 msl).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 579.98 feet msl (flood pool – 578 msl).
(Updated 4-23-2014) Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports in Hot Springs said the lake temp is in the 60s and the lake level is at full pool. Black bass are being caught on just about anything you want to throw. This is floating worm season, so that is always fun. Also try a jighead worm in the guts of pockets. A carolina rig is a great way to catch a good one and sight fishing is how most tournaments are being won. Crappie are in brush in 5 feet of water and less. White bass are still in most major creeks.
(Updated 5-13-2014) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is stained and the surface water temperature is 68 to 72 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on jighead worms and Texas-rigged worms. Bass are also picking up on Zara Spooks and Zoom Super Flukes. Walleye are biting very well on Shad Raps and swimbaits fished on main lake points. Stripers are excellent on C-10 Redfins with some great topwater action along main lake points in all three river basins. Bream are biting well near brush in 10 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on minnows and crappie jigs fished around brush in 8 to 14 feet of water. Catfishing is excellent on trotlines and jug lines baited with cut bait and fished in large bays and major creek basins.
Lake Hamilton
(Updated 4-23-2014) Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports in Hot Springs said the surface water temperature is in the 60’s and the lake level is at normal spring pool. The water is stained from the recent rain, but is clearing up slowly. Black bass are bedding all over the lake. Good fish are being caught on floating worms, jerkbaits and Carolina-rigged lizards and bush hogs. Most fish are being caught in 5 feet of water and less. Crappie also are shallow and are being caught around brush in 6 feet of water and less. White bass are finishing up their run in the major creeks.
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro.
(Updated 5-14-2014) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service said very heavy rainfall has caused Entergy to lower lakes Hamilton and Catherine to hold the huge amounts of water running through the system from Lake Ouachita. Extremely fast flows from Carpenter Dam have created unsafe fishing conditions in the tailrace, forcing fishermen to remain off the lake until flows have slowed. Heavily stained waters are the norm in Lake Catherine and boaters are urged to stay away from the dam until much more stable conditions return. This process could take several weeks to complete.
Lake Atkins
(Updated 4-23-2014) Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no report.
| East Arkansas |
Bear Creek Lake
(Updated 1-8-2014) Mississippi River State Park had no new report.
Storm Creek Lake
(Updated 1-8-2014) Mississippi River State Park had no report.
White River
(Updated 4-23-2014) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) had no report this week.
Maddox Bay
(Updated 4-30-2014) Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is high and muddy. Fishing has been very slow for all species.
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