Sports
Arkansas weekly fishing report
By Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Dec 27, 2009
Fishing Tip: In freezing weather, boat ramps can get slick from ice buildup. When pulling your trailer out of the water, stop just after you clear the water’s edge and allow as much water as possible to drain before making your way up the ramp. This reduces icing through the length of the ramp.
Arkansas River Levels are available at:
http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/Reports/Daily/Pao_rvrs.txt
White River Levels are available at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/forecast/tributaries/status_white.shtml
Central Arkansas
Lake Conway:
Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the lake is about a foot low. Water clarity is good. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows around brush tops. Bream fishing is fair fishing deep with redworms. Catfishing is good on yo-yos using large minnows.
Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) had no report.
Little Red River:
Lindsey's Resort (501-302-3139) had no new report.
Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said the Greers Ferry powerhouse is still in full swing with both generators operating near their maximum capacity. The lake should be at top power pool by about Jan. 3 if there are no large rains. Hopefully, we will see more normal releases soon after the first of the year. The Little Red Fly Shop's hours of operation have changed due to the high river water. Fishing the Little Red while the flood gates are open is not forbidden but is extremely dangerous. Remember, never try to fish and manage a boat at the same time in high water! We will be closed Monday through Thursday and will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will resume normal hours immediately after the high river water recedes.
Greers Ferry:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 464.53 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 461 MSL).
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water temperature is 46-50 degrees. The hybrid and white bass fishing continues to be good in about 40-50 feet of water. The bite is best on sunny days, as the fish tend to scatter on overcast days. White spoons jigged vertically off the bottom will work on the hybrids and whites. Walleye are biting well on chartreuse spoons jigged off the bottom in 23-43 feet of water where you find fish on the bottom. Black bass fishing is fair on spinnerbaits and even a few top-water lures around flooded brush. Small crankbaits worked on the outside edge of the brush and Carolina rigs and football head jigs are working fairly well in deeper water. No report on crappie, bream or catfish.
Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said not many anglers are on the water.
Harris Brake Lake:
Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said no one is fishing.
Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no report.
Lake Bailey (Petit Jean State Park):
Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no report.
Lake Overcup:
Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the lake is a little high and clear. Crappie have been biting well. White Crappie Stingers and white and white/chartreuse Trout Magnets are working well. Bream are hitting redworms fairly well. Catfish and bass are slow.
Brewer Lake:
Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water level is normal and clear. Crappie are being caught with 2-inch white/chartreuse tube jigs and small (no. 4) minnows around buck brush in shallow water. Bream are hitting redworms fairly well. Catfish and bass are slow.
Lake Maumelle:
Jolly Roger’s Marina had no report.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report.
Lake Valencia:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said trout have been stocked for the winter and are biting well on Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Catfishing is fair on chicken hearts.
Sunset Lake:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said water levels are normal and bass are fair on watermelon seed jigs with black trailers. Crappie are fair in 12 feet of water on minnows. Bream and catfish are slow.
Saline River Access in Benton:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said crappie are fair on brush piles in 5 to 6 feet of water. Bass are fair on rocky points in 6 feet of water. Catfishing and bream fishing are slow.
Arkansas River at Morrilton:
Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said the flow has dropped and a few anglers are getting out on the river. Catfish are moving to deep holes and hitting whole shad. Sauger are starting to move to the front of dams 9 and 10. Red and chartreuse rigs tipped with a minnow are working well. White bass are in break water and hitting shad in the late evening hours. Kentucky bass are on the top of rock jetties and are biting fairly well on spinners in the afternoons. No report on crappie or bream.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool):
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said that in the Little Maumelle River and Maumelle River, crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. The best colors for jigs have been blue/white in clear water and chartreuse in muddy water. Catfishing is good on chicken hearts and cut bait. Bass and bream are slow.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool):
Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff (501-834-5733) had no report. Fish ‘N Stuff will be closed Dec. 21-Jan. 4. Happy Holidays.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream are biting fairly well below Murray Lock and Dam on small worms. Crappie are biting well on pink minnows fished under a slip-cork rig and on salt-and-pepper jigs below Murray Lock and Dam. White bass are biting well on minnows and jigs below the dam. Catfishing is good on shad or skipjack below the dam and on trotlines baited with shad placed away from current in the backwater.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is muddy and the level is normal. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on chartreuse jigs in 15 feet of water. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and jig-and-pig combos. Catfishing is fair on skipjack.
Clear Lake:
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are slow on worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is fair on worms.
Peckerwood Lake:
Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the lake is closed for fishing until Jan. 31, 2010.
Lake Pickthorne:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie are biting well on pink minnows and red/chartreuse jigs.
North Arkansas
White River:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said the lake levels on the White River system are falling. On the White, there’s been heavy generation around the clock with additional water coming from several flood gates. There has been no wadable water. There is no wading on the Norfork at this level, but is now considered safer for boating now that additional flows from flood gates have ceased. With the heavy generation and open flood gates on the White River, they are running the rough equivalent of nine generators. This is a huge amount of water and I do not recommend fishing it unless you are in a boat with an experienced river guide. If you must go out there, make sure that one person in the boat is committed to controlling the boat and is not fishing. Do not anchor in the current or use a drag chain under any circumstance. When we have water levels this high, you should concentrate on fishing the banks and weed beds. Use brightly colored San Juan worms (red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise) and egg patterns (red, pink and orange). Use a 14-foot leader/tippet combination with a minimum of 4X tippet. There should be plenty of weight to get the fly down to the bottom. I use AAA splitshot 18 inches above the fly. A large strike indicator will be required to keep this afloat. This rig will be difficult to cast. Open up your loop and give your back cast plenty of time to straighten out behind you. Another effective strategy is to fish streamers. Concentrate on banging the bank or any heavy structure where fish might escape the current. Your best bet would be to use large articulated streamers like the zoo cougar on heavy (300 grain or heavier) sink tips. You will need at least an eight-weight rod to cast this rig. Use a short piece of heavy mono (three feet of 2X fluorocarbon tippet) in lieu of a conventional leader to help get the fly down. This strategy targets big fish, but is a lot of work. I like to carry two rods, one that is rigged for streamers and one that is rigged for nymphs. That way you can quickly vary your strategy.
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is very high, with 8 generators running around the clock.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said generation is around the clock with seven or eight units running and several flood gates open slightly. Use high-water nymph tactics from a boat with San Juan worms, scuds, sow bugs, pheasant tails and zebra midges (sizes 10-14). Concentrate your drifts over flooded grass beds. Also try high-water streamer fishing using woolly buggers, slump busters, zoo cougars and various sculpin patterns (sizes 4-8) on fast type 4 or 5 sink-tips or full sinking lines. Concentrate on various bank structure such as boulders, root wads and laydowns.
White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said fishing is slow due to the large volume of water. Some fish are biting on Power Bait fished on the bottom with plenty of weight. Be very careful on the water. Bull Shoals has been running seven generators and 17 spillway gates. Don't drag a chain or anchor, as there is just too much current. Also, be careful when launching your boat. Due to the way some of the ramps are situated it can cause water to rush in over the back corners of your river boat and sink it.
Crooked Creek:
John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service says Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have muddied up a bit. The water below Crooked Creek is stained. The water temperatures are a bit low for the smallmouth.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides had no report.
Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 667.15 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).
Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 558.96 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).
101 Grocery and Bait said fishing live bait is the key to hooking into a striped bass this time of year. Shiners are the hot bait. The water temperature is in the upper 50-degree range and it is getting cooler every day. If striper fishing is your thing, it's time to get on the water. Crappie fishing has been fair and of course live bait is the bait of choice. White bass fishing is good. Walleye fishing is fair. Largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky bass fishing is fair. Sunfish and catfish fishing are fair. The night bite for stripers and walleye should begin any time now using Rogues.
Norfork Tailwater:
Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said two generators and two spillway gates are running continuously. Fishing is very slow.
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service says that Dry Run Creek has fished well. The high flows on the Norfork tailwater have had no effect on the fishing here. The hot fly has been sow bugs in size 14. Worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns have also done well. A great Christmas present for your youngster would be a trip to Dry Run Creek.
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said generation has been around the clock as the Corps lowers the lake to power pool. Drift-fishing from a boat is the only option during this period of high water. Use high-water nymph tactics with larger flies: San Juan worms, scuds, sow bugs, pheasant tails and zebra midges (sizes 12-16). Also use high-water streamer fishing with type 4 or 5 fast sink-tips or full sinking lines. Try woolly buggers, slump busters, zoo cougars or various sculpin patterns in sizes 4 - 8. Be extremely cautious if you do decide to fish on the high water. Don’t anchor and keep one person designated to pilot the boat at all times.
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,127.18 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120 MSL).
Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service said stripers are scattered, but are hitting shad all over the lake. The hottest action has come on shad and brood minnows fished 10-20 feet deep under balloons set 50-100 feet behind the boat (stagger your balloons so you don't tangle.). On windy days, fish the coves that the wind is blowing into; on still days, fish deeper near the main channel. This is a pattern that will generally hold all winter. However, with the sunny warm days and cold evenings in the upcoming weather forecast, shad will be holding near the surface basking in the warmer water with stripers in hot pursuit. On the upper end of the lake "free lining"(baitfish on a hook with little or no weight allowed to swim 100 feet in back of the boat) should take fish all day. Free-lined baits on the lower section of the lake will be productive during low light levels with baits fished 10-20 feet deep more productive midday. On the White River from the Highway 12 Bridge to the Highway 412 Bridge, concentrate efforts in backs of coves and shallow flats near the river/creek channel. Hickory Creek is producing fish. Try the main river channel and the Hickory Creek arm. The striper alley area in Horseshoe Bend is producing fish on the flats near the main river channel. The Joe creek area is also producing. The Monte Ne area has been producing fish. Look near the mouth and on the flats near the main river channel. Some fish have been caught as far back as the boat ramp. In War Eagle, concentrate your efforts from the War Eagle/White River junction up War Eagle to the Sidewalk Hole. Some fish are being taken near the power lines at the lower end near the White River. White bass and hybrids can be taken in the area all the way up to the mill. Try fishing Rooster Tails or jigging spoons in silver or gold/chartreuse. Around Lost Bridge, most fish are being caught on the bottom near Fish Trap Hollow and Pine Log. In Indian creek, most fish are being caught on the bottom. In the Starkey area, most fish are being caught on the bottom. In Prairie Creek, the best areas are upriver from the 12 Bridge up to and including Blackburn Creek. On the main lake, try fishing jigging spoons or live bait on the bottom on points 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Concentrate on water 20-30 feet deep.
JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been fair. Try using slow-moving baits. A jig and pig or a ½-oz. spinnerbait worked slowly bouncing off the bottom should work along chunk rock banks and around docks. Working a ½-oz. jigging spoon along pole timber is another option. Crappie have been hitting jigs tipped with minnows close to any cover close to creek channel drops in 15-35 feet of water. White bass have been hanging off main-lake points and channel bends, suspending in about 20 feet of water. Quarter-ounce chrome or white jigging spoons work well on these fish. Catfishing has been fair from the bank on liver. Prairie Creek, 12 bridge and 412 bridge have been good places to try.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is high, but dropping slowly. Crappie are spotty in 10-15 feet of water. Bass are slow, but a few have been caught on C.C. spoons in deep water.
Beaver Tailwaters:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said generation has been sporadic, but there is some low water wading at some point during the day. During periods of low water, try swinging small soft hackles (sizes 14-18) or stripping small streamers such as woolly buggers, 56ers, slump busters or sparrows (sizes 8-12). Also, try nymphing with small scuds, sow bugs, pheasant tails and zebra midges (sizes 14-20) using 6x or 7x tippet with a 9- to 12-foot leader. Use as small an indicator as possible in natural colors like white, blue or black to spook fewer fish. During periods of high water, drift fishing from a boat is the best option. Try high-water nymph tactics with larger flies such as San Juan worms, scuds, sow bugs, zebra midges and pheasant tails (sizes 12 - 16). Concentrate your drifts along the slower current seams along channel banks and drop offs.
Kings River:
Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides said had no report.
Lake Fayetteville:
Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) had no report. Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 15.
Lake Sequoyah:
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and plastic worms in red with white or black curly tails.
Northeast Arkansas
Crown Lake:
Boxhound Marina ( 870-670-4496) ) said the water is clear and at normal levels, but very few people are fishing. Bream are biting fairly well on redworms. Crappie are biting well on small jigs. Bass are fair on Eakin’s jigs tipped with a grub. Catfishing is slow.
Lake Frierson:
Lake Frierson State Park said no anglers are visiting the water. No report
Spring River:
Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shop said water clarity is good and water levels are low. Fishing has been very good. Many small, stocker-size fish are in the river, but there are also many big fish out there. Y2ks have been catching a lot of fish. Brownies and Cotton Candies have been hot and tend to catch bigger fish.
Southeast Arkansas
Lake Chicot:
Lakeshore Motel and Marina (870-265-9901) had no report.
Lake Monticello:
Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.com had no report.
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 255.85 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 259.2 MSL).
Millwood Lake Guide Service said, as of Tuesday, the water is 3.4 feet below normal lake pool with reduced current in Little River. Many boat ramps are closed because of low water levels. Yarborough and Jack's Isle are still open. Water surface temperature is 47 to 53 degrees depending on location and time of day. Discharge at the dam is 1,190 CFS with all 13 gates open at one foot each. Main lake visibility and clarity slightly improved and is 10-20 inches with current reduced in Little River. The feeding activity of bass has slowed from reduced surface temperature and cold fronts. The best bite is midday on crankbaits, smoke or holographic grubs rigged on white jig heads, dead-sticked Bass Assassin Shad jerk baits, Senkos, and trick worms on a light wire hook. Large 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Big O or XCalibur Fat Free Shad crankbaits are still working to locate 14-18-inch bass. Carolina Rigs are continuing to improve where creek channels dump into Little River. Slow-rolled spinnerbaits, large Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits are the best bet. No report for white bass. Crappie continue to improve, and are stacked vertically along planted brush piles in Little River. The best bite was in 9-14 feet of water on pink/white or white/chartreuse, live shiners, Blakemore Roadrunners and hand-tied hair jigs. Channel catfish love the current along Little River and are biting extremely well on cut shad, Catfish Charlie and home-made dough balls.
White Oak Lake:
Local angler John Tilley said there isn’t much fishing going on at White Oak because of the weather. The lake is being dropped 7 feet to make repairs to Starnes Landing ramp and the parking lot. The water should be back to normal level some time in February. No other fishing information available at this time.
Lake Greeson:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 541.0 MSL (Flood pool – 548 MSL).
Cossatot River:
Cossatot River State Park said the water is too high and swift for fishing.
DeGray Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 406.7 feet MSL (Flood pool – 408 MSL).
Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is in the upper 40s and the water is clear throughout the lake. Bass fishing is fair, with very few reports. The fish are scattered on deep points, ledges and humps. The best tactic is to fish green pumpkin or red shad Texas-rigged worms or jig-and-pig combos in 25 to 40 feet of water. The area between Arlie Moore and Shouse Ford has seen the best fishing. Crappie fishing is good in the upper end of the lake. The crappie are holding around fish attractors in 28 to 35 feet of water. The best lure to use is a Tennessee shad grub on a 1/16-oz. jighead. The lure needs to suspend in the thickest part of the brush, as the fish won’t chase the bait very far. Most hits are so light, it just feels like the lure gets heavy. The best areas to fish for crappie are from Shouse Ford to the Point Cedar area. Bream are fair around the edge of fish shelters in 25 feet of water. The best areas for bream have been between Caddo Drive and Yancey Creek. Hybrid fishing is still slow. Some fish are showing up around Shouse Ford, and the hybrids should continue moving upriver through January.
West-Central Arkansas
Lake Fort Smith:
No report.
Lake Nimrod:
Lake Nimrod Bait and More II (479-272-4025) had no report.
Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no report.
Lake Dardanelle:
Regina Olson at Spadra Marina had no report.
Blue Mountain Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 384.60 feet MSL.
Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop (479-947-2178) had no report.
Ozark Pool:
Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the water is at normal flow. The surface temperature is cold and the water is clear. Crappie are biting well on jigs tipped with a minnow. White bass are biting well on minnows and jigs as well. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and minnows. Black bass and bream are slow.
Lake Ouachita:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 576.4 MSL (Flood pool – 578 MSL).
Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said bass fishing is good with some quality fish being caught in and around the grass on green pumpkin jigs and brush hogs. Concentrate your efforts in 25 feet of water.
Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is 44-48 degrees and clear. Largemouth bass are still very good and can be caught with jigs fished in brush piles on points or humps in 18-25 feet of water. Deep-running crankbaits are working well fished near drop-offs and ledges. Walleye are slow and being caught on jigging spoons or fluorescent jigs tipped with minnows on main-lake points or humps near deep water in 20-30 feet deep. Stripers are still fair on live shad or trotline minnows. Main-lake points near creek channels or open water humps are the best areas. Crappie are biting well near brush in water 20 to 30 feet deep. Minnows and crappie grubs are working well. Catfish are fair and being caught on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines.
Dave Lindhag from Striped Bass Adventures had no report.
Lake Hamilton:
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports had no new report.
Daryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said the water temperature is in the mid-50s. Crappie fishing is excellent on points and humps near deep water. Bass fishing is fair.
Lake Catherine:
Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, said water temperature has fallen to 48 degrees below Carpenter Dam. Clarity is good, but generation has been non-stop. Rainbow trout fishing is fair with most fish being in the 11 to 12-inch range. Some trout longer than 16 inches have been caught as well. Bank fishing is tough because of the strong current. With low water, anglers can move from area to area, looking for concentrations of trout. Usually, when you catch a fish, there will be more holding in the area. Threadfin shad are available in large numbers from the turbines. White or brown Rooster tails in 1/16-oz. and 1/8-oz. are working well, as are silver Super Dupers. Jigs have taken quality fish and will consistently hook larger trout. White, gray or black are the best bet. Fly fishermen are having success casting woolly buggers in olive or black along with a wide variety of egg patterns. San Juan worms in pink or red used under a strike indicator have been the best fly to use so far this year. Nightcrawlers, redworms, and wax worms fished just off the bottom are a mainstay when fishing for trout. The white and hybrid bass have left the tailrace. These fish move in and out of the area following the shad. Stripers have not moved in the shallow water as no surface activity has been observed. No big fish have been seen or caught lately. Walleye have been caught below the bridge in the main channel. Trolling small shad-like crankbaits have taken fish in the 3- to 5-pound range. These fish are scattered and a good deal of patience is required to find them.
Lake Hinkle:
Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said no one is fishing.
Lake Atkins:
Ken Vinson at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water level is stable and the water temperature is 38 to 40 degrees. Crappie are beginning to pick up out in the timber and around the banks. Many crappie being caught are still small, but some very nice fish in the 21/2-3-pound range have been caught on minnows. Bass are fair, but almost all of them have been small. Catfishing and bream fishing are fair in deep water.
South Central Arkansas
Moro Bay:
Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay said the river is 80 feet above sea level (15 feet above normal). Fishing is slow for all recreational anglers.
Tri-County Lake:
Flooding has kept most anglers off the water.
Ouachita River Oxbows:
Flooding has kept most anglers off the water.
East Arkansas
Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:
The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is murky, but at normal levels in the harbor. Bream are fair in deep water on red worms. Bass are good on crankbaits and jig-and-pig combos. Catfishing is fair on cut bait. Crappie are biting well on minnows.
White River:
Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is still very high. Not many fishermen are out on the river. A few people are catching walleye.
Maddox Bay:
Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) had no report.
Island 40 Chute:
Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) had no report.
Horseshoe Lake:
Local angler Clyde Gregory said very few people have been fishing because of the wind and cold. The water is at normal levels and clear. Crappie are being found in 12 feet of water on minnows and, black and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are hitting nightcrawlers and cut bait in the channels. Bream and bass are slow.