Fishing Tip:  On slick surfaces, such as ice or algae-covered boulders, ordinary rubber-soled boots do not provide much traction. Here’s a cheap way to improve your footing. Grind the lugs off the soles with a course-grained belt or disk sander to provide a roughed-up surface. Next, trace the outline of the boots onto a scrap of indoor-outdoor carpet. Glue the carpet to the soles with a strong adhesive.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake has been frozen in some areas. However in Gold Creek, crappie are biting on medium-sized minnows and chartreuse-and-pepper jigs. Bream are biting fair on worms and wax worms.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said trout fishing is good using night crawlers and wax worms with marshmallows or Power Bait.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the lake level is normal, and the water temperature is 49 degrees. Fish have entered their winter pattern. Crappie are suspended in 20 feet of water in the creek channels, and are biting minnows or small crappie jigs. Whites and hybrids are biting well on medium spoons fished slowly from 30- to 45-feet deep in the mouths of the river or in the tributaries (Middle Fork, Devils Fork and South Fork). Bait Master said bream fishing is slow, but some are biting on worms fished deep. Crappie are biting on small minnows fished over deep brush piles. Bass fishing is slow, but try fishing from 25- to 40-feet deep off the river channels with plastic worms or drop-shot rigs. Walleye fishing is picking up; try fishing with night crawlers in 25 to 30 feet of water.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said there has been some ice on the lake. However, some good crappie are being picked up on pink minnows or tri-colored jigs around the dock.

Lake Maumelle: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the lake clarity is medium, and the lake level is normal. Fishing pressure was very light due to the weather. Crappie fishing is fair from 12- to 15-feet deep using minnows and jigs over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair fishing deep and slow.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock No. 9 is 12,000 cubic feet per second with headwater at 284.32 feet and tailwater at 265.63 feet. The weather has kept most fishermen off the river. However, catfish are biting well in the deeper holes; try using a skipjack and night crawler combination. Bass fishing is slow, but some have been caught from mid-day to late afternoon around the rocks. For bass, try slow-rolling a chartreuse-and-black spinner bait. Crappie are biting in 15 to 20 feet of water on live minnows. Try fishing for crappie at Point Remove, Flag Lake or Petit Jean River. Striper fishing is fair on the jetty tips using CC Spoons and chartreuse Critt’R Get’Rs. 

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the river clarity is normal, but the river is high. Fishing pressure was light, but white bass were fair using crappie jigs near the hydro plant last week.

Bradford Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the lake is clear but high. Crappie are biting well from 6- to 7-feet deep on crappie minnows.

Tom’s Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the lake level is high, but the lake is clear. Crappie fishing is good using crappie minnows from 6- to 7-feet deep.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river clarity is fair, and the river level is normal. Bream fishing is fair from 3- to 5-feet deep using worms and wax worms. The crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs fished from 3- to 15-feet deep. Catfish are biting well on just about anything fished on the bottom. 

NORTH ARKANSAS:

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said as many as seven and eight units have been running most of the day. The current is providing few wade-fishing opportunities. However, fly-fishing from a boat has been very good lately in the various shoals of the upper river, on sow bugs, scuds, Unreal Eggs, Golden Eggs and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  Zebra and Black/Olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to 18), McLellan's Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 to16), McLellan's Hunchback Scud Tan (sizes 14 to 16), Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Little Brown Bug (sizes 14 to 16), March Brown Spider (sizes 12 to 14), Red Ass (size 16), Partridge & Herl (size 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Golden Eggs (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Platte River Special (size 4).  Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been running pretty much all day during the week, but on the weekend, generation has been scaled back.  Scuds, sow bugs and midges have been producing plenty of strikes. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Using Streamer Express lines, big streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced several strikes and plenty of excitement. Nymph fishing in high water has also been productive, using large McLellan's Hunchback Scuds, egg patterns and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  McLellan's Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Morgan's Midge (sizes 22 to 24), Rojo Midge (size 22), Yong Special (sizes 20 to 22), Zebra Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), WD-50 (sizes 20 to 22), McLellan's Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Golden Egg (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Mercury Brassie (size 18 to 20), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Platte River Special (size 4), San Juan Worm (size 16), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the temperatures fell into the 20s, causing 2- to 3-inches of snow to accumulate. Ice and snow on the ramps and roads leading to the marinas shut down fishing for most of the week. The lake level this week is 653.97 feet, which is less than ½-foot below normal pool. The lake clarity is about 16 feet, and the lake temperature has dropped to between 46- and 47-degrees due to the snow and freezing nighttime temperatures. Crappie are in their winter pattern, suspending over channel swings and in the pole trees along the bluffs. They will be between 35- and 55-feet deep using shad as the their main source of food. Crappie tubes, crappie minnows on bright jig heads and small spoons will be your key baits throughout the winter. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and Kentuckies will be wintering along the channel swings in the creek arms, on the deep sides of points and on bluff walls throughout the lake. A number of baits and techniques have proven to work well during the winter months. Spooning is #1, drop shot with small baits can put the bait on their noses, Stingray or Beaver tail grubs are winter favorites and football jigs on the bottom in 40 to 50 feet of water can be worked very slowly triggering some feeders. Walleye spend the winter around deep structure such as big boulder rocks, flooded timber and humps. Graphing is a big part of walleye winter fishing. It takes some time to find a few and then, comes the challenge of trying to catch them. The best baits through the winter are jigging spoons, ball jigs tipped with shiners and a jig-and-grub combination. Trout on the White River are biting on yellow or white Berkley Power Eggs when there is not much generation. Super Dupers, Little Cleo’s and Mepps spoons are working when there is generation. Fly-fishermen are doing well on floating egg patterns in peach or chartreuse and olive or white Wooly Buggers. Browns can be caught on Suspending Rogues, Flatfish and Rapala Countdowns. This will be the last report for the year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers for their support. May you all have a wonderful New Year. We will be back with the report the first week in February. Lead Hill Boat Dock said the lake has a good color, and the lake level is about 6 inches below normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake level is normal and holding steady. Crappie fishing is good using Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows, Lake Norfork Crappie Jigs or small crappie spoons, such as Binks Spoons.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is stained up to the Highway 12 Bridge. The lake level is 3-feet above normal. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows over brush piles. Bass fishing poor to fair using spinner baits, crankbaits or jigs.

Hickory Creek Marina said the lake has risen 1 foot, and the water is off-colored. Given the current weather, a clear pattern for bass has not been apparent. Spinner baits and crankbaits on the flats and spoons deep are producing fish. The flats are warmer than the deeper water on sunny days. As fish acclimate to the current lake level, try fishing shallow. Some stripers are in the rivers, but they are scattered and in short supply. The water temperature has been around 52.6 degrees, which is in the proper range for activity. Observation from the dock continues to produce reports of quite a few surfacing fish. Trolling with crankbaits has seen some success. Try looking in every major channel bend south of the Hwy 12 Bridge that is near an adjacent flat. Look on the flats early and late, and fish deep in middle of the day. Crappie are difficult to find in consistent concentrations. Whites have been moving day to day. Water intake, Piney Creek, Point 12, Kelly Creek, Sidewalk Hole, Wooley's Island are a few places to look. Use anything white or yellow that is about 1½-inches long. Jigging spoons (1- to ¾ -ounce) are producing in the channels. The incidental catch of catfish continues to be awesome. The major fish are being caught around schools of shad. The bluff line at Hickory Creek continues to produce large fish. A slip bopper with minnow at 30 feet was the most popular terminal tackle. Most of these fish are over 20 pounds. The bream have moved deep.

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said trout fishing has been decent on night crawlers, but the best bite has been on Micro jigs tipped with wax worms. The best Micro jig colors have been olive, ginger or brown colors. P.J.'s jigs, 1/8-ounce or 1/32-ounce, in olive or brown are good bets for spinning tackle. The fishing hot spots are at Bertrand Access Ramp, Spider Creek and the Dam Ramp area. The best fishing times to avoid generation are mid- to late afternoon. Beaver Lake is at 1121.17 feet, and Table Rock Lake is at 913.3 feet, which is making wade-fishing a bit easier on the Beaver tailwaters. McLellan’s Fly Shop said with Beaver Lake still too high, generators have been running during most weekdays. Midges are the most consistent food source at this time, but scuds and sow bugs have also been reliable.  Some large trout have been hooked lately. The best flies have been:  Morgan's Midge (sizes 22 to 24), Rojo Midge (size 22), WD-50 (sizes 20 to 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 24), Pure Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Black Beauty Emerger (sizes 22 to 24), Biot Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Rainbow Warrior (size 18), Chocolate Emerger (size 20), Adult Midge (size 24), JB Emerger (sizes 20 to 22), McLellan's Hunchback Scud Gray (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan's Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16) and Golden Egg (size 16).

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine the lake clarity is normal, but the lake is still low. Bream are biting well from 3- to 4-feet deep on plastic worms. Crappie fishing is fair, and catfishing is good.  

Mississippi River: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the river clarity is normal, but the river is still high. Catfishing is good.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is ranging from 49 to 56 degrees. The lake is approximately 2 inches above normal pool; the lake has a heavy stain with a reduced current. The lake elevation is 259.35, and the release rate at dam with two gates open is 600 cubic feet per second. Water clarity in the river has remained muddy, but is improving. River visibility and clarity has improved to approximately 3 to 5 inches. The northeastern section of the lake remains extremely muddy with increased current and muddy water in the Saline River. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Cemetery Slough, etc, away from the current in Little River still have much better water visibility. The current in Little River has increased again this week. Largemouth bass remain fair to good on black-and-blue jigs with pork frog trailers. Fish for largemouths near stumps and cypress trees from 6- to 12-feet deep. Largemouth bass fishing is fair during the heat of the day on Rat-L-Traps in red crawfish patterns or red chrome. On cloudy days, gold Rat-L-Traps still seem to be working the best around dying vegetation along the Little River edges. Shallow- to medium-diving red, brown or orange crankbaits are working on points and in mouths of creek channels deflecting off stumps. Heavy ¾-ounce spinner baits in white-and-chartreuse are taking fair keepers on shallow flats close to the river, in deeper water and in the remaining vegetation. Try using a large Colorado blade in gold to attract their attention. The larger bass remain slightly deeper in the creeks, and they are also close to the deeper haunts of the river drops at the creek mouths. This time of year the varying weather pattern can have disturbing effects on bass bite patterns. Crappie are suspended over brush piles about 14- to 18-feet deep along the Little River between North Hickory and Outlaw trail. Large shiners were taking a few keepers early in the week as the lake began clearing. Not many crappie fishermen were on the lake last week. Blue catfish remain good in Little River on cottonseed mill cakes, dog food and prepared baits. They’re also being taken in the outside river bends between Jack's Isle and Pugh Slough and between Hurricane Creek and the second entrance to Horseshoe Lake off Little River. Try fishing from 14- to 16-feet deep.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is at normal pool. Crappie are biting really well on jigs with white in them or shiners. Try fishing under the bridge or along the channels.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake level is normal. Crappie are biting really well on jigs with orange in them. Try fishing along channels with brush tops.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Some bream are biting in the lower lake on cold worms. Some crappie are biting on crappie minnows in the lower lake. Bass are biting decent on crappie minnows, shad and artificials. Some catfish are biting on cold worms in the lower lake area.

DeGray Lake: DeGray One Stop said the lake clarity is good, but the lake level is still high. The water temperature is 49 degrees. Bream fishing is fair in deep water. Crappie fishing is fair about 28-feet deep using jigs and small minnows over rocky points. Bass fishing is good from 25- to 30-feet deep using crankbaits or jigs. Hybrids and whites are moving toward the river. Catfishing is fair using live bait in deep water.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river conditions are almost normal for this time of year. Sauger fishing is going well on jigs fished at night. A few crappie and white bass are biting minnows and jigs. Also, a few 3- to 4-pound catfish have been taken on bass minnows in front of the dam.

Lake Ouachita: With the severe weather and shorter days, fishing pressure at Lake Ouachita has been light. Mountain Harbor Resort said largemouth bass are still fair to good. These fish are still schooling and can be caught with Roostertails and silver spoons. Try the main lake points and humps in 20 to 30 feet of water. Walleye are fair with reports of fish being caught over or near large river channel points. Jigging spoons or jigs tipped with minnows are still the most effective. Try water depths of 15 to 25 feet. Stripers are still good on live bait, hair jigs or silver spoons. They are still located around main points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels. Areas around points 16 and 19 are getting good reports. Crappie are still good and being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows.  Try main lake points and large moss flats 10 to 25 feet deep. The best colors are still white, silver and Tennessee shad. Catfish are still slow and being caught with nightcrawlers, stink bait, hot dogs and live minnows. Water temperature is in the high 40s with stained water and a lake level of 577.38

Lake Catherine: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said due to the severe weather, fishing pressure has been extremely light. Trout remain somewhat scattered along the main channel below the dam. Some fish are being taken drifting with Power Bait and trolling with small crankbaits. Walleye are moving upstream and hitting deep-running crankbaits trolled against the current. Bass are hitting live crawfish and jigs worked along the rocky shorelines. Catfish are hitting live crawfish and whole dead shad.

Lake Hamilton Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said due to the severe weather, fishing pressure has been extremely light. Walleye are being taken at the west end of the lake on large, deep-running crankbaits. Bass are hitting live crawfish, spinner baits and jigs worked around rocky points and drop-offs into deep water. Crappie are holding in established brush piles. Catfish are hitting live crawfish, whole dead shad and large shiners fished 8-feet deep.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at a normal level. Bream fishing is poor using wax worms near the bank. Crappie are biting well 3-feet deep using crappie jigs near the docks. Bass fishing is poor from 8- to 10-feet deep using a jig-and-pig combo. Catfish are biting on yoyos baited with minnows.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake conditions are about normal. Catfish are biting well on worms. Also, fishermen are doing well on catfish using jugs. Some nice size crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs.

Lake Dardanelle: Cross Creek said the lake clarity is fair, and the level is normal. Crappie are biting well on jigs about 18-feet deep.

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 18- to 24-feet deep on crappie jigs. Catfish are biting well on small, whole shad and cut bait.