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CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the bream are fair and are biting wax worms and crickets in the deeper drops from 12- to 18-feet deep. Catfishing is fair on chicken liver, trotline minnows and Magic Bait. The bass are holding in the thick vegetation and are being caught on Horny Toads and Scum Frogs.
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said one generator has been running from 2 p.m. into the night, so wading opportunities in the morning are excellent. The trout are going for Little Cleos, Trout Magnets, Rattlin Rogues and Power Bait/wax worm combinations.
Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina says the lake is clear. Catfishing is fair jugging at night. Kentucky bass are biting fair about 15-feet deep using crawfish around the trees.
Local Guide Tommy Cauley said the water level is 457.85 and falling with the generation. All fishing has been slow during the day. The bass can be caught early mornings and late evenings on top-water lures and on Carolina-rigged and Texas-rigged worms during the day. With all the cloud cover, the crappie have really been scattered and hard to catch over the brush. Catfish are still biting well. Try your luck right before a thunderstorm for the best bite, but be careful of the lighting. The hybrids have been inconsistent and influenced by the generation. They are schooling all over the lake at times and it will continue to get better during the day.
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said bream are biting well from 1- to 1 ½-feet deep on crickets. Bass fishing is fair using plastic worms about 3-feet deep. Catfishing is good using trotlines.
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the water is murky and at normal levels. Bream are good on red worms and crickets. Bass fishing is good on buzzbaits and Torpedoes fished early in the morning. Catfishing is fair on blood bait and minnows.
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said Stripers are fair and being caught on white bucktails. Bream are spawning again and should be picking up in the mornings and afternoons.
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said fishing has been very slow. All species are slow right now.
Lake Cargile: Beeson’s Grocery said the lake is clear and low. Fishing has been extremely slow for the last few weeks.
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the Tuesday and Friday night bass tournaments continue bringing in good weight despite the heat. Early and late in the day, black bass are among the weeds to 15 feet deep and are hitting top-water lures, shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits. They move out close to 20 feet during the day and are hitting Carolina rigs, Gitzits and small drop-shot lures. Kentuckies are biting well and are holding 15- to 25-feet deep. They are hitting 3-inch pumpkin grubs, small worms and tubes. The white bass fishing is excellent. The whites are schooling from the marina east to Three-Fingers Cove as well as around Jim’s Island. Spooks, clear Near Nothings, Rooster Tails, and CC Spoons are all working. Catfishermen are doing well in about 25 feet of water on large minnows and prepared baits. The crappie are about 18- to 22-feet deep and are being caught on 1/32-ounce jigs and crappie minnows. The bream fishing is good with many anglers reporting good catches on crickets and worms.
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said pools 9 and 7 were stocked with striped bass recently and pools 8 and 9 were stocked with black bass as well. The flow from Lock 9 is 36,000 CFS with a headwater of 285.78 and a tailwater of 267.85. Black bass have been excellent on white Zara Puppies early in the mornings near the grassline. As the sun rises, move out to the secondary drops and fish Junebug-colored soft-plastics. Kentuckies are schooling on the jetty tops and are being caught on Tiny Torpedoes. When the schooling stops, Sonic Flashes in white and chartreuse are working on the Kentuckies. White bass are strong early in the creek mouths on white or pearl Rooster Tails. Some huge bream are being caught on 1/16-ounce black Rooster Tails along the grasslines. Catfish are strong on live minnows and shad drift fished along the mid-channel. Crappie are good around the wood in 15 to 20 feet of water.
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the water is a little high, but the bream are biting well. Most of the larger bream are coming from 15 to 20 feet of water on crickets. Catfishing is good on hot dogs and chicken livers from 10 p.m. to midnight. All other species are slow.
Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the river is too high and muddy for good fishing.
NORTH ARKANSAS:
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the water is clear and low. Trout fishing has been good on white and yellow Power Eggs, Gold Rapala Floating Minnows, Buoyant Spoons and Gold Little Cleos. Fly fishermen are doing well on red and green midges and orange Glo bug patterns. Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River was good last week. Bait fishermen are doing well on yellow and pink Berkley Power Eggs and Belgian red worms. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, and Super Dupers are working well during generation. The fly fishermen did well on olive and black Woolly Buggers, tungsten beadhead midges, soft hackles and scuds when the water was low. Brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.
McLellan’s Fly Shop said Bull Shoals Dam has had at least one unit running most mornings, gradually stepping up to six units by early afternoon. The catch-and-release area immediately below the dam has been fishing especially well lately. Caddis action is still hot on the White River, so be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box. Best flies have been: Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 to 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 to 16), Elk Hair Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4), San Juan Worms (size 10).
North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said Generation has been sporadic lately, but there have usually been some good wading opportunities in the mornings. Many quality trout are being hooked in the catch-and-release area. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles; tie on a size 16 Skip Nymph or Flashback Pheasant Tail. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Skip Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (sizes 16 to 20), Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4).
Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the dog days of summer are here, making fishing slow. The lake level is 652.37, two feet below normal pool. Generation has picked up and the lake is slowly dropping before the fall rains come. The thermocline is steady at 35 feet and the water clarity is 14 feet. White bass are schooling in the mornings, pushing shad to the top and frenzy feeding. The best place to look for them is in the back of the creeks or in the main lake pockets. Catfish anglers have done well overnight with jugs and bottom-fishing rigs using chicken liver and nightcrawlers. Main lake cuts and pockets have been yielding the better catfish. Largemouth bass can still be caught at dawn and early evening on buzzbaits, Zara Spooks or Flukes around secondary points and chunk rock banks in the creek arms. The bite is pretty slow during the day, but Carolina rigs and spoons will trigger a few in 36 to 45 feet of water if you can stand the heat. Smallmouth bass have moved out to the thermocline and repositioned on chunk rock or boulder banks. The top-water bite is spotty in the mornings, but you can raise a few on Zara Spooks. The best bite is on tubes, spider jigs and mojo rigs with finesse worms or baby brush hogs. Kentucky bass are still under the shad. They will push shad to the top anytime during the day. Keep a Pop R, Sammy or Chug Bug tied on just in case they come up in front of you. Spooning is also starting to trigger a few Kentuckies in 40 to 45 feet of water. Check main lake and creek arm pockets and main lake cliff wall ends for groups of shad. Walleye are suspended and are feeding above the thermocline somewhere between 20 and 36 feet, although they could be up on the bank or out over 60 feet of water. Bottom bouncers with crawlers or leech harnesses are working along channel swings and flats. Lead core line anglers are having success on the suspended walleye pulling Reef Runners, Glass Shad and Bill Norman DD14’s. Remember it is dog days and the bite is slow. Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is clear. A few walleye are being picked up trolling. All other species are slow.
Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and most of the fish have gone deep with the summer heat. Bream are biting well, but are extremely deep. Bass fishing has been good on black soft-plastic worms at night. Catfish have been biting decent on chicken livers.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is clear and falling. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie fishing is fair at night under boat lights on minnows and live shad. Bass fishing is good on the drop-offs using slow-rolled spinnerbaits and finesse worms. Catfish are going for whole, live shad.
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal level. Largemouth bass are good on soft-plastic worms and jig-and-pig combos early in the mornings. Bream are fair on crickets in one to 10 feet of water.
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is at normal pool and is muddy. Bass fishing is good on jigs and soft-plastics fished in 6 to 10 feet of water around rocky points and other structure. Bream fishing is good in 6 to 8 feet of water on crickets fished next to brush and stumps. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs worked along treetops 6- to 8-feet deep.
Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said Generation has been coming on in the afternoon, providing plenty of wading during the mornings. Scuds and sow bugs as well as midge pupa patterns have been the most productive, with soft-hackle action starting to heat up as well. Outside of the catch-and-release area, try swinging a team of soft hackles slowly across the current. Best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Gray and Olive (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), March Brown Spider (size 14), Red Ass (size 16).
Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the water is low but the fishing is good, especially on topwaters in the mornings. Ernie Kilman said the Kings River is still very low, but the bass fishing is phenomenal. If you do not mind dragging over the shoals, you will be rewarded with all the smallmouth you can handle. Many 17- to 19-inch bronzebacks have been boated this week. Hula grubs and tubes are still the best bottom lures. Watermelon/red flake and black/brown have been the best producers. Buzzbaits and Tiny Torpedoes are working well in the shade. Bream enthusiasts should work the surface with small poppers for a limit of panfish.
Buffalo River: Ozark Outfitters said the river is stained and low. Bream are good at night on nightcrawlers in 4 to 6 feet of water. Smallmouth bass are being caught on Arbogast Jitterbugs at night and on Rebel Crawdads during the day. Catfishing is good at night on chicken livers and nightcrawlers.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is dingy and at normal pool. Bream fishermen are doing well fishing just off the bank in 1 to 2 feet of water. The crappie have slowed, with only a few being taken on minnows fished tight to stumps and brush piles. Bass fishing is improving in the mornings. Trotlines are catching a few catfish.
Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is a little high and muddy. Bass fishing was good last week. Crappie and bream are holding tight to cover and are being caught on crickets and small minnows. Catfish are fair on stinkbait.
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is low, but some fish have been taken on rainbow Power Bait in the mornings.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the bream are biting tiny tube jigs fished near the stumps, but most of the activity is early or late in the day.
Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are fair on jigs tipped with small minnows.
Old Town Lake: Old Town Fish Camp said the lake is low and the water is clear. Bream are biting on wax worms and crickets around the cypress trees. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and top-water lures fished next to the bank. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with minnows and set in 12 feet of water. Crappie are fair around cypress trees.
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 88 to 91 degrees in the day and the lake is 3.5 inches above normal pool. Discharge at the dam is 172 cubic feet per second. For most of the day, the Largemouth bass pattern from last few weeks remains largely unchanged. Largemouth Bass from 2 to 4 pounds are still occasionally schooling for some crazy reason in the heat of mid-day, over hydrilla and other grasses in 4-9 feet of water. Clear Baby Torpedoes, chrome/black back Cordell Red Fins, white or chrome Rat-L-Traps, and white Rocket Shads are working on the edges and Bass Assassin shads, rats, and Zoom Horny Toads are pulling them from the slop. Use a small Baby One Minus or Big-O crankbait in white shad/orange belly, baby bass or spring bream along the grass and lily pad lines to coax a few out between schoolings. Carolina Rigs are working in Little River along the cuts, washouts and current cut steps from 10- to 12-feet deep, and in the mouth of feeder creeks along stumps. Gitzits are still working on cypress trees in 10 to 12 feet of water. During heat of the afternoon, switch to heavier 1-ounce Rat-L-Traps or medium diving cranks, in shad patterns or white and fish them slowly along the deeper river ledges. Kentucky bass, from 10-14", are fair in mouth of Snake Creek and Mud Lake along Little River on trick worms or wacky worms. Few crappie fishermen on the lake, but the best bite is before 10 a.m., and very few crappie fishermen out after 10am. A few were catching fair, 2- to 2.5-pound black Crappie on live shiners, 14- to 17-feet deep. Channel catfish are fair on chicken livers under cypress trees in 9 to 10 feet of water.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is stained and low. Crappie are biting fair in 10 to 12 feet of water on shiners and silver crankbaits. Bas fishing is good in 6 to 8 feet of water on tequila sunrise and Junebug colored soft-plastics. Bream are good in 3 to 4 feet on crickets and red wigglers. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers fished in 5 to 6 feet of water.
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is low and fishing is extremely slow. Catfish are fair on chicken livers.
White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said bream are still biting well at White Oak. The low water level and hot weather are keeping the bass in 6 to 10 feet of water. Some good catches have been reported on top-water lures, spinnerbaits and soft-plastics fished near the trees. Catfish are good on chicken liver and live bait fished in creek turns.
Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is low and clear. Bream fishing is poor with only a few small bluegills being caught on crickets lately. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers and minnows suspended underneath fishing jugs. Black bass are good on soft-plastics fished in the brush piles from 3- to 10-feet deep.
DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said black bass are fair on soft-plastics. Catfishermen are bringing in a few cats on trotlines baited with live shad or hot dogs. DeGray Lake Resort Marina said the bream are biting well on brush piles in deep water. Red worms and crickets are working the best. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. Bass fishing has been good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and top-water lures fished around rocks and other structure. Catfishing is good on cut shad and blood bait. DeGray One Stop said the lake is low and clear. Crappie fishing has been good at night on minnows suspended around channel bends and rocky points. Bass are fair on floating worms, spinnerbaits and top-water lures fished around the moss beds. Catfish are fair on live bait in 8 to 18 feet of water. Hybrids and white bass are schooling early and late and are being caught on Rooster Tails, spoons and Near Nothings.
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said bream fishing is good on crickets in the shallows. Bass fishing is fair on the rocky points in the main lake. Catfishing is the story on the lake right now, with many good cats being caught on live bait, cut bait and stink bait. White bass are schooling early and late in the day and are being caught on spoons between surface feeding frenzies. Cross Creek said the water is stained. Bass fishing is good early in the mornings in 15 feet of water on tube lures. Catfishing has been good on stinkbait and chicken livers suspended under jugs. Bream are holding in 10 feet of water on brush piles and are being caught on crickets.
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is clear and the river is at normal levels. Bass are fair on crankbaits and soft-plastic worms fished near chunk rock banks and rip rap. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and live minnows. All other species are slow.
Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the lake is clear and at 572.13 feet. The surface water temperature ranges from 84-88 degrees in the day. Largemouth bass are fair early and late. They are being caught on Zoom Ol’ Monsters, U-tails and Speed Worms. The best colors are strawberry, watermelon/red flake and red bug. The top-water action is fair on Boy Howdies and Zara Spooks. Try main lake points and large bay pockets near the creek channels in 12 to 20 feet of water. The walleye are slow with a few being pulled from the brush piles. Silver spoons, 3-inch grubs and silver Rat-L-Traps are working the best in 10 to 25 feet of water. Stripers are good at the eastern end of the lake on live bait, hair jigs and silver spoons. The areas around Brady Mountain, the Spillway and Yorktown Bay are the best areas early and late in the day. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms in water 12- to 20-feet deep. Crappie are fair over brush piles and moss flats in 15 to 35 feet of water on feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait fished in 10 to 20 feet of water. Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said bass fishing has been good on top-water lures like the Zara Spook in the mornings and on Texas-rigged soft-plastics at night. Most of the bass are holding in 15 feet of water. Stripers are picking up in the early morning on live bait. Most of the striper action is finished by 7:30 or 8 a.m. Bream are good in the moss beds on crickets.
Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are good in 5 feet of water on crickets and red wigglers. Bass fishing is good on the lower end of the lake on Texas-rigged worms fished in brush piles in 10 feet of water. 1/8-ounce buzzbaits are also working over the rocks.
Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said a few bass are being caught on the lower end of the lake using Texas-rigged strawberry worms in 10 feet of water. Early in the morning, try a 1/8-ounce buzzbait near rock piles and docks. Most of the good bite is over by 9 a.m.
Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs fished in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bass are good and can be found schooling in the mornings. Buzzbaits and worms are working well. Bream are good on crickets fished 4- to 5-feet deep. Trotliners are catching a few catfish on live bait.
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal level. Bream fishing is good in 3 feet of water on crickets. Bass fishing varies, but has been good on soft-plastic worms fished in the brush. Catfishing is good on live bait suspended under a bobber in 3 feet of water.
Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at normal level. The crappie fishing is slow, but some good crappie are consistently being caught in about 20 feet of water on minnows, Bandit crankbaits and red-and-chartreuse jigs. Bream are hitting worms and crickets well. Largemouth bass are good on soft-plastics fished on the first drop to deep water. Some white bass are also being caught. Catfish are good on minnows, worms and stinkbait.
Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is muddy. Bream are biting well around 6-feet deep on crickets and worms fished near brush and stumps. Crappie are holding in 10 feet of water and are biting around the brush piles. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits with gold blades in 3 to 5 feet of water. Catfishing has been good in deeper holes of the river on stinkbait. The Tackle Box said the river level is normal and bream are biting fair in 4 to 6 feet of water. Bass fishing is good during the first couple of hours during the day on top-water lures. Catfish are good on goldfish and cut shad fished just below the dam.
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal: Crossroads said bream fishing has been fair on crickets fished near brush and stumps. Crappie and bass are also fair and holding close to cover. The bass are going for top-water lures early in the morning and soft-plastics as the sun comes up.
Saline River: Sanders Pawn & Bait said the water is dark and low. Bream, crappie and bass are poor. Catfish are fair using rice slicks and large minnows.
Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn & Bait said the lake is stained and low. All species are biting poor.
EAST ARKANSAS:
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the river is running high and murky. Bream are good in 1 to 2 feet of water on crickets. Bass fishing is improving 10- to 12-feet deep on soft-plastic worms fished near rocky areas. Catfish are biting well on cut shad and skipjack herring fished on the bottom. Crappie are fair at 13 feet on minnows.
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is low and clear. Bream fishing is excellent in the shallows from 1- to 2-feet deep on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on a jig-and-minnow combination fished in 3 to 6 feet of water. Bass are fair from 4- to 6-feet deep on crankbaits and soft-plastics. Catfishing is excellent in the river on stinkbait and nightcrawlers.
Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said Midway is clear, but the level is low. Bass are fair from 1 to 2 feet on spinnerbaits bounced off cypress trees. Catfish are fair on minnows fished in the deeper drops. Bream are fair in the shallows on crickets.
Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at normal level. Bream are fair on crickets fished in 8 feet of water. All other species are slow. Six Rivers Sport Center said bream are biting well on crickets and black grubs in 5 feet of water. Crappie are biting well off the handicapped dock on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in the low-light hours of early morning and late evening. Catfish are fair on rice slicks.
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal levels. Fishing is good late in the afternoon for bream. Try working wax worms and crickets next to cypress trees 3- to 4-feet deep. Crappie are biting well around the piers in 10 feet of water on black-and-chartreuse jigs and minnows. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and nightcrawlers fished on yo-yos and limblines.
White River Refuge Lakes: Ed’s Bait Shop said the water level is low and the only reports have been on catfish. The catfish are only fair with a few being taken on stinkbait.
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