Fishing Highlight of the Week: If you can’t keep up with a measuring tape in your tackle box or boat, try marking your fishing rods in 1-inch increments with a pen or tiny strips of tape, or measure the distance between guides so you’ll always have a reference.
Arkansas and White river levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk
For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt
For water quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality
Family and Community Fishing Ponds: Click http://www.agfc.com/fishing/Pages/FishingProgramsFCF.aspx for a list of program ponds.
Central Arkansas
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water level is normal and the lake is clear. Bream are excellent and can be caught with worm and crickets. Crappie are fair; use minnows around trees in deeper water. Bass are good with spinners and plastic worms. Catfish are excellent. Try minnows and chicken livers.
Little Red River
Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) ) said the water is clear and low with no generators running. Trout are good with wax worms, marshmallows with a Carolina rig and PowerBait. Spinners and Rapalas work when the water is up.
Greers Ferry Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 460.6 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 461 msl).
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the surface temperature has cooled to 70-75 degrees. Hybrid and white bass are still on a tear, schooling on top and down below as well, a lot of the day in 25-40 feet of water. Top-water baits, in-line spinners and spoons are working. Black bass are biting from shallow to deep on wood and points. Use C-rigged lizards. There’s some schooling; use top-water baits, swim baits and also drag a Texas-rigged worm. The Arkansas Claw bite is getting back in full swing as well. Crappie are still eating well on minnows and jigs fished in 25-35 feet of water. The catfish bite has slowed with the cooler nights, but they will eat goldfish, bream and soap. Walleye are eating better lately on night crawlers dragged around 15-25 feet of water on jigheads. Bream fishing is great with crickets, night crawlers and the Slab Hunter baited with night crawlers.
Cody S. Smith of www.fishgreersferry.com said fishing is good but spotty. Schools of bait fish and game fish are on the move daily; here one day and gone the next has been the story. Depths of 12-18 feet of water are holding the most actively feeding fish here on the reservoir. Schoolers early are providing some really good action for the first hour of daylight and longer on cloudy days, however, clouds seem to scatter them out pretty good as the day goes on. I have had the best luck on bigger hybrids and huge schools of whites in really small areas toward mid-morning on shallow flats. Honestly, I have never seen the amount of shad in the reservoir right now. Copious amounts are scattered from the creek and river arms out to the main lake and in the flats. I have had the best luck with fish in transition from spring to the summer pattern. Smitty’s A-Rig, the Fish Dinner lure line of spinners and C-rigs will pull some good fish while they are feeding. The walleye bite is hit or miss, unlike most years. By now they are really starting to school and are relatively consistent. I have to run a lot of unproductive water to eliminate it every day to get on really small areas that are holding medium to large concentrations of fish. As we warm this week, I look for the summer pattern to really come on strong and more consistent fishing action to be seen daily. Everyone who knows me well knows I really want every trip out to be a banner day.
Harris Brake Lake
Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the lake is clear and a little high. Bream are excellent with worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair with purple/black (tequila sunrise) plastic worms. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie have been biting No. 6 and 8 minnows, Slab Slay’R and Stroll’R in white/salt and pepper, red/chartreuse shad and bone white, and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles in green or yellow. Catfish are taking minnows, worms and goldfish. Bass are fair on worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes. Bream are biting on worms, crickets and rock hoppers.
Lake Overcup
Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting No. 6 minnows, Baby Shad, Stroll’R and Slab Slay’R in white/salt and pepper, red/chartreuse, bone white Baby Shad, and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles in green or yellow. Bream are biting worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are hitting worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Lake Maumelle
Jolly Roger’s Marina had no report this week.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream are excellent on crickets and red worms 10-12 feet deep. Crappie are good on Kalin’s 2-inch grubs in Tennessee shad or bleeding shad. Bass are good on top-water baits in the morning. Try Rattlin’ Rogue and Boy Howdy, or shad or root beer crankbaits. Catfish are good.
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are in coves and brush piles on Baby Shad and Slab Slay’R in red/chartreuse, bone white and pearl, and orange/chartreuse, as well as No. 6 minnows and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles in green or yellow. White bass are biting in the river channel on Rooster Tails and Baby Shad in salt and pepper. Bream are good on worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are hitting worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Lake Valencia
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said channel catfish are good with worms and chicken hearts. No reports on other species.
Sunset Lake
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the lake is clear and normal. Bream are excellent on crickets. Crappie are fair with minnows and jigs. Bass are poor. Catfish are good with live bait.
Saline River Access in Benton
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the river is clear and normal. Bream are good on grubs. Crappie are poor. Bass are good with grubs. Catfish are good with stink bait and chicken liver.
Arkansas River at Morrilton
Charley’s Hidden Harbor at Opello said catfishing below Ormond Lock and Dam has been good with whole shad. White bass are fair, moving to jetty tips, chasing shad in the evening. Use 4-inch Sassy Shad on Yumbrella. Black bass are good along grass lines. Fish green pumpkin or gold worms Texas style. Bream can be caught with crickets in grass along rip-rap.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had this report from Little Maumelle River and Maumelle River: Bream are excellent on crickets and red worms around cypress knees and in lily pad fields. Crappie are good on yo-yos with live minnows. Bass are good if you flip creature baits and top-water baits in the morning. Try Rattlin’ Rogues or buzz baits. Catfish are excellent with chicken hearts, cut shad, skipjack or rice slicks.
Palarm Creek: Crappie are good with pink minnows, black/chartreuse tube jigs and yo-yos. Bass are good on flipping creature baits, and black/chartreuse crankbaits. Catfish are excellent on chicken hearts and cut bait.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)
Vince Miller from Fish ’N Stuff said the river is muddy and the level is moderately low, although fishing conditions are good. Bream are good with crickets and red worms in backwaters. No report on crappie. Bass are good on crankbaits in the main river, and jigs, frogs and top-water baits in backwaters. No report on catfish.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had this report on Murray Lock and Dam: White bass are good with white/chartreuse tube jigs, money colored Kalin’s grubs and pink minnows on slip-cork rigs. Catfish are excellent with cut bait. Stripers are slow. Sauger are fair with large minnows.
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) had no report.
Clear Lake
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) filed no report.
Peckerwood Lake
Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is clear and the level is normal. Bream are good on crickets and worms. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs. No report on bass. Catfish are good with anything, mostly minnows.
Lake Pickthorne
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report on the lake.
Lake Willastein
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said bream are good with crickets and red worms. Crappie are good with Kalin’s 2-inch grubs in Popsicle or electric chicken. Bass are good on buzz baits early in the morning, and shad-colored crankbaits during the day. Catfish are excellent on chicken hearts and night crawlers.
North Arkansas
White River
Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and low. Trout fishing is excellent, especially with PowerBait. Small spinners and spoons are working, along with Zebra Midges and Copper Johns. The water’s too low for big baits; light tackle is recommended.
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185) had this report for Buffalo City to Red’s Landing: If you want to catch the most fish in your life, now is the time. Water flow from generation has been zero for a long time and the White River is dead low. You are better off to get a guide who is mobile and do a one-way trip. You will catch more fish than you thought possible. Fly-fishing or spin fishing will produce the same but be prepared to help get the boat past several obstacles. Jigs are continuing to produce a lot of fish, as well as Woolly Buggers in the small runs along the route.
Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the river is clear and low. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair with plastics, Gitzits, grubs and other baits. Walleye are fair on crankbaits and live bait. No report on other species.
Buffalo River
Just Fishing Guides said as of Monday, Ponca was very low at 1.6 feet, Pruitt was very low at 3.49 feet, Tyler Bend was low at 3.69 feet and Buffalo Point was low at 2.93 feet. Water temperature was ranging from 75-82 degrees and averaging 78 degrees. The river level is extremely low for floating; the water is clear. Water temperatures are very good for smallmouth. Make sure you are fishing deep holes on warm, sunny days. Some good fish have been caught. With the warmer temperatures continuing, fishing is really picking up. Fish slow and deep with soft plastics in watermelon red and green pumpkinseed, or crawdad pattern flies. Stealth is needed.
Crooked Creek
Just Fishing Guides said the gauge at Kelley’s Slab was reading 10.06 ft and 171 cfs Monday. Low but floatable. Water temperatures have been averaging 76 degrees. Make sure you are fishing deep holes on warm, sunny days. Some good fish have been caught. With the warmer temperatures continuing, fishing is really picking up. Fish slow and deep with soft plastics in watermelon red and green pumpkinseed, or crawdad pattern flies. Stealth is needed.
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 653.8 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 654 msl).
Mike Worley’s Guide Service said the water temp is 74 degrees. Bass and walleye are biting on crankbaits cast along rocky points in the early morning and evening, as well as at night. The thermocline has set up at about 18 feet and walleye are biting around that depth on bottom-bouncer night crawler rigs during the day. Bass are also biting on jigs and soft plastics like tube baits and lizards 5-15 feet deep. Night fishing is very good on crankbaits and jigs for bass and walleye. There is also a deep-water walleye bite on crankbaits in the 30- to 40-foot range in 100 feet of water. Jigging spoons are catching a good mixed bag of fish on points in 25-35 feet of water.
Bull Shoals Tailwater
Just Fishing Guides said drift fishing has been excellent with a variety of patterns and presentations. Streamers, nymphs, dry flies and terrestrials are all working at different times and areas during the day.
Lake Norfork
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 552 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 552 msl, April-September – 554 msl).
STR Outfitters No report this week.
Hummingbird Hideaway Resort Lou Gabric said the bait of choice was to troll the new Alabama rig baited with 3.5-inch swimming minnows. Live bait was also working, but the Alabama rig was outfishing live bait. This is not the usual case, but last week it was. Stripers are on the move and being found at different depths. This gives you a lot of options to check out with your electronics. Look for the bait fish and you may find the fish. I have caught fish and have reports of other fish being caught in the mid-lake area, as well as up in Bennett’s and over toward Cranfield. This is a normal occurrence for spring fishing. I have been finding top-water action for black bass, as well as stripers. Bass fishing has still been very good. I am finding largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass on main lake and secondary creek points. Early in the morning, they are very shallow, as well as pushing shad to the top. Artificial baits are working – crankbaits, spinner baits, jig and pigs, swimming minnows – you name it and it will more than likely catch some bass. The crappie bite is good most days.
Guide Steve Olomon said largemouth, smallies, Kentuckies, whites, hybrids, along with a few stripers, are surface feeding early in the morning. The stripers are not coming up in schools, just one here and there. They are hitting Zara Spooks. White and clear colors are working the best. White bass and some hybrids are coming up just before dark. Look for them in coves. Look for some whites back in the creeks and throw a Rooster Tail. For the larger whites, let the bait get down 5-10 feet. Neal Mustard of Indiana caught a 35-pound striper on a clear Zara Spook May 5 while fishing with me using 10-pound-test monofilament
Norfork Tailwater
Just Fishing Guides said midges are best close to the dam and in the park. Caddis and mayfly patterns are working mid-river on down. Also, try scud, sow bug and small streamers when hatches aren’t taking place.
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,119.2 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said Beaver Lake striper fishing is fair with the fish finding their way back down out of the river. Some stripers are being taken upriver and the fish are scattered. Try live shad fished on free lines 150 feet back and lightly weighted balloon lines trolled 50-100 feet back and 8-25 feet deep. Stripers are being caught near the dam and walleye have been taken along the rip-rap. At Point 4, check near the cedar thicket and in Fish Trap Hollow. Check Doc’s Cabin and the island between points 5 and 6. Hot spots include Copper Mine, Ventris, Beaver Shores, Couse Hollow, Escapalia Hollow and Falls Hollow. Walleye are heading for big water. Fish the clear water for best results. Most walleye are about 6-8 feet deep; fish are being taken off flats near the channel. Try trolling the flats with a slow death rig. Move less than 1 mph. Areas around the islands at Prairie Creek and near points 12, 9, 8 and 7 have produced walleye. Flat-line troll with Hot-N-Tots, Rapala Tail Dancers, Shad Raps, Reef Runners or Ripsticks in natural blue or black back combos, or chartreuse/orange and clown colors. Jigging spoons around brush and rock piles also is producing.
JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) ) filed no report this week.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the lake is clear and normal. Bream are good with worms and crickets. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs. Bass are good with Alabama rig, jigs, tubes, crankbaits and plastic worms. Catfish are good using goldfish or perch from limblines.
Beaver Tailwater
Just Fishing Guides said low, clear water conditions mean long leaders and stealthy presentations. Sight casting to visible fish instead of blind casting will spook fewer fish and improve hook-ups. Generation has been off in the mornings until 11 a.m. all week. Fish streamers early, then midges late morning. Recommended patterns include Woolly Bugger, Slump Buster, Squirrely Tukass, .56er, Sparrow, Zebra Midge, BH Simple Sow, Humpback Scud, BH Pheasant Tail and BH Hare’s Ear.
Lake Elmdale
Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said fishing has been good this week but not as good as the week before. A local fisherman showed off twin bass, 4 pounds, 4 ounces each. The Pop-R with the black back did the trick. He also caught 24 more keepers that same day using a Finesse Trick Worm, fished wacky worm style. Go figure. Crappie are being caught at 6 feet and at 2½ feet deep. Spawning crappie are in 4-5 feet of water. Holding crappie are at 6 feet deep in 15 feet of water. Use a half-inch balsa slip bobber and a gold Aberdeen No. 2 crappie hook for best results. A 2-pound channel catfish was caught on night crawlers at our dock this week. That’s the first catfish this year here. Expect more soon; it’s that time now. Crickets are best for bluegill and red wigglers are best for redear. Lake Elmdale is a no-wake lake. New signs will be posted soon.
Kings River
Just Fishing Guides said the river gauge near Grandview was reading 2.92 feet and 47 cfs Monday. The average is 650 cfs this time of year. Low level for floating and fishing and very clear. Water temperatures are hitting 75-82 degrees in the afternoon and averaging 78 degrees. Fish are biting on watermelon red and white soft plastics. Flyfishing is good with Tequeely streamers, Rabbit Strip Divers in white or chartreuse, and Crazy Dads in olive. Sunfish are good with poppers.
Lake Fayetteville
Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is perfect – clear and normal. Bream fishing is excellent with crickets or worms. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are good with a variety of artificial lures.
Lake Sequoyah
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the lake was clear and low about 2 inches. Bream are good close to shore; use worms and crickets. Crappie are fair with minnow and jigs in 4-6 feet of water. Bass are good on spinners, crankbaits, top-water lures and a variety of other lures. Catfish are good with chicken liver and shad.
Upper White River (Twin Bridges area)
Just Fishing Guides had no report this week.
Northeast Arkansas
Crown Lake
Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the lake is clear and at normal level. Bream are good with worms and crickets. Crappie fair to good with minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on plastic worms. Catfish are fair with chicken livers and night crawlers.
Lake Frierson
Lake Frierson State Park said the lake was muddy and at normal level. Bream are fair to good on wax worms and crickets. No report on crappie. Bass are excellent with a variety of lures. Catfish are good on stink bait and chicken liver. Saugeye are fair with crankbaits and live bait.
Spring River
Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water is running at 360 cfs at the spring and water has been clear. Water level is getting lower, which makes for some excellent wading opportunities. With low and clear water, sunny days can be tuff. The trout will hug the bottom to get out of the sunlight and they also will hold in deeper pools. Grandma’s Brownie and Mark’s Guppies are the flies over the last week. I tied up some Blue Guppies and they worked great also. Purple haze Trout Magnets and bait fish-pattern baits are the go-to for spin fishermen. Fish during the week and there is no pressure and you can have the river all to yourself. It looks like it will be a hot week so get out on the Spring River and cool off.
Southeast Arkansas
Cane Creek Lake
Cane Creek State Park had no report.
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake
Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake level, 259.5 msl as of Wednesday, is just about normal (259.20). Surface temperature is 73-79 degrees. Little River's oxbows over the last week have much-improved water clarity. Warmer temperatures in the last week have again increased surface temperatures. Clarity and visibility as of Monday on main lake structure improved; stained somewhat in the river; currently ranging 10-12 inches in the river. The oxbows’ clarity is better, with some stain, ranging 22-30 inches. Largemouth bass have provided the best bass bite during the last week and aggressiveness continues improving with the increase of surface temperatures and longer daylight hours. Numerous techniques are catching bass, including buzz baits, Rat-L-Traps, spinner baits, and soft-plastic Bass Assassin shad jerkbaits and Yum Frogs are starting to turn on. Lizards, worms and jigs around stumps, grass, dead lily pad stems and wood laydowns in the oxbows, away from river current, are working. Most of the largemouth are postspawn. White bass are scattered along Little River and the oxbows in loose and broken schools, and can be found trolling crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps in the river and the oxbows. Crappie have been moving off the cypress trees and ridges where they are finishing up their spawning activities for the last couple weeks. Majority of these fish are moving back out and can be found near planted brush piles 8-14 feet deep on jigs and grubs on light-wire jigheads. Very large longnose gar (in excess of 20 pounds) continue to be very shallow and are making fine opportunities for bowfishermen. Catfish remain good this week on trotlines, yo-yos and tight lines along current and break lines in the outer bends of Little River. Blues and channel cats continue biting best on cottonseed mill cakes and cut bait in 12-16 feet of Little River on the outer break lines in current or on yo-yos tied along the Little River or hung from cypress tree limbs 8-10 feet deep in the oxbows
Lake Greeson
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.7 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl).
Lakeside Grocery and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is clear and water level is high. Water temperature is about 78 degrees. Bream are biting well, mainly on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows fished 15-20 feet deep. Bass are fair with crankbaits, top-water baits and plastic worms. Catfish are fair on chicken livers and stinkbait on jugs and trotlines.
For more information on crappie fishing at Lake Greeson, visit Jerry Blake’s website, www.actionfishingtrips.com/tripreports.htm.
Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.
DeGray Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 406.4 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
Local angler George Graves said he saw a big hybrid bass (about 12 pounds) floating at Shrouse Ford the other day. Upon closer examination, it had a huge shad in its throat. I measured the shad and it was 12 inches long. Looks like the fish choked on the shad. I’ve heard about fish choking on fish too big to swallow, but this was the first time I have seen it. The surface water temperature is in the low 80s and the lake is clear throughout. Bass fishing is good with plenty of slot fish (13-16 inches) reported. Quite a few surface-feeding fish in the morning and late evening. Best pattern has been surface lures such as Sammy, Pop-R, Zara Spook, Fluke and 4-inch swim baits. Look for breaking fish on long main lake points, and get the lure as close to the fish as possible. Lure color is not too important as long as it is in some shad pattern. Several good catches reported on the Alabama rig with 3.5-inch Swimming Flukes in white. When the fish are schooling, the Alabama rig can be deadly. Later in the day, some bass are being taken on Texas- and Carolina-rigged worms and lizards in green pumpkin, red flake and watermelon seed. Most anywhere in the lake will produce bass right now; just look for the bait and the fish will be close by. Crappie fishing is fair at best. The fish are in the deeper brush piles attractors. The best attractors are near spawning coves next to a point or drop-off. Fish vertically over the thickest part of the brush on the deeper (20-25 feet) attractors. On shallow structure, throw the lure over the cover, count it down to just above the brush and slowly reel it back with very little rod action. The best lures are a 1/16-ounce jighead with a shad pattern 2-inch grub or tube. Best areas for crappie are between Caddo Bend and Shrouse Ford. Early morning is the best time. Hybrid fishing is still good with lots of nice catches reported and some fish in the 10-pound range. The best method is trolling at about 2 mph with the 5-arm umbrella rig and 3-inch white Curly Tail grubs. Look for fish, (with sonar), in the Shrouse Ford area around humps and ledges in 25-40 feet of water; fish will be suspended 15-20 feet down. Be sure to troll the rig above the fish; about 10 feet down will do the job. Best times are early morning and late evening around sundown. Bream fishing is good with fish showing on most any shallow wood or rock cover. Use redworms or crickets. Tip: For bigger bream, use a slip float and fish 12-15 feet deep near the bottom because the bigger fish will hang out in deeper water. Catfish are fair on noodles and trotlines. Use Catfish Charlie, liver, hot dogs/soap and night crawlers. Also try small, live bream for bigger fish. Set the lines out at night in the upper end of the lake on humps and ledges.
West-Central Arkansas
Lake Nimrod
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 345.3 feet msl (flood pool – 373 msl).
Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting around brush piles and the upper Fourche River on No. 6 and 8 minnows, Baby Shad, Slab Slay’R and Stroll’R in white/salt and pepper, red/chartreuse, bone white shad, and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles in green or yellow. Bream are biting worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Bass are going for worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Lake Bailey (Petit Jean Mountain)
Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said bream have been hitting worms, crickets and rock hoppers. Catfish are biting worms, minnows and goldfish. Bass are good on worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Fourche La Fave River
Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said the river is stained. Crappie are biting minnows and, in run-off areas, white/salt and pepper and red/chartreuse Baby Shad, and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles in green or yellow. Catfish are biting stink bait, livers and goldfish in the river. Bass are going for worms, spinner baits, Rooster Tails and Flukes.
Lake Hinkle
Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-7419) said the lake is clear and normal. Bream are good on worms and crickets. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs. Bass are good using minnows, spinners or crankbaits. Catfish are good with chicken livers and shiners.
Blue Mountain Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 387.1 feet msl (flood pool – 419 msl).
Lake Ouachita
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 576.2 feet msl (flood pool – 578 msl).
Lake Hamilton
For a daily fishing report from Darryl Morris, visit Family Fishing Trips.
Lake Catherine
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro.
Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 69 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace. Cooler day and night temperatures have allowed lake temperature to drop several degrees. With longer generation times scheduled for this week, temperatures will fall into the low 60s which is much more suitable for the rainbow trout population. Trout fishing remains good as high-quality rainbows are caught daily. Artificial lures are often ignored in slack-water conditions so anglers must select live bait presentations for success. Wax worms and redworms combined with a marshmallow floater is a consistent pattern whether fished under a bobber or on the bottom. Small live minnows also work well used in the same manner. Corn (which resembles a fish egg) has accounted for limits of trout fished with a bobber. Crickets also have caught trout as insects are hatching and moving in and around the water. Night crawlers cut in half offer anglers another good live bait presentation as hungry trout actively search for food. May and June fishing demands patience since the bite is much slower than in earlier months. Location is critical with the majority of fish holding in key areas. Drum continue to spawn and thrive below the dam. Live shad and crawfish are the most effective baits around sandbars with heavy lines. White bass continue to spawn in the tailrace and are being caught on live minnows and small white or yellow jigs. The best fishing occurs during periods of generation. These fish will be active below the dam through June. Some walleye fishing is being done with 3- to 5-pound fish being caught at night on night crawler rigs or live shad. Striper activity is hit-and-miss with a few breaking fish spotted below the bridge in the main channel. Gizzard or brood shad fished under a balloon rig have been the most effective techniques to find and catch these fish as they migrate in and out of the tailrace chasing shad.
East Arkansas
Bear Creek Lake
Mississippi River State Park said catfish have been biting well on livers, crickets and cut bait. Bream are going good on crickets and worms. Bass are good on spinner baits and deep-diving crankbaits. Crappie are still fair around banks with live worms.
Storm Creek Lake
Mississippi River State Park said crappie continue to be caught on blue and white jigs close to the banks and brush. Bream are being caught on worms and black beetles. Bass are good on spinners around brush. Catfish are good on crickets and livers.
White River
Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the river is clear and low. Bream have been fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair with minnows. Bass are fair with crankbaits, spinners and top-water plugs. Snagging below the dam at Batesville has produced good rough fish.
Maddox Bay
Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is dingy and low – pretty good condition for fishing. Bream are good on jigs and crickets. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs. Bass are good on crankbaits and spinners. Catfish are good on rod and reel with stink bait.
Horseshoe Lake
Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are good in lily pads with worms and crickets. Crappie are good with minnows and black/chartreuse jigs around piers. Bass are poor. Catfish are good with cut bait or night crawlers on yo-yos or limblines.