Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Keith Stephens (501) 223-6342,
e-mail: kastephens@agfc.state.ar.us

This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's fishing report for January 5, 2005. If there is a body of water you would like to see included in this report, please call or e-mail us with information on possible sources for that lake or river.

Fishing Tip: Chicken liver is good channel cat bait, but liver won't stay on a hook if it gets warm and mushy. Here are some tricks to keep the bait on the hook: 1.) Impale the chicken liver on a small treble hook, making sure each hook point pierces the bait. Whether the liver is firm or mushy, a treble hook holds it more securely than a single hook. 2.) Wrap the liver in a patch of nylon mesh or stocking. The mesh lets odors escape yet keeps the bait from falling apart. Tie the bag shut with thread before pushing a hook through it. 3.) Mix the liver with Wheaties in a blender to form a thick paste. Mold the bait around a bait-holder treble hook to form a dough ball.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake water is stained, and the lake level is still high. Bream are biting well on worms fished close to the bottom. Crappie are biting well from 3½- to 6-feet deep on minnows in the coves.

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 says the lake is stained but at normal pool. White and hybrid bass fishing is fair from 25- to 40-feet deep using white-and-silver spinner baits in the Edgemont Bridge area. Bait Master said the lake is cloudy and on a slow rise. Bream are biting really well 15-feet deep on red worms, crickets and grubs. Crappie are biting from 35- to 40-feet deep on small minnows and jigs in the creek and river channels. Largemouth and Smallmouth bass are biting well from 25- to 35-feet deep on deep-running crankbaits and assorted plastics. There has also been some top-water action for smallmouths. Hybrid bass and white bass are schooled up, and they are biting excellent on spoons, jigs and jig 'n' minnows. Catfishing is average using night crawlers and large shiners. Walleye fishing is picking up; these fish are starting to stage. For walleye, try using night crawlers or crawler harnesses. Some walleye are being caught on spoons with the hybrids.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake clarity is great. However, the lake is very high, and fishing has been slow. A few crappie are being picked up on the north side of the lake. Try using minnows. Since fishing has been slow, the bait shop at Coffee Creek Landing will be closed until mid-March, but fishing licenses can still be purchased.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is clear and high. Bream are biting well on night crawlers fished 1-foot deep, close to the bank. Crappie are biting well over brush piles in the coves. Try using small jigs or tubes in pink or salt-and-pepper. Bass fishing is poor using spinner baits. Catfishing is fair using trotlines baited with minnows.

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 125,000 cubic feet per second. There have been some bank fishermen fishing downstream. Catfish are biting well on night crawlers and shad. Bass fishing has been slow in Flag Lake, Petit Jean and Point Remove. Try fishing with firetiger-colored crankbaits near wood in 6- to 8-feet of water. Stripers are biting well on spoons below the dam.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said the river conditions are normal. Crappie are biting well on crappie jigs fished over rocky points. White bass fishing is good using Twistertails; try casting them out and dragging them in slowly.

Bradford Lake: Shirley's Bait said crappie and bass are biting well 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:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is clear but low. Trout fishing is excellent using wax worms, yellow or white Power Bait, gray sow bugs and Wooly Buggers.

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan's Fly Shop said generation was off most of last week, producing plenty of low-water opportunities. The trout are all fat and healthy after the extended period of high water. As a result, fly-fishing has been very good lately in the various shoals of the upper river, especially using 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 to18), McLellan's Woven V-Rib Sowbug (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan's Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to16), 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 scaled back over the past week, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. Scuds, sow bugs and midges have been producing plenty of strikes. Several big browns are in the Norfork right now, and they are in spawning mode. Below spawning shoals, Golden Eggs and McLellan's Tan Hunchback Scuds are starting to produce several hookups. The water is still stained from Norfork Lake turning over, and the dissolved oxygen levels are still low. Be sure to spend even more time than usual reviving trout before releasing them. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Big new streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced plenty of excitement. Nymph fishing in high water has also been productive when using bigger 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 20-22), McLellan's Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Golden Egg (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Mercury Brassie (sizes 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: 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. Wilderness Trail gave their last report for the season December 29, 2004, but will be back in February. In late December they said 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 and drop-shotting with small baits can put the bait on their noses, Stingray or Beaver tail grubs are winter favorites and can be worked very slowly to trigger some feeders. Walleye spend the winter around deep structure such as big boulders, 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 Cleos 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.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 4- to 45-feet deep using live minnows, Lake Norfork jigs or Bobby Garland's Swimming Minnows. Bass fishing is fair using spinner baits, crankbaits and jigs.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake conditions are normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows or trolled crankbaits over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair using soft plastics. Stripers are biting on diving crankbaits or live shad. 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 some fish. The flats are warmer and more productive than the deeper water on sunny days. Some stripers are in the rivers, but they are scattered and in short supply. The water temperature has been around 52 degrees, which is in the proper range for activity. 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. The bluff line at Hickory Creek continues to produce large catfish. A slip bopper with minnow at 30 feet was the most popular terminal tackle. Most of these fish are over 20 pounds.

Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan's Fly Shop said generation has slowed considerably over the past week, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. Midges are the most consistent food source, but scuds and sow bugs have also been reliable. Some large trout have been hooked on McLellan's Hunchback Scud in olive. 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).

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the river has a heavy stain. Smallmouth bass are biting well in the deeper holes on tubes and dark-colored plastic worms.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

White River: Local fisherman Jeff Moore said the White River at Batesville is 7.24 feet and steady. The river is reasonably clear and the water temperature is around 50 degrees. Fishing is good to excellent for a variety of species. The fish really have a good shape and body weight to them. This time of year everything can change on a dime, but for the next few days, it appears there is no significant change in sight to affect the current water conditions. Trout fishing from Slyamore creek to Guion is very good on Countdown Rapalas, Little Cleo's and Renegade spoons. The Countdowns are producing the better rainbows and a few brown trout up to 20 inches. Bass fishing is good with most of the fish coming from the main river. Smallmouth can be caught on small crawdad crankbaits, tube baits and Hula Grubs on the rocks and steep red clay banks. Largemouth bass are in the grass on the main river and are biting a variety of baits. Hula Grubs in dark green and brown are working well as are jig-and-frog combinations in similar colors. Model A Bomber and Bandit crankbaits in crawdad and firetiger colors are working too. Below lock no. 3 and beyond Batesville, a few walleye and saugers are being picked up by trolling crankbaits and fishing Mr. Twister type grubs in white, yellow and chartreuse with ¼- and 3/8-ounce ball head jigs. Most of the fish are in the jetties. A few crappie are being caught on minnows in the lay downs and brush piles.

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.

Arkansas River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said crappie fishing is excellent using minnows.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is ranging from 50 to 55 degrees. The lake elevation is 259.81 feet, which is about 8 inches above normal pool. The lake has a heavy stain and increased current. The release rate at dam has been 9,465 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are good on black-and-blue or pumpkin-and-chartreuse jigs with pork frog trailers around cypress trees in 6 to 8 feet of water. Some small bass are also being picked up swimming white leadhead jigs with spilt milk grub trailers around any remaining vegetation along Little River edges in 3 to 7 feet of water. Shallow- to medium-diving red, brown or orange crankbaits continue working on points and creek channels. Bass in the 2- to 3-pound range remain fair to good during the heat of the day on ¼-ounce Rat-L-Traps in red chrome or bleeding gold shiner. Zoom brush hogs, baby brush hogs and Southern Pro Fat Butt tubes are catching bass in the 2- to 4-pound range on stumps along the edges of the river about 8-to12-feet deep. A 5/8-ounce or ¾-ounce spinner bait in white-and-chartreuse is taking keepers in the remaining vegetation and dead lily pads. Crappie remain suspended at 18- to 20-feet deep over planted brush piles along the Little River. In Horseshoe Lake oxbow off Little River, the fish are 12- to 14-feet deep. Large shiners were taking a few keepers early in the week as the lake began clearing. The crappie being caught have been full of eggs and have weighed between 2 to 3 pounds. Due to weather and muddy water, there have not been many crappie fishermen on the lake past few weeks. Blue catfish remain good in Little River on trotlines. Try fishing from 14- to 16-feet deep using cut shad, chicken liver, cottonseed mill cakes or dog food prepared baits in the outside river bends between Jack's Isle and Pugh Slough and also between Hurricane Creek and the second entrance to Horseshoe Lake off Little River. Water clarity in the river has improved to 3 to 5 inches. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake and Cemetery Slough still have much better water visibility; it is estimated to be approximately 2 to 3 feet in places

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is up. The crappie bite is good in deep water and under the bridge. Try using a chartreuse jig.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is full. Crappie are biting well on a Mississippi jig in chartreuse-white-and-orange fished over brush piles in the channel. Catfishing is good using cold worms about 8- to 10-feet deep along the channel.

White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said crappie are biting well on crappie minnows.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. White bass are biting well on crankbaits and CC Spoons.

DeGray Lake: DeGray One Stop said the lake is clear and high. However, the lake has come down about 2 feet. The lake temperature is 50 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. Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is low. Bass are biting well on minnows.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Cross Creek said the lake is muddy and high. Crappie fishing is doing well from 12- to 14-feet deep using crappie tubes over brush piles.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is muddy but at normal pool. Crappie are biting fair on minnows fished about 8-feet deep. White bass fishing is fair from 3- to 12-feet deep using white spinner baits or jigs. Catfishing is fair using large minnows or cut shad.

Lake Ouachita: Cross Creek said the lake is clear. Crappie are biting well on tubes fished from 12- to 14-feet deep over brush piles. Mountain Harbor Resort said the lake temperature ranges from 44- to 50-degrees. The lake is stained and at 576.99 feet. Largemouth bass are still fair to good, and these fish are schooling and being caught with Roostertails and silver spoons. Try main lake points and humps for the best results in 20 to 30 feet of water. Walleye are still fair with reports of these 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 very good on live bait, hair jigs or silver spoons. These fish are still located around main points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels. Areas around points 16 and 19 are still getting good reports. White bass action is excellent in these same locations on spoons. Crappie are 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.

Lake Catherine: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said heavy rains have resulted in increased water flow through the system, producing a large number of dead shad. Fish are moving upstream and feeding on these shad. Trout are hitting power bait and small shad-like crankbaits. The most productive fly patterns are the bead-head olive Wooly Buggers and Zug Bugs. Crappie are beginning to stage around brush and downed timber and are going for small shiners. Stripers and hybrids are moving toward the dam and are feeding on shad. Fishermen have had some success using large red fins and flukes.

Lake Hamilton: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said bass are going for crawfish-like crankbaits and jigs worked around rocky outcrops and steep banks. Walleye are moving toward the main channel at the west end of the lake and are hitting rogues and deep-running crankbaits. Catfish are hitting whole dead and live crawfish with some good jug action fishing 8- to 10-feet deep. Crappie are holding off deep structure in 8 to 12 feet of water and are hitting small shiners.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing is fair using worms and crickets fished anywhere from 4-feet deep to the bottom. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows and jigs 9-feet deep over brush piles or stumps. Bass fishing is fair using jig-and-pig combos on the bottom.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait 'n' More II said the lake is a little high. However, crappie are biting very well on minnows and jigs. Catfish are biting well on worms.

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 muddy and high. Catfish are biting well on cut bait fished on the bottom.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake is clear. Crappie are biting fair from 2½- to 3-feet deep on yoyos.

Midway Lake: Ed's Boat Camp said with the rain and the high river, fishing has not been good.

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at a normal level. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows and jigs about 16-feet deep.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake conditions are really good. The lake is clear and just above normal pool. However, there have not been many fishermen on the lake. Shirley's Bait said crappie and bass are biting well on crappie minnows.

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