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 Jan. 12, 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: Large top-water lures, especially imitations with big splayed legs, may spin in the air as you cast, twisting your line. Attaching the lure to a snap-swivel will eliminate line twist but will also cause a bug to ride low in the water, ruining the action. To keep the twist out of the line, tie a one- or two-foot leader between the lure and a swivel, like a Carolina rig without the weight.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is stained and high. Bream are biting well on wax worms and night crawlers about 1-foot off the bottom. Crappie are biting well on minnows, pepper jigs and red minnows about 1-foot off the bottom. The best fishing has been on the flats and in the coves. Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said crappie are biting on crappie jigs dragged slowly along the bottom.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river is still high with one generator running. Trout fishing has been good using artificials or trolling Shad Raps. Float fishermen have been doing well with Rogues and Rapala Countdowns fished against the bank. Maraboo jigs have also been picking up fish.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the water is dingy, and the lake is at 470 feet. Crappie are biting on minnows fished deep. Hybrids and whites are biting on spoons and top-water lures near Higden Bay and Fairfield Bay. Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is high and unstable. Fishing is poor.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is not clear, and it is still high. Fishing is poor. Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said crappie fishing is fair using pink minnows in the deep holes.

Arkansas River: Charley's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock no. 9 is 145,000 cubic feet per second with headwater at 284.29 feet and tailwater at 283.35 feet. The locks and gates are fully open right now, making the headwater and tailwater figures very close. Catfish are biting well on shad in the backwaters of Flag Lake and Cooper's Gap. Whites and stripers are in the slack water with the shad. Try using Sassy Shads to catch whites or stripers. Black bass are in the same areas as the whites and stripers. However for black bass, try using a shallow-diving crankbait in firetiger.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said catfish are biting fair on night crawlers and large minnows fished on the bottom. White bass are biting on white Twistertail grubs below the hydroelectric plant.

Tom's Lake: Shirley's Bay said the lake is clear and high. Crappie are biting well on yo-yos baited with crappie minnows. Bass fishing is fair using crappie minnows.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river conditions are perfect. With two generators running, the river is clear and at normal pool. Trout fishing is excellent using a gold or silver Rapala Countdown (no. 7 and no. 9), Power Eggs, red worms and artificial lures.

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan's Fly Shop said two to four units have been running for most of the week. The generation is producing some excellent fly-fishing opportunities from a boat. The trout are all fat and healthy after the extended period of high water. As a result, fly-fishing has been very good in the various shoals of the upper river, especially using sowbugs, scuds, Unreal Eggs, Golden Eggs and San Juan Worms. Some very large trout have been hooked. 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 to 16), McLellan's Hunchback Scud Tan, 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 4), 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. Generators have been running early and late which is providing some wade-fishing opportunities. 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 new streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced several strikes lately and plenty of excitement. 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 (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).

Norfork River: Fly-fishing guide John Gulley said the trout are biting pretty good. In low water, use an olive micro-jig or a diamond midge under an indicator about 2 ½-feet deep in the pools. On high-water, use a either a 1/32- or 1/64-ounce pink jig on a fly rod or try using an egg pattern. Spin fishermen are catching fish on shad-colored or silver Countdown Rapalas. Bait fishermen are using an assortment of baits, including worms, Power Bait and corn.

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said with all the rain the lake has come up five feet and is now at 659.22. The high water has scattered the fish and the shad. Largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky bass are confused and leaving their winter areas searching for the shad that were in deep water. Channel swings and points are the best areas to fish with Spider Jigs, tubes, grubs and spoons. Suspending Rogues will also trigger some of the roaming bass. Walleye are over the flooded forest and off the deep sides of large flats. The catchable walleye are in 46 to 52 feet of water hugging the bottom. Try using 2 ½- to 3-ounce bottom bouncers with a crawler harness to trigger a few but your best bet is spooning or dropping a ball jig with a shiner or grub. Crappie remain slow and hard to find. Check deep brush piles (30 feet or more) and pole trees along bluff walls. Crappie minnows are your best bet.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is dingy and high. Crappie are biting well on live minnows and crappie jigs fished from 30- to 35-feet over bush piles or off the docks. Stripers are fair from 30- to 45-feet trolling deep with live bait over rocky points. White bass are biting on jigs and spoons.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is muddy and high. Crappie are biting fair from 5- to 6-feet deep on minnows and plastic jigs. The best places to fish for crappie are upstream in the river arms that have clear water. Bass fishing is fair from 10- to 30-feet deep using crankbaits, black jigs and small spoons over rocky points.

Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan's Fly Shop said generation should increase on Beaver Tailwater this week as Table Rock Lake's level drops. Midges are the most consistent food source at this time, but scuds and sowbugs have also been reliable. Some large trout have been hooked lately on McLellan's Hunchback Scud in olive and Golden Eggs. 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 (size 14 to 16), McLellan's Woven Sow Bug (size 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 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 varies from 46- to 49-degrees. The lake elevation is 261.08 feet, and the lake level is approximately 2 feet above normal pool. The water has a heavy stain and is muddy in the northeastern sector of the lake. The lake current has increased. The release rate at the dam with 13 gates open is 25,500 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are fair on black-and-blue or pumpkin-and-chartreuse jigs with pork frog trailers around the cypress trees. Bass also are being picked up swimming white leadhead jigs with spilt milk grub trailers or heavy spinner baits through any vegetation along Little River edges at 5 to 9 feet depths. Zoom Brush Hogs are catching bass (2- to 4-pound range) in the stumps along the edges of the river in 8 to 12 feet depths. The best lure colors seem to be pumpkinseed with a chartreuse tail, black with red flake or blackberry. Bass in the 2- to 3-pound range remain fair to good during the heat of the day on ¼- and ½-ounce sized Rat-L-Traps in red chrome, gold Tennessee shad, or bleeding gold shiner. Due to the increase in current, blue catfish remain fair to good in Little River on trotlines. Try using chicken hearts, gizzards or livers or dog food prepared baits in the outside river bends between the second entrance to Mud Lake and the main entrance to Horseshoe Lake off Little River. Try fishing this area from 12- to 15-feet deep. Water clarity in the river has remained muddy, but is currently improving. River visibility and clarity has improved to approximately 5 inches. Clarity is somewhat worse on the river, due to an increase in heavy current, and clarity has worsened on the main lake due to high winds and the current towards the dam. Creeks and sloughs of Little River have begun clearing now with the lake falling. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, and Cemetery Slough, 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 still high. Crappie fishing is fair using green-and-red jigs, small chartreuse Bass Assassins and small shiners under the bridge and around the buoys. Catfishing is about average using stink bait and cold worms in baited areas.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said some bream are being taken on worms at Blackwell Landing. Crappie are biting on live bait at Holetz Claw Ridge, and they are biting at the park along the creek in the brush tops. Try using Tennessee-shad colored baits or live bait. Catfish are biting on cold worms from 6- to 10-feet deep along the channel.

White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said the lake is high, but overall, the lake conditions are decent. Crappie are biting well on jigs and crappie minnows. Bass are biting fair on minnows. Catfish are biting fair on chicken liver fished deep.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is high and dirty. Fishing is poor.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is dingy, and the level is high. Crappie are biting well in 20 feet of water. DeGray Lake Resort Marina said bass fishing is fair from 20- to 22-feet deep using crankbaits or jigs near the docks. DeGray One Stop said the water temperature is 53 degrees. Bream are biting fair on night crawlers, small jigs, crappie jigs and red worms in deep water. Crappie are biting well from 20- to 28-feet deep on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Bass are biting well from 25- to 35-feet deep on 3/8-ounce jigs and hair jigs in blue or black. Hybrids and whites are moving up the lake towards Point Cedar, and they are biting on spoons and crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on live bait in the deeper water.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Cross Creek said the lake is murky and high. Crappie fishing is good from 6- to 12-feet deep using minnows and jigs over brush piles. Catfishing is good using live or cut shad.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is muddy and high. Crappie fishing is fair on the bottom using minnows and jigs. These are mainly small fish.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature ranges from 44- to 52-degrees. The water has a stain, and the lake level is 579.6 feet. Largemouth bass are good; they are schooling and biting on Roostertails, gray jigs and silver spoons. For the best results, try main lake points and humps 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 20 to 35 feet. Stripers are very good on live bait, hair jigs or silver spoons. These fish are located in pockets and old creek channels. Areas around points 16 and 19 are still getting good reports. White bass action is excellent in the river channels from 30 to 35 feet deep. 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. Cross Creek said the lake is stained and high. Crappie are biting well about 10-feet deep on jigs over brush piles near the dock. Stripers are biting well from 2- to 15-feet deep on artificial bait. Some large stripers have been taken.

Lake Catherine: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said fish are still moving upstream and feeding on dead shad. Trout are hitting power bait and small shad-like crankbaits. Crappie are staging 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 Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is a little high, but the overall lake conditions are good. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Some nice-sized crappie are being taken. Bass fishing is good using minnows.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is high. Bream are biting well on wax worms in shallow water near the bank. Some catfish are biting on yo-yos baited with minnows.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait 'n' More II said the lake is high; the level is currently at 357.62 feet, and the valves are open at 100 percent. Crappie fishing is good using minnows and jigs. Catfish are also biting well.

Arkansas River: The Tackle Box said the river is muddy and very high. Crappie fishing is fair from 15- to 20-feet deep. Largemouth bass are biting on jigs and spoons. Some whites have been picked up below the dam. Cross Creek said the river is murky and high. Crappie are biting on minnows and jigs from 6- to 10-feet deep over brush piles. Catfishing is good using live or cut shad.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Benson's Grocery and Bait said crappie are biting fair.

Cox Creek Lake: Cox Creek Lake said with all the rain, the lake is a little high. Crappie are biting really well on minnows, and bass are biting well on artificials.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake is clear but high. Crappie are biting well 2-feet deep in the off lakes. Try using yo-yos baited with minnows. Bass fishing is fair.

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 water clarity is good, and the lake level is high. The weather has still been affecting fishing activities. However, a few crappie have been taken using black-and-chartreuse jigs around the piers. Also, bass fishing is pretty good using spinner baits around the cypress trees.

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