Weekly Fishing Report

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 Feb. 2, 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:  When fishing in moving water, always cast upstream and let the bait move down with the current. Fish usually face the current, and the bait must be put in front of the fish.

 

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the water is stained, but it is at normal pool. Bream fishing is good using worms, crickets and wax worms on the bottom. Crappie are biting well on minnows and pepper-colored jigs in the deep water and on the edge of the creek channels. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said in Gold Creek, redear are biting on red worms, and crappie are biting on lemon-and-white or white-and-chartreuse mini jigs. In Caney Creek, crappie are biting on minnows, and redear are biting on red worms. Also, crappie are biting on minnows and lemon-and-white jigs, and redear are biting on red worms at Highway 89 bridge.

 

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river is clear but high with two generators running during the day. Trout fishing is good using Countdown Rapalas, Shad Raps, 1/16-ounce olive or black marabou jigs, Power Bait and wax worms.

 

Greers Ferry: Bait Master said the lake is stained with a green tint, but it is at the normal pool of 461 feet. Bream fishing is fair from 15- to 20-feet deep using wax worms, crickets and red worms over stumps or rocky points. Crappie fishing is fair about 30-feet deep using small minnows or small jigs on the edge of the river channel. Catfishing is poor using night crawlers and shiners in the river channel. Largemouth, smallmouth and Kentucky bass are biting from 15- to 25-feet deep on assorted plastics over rocky points or brush piles. Hybrids are biting from 40- to 50-feet deep on jigging spoons or jig-and-minnow combinations in the main lake. Walleye are biting from 20- to 25-feet deep on shiners, night crawlers and jigs. Shiloh Marina said the lake level is dingy but at normal pool. Whites and hybrids are being caught in the river mouths trolling with a minnow and ¼-ounce white jig combination.

 

 

            Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said the lake is still a little high. However, crappie have been biting well on minnows.

 

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the lake has a medium stain, but is at normal pool. Crappie are biting well on minnows in the backwaters and on the edges of the creek channels. Catfishing is good using minnows and shad.

 

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the lake clarity is normal, but the lake level is low. Crappie are biting well on minnows and chartreuse jigs fished 3-feet deep over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair at 4-feet deep using top-water lures over brush. Catfishing is good on just about anything from 3-feet off the bottom down to the bottom. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting on red-and-chartreuse or pink-and-white mini jigs. Catfish are biting on limb lines or yo-yos baited with chicken hearts or minnows.

 

Lake Maumelle: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said stripers are biting on jigging spoons under Brindle Creek Bridge in the creek channel drop.

 

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock #9 is 56,430 cubic feet per second with headwater at 284.50 feet and tailwater at 270.39 feet. Catfish are still in the deeper holes; try using whole shad. From mid-day to dark, Kentucky bass are moving around the jetties where the rocks are warmed up. Try using Hawg traps in fire tiger or try slow rolling a spinner. Whites are active below the dam; to catch whites, try floating large minnows about 4-feet deep. Stripers are biting below the dam on large spoons. Saugers are biting on chartreuse and yellow jigs. Largemouth bass are biting on worms worked very slowly either around the feeder creeks or in Cooper’s Gap.

 

             Murray Lock and Dam (below): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said blue catfish are biting on shad. White bass are biting on medium-sized, white Twistertails and CC Spoons.

 

 

NORTH ARKANSAS:

 

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is clear but very high. There are still eight generators running 24-hours a day. Trout fishing has been excellent. Brown trout in the 3- to 8-pound range have been biting on Countdown Rapalas or Husky Jerk Rapalas in silver or green with an orange belly. Browns have also been biting on 1/8-ounce white marabou jigs. Rainbow trout have been caught on yellow-and-white Power Eggs.

 

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said the Trophy Area below Bull Shoals Dam opened on the first of February, but you’ll likely need a boat to fish it. Two to six units have been running most days, building up to eight units by late afternoon. Drifting with the lower water releases has produced 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 lately in the various shoals of the upper river, especially using sow bugs, scuds, Unreal Eggs, Golden Eggs and San Juan Worms. Some very large trout have been hooked lately. 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 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, with water primarily running early and late in the day, providing some wade-fishing opportunities. However, with all of the water in Norfork Reservoir, generation should increase over the next week. During low-water conditions, 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 has produced several strikes lately and plenty of excitement.  Nymph fishing in high water has also been productive, using large McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds, egg patterns and San Juan Worms. The best flies have been:  McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Morgan’s Midge (sizes 22 to 24), Rojo Midge (size 22), Yong Special (sizes 20 to 22), Zebra Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), WD-50 (sizes 20 to 22), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Golden Egg (size 16), Unreal Eggs (size 12), Mercury Brassie (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: Wilderness Trail said pool level has steadily dropped throughout the month. The lake level is still 4 feet above normal pool at 658.10 feet. The water temperature is in the mid-40s, and lake clarity is around 16 feet. The bite is slow for bass, walleye and crappie this winter because the high-water conditions have them scattered. For crappie, try fishing with Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows, tube baits or small jigs along bluff walls or creek channel swings. Crappie minnows will also work but with the cold water temperatures crappie minnows do not swim around much. Largemouth bass can be found in the back of some pockets in the creeks, but there is no consistent pattern. Use Suspending Rogues or Lucky Craft Pointer 78s in the back of the pockets. Most of the largemouth are holding in the deep water at the entrance of the cuts and pockets, and vertical jigging a spoon is your best bet for triggering a few. Smallmouth bass are really scattered and most of them are out over open water. Drop shot with finesse worms and other drop shot baits are your best bet. Kentucky Bass are also hard to find. They are traveling with the shad, which takes a lot of graphing to locate them. Look for these fish in the channel swing ends of the main lake, in the main lake cuts found mid-lake and in the creek arms on the north side. When you locate a school, drop spoons down to them or use a Stingray grub on a light 3/16-ounce jighead. Walleye are also very hard to pattern or even locate. We know there are walleye down in the flooded forest. However, with the high water, the forest tops are about 60- to 64-feet deep. Key on walleye that are on the deep sides of feeding flats or points in 45 to 55 feet of water. The best baits are spoons or ball jigs with shiners. Fishing for trout on the White River has been good all winter. Right now, there are a few shad coming through the dam so white Chrome Domes, white jigs, and white Rooster Tails have been good baits. When there is not much generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white have done well. With generation, the Buoyant Spoon, Super Dupers and Little Cleo's are the bait of choice. With a fair amount of generation, the fly-fishing has been limited, but olive Woolly Buggers, sow bugs and scuds have done well. The Brown trout are spawning, and most of them are in the seasonal catch and release. However, people who fished for browns further down the river did well on Countdowns, Shad Raps and Rogues.

 

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is murky and a little above normal pool at 554.71 feet. However, the lake is being drawn down. Crappie are biting well about 55-feet deep on 1-ounce spoons. Some nice slab-size crappie have been taken. Bass fishing is pretty good using crankbaits (shallow) or spoons. It took over 19 pounds to win a bass tournament last weekend.

 

 

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

 

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is clearing up in the river arms, and the lake is a little above normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows and tube jigs around the stick-ups in the White and War Eagle river arms. Bass are still in their winter patterns, but some are being caught mostly on spoons fished around the shad. There has also been some crankbait and jig action for bass. Stripers are biting well on live bait, big jigs and spoons around schooling shad.

 

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting pretty good from 8- to 10-feet deep on minnows and tube jigs.

 

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said fishing opportunities should remain good for another week or so before Beaver floodwaters are released. Generations are currently around 7 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. Bull Shoals Dam continues to run around the clock. Some good baits for trout are M & M's, marshmallows, mealworms, Micro jigs in ginger or black, wax worms, Power Bait Trout Worms and night crawlers. Rapala Countdowns and Husky Jerks are good around the Spider Creek area. McLellan’s Fly Shop said wading anglers should have low water most afternoons for the next couple of weeks before Beaver Lake begins a round-the-clock draw-down. When the generators are off, midges are the most consistent food source, but scuds and sow bugs have also been reliable. Some large trout have been hooked lately on McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in olive, San Juan Worms and Micro Egg Patterns. 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), PureMidge (sizes 20 to 22), Black Beauty Emerger (sizes 22 to 24), Biot Midge (20-22), 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 (sizes14 to 16) and Golden Egg (size 16).

 

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said many fishermen have been staying indoors due to the cold weather. However, the river conditions are good for floating. Also, there is ample opportunity to view eagles.

 

 

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

 

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is stained and high. Crappie are biting fair on minnows off the bank.

 

Spring River: Local fisherman Gary Salard said the water clarity is good and improving. Smallmouth bass are being caught in 6 to 12 feet of water using 3-inch live minnows fished off the bottom. Try rigging the minnows approximately 2-feet above a bell sinker large enough to hold in the current. Some 16-inch fish are being reported, mostly females full of eggs. Walleye fishing is still poor but a few are being caught in deep holes using white marabou jigs and large minnows. Trout are still being caught using Power Bait, corn, worms and small live minnows.

 

 

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

 

Lake Enterprise: Fred's Sport Shop said the lake is clear, and the level is just right for spawning. A few white perch and crappie are being taken in the deep water on jigs and shiners.

 

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine the lake is muddy and low. Bream fishing is fair using wax worms over brush piles or near bridges.

 

Wilson Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie fishing is fair using minnows and jigs.

 

Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie fishing is fair trolling with small crappie minnows.

 

Mississippi River: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the river is muddy and high.

 

 

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

 

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is 43- to 49-degrees. The lake elevation is 259.82 feet. The water is stained with a reduced river current. The release rate with all 13 gates open at 1 foot is 5,100 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are fair to good on black-and-blue or pumpkin jigs with pork trailers 6- to 9-feet deep around the cypress trees. Black bass are very good on Carolina-rigged lizards and Baby Brush Hogs. Along Little River, try a 10-inch worm in red shad. Hammered CC Spoons with white-and-red bucktails or Rat-L-Trap Jiggin-Traps with tail spinners jigged at 11 to 14 feet off Little River are catching some nice bass north of Outlaw Trail boat run. Tubes, Gitzits and ¾-ounce spinner baits with no. 7 Colorado blades are catching decent size bass on stumps along the edges of the river, on points from 8- to10-feet deep and on the bases of cypress trees in the back of the creeks on sunny or warmer days. The larger bass remain slightly deeper in the creeks, and they are closer to the deeper haunts of the river drops at the creek mouths or points dumping into Little River. Heavy ¾- to 1-ounce size Rat-L-Traps in diamond dust colors fished in creek mouths and across deep points between Hurricane Creek and Jack's Isle are working when fished very slow along remaining grass lines or stumps. The crappie bite has improved since the water began clearing. Nice slab catches were reported on live shiners over planted brush piles from 15- to 19-feet deep along Little River and in Horseshoe Lake above Jack's Isle on Little River. Blue Catfish are biting well in the current of Little River on trotlines baited with chicken hearts/livers, large earthworms, shiners and cut shad. Lines set from 14- to 16-feet deep just up off the bottom seem to be best way to catch these fish. Water clarity in the river improved last week; ranging from 6 to 7 inches. Clarity is somewhat worse on the main lake due to an increase in heavy current. The current in Little River increased again this week. 

 

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake level is about normal. Bream are biting fair on worms and crickets fished on the bottom. Crappie are biting really well on jigs and orange shiners. Bass fishing is fair on plastic lizards.

 

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake level is about normal. Crappie fishing is fair using jigs or shiners.

 

            White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is clear but high. Bream fishing is fair about 2-feet deep using worms. Crappie fishing is fair at 4-feet deep using minnows over brush piles. Catfishing is good using trotlines baited with stink bait or chicken liver.

 

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is stained and dropping. Crappie fishing is good from 10- to 15-feet deep using crappie jigs over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair from 2- to 10-feet deep using crankbaits over rocky points or off the bank.

 

DeGray Lake: DeGray Lake Resort said the lake is clear and down 5-feet from normal. Crappie are biting fair about 20-feet deep on jigs over brush piles. Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is muddy and low. Crappie are biting well about 15-feet deep on jigs off the bank. DeGray One Stop said the lake clarity has improved on the north end of the lake, and the water level has dropped about 4 feet. The lake temperature is 47 degrees. Bream fishing is good in deep water using red worms and small jigs. Crappie fishing is good from 18- to 28-feet deep using live bait and jigs over brush piles. Black bass and Kentucky bass are biting from 18- to 28-feet deep on crankbaits and black or blue hair jigs. Catfishing is good using live bait in the deep water. Whites and hybrids are moving to the northwest end of the lake, and they are biting on crankbaits, spoons, Roostertails and shad.

 

 

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

 

Lake Dardanelle: Cross Creek said the lake is murky and high. Crappie are biting well from 8- to 15-feet deep on minnows and jigs over brush piles or around the docks. Early Bird Outfitters said the lake conditions are normal. Crappie are biting well from 7- to 11-feet deep on minnows over brush piles. Stripers are biting on spoons, swim baits and shad near the nuclear plant. 

 

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said overall, fishing is fair. All of the gates have been running, but the river flow has slowed-down. A few crappie are biting on minnows and jigs. Some whites and saugers are being caught with the crappie. A few bass are biting on spinner baits and jigs in the lakes off the river. A few crappie are biting in the backwaters.

 

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature ranges from 44- to 50-degrees. The water is clearing, and the lake level is 577.29 feet. Largemouth bass are still very good, and these fish are schooling and being caught on Roostertails, gray jigs and silver spoons. Jerk baits have been productive as well. For the best results, try main lake points and humps in 20 to 30 feet of water. Walleye are fair with reports of these fish still 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 still excellent 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 clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 8- to 15-feet deep on minnows and jigs over brush piles or around docks. Stripers are biting from 10- to 20-feet deep on 3¼ -ounce silver spoons or 3¼ -ounce Roadrunners. Bass are biting well from 6- to 8-feet deep on crankbaits or jerk baits over brush.

 

            Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and almost at normal pool. Some good crappie are being taken from 10- to 15-feet deep on minnows. Catfishing is fair on worms and chicken liver on the far end where the lake meets the creek.

 

            Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing is fair about 3-feet deep using wax worms close to the bank. Crappie are biting fair about 3½-feet deep using tube jigs off the docks. Catfish are biting fair on trotlines baited with bass minnows and fished in deep water near the trees.

            Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is murky and high. Catfish are biting well on cut bait and small, whole shad in the pockets of the river and in the backwaters.

 

 

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

 

            Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said the lake is stained and high. Crappie are biting well at 15-feet deep on jigs fished off the bank.

 

EAST ARKANSAS:

 

 

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said many fishermen have been staying indoors. However, the lake clarity is good, and the lake is high. Bass are biting really well on spinner baits around the cypress trees.