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. 16, 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: You can make your own rod carrier for a fraction of the cost of buying one. Purchase a length of 3-inch PVC pipe and two PVC end caps. Cut the pipe length slightly longer than your longest rod. Glue one end cap on, and leave the other to slip on and off to access your rods. These carriers work great for checking rods in baggage when traveling.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Little Rock City Parks: AGFC Community Fishing Program Coordinator Clifton Jackson said that seasonal rainbow trout stockings are presenting some great opportunities at MacArthur, Otter Creek and Boyle Parks. Trout are being taken on black Roostertails, trout magnets and rainbow Power Bait.

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is clear, and the level is 1 foot below normal pool. Bream and redear are biting well on red worms and crickets from 3- to 4-feet deep. Crappie are biting well from 2- to 4-feet deep on pink minnows or pink jigs over brush piles. Try fishing for crappie in the grass beds at a shallower depth. The fish are very active in the Gold Creek area.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river clarity is good, and with two generators running, the river is still high. With the high water, fishermen are doing well with Shad Raps, Countdown Rapalas and marabou jigs. Some fishermen are doing well drift-fishing with chartreuse Power Eggs and nightcrawlers.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina says the lake looks nice and smooth. Whites and hybrids are biting on jigging spoons at the 14A area.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is still a little high, but the water is clear. The fishing conditions are improving with the rising lake temperature. Bream are biting fair on worms. Crappie fishing is fair using pink minnows or jigs in salt-and-pepper or chartreuse. Catfish are biting really well on trotlines baited with minnows or chicken liver.

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said the lake is high. However, crappie are biting well on minnows in the coves.

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the water is stained and the level is normal. 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 good, and the lake is at normal pool. Crappie fishing is excellent about 3-feet deep using yo-yos baited with minnows or chartreuse jigs over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair using minnows or spinner baits around cover. Catfish are biting on just about anything off the bottom.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass fishing is good. Blacks are starting to move into their spring patterns and are 4- to 9-feet deep among the weeds. With the warm days, the blacks are in the weeds on the north side, but cold snaps will move them to deeper waters. Blacks are hitting best on dark-colored crankbaits and spinner baits. Kentucky bass are still in their winter pattern and are being caught from 25- to 30-feet deep on the channel edges on 3-inch Pumpkin Grubs and CC Spoons. White bass fishing is excellent. The whites are moving to the west end of the lake for the spring run. They are bunched up in the channels from the old Jolly Rogers cove to the west and are biting on Roostertails, CC Spoons, Sassy Shads and Rogues. Catfish are biting fair; they are 20- to 28-feet deep and hitting large minnows and prepared baits. Crappie are biting well in 35 feet of water on small 1/32-ounce jigs and pink minnows. Bream fishing is slow, but some are hitting 40-feet deep on worms and crickets. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the lake is clear. Crappie are biting well from 18- to 20-feet deep on live minnows. White bass are biting on the west end of the lake under the bridge; they are biting on CC Spoons and Roadrunners.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said catfishing is slow using a combination of nightcrawlers and shrimp below Dam #9. Whites and stripers are schooling around the streams and creeks on a false spawning run. Try using jigging spoons at the mouths of Point Remove, Coppers Gap and Petit Jean River. Kentucky bass are on top of sunken jetties hitting Fire Tiger crank baits in four to eight feet of water. Crappie are on the bank side of the jetties hitting chartreuse and red jigs.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the river is muddy and high. Crappie are biting well from 4- to 6-feet deep on yo-yos baited with live minnows near the cypress trees. Crappie are also biting from the bridge and from Pinnacle Mountain. Catfish are biting well on yo-yos baited with live minnows and chicken hearts. White bass are biting on crappie minnows and slip-float rigs at the hydro plant. Also, blue cats are biting on shad and nightcrawlers at the hydro plant.

Bradford Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the lake is clear and about 2-feet above normal pool. Bass are biting well about 4-feet deep on yo-yos baited with crappie minnows and trolled lures over brush piles and rocky points.

White River: Shirley’s Bait said the river is still high.

Peckerwood Lake: Shirley’s Bait said crappie are biting from 4- to 5-feet deep. Catfish are biting on crappie minnows from 4- to 5-feet deep.

Murray Lock and Dam (below): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said white bass are biting off the sidewalk on white Twistertails, CC Spoons and Mr. Champs. Crappie are biting off the sidewalk on red-and-chartreuse or pink-and-white mini jigs.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the weekend was great for large brown trout, 4- to 14-pounds. The river is high, but fishing is excellent. For the browns, use Husky Jerk Rapalas or Smithwick Rogues in silver with an orange belly or green (shad-color) with an orange belly, ¼-ounce Krocodile spoons in white, or 1/8-ounce marabou jig in white. Rainbows can also be picked up dragging white or yellow Power Eggs with a white glow worm.

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said the trophy area below Bull Shoals Dam opened Feb. 1. Six units have been running on most days, building up to eight units by late afternoon. Fly-fishing from a boat using large strike indicators and heavy split shot has produced plenty of hook-ups and brought many quality trout to the net, especially in the first mile below Bull Shoals Dam. Shad from Bull Shoals Lake have been getting sucked through the dam for almost three weeks now, and the trout are looking for them. As a result, shad patterns like White Zonkers and Arkansas Coneheads have been hooking several quality trout. The best flies have been: White Zonker (size 6), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), San Juan Worms (size 10), Micro Eggs (size 14), 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), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Golden Eggs (size 16), Platte River Spider (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has increased over the past week; two units have been running during daylight. While wade-fishing is severely limited by this much generation, fly-fishing from a boat has been excellent over the past week. Shad patterns, San Juan Worms and egg patterns have been producing a ton of hook-ups. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has also been excellent from a boat. Streamers like the Swimming Jimmy and Articulated Zoo Cougar have produced several strikes lately and plenty of excitement. The best flies have been: Micro Eggs (size 14), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), White Zonker (size 6), Platte River Spider (size 4), San Juan Worms (size 10), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the weather last week varied with daytime temperatures in the mid 50s. The lake level is still ½-foot above normal pool at 654.63 feet. The lake temperature is in the upper 40s, a few degrees warmer than last week. The lake clarity is holding around 16 feet except around the dam area where the clarity is almost 20 feet. Overall, the lake conditions are fair. Bass, walleye and crappie all moved from their deep winter haunts to main lake and creek arm points. The bite picked up a little in the mornings and late afternoons. Crappie are staging close to deep water on the points of coves and pockets that have good brush piles and crappie cribs. They are holding just off the bottom in 35 to 38 feet of water. The best baits are crappie minnows on colored jigheads and Bobby Garland Split Tails in shad colors. Largemouth bass are roaming the northern points and a few can be triggered with Wiggle Warts (V37 and V38) and Bandit crankbaits. Shad are starting to show up in the back of the creeks with some largemouth following them. Try using suspending rogues, Lucky Crafts or small crankbaits around the shad. Smallmouth bass are also moving to the points, but they are holding on chunk rock and pea rock points on the main lake and in the creek arms. The northern banks and points are the best areas to fish with jerk baits, crankbaits or spider jigs. Kentucky bass are still traveling with the shad, which are moving toward the pockets and coves on the main lake and in the creek arms. Again, try the northern side of the creeks and main lake. Drop spoons through the shad or a grub on a drop shot rig to trigger a few strikes. Walleye are now in the creeks and on the drop offs of main lake flats. Walleyes are still in deep water (40 to 50 feet), but they are closer in than last week. Ball jigs with shiners and spoons are still the best bet on catching a few. Long liners pulling leadcore line are starting to catch a few.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is stained but at normal pool. Crappie are biting fair from 5- to 8-feet on crappie minnows over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair from 6- to 20-feet deep using crankbaits on rocky points or off chunk rock banks.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake has cleared-up, and the level is good but still dropping. The lake is being dropped about six inches a day until it reaches normal pool. Crappie are biting fair from 8- to 15-feet deep mostly on minnows, but there has been some bite on black-and-chartreuse or red-and-chartreuse jigs. The crappie are biting over brush piles up the White River and War Eagle River arms. Bass are biting fair on spoons, jigs and jerk baits; try fishing the jerk baits near submerged treetops. Stripers are biting fair on shad, large minnows and live bait in the river arms.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. However, there have not been many people fishing.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well about 4-feet deep on minnows fished over stumps.

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said walleye are traveling up the river and lake arms looking for good areas to spawn. Beavertown or Holiday Island Bridge are traditionally good spots for hooking up with walleyes in early spring. The Kings River arm also holds a large population of them. Jigs, nightcrawlers and minnows are good main courses for the upstream-bound fish. Crankbaits are good ammunition as well. Fly-fishers can use weighted Marabou Muddlers in yellow or white, sizes 8 to 4 or bead headed Woolly Buggers in chartreuse or white. The water release has slowed down a bit, which will enable trout anglers to enjoy some action. Nightcrawlers, Power Bait and wax worms work fairly well this time of year. ¼-ounce spoons will tempt trout or walleye in the deeper water. Husky Jerks, sizes 8 to12, are for the serious anglers interested in the trophy-sized residents of the tailwaters. Black bass fishing is getting better as temperatures have been rising. Suspending jerk baits are the No. 1 lure. Skirted grubs with ¼-ounce jigheads will take fish off the south-facing banks. Try fishing the off-colored water from the runoff. McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has increased significantly over the past week, making for some great high-water fly-fishing from a boat. Shad patterns have worked well this week; try fishing shad patterns either on a sink-tip line or dead drift them under a strike indicator. San Juan Worms, egg patterns and larger scuds and sow bugs have also fooled several trout over the past week. The best flies have been: White Zonkers (size 6), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), San Juan Worms (size 10), Micro Eggs (size 14), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Gray (sizes 14 to16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16) and Golden Egg (size 14).

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

White River: Local fisherman Jeff Moore said the White River at Batesville is 10.07 feet. Trout fishing in the Guion area continues to be good on Countdowns. Drift-fishing using spinners tipped with worms and Power Eggs is catching limits of trout too. Bass fishing is fair with most of the largemouth coming from around the creek mouths. The best baits have been Hula Grubs, tube baits, and jig and frog combinations. Baits in brown, black and green are the best colors. Smallmouth are still on the boulders in the main river and mixed with the largemouth at the mouths of the creeks. A few crappie are being caught in the creeks. Jig-and-minnow combinations have worked well around brush piles. Yo-yos are producing in the same areas. Walleye fishing has been fair between Lock 1 and 2. Trolling small crankbaits has worked, as well as fishing the deep holes with minnows. A few walleye are being caught below Lock 1 on minnows.

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is a little clear, but it is still high. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished off the bank over brush piles or stumps. Bass are biting fair on minnows.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is a little high and stained.

Spring River: Local fisherman Gary Salard said trout fishing is slow, but a few nice fish are being caught fly-fishing on brown-and-tan Woolly Buggers. The Walleye bite is picking up. Some nice fish are being caught tightlining after dark using large live minnows fished 2 feet from the bottom over a bell sinker. Smallmouths are still in the deeper holes, they are being caught on live minnows fished off the bottom as well.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the lake is muddy and low. Bream fishing is fair from 7- to 8-feet deep using wax worms under the bridges. Crappie fishing is fair about 4-feet deep using minnows over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair using spinner baits around the boat dock and off the bank.

Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the lake is muddy and at normal pool. Crappie are biting fair on trolled minnows and jigs.

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

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is murky and high. Crappie fishing is good from 8- to 12-feet deep using jigs over brush piles and around the docks. Bass are biting well from 10- to 12-feet deep on crankbaits and jig ‘n’ pig combos over brush, rocky points or on shallow flats.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is from 48 to 55 degrees. The lake is 2 inches above normal pool and falling with reduced river current. The lake elevation is 259.53 feet. The release rate with nine gates open at 1 foot and four gates open 2 feet is 6,570 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are good on several different red or orange patterns of Rat-L-Traps. Red shad is a good choice, as is red craw, and on sunny days, red chrome is a good color. Black-and-blue or black/pumpkinseed/chartreuse jigs with pork trailers 9- to 14-feet deep on stumps along Little River are still working. Brush hogs and white-and-chartreuse spinner baits worked slowly at 9- to14-feet deep are catching decent bass on stumps along the edges of the river. The best colors for tubes and brush hogs in the past few weeks seem to be black with red flake, smoke with a chartreuse tail, sour grape or pumpkinseed. Heavy, 5/8- to ¾-ounce spinner baits in spot remover or white-and-chartreuse color patterns in the remaining vegetation are taking fair keepers on shallow flats close to the river. The majority of the bass patterns remain very constant this time of year, but with the recent 10-degree temperature increase, the bass are becoming much more aggressive. The crappie bite has drastically improved since the water began clearing and the lake began falling over the last few weeks. Nice slabs have been taken on live shiners and jigs the last few days. Try fishing from 15- to 19-feet deep along Little River and in Horseshoe Lake above Jack's Isle on Little River. The best colors for jigs have been green, red or white. Blue catfish are good in Little River on trotlines baited with shiners and cut shad; be sure to fish in the current. Lines set approximately 17- to 20-feet deep just up off the bottom seem to be working the best. The water clarity in the river has improved to approximately 7 inches. Clarity is somewhat worse on the main lake due to increase in heavy current; it is around 4 to 5 inches. The northeastern sector of the lake remains extremely muddy with increased current and muddy water in the Saline River. Creeks and sloughs of Little River have begun clearing. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe and Mud Lake still have much better water visibility; their visibility reaches over 3 feet in places.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake conditions are normal. Bream fishing has improved using worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on yo-yos baited with minnows. Bass fishing is fair on plastic lizards.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is normal for this time of year. Crappie

are biting on yo-yos baited with minnows. Bream fishing has improved on worms and crickets.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait Shop said the lake is stained and low. Bream fishing and catfishing are both poor. Crappie are biting well about 15-feet deep on jigs over brush piles. Bass fishing is fair from 1- to 15-feet deep using crankbaits. White bass are schooling; try using top-water lures, spoons and jigs in the creek channels from 10- to 20-feet deep.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is muddy but at normal pool. Hybrids and whites are biting off the bank. Also, try trolling with Shad Raps from 11- to 12-feet deep.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake conditions are normal. Bream fishing is good about 8-feet deep using worms and crickets on the bottom. Crappie fishing is good from 3- to 4-feet deep in 8 to 10 feet of water; try using minnows over brush piles. Stripers are biting on live shad, crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps near the bottom. Largemouth bass are biting on jerk baits floated over brush piles or near points. Catfishing is good using cut shad. Cross Creek said the lake is murky but at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 8- to 10-feet deep on minnows and artificial bait fished over brush piles and near the docks. Bass fishing is good from 5- to 10-feet deep using jig-and-pig combos over rocky points.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is clearing up, and the level is fair. Crappie are biting fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting fair on spinner baits. Catfishing is slow on shad.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is 44- to 50 degrees. The water is clear, and the level is at 575.40 feet. Largemouth bass are still very good and these fish can be caught with red Rat-L-Traps, gray jigs and silver spoons. Jerk baits such as Rouges and Husky Jerks have been productive as well. Try main lake points and large bay pockets near creek channels in 20 to 30 feet of water. Walleye are fair to good with reports of these fish being caught up the river. Jigging spoons or jigs tipped with minnows are still the most effective. Try water depths of 8 to 20 feet. Stripers are still excellent on live bait, hair jigs or silver spoons. These fish are located in pockets and old creek channels. They are beginning their run up the river channels. White bass action is excellent in the river channels from 30- to 35-feet deep. Crappie are very 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 about 10-feet deep using minnows and jigs near the docks, over brush piles, around stumps or near rocky points. Stripers are biting from 15- to 18-feet deep on artificial bait. Black bass are biting from 8- to 10-feet deep on crankbaits and Husky Jerks over rocky points.

Lake Catherine: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said trout are hitting meal worm/Power Bait combinations and small silver spoons. The hottest fly patterns are beadhead Woolly Buggers and small Zug Bugs. Walleye are making their spawning run and are being taken on large jerk baits in the channel below the dam. Most of the fish being taken are males with the peak of the spawn still a week or two away.

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 upstream for the spawning run. Deep-running jerk baits are taking a few males. Catfish are hitting whole dead shad and live crawfish with some good jug 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 clear and almost at normal pool. Crappie are biting well on minnows, and some nice crappie have been picked up. Bass are biting really well on crankbaits and minnows. Catfishing is pretty good using worms and chicken liver where the river runs into the lake.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on wax worms just off the bank. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows and chartreuse jigs about 3½-feet deep in 8 feet of water. Bass fishing is good about 3½-feet deep using minnows. Catfishing is fair on yo-yos or trotlines baited with large minnows.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake level is normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Catfish and bass fishing are both good, and some saugeye are being taken.

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is murky and 3 feet above normal pool. Catfishing is good using cut bait and whole bait on the bottom. The Tackle Box said the river clarity is poor, and the river is still high. Crappie are biting well from 8- to 12-feet deep on minnows and jigs in deep water at Clear Creek, Mulberry Creek and White Creek. White bass are biting well from 8- to 12-feet deep on jigs and shad over brush.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said the lake is high. Crappie fishing is good using minnows and crappie jigs from a boat.

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the river is high and muddy.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting fair on minnows in the dam area.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake is muddy and high. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows. Bass fishing is fair using spinner baits.

Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said the river is falling at a rate of 3 feet a day.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake has been a little windy, but otherwise, the lake conditions are excellent. Some bream have been picked up on wax worms from 3- to 4-feet deep close to the bank. Crappie are biting well on minnows trolled in the current about 15-feet deep.

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page