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 March 9, 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: An effective method of fishing rivers for rainbow trout is to let your boat drift sideways and pull a small spoon, spinner or plug. Clip weight with a swivel a few feet above the lure. Let out enough line so the weight ticks the bottom.

 

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

            Little Rock City Parks: Community Fishing Program Coordinator Clifton Jackson said trout are still being stocked in Little Rock and Cabot. Water temperatures are still very cold, but the seasonal stockings will end sometime this month. Roostertails continue to very effective in ponds; Trout Magnets and pink Power Bait do very well in streams. 

 

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is stained and a foot below normal. Bream are biting well on wax worms and jigs fished on the bottom. Crappie are biting well on yoyos baited with minnows or chartreuse jigs. Bass are biting well on spinner baits and top-water lures.

 

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river clarity is good and the water level is normal. One generator is running. Trout are biting on wax worms with marshmallows or Power Bait, nightcrawlers, chartreuse marabou jigs or Trout Magnets.

 

Greers Ferry: Local fishing guide Tommy Cauley said fishing at Greers Ferry has been on and off for whites and hybrids but warmer days and nights will help the bite. The water level is slightly over normal pool. The water temperature is anywhere from 48 to 58 degrees on warm afternoons in the back of some pockets. The walleye fishing has been spotty, but some 9- to 10-pound females and several males are being caught at night. Since these fish are light sensitive, try throwing or trolling with rogues, walleye divers (in wild colors), deep-diving rebels or jigs tipped with minnows or night crawlers during the day. Crappie are around deep brush piles and biting pretty fair. Some crappie are being caught up shallow. The whites and hybrids can be caught with a number of baits, such as spoons, in-line spinners, grubs and Roostertails. Try using shad or white lures in clear water and chartreuse in stained water. The bite is best above the island in Middle Fork, in Devil’s Fork, on Point 14 and in the South Fork. Bass fishing is good in about 18 feet of water using a Carolina-rigged Rite Bite Lizard or Finesse Worm (green pumpkin or watermelon candy). As the water heats up, spinner baits are catching fish in the backs of some pockets in the afternoons. Rite Bite’s buzzing frog is catching a lot of black bass around standing timber. Rogues and pointers are effective around timber as well. Some spotted bass are mixed in with the blacks. If the frog or jerkbait fails to draw a bite, try a wacky-rigged or Texas-rigged Rite Bite Cinko behind it, and you can usually catch the ones you miss on them. The smallmouth are hitting Carolina rigs, as well as Rat-L-Traps and spinner baits burned over points and standing timber. Bait Master said the lake clarity is very good, and the level is normal. Bream are biting well about 20-feet deep on crickets and nightcrawlers fished around rocky points. Crappie fishing is excellent about 20-feet deep using small jigs and small live shiners around brush piles. Bass fishing is good; they are in pre-spawn mode. Bass are biting from 8- to 20-feet deep on spinner baits, crankbaits, plastic worms, jig-and-minnow combinations and jig-and-nightcrawler combinations. Hybrids are in pre-spawn; try fishing near the banks using top-water lures, soft plastics and Twistertails. Catfishing is good from 15- to 20-feet deep using nightcrawlers and live shiners on the lake flats. Walleye fishing is good from 10- to 15-feet deep using nightcrawlers, small jigs and shiners in the river arms. Shiloh Marina said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bass are biting well from 10- to 12-feet deep around rocky points. Walleye are biting well from 4- to 5-feet deep.

 

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 4- to 6-feet deep using minnows off the bank or around the dam. Bass are biting well on spinner baits.

 

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is clear, but the water is still cold. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets off the bank. Crappie are biting well in deep water on yoyos baited with minnows out in the lake or in the cove. Catfishing is fair using trotlines baited with minnows or chicken liver.

 

            Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said the lake clarity is good, and the level is normal. Crappie are biting well on minnows near brush piles or stumps about mid-lake. 

 

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river clarity is fair, and the river is down about 2 feet. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around the brush piles and stumps. For crappie, try fishing deep (around 16-feet deep) in the morning and shallow (around 3-feet deep) early in the afternoon. Bass fishing is fair at 4-feet deep using spinner baits or minnows around brush piles or rocky points. Catfish are biting well on yoyos or off the bottom using any bait. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting about 5-feet deep on yoyos baited with minnows or jigs in grape-and-white or red-and-white. Catfish are biting on yoyos or limb lines baited with nightcrawlers or chicken hearts and trotlines baited with chicken hearts or shad. Largemouth are biting well on white spinner baits and white trick worms. 

 

Big Maumelle River: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting at the old creek spillway. White bass are biting on minnows, CC Spoons or black-and-white shad imitator jigs.

 

Lake Cargile: Beeson’s Grocery said bass fishing is fair.

 

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass are biting well. Blacks are in their spring patterns and are located from 3- to 8-feet deep among the weeds. The north side of the lake is the best area; try using dark-colored crankbaits or spinner baits. Kentucky bass are moving to the west end of the lake and are being caught 10- to 15-feet deep on the channel edges. They are hitting 3-inch Pumpkin Grubs and CC Spoons. White bass fishing is excellent. They are moving to the west end of the lake and are staging for the spring run. Whites are being caught on both sides of the bridge. They are bunched up in the channels as the fronts come through and move shallow on the warm days. Roostertails, CC Spoons, Sassy Shads and Rogues with orange bellies are all working on the Whites. Catfishing is fair from 20- to 28-feet deep on large minnows or prepared baits. Crappie are biting fair in about 35-feet of water but are starting to move into shallower water and are being caught on small, 1/32-oz. jigs and pink minnows. Bream fishing is slow, but some are hitting on crickets and worms 30-feet deep.

 

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock No. 9 is 21,000 cubic feet per second with headwater at 286.16 feet and tailwater at 266.08 feet. When the water temperature reaches 55 degrees, whites and stripers will move into the mouths of the major creeks and into Flag Lake. For a good bite, try using firetiger-colored crankbaits that dive to 6 feet. Whites are also being taken below the dam. Black bass are mixed in with the whites. Kentuckies are biting well around the jetties from mid-day to dark. Try using red or firetiger, shallow-diving crankbaits. Catfish are biting well on the jetty tips and on the backside of the jetties. Try floating whole shad from 6- to 8-feet deep. Crappie are biting fair on live minnows from 8- to 12-feet deep around wood structure.

 

Arkansas River (Fourche Creek): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting on trolled minnows and 1/16-oz. white Roadrunners. Kentucky bass are biting on black-and-red Brush Hogs or bright red Rat-L-Traps. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers, chicken livers or limb lines.

 

Arkansas River (at White Oak): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting on minnows. Catfish are biting on yoyos or limb lines baited with chicken livers or chicken hearts.

 

Murray Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting on Patton Super Jigs, red-and-chartreuse mini jigs, white or chartreuse Twistertails or Southern Pro Hot Grubs. Catfish are biting on rice slicks, shad and nightcrawlers.

 

Palarm Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfish are biting on limb lines or trotlines baited with nightcrawlers or shad. Crappie are biting fair to good on minnows or mini jigs in pink-and-white or red-and-chartreuse.

 

Pickthorne Lake: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the lake is murky and at normal pool. Crappie fishing is fair to good from 3- to 5-feet deep using minnows in the middle of the lake around brush piles and stumps. Catfishing is fair using nightcrawlers.

 

Bradford Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting fair on crickets. Crappie are biting well from 7- to 9-feet deep on crappie minnows. Bass are biting well from 7- to 9-feet deep on crappie minnows.

 

Tom’s Lake: Shirley’s Bait said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing is fair using crickets. Crappie fishing is good; try fishing from 7- to 9-feet deep using crappie minnows. Bass fishing is good using crappie minnows.

 

 

NORTH ARKANSAS:

 

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river clarity is good, and the level is low. However, trout fishing is good. If you are fly-fishing, try using sow bugs, olive-colored Wooly Buggers, nightcrawlers or Yellow Power Eggs. If you are spin fishing, try Roostertails, spoons or Power Eggs.

 

White River (near Goshen): McLellan’s Fly Shop said white bass are definitely in the early stages of their annual spawning run. There are daily reports of small males and larger females being taken by fly fishermen. It won’t be long until fly fishers start hooking fifty or sixty-plus white bass a day! However, be sure to have plenty of Clouser Minnows, Jiggies and Crazy Dads in your fly box. It’s amazing how fast the white bass, not to mention the stumps and rocks in the river, can chew up flies. The best flies have been:  Crazy Dad in Olive, Pumpkin and Orange (size 8), Jiggy in Olive and Shad-color (size 6), Hot Head Jiggy in White, Tan, Chartreuse and Firetiger (size 6) and Cap’n Tim in Olive (size 4).

 

Bull Shoals Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said Bull Shoals tailwater generation has been cut nearly in half over the past week. Look for wadeable water especially on the weekend. After all the high water, the trout are used to eating a lot. In the faster riffles and runs, drift a scud, sow bug, mayfly nymph or caddis pupa under a strike indicator. March is the start of the major caddis season on the White River, so be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box. Pupa patterns like the Z-Wing Caddis and the new Graphic Caddis are some of our favorites; as for dry fly patterns, it is hard to beat the classic Elk Hair Caddis, but new versions like Rainy’s Foam-Body Elk Hair Caddis and the flashy Pearl-and-Elk are productive new twists on the original. Shad patterns like White Zonkers and the Arkansas Conehead are still producing several quality trout when drifted under large strike indicators with heavy split shot. 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) Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 to 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 to 16), Elk Hair Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), E-Z Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4) White Zonker (size 6), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), San Juan Worm (size 10) and Micro Eggs (size 14).

 

             North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been cut back significantly, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. After two months of high water, the trout are in very good shape. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles; tie on a size 16 scud or sow bug. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has also been excellent. The best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 14 to 16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (sizes 14 to 18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (sizes 16 to 20), Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Rojo Midge (size 22), Mercury Blood Midge (size 20 to 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

 

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the daytime temperatures this week have been warm. However, the nighttime temperatures have still been on the cool side. Lake temperatures have cooled down to 45 degrees in some areas. The rest of the lake is still 47 to 49 degrees with the warmer water on the northern banks in the northern pockets and in the northern and western sides of the coves. This week's lake level is at 653.65 feet. Lake clarity remains around 15 to16 feet with a green tint. Crappie continue to suspend over the tops of crappie cribs and brush piles; they are holding between 12- and 18-feet deep. Crappie minnows on a small slip bobber and Bobby Garland's Swimming Minnows have worked well. Some white bass are still showing up from time to time in the back of the northern creeks. The best baits are ¼-ounce Road Runners and ½-ounce spoons. Largemouth bass are still roaming northern banks and points, but they are staying close to deep water. Crankbaits and slow-rolled spinner baits were still the baits of choice last week. Spider jigs and football jigs around transition banks and channel swings have worked well on the staging largemouth. Smallmouth bass are holding in 18 to 30+ feet of water off long pea gravel points and large boulder rock banks. Crankbaits and tubes are working well on these fish. Kentucky bass are moving with the shad into the pockets and coves off the main lake, and they are also moving into the cuts of the creek arms. Spoons are still the best way to catch a few Kentuckies. Spend some time graphing and you will find them. Walleye are still in 32 to 44 feet of water with a few moving up to check out spawning areas. Reef Runners and Glass Shad are the best lures if pulled on lead core line. Some of the shallower walleye can be caught on crawler harnesses with bright blades. Lead Hill Boat Dock said crappie are biting well in shallow water.

 

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. However, the water in the creek arms is stained. Crappie are biting well on minnows and crappie jigs. In dingy water, try fishing for crappie from 5- to 12-feet deep, and in clear water, try fishing from 10- to 20-feet deep. Bass are biting well on crankbaits, jigs and jerkbaits. Stripers and walleye are biting from 10- to 15-feet deep in clear water using jerkbaits. Whites are moving into the creek; try using swimming minnows or blade baits.

 

 

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

 

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 5- to 15-feet deep on minnows and tube jigs over brush piles. Bass are biting well all over the lake on spinner baits, crankbaits and jerkbaits. Stripers are biting on live shad in the river arm.

 

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well about 10-feet deep on minnows. Black bass are biting from 10- to 12-feet deep on Jig-and-pig combos. White bass are biting well about 10-feet deep on spinner baits and grubs. Southtown Sporting Goods said the water temperature is 49 degrees. Crappie are biting well from 6- to 18-feet deep using minnows around stumps in the creeks. Bass fishing is fair from 7- to 10-feet deep using crankbaits around brush in the creeks. Stripers are biting on jigs and minnows.

 

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well from 4- to 8-feet deep on minnows and jigs fished near brush piles or stumps. Bass are biting well on spinner baits from 4- to 8-feet deep near brush or rocky points. Whites are biting behind the dam on minnows.

 

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said striper fishing is hot in the War Eagle area of Beaver Lake as well as up in the Indian Creek area. Walleye fishing reports are good from Beaver Town upriver and up in the King's River arm. Crappie fishing reports are good, but will get better as the water warms up a few more degrees. White bass are hot in the War Eagle arm of Beaver but still slow around the north end of the lake. Trout fishing is very good on worms and marshmallows. Ginger Micro jigs and wax worms are hot, and silver spoons and spinners are fairly enticing. McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been reduced considerably over the past week providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. With all the high water over the past two months, the trout are fat, healthy and eager to bite. Scuds and sow bugs as well as midge pupa patterns have been the most productive; soft-hackle action is starting to heat up as well. Outside of the catch-and-release area, try swinging a tandem of soft hackles slowly across the current. The best flies have been:  McLellan’s Hunchback Scud, Gray and Olive (size 14 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Rojo Midge (size 22), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), March Brown Spider (size 14) and Red Ass (size 16).

 

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are slow in the deep pools on tube baits and assorted plastics. Walleye are biting on the north end on live minnows and Rapalas.

 

 

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

 

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is stained and high. Crappie are biting fair on minnows fished in deep water near stumps. Smallmouth bass fishing is fair.

 

Spring River: Local fisherman Gary Salard said smallmouth bass are biting well on minnows in the deep holes along the bottom. A few walleyes are being caught

after dark in deep holes as well. Trout fishing is still slow, but yellow Power Baits are producing a few fish.

 

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

 

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the lake is muddy and low. Bream are biting fair from 4- to 5-feet deep on wax worms over brush piles. Crappie are biting fair from 8- to 10-feet deep on jigs.

 

Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are biting well from 4- to 5-feet deep on jigs near brush piles. Catfishing is fair using worms on the bottom.

 

Mississippi River: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said the river is muddy and at 39 feet.

 

Old Town Lake: Old Town Fish Camp said the lake conditions are perfect. The lake temperature is 50 degrees. Crappie fishing is really good using blue-and-white or black-and-white jigs or yoyos baited with minnows. Bass are biting well on spinner baits. Catfishing is good using yoyos baited with minnows.

 

 

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

 

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 49 to 58 degrees. The lake level is approximately 6½ inches above normal pool and falling. The lake clarity has improved, and the lake current has slowed down. The release rate with two gates open at 1 foot and one gate open 1/2 foot is 1,007 cubic feet per second. The lake elevation is 259.75 feet. Largemouth bass remain very good on red or orange Rat-L-Traps. A 10.8-pound largemouth bass was caught last week, and many 7- to 9-pound fish have been caught in the last two weeks. Fish the Rat-L-Traps slowly and deliberately on points in Little River around stumps in 5- to 9-feet drop-offs. The lipped, Divin-Rat-L-Traps in orange craw along with various craw-colored crankbaits are still taking good keeper bass on points in Little River. The jig bite has subsided in the last few weeks because the bass are beginning to roam around and move in and out of shallow areas close to deep water. Black bass remain fair to good on Bass Assassin Shads and Carolina rigged-Zoom lizards in green pumpkin or pumpkinseed with a chartreuse tail. A 10- to 12-inch Power Worm in red shad, june bug or blue fleck continues to take keepers along the river drop offs. Brush Hogs and lizards in black-and-blue, blackberry and Castaic-choice colors or white-and-chartreuse spinner baits fished about 9- to 14-feet deep are catching decent size bass on stumps along the edges of the river. Fish are beginning to transition from winter haunts (depths greater than 10 feet) to spring time pre-spawn positions around the lake and in the river. A heavy spinner bait in white-and-chartreuse or firetiger has produced some fish along the river edges on scattered stumps in 8 to 10 feet of water. The larger bass remain slightly deeper in the creeks, and closer to the deeper haunts of the river drops at the creek mouths or points dumping into Little River. The majority of the bass patterns remain very constant this time of year. Crappie also continue to transition to shallow spawning areas.  Nice slab catches have been taken on live shiners and jigs fished from 12- to 15-feet deep around planted brush piles in Little River. Blue cats remain good in the current of Little River on trotlines baited with cut shad and chicken livers. Lines set approx 13- to 17-feet deep seem to work the best. Water clarity in the river is approximately  8- to 10-inches. Clarity is somewhat worse on the main lake and around Saline inflow. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Cemetary Slough, etc, still have much better water visibility; the visibility is more than 3 feet in places.  

 

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake conditions are normal. Some nice bream have been biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on jigs and yoyos baited with shiners. Bass fishing is fair using just about anything in shallow water.

 

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake level and clarity are normal. Bream fishing is good using worms and crickets. Some nice fish have been taken. Crappie fishing is good on jigs or on yoyos baited with shiners. Bass are biting fair.

 

            White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said crappie and bass fishing is fair using minnows and jigs.

 

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait Shop said the clarity is good, but the lake is low. Crappie are biting well from 8- to 10-feet deep on minnows and jigs fished around brush piles. Bass are biting fair from 4- to 10-feet deep on spinner baits, crankbaits and plastic worms. Walleye are biting from 2- to 10-feet deep on small jigs and crankbaits toward the river.

 

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said crappie are biting well from 5- to 6-feet deep on jigs and live bait off the bank. Bass fishing is good. DeGray Lake Resort Marina said the lake is clear and down about 5 to 6 feet. Crappie are biting well from 12- to 15-feet deep; try trolling. Bass are biting well from 12- to 15-feet deep. DeGray One Stop said bream are biting deep on worms and small jigs. Crappie have moved into shallow water and are biting well on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Bass are biting well in the morning from 18- to 28-feet on crankbaits or jigs in black-and-blue or brown-and-yellow. In the afternoon, bass are biting Rogues fished from 6- to 8-feet deep. Kentucky bass are hitting Rat-L-Traps. Whites and hybrids are biting on Roostertails, Sassy Shads and spoons on flats around Point Cedar. Catfish are biting well on live bait fished deep and slow.

 

Little Missouri River: Local fly-fishing guide Jeff Guerin said fishing is excellent. Try the low water area. Fish working in every little nook and cranny. Start with A&W to fish the shallows. There have been a lot of caddis out fluttering about the water, so try a Smidge. There have been March Browns about, but the fish aren’t on them any more than they were the caddis.

 

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

 

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is stained, and the level is fluctuating. Crappie fishing is good from 1- to 3-feet deep using minnows. Bass fishing is good using plastic lizards and jigs. The bass appear to be moving into shallow water. Catfishing is fair using cut or whole shad on the bottom.

 

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the lake clarity is fair, and the level is low. Crappie fishing is fair about 4-feet deep using minnows and jigs near brush piles. Bass fishing is poor, but a few fish were picked up on jig-and-pig combos and plastic worms in the creeks. Catfishing is poor using shad and chicken liver on the bottom.

 

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is between 48 and 54 degrees, and the water is clearing. The lake level is 573.27 feet. Largemouth bass are good, but have slowed a little. These fish can be caught with red rattle traps, gray jigs and white spinnerbaits. Jerk baits such as rouges and husky jerks have been productive as well. Try main lake points and large bay pockets near creek channels for best results in 15 - 25 feet of water. Soft plastics are getting good reports as well. Walleye are fair with reports of these fish still being caught up the rivers. Crank baits or jigs tipped with minnows are still the most effective. Try water depths of 8 - 20 feet. Stripers are fair on live bait, hair jigs or silver spoons. These fish are staging in pockets and old creek channels. These fish are moving up the river channels. White bass action is fair in the river channels from 20 - 25 feet deep. Bream are fair on crickets or worms. Crappie are good and still being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2 inch grubs and minnows. Try main lake points and large moss flats 8 to 20 feet deep. The best colors are still white, silver and Tennessee shad.

 

Lake Catherine: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said trout fishing is excellent. Trout are now beginning to concentrate below the dam and for a couple of miles downstream. Power Bait, wax worms and marshmallow, red worms and small shad like crank bait or silver spoons are taking trout. Crappie are being taken using small shiners fished three to five feet deep. Bass are hitting deep running crank baits and live crawfish, with most of the action around the cliffs across from the sand bar. Catfish are going for large shiners, cut shad and whole dead shad fished three to five feet deep. Some good action is being found between the bridge and Thunderbird Beach.

 

Lake Hamilton: Dozhier’s Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said some nice white bass catches are coming from Hot Springs Creek, around the fish hatchery and the mouth of the Little Mazarn. Small spinner baits, spoons and live shiners are all working well. Crappie are being found on the deep side of established brush piles and artificial fish structures and going for jigs and small shiners. Bass are hitting deep running crank baits, slow rolled spinner baits and jigs. Some stripers and hybrids are mixed in with the whites and are being taken using large flukes and Red Fins.

 

            Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie fishing is good from 5- to 10-feet deep using minnows around brush piles or stumps. Bass fishing is good about 5-feet deep using plastic worms or minnows. Catfishing is fair using worms and chicken liver off the bank.

 

            Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well off the bank; try using wax worms. Crappie are biting fair on minnows in the coves about 3½-feet deep. Bass are biting well on black-and-blue jigs in shallow water; they appear to be bedding up. Catfish are biting well on limb lines baited with minnows.

 

            Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at normal level for the first time this year. Crappie fishing great, between 5 to 17 feet and around brush tops, and are being caught on minnows, black/chartreuse, pink/white and red/chartreuse jigs. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets. Bass are good on worms and spinnerbaits. Catfish are good using worms and yo-yo's baited with minnows.

 

            Arkansas River (at Dam 13): Cross Creek said the river is stained. Crappie are biting fair on jigs from 5- to 10-feet deep. Blue catfish are biting fair on shad fished on the bottom.

           

            Blue Mountain Lake: The Tackle Box said crappie fishing is excellent using jigs and minnows from 2- to 20-feet deep.

 

 

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

 

            Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said the lake level is down some. Crappie are biting well on shiners.

 

            Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn & Bait said crappie are biting fair on minnows from 8- to 10-feet deep around brush piles. Bass are biting fair on minnows around rocky points and brush.

 

EAST ARKANSAS:

 

            Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake clarity is good, and the level is normal. Crappie are biting fair on yoyos baited with minnows set from 2- to 4-feet deep. Catfishing is fair using yoyos.

 

            Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on red worms around brush piles and stumps. Crappie are biting well on minnows and black-and-green jigs around the brush piles. Bass are biting well on spinner baits around the cypress trees. Catfish are biting well on minnows and nightcrawlers.

 

            Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at a normal level. Crappie are biting about 18-feet deep on trolled minnows or jigs.

 

Mississippi River: Arkansas Outdoors said the river is high and muddy. Catfishing is good using trotlines baited with cut shad.

 

Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said catfish are biting well on trotlines baited with cut shad.

 

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake conditions are excellent. The lake temperature is 51 degrees. Bream are biting really well on red worms or wax worms in shallow water around the piers and in the bayous. Crappie are biting really well. For crappie, try fishing about 15-feet deep in the middle of the lake trolling with minnows or try fishing 7-feet deep with black-and-chartreuse jigs around the piers. Some bass are biting, but the lake temperature may still be too low for a good bite. Catfish are being picked up while fishing for crappie and bream.