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 August 3, 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: In an effort to familiarize new anglers with the huge variety of lures available, we will be using the fishing tip section to describe a new lure every week.

Buzzbait - The buzzbait is one of the most exciting lures to fish in the box. It consists of a wire body, a rubber-legged skirt and a large propeller-like blade that churns the surface of the water. Getting started with a buzzbait is as easy as casting it out to shallow-water cover and reeling it back in, keeping it on the surface. The strike usually comes within the first 10 yards of the retrieve. Give the fish a second or two after the strike to set the hook. Buzzbaits are best during low-light hours of the day any time the water temperature is higher than 70 degrees, but they can catch fish any time of day. Examples of buzzbaits include the Booyah Buzz, Strike King Pro Buzz, Lunker Lure Buzzbaits, and Scum Frog's Thunder Toad.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Little Rock City Parks: Community Fishing Program Coordinator Clifton Jackson said the last catfish stockings of the season took place last week. Benton City Pond, Kiwanis Park, Hindman Park, Boyle Park and the Youth and Seniors Pond at War Memorial Park were stocked with catchable catfish.

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake clarity is not good and the water level is low. Bream are spawning along the banks in 18 to 20 inches of water. Try Dynamax Jigs, red worms or crickets for some good action in the mornings. Catfishing is good on stinkbait, magic bait and chicken livers. Bass fishing is good 30- to 40-feet away from the bank on spinnerbaits, Horny Toads and buzzbaits fished near and in the pads. The best action is early in the morning.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river is low with one to two generators running every afternoon. The trout bite has been good on wax worms and chartreuse Power Bait as well as corn. AGFC staff said expect generation in the afternoons, exercise caution while wading. Try chartreuse Power Eggs and nightcrawlers in the evenings. When the dam isn't running, there are some great afternoon dry fly opportunities around JFK Park. Try a Griffin's Gnat or an ant pattern, cast downstream and watch for the rise.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the only good fishing has been at night lately. The heat has kept the fishermen off the lake and the daytime bite extremely slow. Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level at Greers ferry is at 456.26. The hybrid fishing is good and bad. Artificial baits in bream and river shad patterns are working well, especially at night. The walleye are still biting pretty fair at 33 feet on back-trolled nightcrawlers. White bass are schooling all over the lake, be ready with a small popper or Roadrunner to cast into the frenzy. The catfishing continues to be as hot as the weather. Bream and crappie are biting fair over brush piles on any live bait. The bass fishing is good in the early mornings and late evenings. With the cooler weather and generation, many big largemouths are schooling across the lake. Top-water lures are working well in the morning with most anglers switching to Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigged French fries in 20 to 40 feet of water during the day.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is clear and low. Bream are good on worms and crickets fished in brush piles and stumps around 4-feet deep. Bas fishing is good in the mornings and afternoons on spinnerbaits and soft-plastics fished against the stumps. Catfishing is excellent at night on minnows and worms in 6 feet of water.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the water is clear and at a low level. Bream are fair on the banks and in the shallows on worms and crickets fished near any available brush. Catfishing is fair on trotlines baited with minnows and chicken livers.

Cadron Creek: Wooster Grocery said the fishing has been slow. Bream are fair around any shoreline structure. Bass are fair on the first drop from the bank. Crappie fishing has been poor.

Fourche Creek: Hatchet Jacks said bass are fair on red Bomber crankbaits and Carolina-rigged 4-inch worms.

Little Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jacks said bass are fair early in the morning on top-water lures and later in the day on white flukes. Catfishing is good on yo-yos baited with rice slicks and shad.

Palarm Creek: Hatchet Jacks said bass are fair black and red Flukes and tubes. Catfishing is good on live shad and nightcrawlers.

Big Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jacks said bream are fair in the shallows. White bass are fair around the old spillway on large minnows. Catfishing is picking up on trotlines baited with live minnows.

Murray Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jacks said white bass are good just outside of the current. Catfish are fair on live bait.

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said the water level is low and the fishing is fair. Bream are biting OK around any shallow brush. Bass have been good early and late in the day on spinnerbaits and top-water lures.

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said bass are biting well on white bucktails.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is murky and the fishing has been poor.

Lake Cargile: Beeson's Grocery said the lake is clear and low. Fishing has been extremely slow for the last few weeks.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger's Marina said largemouth bass are fair, with the hot weather driving fish to deeper water. Early and late in the day, the fish are in the weedline out to 15 feet of water. They are hitting top-water lures and spinnerbaits. Once the sun comes up, drop back to 20 feet of water and fish Carolina rigs, tubes and drop-shotted lures. Kentucky bass are biting well in 20 to 25 feet of water on 3-inch pumpkin grubs, worms and tubes. White bass have been schooling from the marina east to Three-fingers cove. Top-water lures, Rooster Tails, and spoons are all working well. Catfishing is good in 25 feet of water on large minnows and prepared baits. Reports on bream are good. Bream are hitting crickets and worms around 20-feet deep.

Arkansas River: Charley's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said Flow from Lock 9 is 13,000 cubic feet per second with headwater at 284.49 and tailwater at 265.30. Striper fishing at locks 8 and 9 is strong on the tailwater side of the dams from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Try using spoons and live bait along the bottom. Bream fishing is good up the Petit Jean River, Point Remove Creek and Flagg Lake. Use crickets in the grasslines and around the stumps in 3 to 6 feet of water. Kentucky bass are good in the evenings on dark-colored buzzbaits and in the early mornings on crayfish-colored Storm Wiggle Warts. You'll find the active Kentuckies in 2- to 6-foot deep water around the jetties. Largemouth bass are fair on the channel drops and are going for tube lures and Carolina-rigged worms. White bass have been good lately around the sand bars just off the main channel. Fish the downriver side of the bars with drop baits like Sonic Flashes and Mann's Little George. Catfish are good at night, drifting main channels with live shad.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said bass fishing has been poor, but a few have been caught on crankbaits in front of the current breaks. Catfishing is good on trotlines and limb lines baited with live shad.

Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the hot weather has kept the anglers off the lake, so no report this week. Hatchet Jacks said bream fishing is good on crickets and red worms fished around the stumps. Bass have been good on crankbaits and Carolina rigs on the fish attractors. Catfishing is good along the levee on chicken livers.

Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said catfishing is excellent on nightcrawlers.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill's Outdoor Sports said the bream fishing is fair on white Rooster Tails and crickets. Bass have been good on brightly colored top-water lures.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: McLellan's Fly Shop said some days last week saw a few hours of low water in the morning, with generators not coming online until 11 a.m. In the faster riffles and runs, drift a scud, sow bug, mayfly nymph or caddis pupa under a strike indicator. The catch-and-release area immediately below the dam has been fishing especially well lately. Caddis action is still hot on the White, so be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box. Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. The Berkley Power Egg bite has been good in yellow and pink or orange and Belgian red worms. Buoyant Spoons and Little Cleos are the bait of choice during generation. The fly fishermen did well on olive and black Woolly Buggers, tungsten beadhead midges, soft hackles and scuds. The brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Heddon Flatfish and nightcrawlers or red worms.

North Fork River: McLellan's Fly Shop said on most days, generation has been coming online around 2 p.m., providing plenty of wading opportunities. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles. Many trout are being hooked on terrestrials. Best flies have been: McLellan's Hunchback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (14-16), Flashback Scud Tan, Olive and Gray (12-16), McLellan's Woven Sow Bug (14-16), Graphic Caddis Tan and Olive (14-18), Skip Nymph (14-18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (16-20), Beadhead Hare's Ear Nymph (14-18), Mercury Brassie (18-20), Rojo Midge (22), Mercury Blood Midge (20-22), Red Jujubee Midge (20-22), Johnny Flash (20-24), Mercury Black Beauty (20-22), Gray Mercury Midge (20-22), Black Wooly Sculpin(4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (4), Swimming Jimmy (4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the cold front last week dropped surface temperatures from 88 degrees down to 84.8 degrees, and the thermocline has moved from 35 feet to 30 feet. The lake level was pulled down this week and is at 650.38. Oxygen levels were checked on the lake this week by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists. The numbers were amazing, the highest level was at 30 feet and there are safe levels all the way down to 125 feet, so that means game fish can go anywhere they want. Crappie picked up a little. They moved back toward the brush piles hanging around 28-feet. Crappie minnows are working the best along with crappie tubes and Bobby Garland's Swimming Minnows. Largemouth bass continue to feed early in the morning and throughout the night. Buzzbaits, along and around secondary points, are working well. The bite is over when the sunlight hits the water. Carolina rigs and football jigs should come into play during the day in the next few weeks. Smallmouth bass are still using rock banks and boulder banks, but they have slipped down into the thermocline and are positioning themselves under the ledges and boulders. The bite is slow. Best baits are tubes, Brush Hogs and Spider Jigs. There are some smallies up on the banks in the morning chasing bluegill and shad. Top-water stickbaits, poppers and buzzbaits will trigger a few strikes. Kentucky bass have not changed; they are still moving with the shad. Graph channel swing points and the middle of main lake cuts and pockets for schools of Kentuckies. Vertical fishing a drop shot or spoon is the best method for triggering some strikes. Walleye have been active throughout the week in 29 to 32 feet of water along pea rock points and banks and long transition banks. Leeches and crawlers have been the best baits on harnesses with bottom bouncers. The bite has been on all day and some nice limits have been caught. The bite for the long liners has been so-so on Reef Runners and Glass Shad. The suspending walleye don't seem to be as active as the walleye in shallower water.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is low and clear. Crappie fishing is good at night along the banks fishing jigs and minnows underneath lights. Bass are good early in the morning on spinnerbaits and top-water lures and are biting very well at night on dark-colored soft plastics. Catfish are excellent on trotlines baited with worms, blood bait, chicken livers and hot dogs. The morning walleye bite is fair, with most of the marble-eyes being taken on slab spoons. Trolling cranks in the evening is also bringing in a few fish. Stripers and hybrids are fair early in the morning on spoons and trolled umbrella rigs. Bream fishing is excellent along the banks on wax worms, red worms and crickets.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is clear and low. Crappie fishing has been fair, trolling Storm Hot-N-Tots and fishing minnows on deep brush piles. Bass are fair at night on black spinnerbaits and dark soft plastics. Early in the morning, the bass will hit a top-water lure as well. Bream are good on red worms and crickets. Beaver Dam Store said hot weather and drought conditions have taken a toll on area lakes. Beaver Lake is hovering around the 1113.5-foot mark because of power generation and lack of rain. Fishing is best during the evening. Beaver's fish have been less than cooperative over the past week according to most reports, but a few catfish are being caught on trotlines baited with perch or crawfish. Stripers are a bit on the reluctant side as well and late night or pre-dawn seems to be best trolling heavy bucktail jigs around the dam, Dam Site Island and Honey Creek areas.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the water is stained and low. Fishing has been extremely slow for all species with the summer heat setting in.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is low and at normal clarity. Bream fishing is excellent on red worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. The bass reports have been picking up.

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said trout fishing in the tailwaters has been decent, if you're up early. Nightcrawlers pumped with air have been excellent. Also, several good reports have come from a glitter Power Bait/wax worm combo. Paul Bertrand access ramp and Spider Creek areas are providing better fishing. Spin fishermen are using Rebel Teeny Crawfish, Super Dupers and gold spoons around the boat ramp. P.J.'s 1/50th-ounce olive jig, suspended under a clear float and tipped with a wax worm is another excellent method to tempt some hungry trout. Fly fishers are doing fairly well with Jujubee midges (size 20); Rainbow Warriors (sizes 18 to 20); Beadhead Olive Flashback Pheasant Tail nymphs (sizes 16 to 18); and Quasimoto Pheasant Tail nymphs (sizes 18 to 20). Generation patterns have been fairly consistent with runs starting around mid-day and off around 7 p.m. McLellan's Fly Shop said generation has been coming on around noon most days, providing some wading opportunities in the mornings. Scuds, sow bugs and midge pupa patterns have been the most productive, with soft-hackle action starting to heat up as well. More trout are falling for terrestrials - grasshoppers, ants and beetles - and it will only get better as summer continues. Some favorite terrestrial patterns are the Club Sandwich, the Grand Hopper, the Charlie Boy Hopper, Chernobyl Ant and Rainy's Ant in black and cinnamon.

Buffalo River: The river is low and stained. Bream are excellent on red worms from 4- to 6-feet deep fished around the rocky outcroppings. Bass fishing has been excellent at night on top-water lures practically anywhere on the river. Catfishing has been good at night on worms and chicken livers.

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said river is still very low. Floaters will have to drag most shoals. The fishing has been incredible. Black/brown hula grubs worked around current breaks are taking fish. Watermelon and green pumpkin are good colors as well. Buzzbaits, Tiny Torpedoes and Pop-R's have been the main smallmouth and rock bass takers. Sunfish are hitting small topwaters and crickets. Catfish are hitting chicken livers and nightcrawlers.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

White River: The combination of hot weather and low water has kept the fishermen off the river for the last few weeks.

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is low. Bream fishing is good on crickets around the brush. Crappie fishing is poor on minnows. Catfish are biting well on stinkbait and chicken livers.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the water is murky and low. Bream fishing has been good on crickets in the pockets of the river. Bass fishing is fair in the mornings around current breaks. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and rice slicks.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is clear and at normal level. Trout fishing is excellent on Power Bait and Nightcrawlers.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said the bream are biting tiny tube jigs fished near the stumps, but most of the activity is early or late in the day.

Grand Lake: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are fair on jigs tipped with small minnows.

Arkansas River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said catfishing is fair on rice slicks.

Lake Monticello: Outdoor Super Store said bream have been biting well around 7-feet deep early in the morning. The best action has been on crickets.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is 87 to 90 degrees and the lake is at 259.33 feet and falling. Discharge is 1,160 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass are good during low-light hours on various top-water lures, buzzbaits and soft-plastic topwaters like Bass Assassin Shads and Zoom Horny Toads. Johnson gold spoons (on cloudy days) and chrome spoons (on sunny days) with white grub trailers are taking nice size keepers in lily pad edges, coontail moss and hydrilla. During heat of the day, switch to medium-diving cranks like a Cordell Big O, in shad pattern or white, and work it slowly along the deeper river ledges and lily pad lines. Berkley Power Worms in Junebug or red shad are working in the creek mouths into Little River around 8- to 11-feet deep. Carolina Rigs are also working in Little River along the creek mouths, cuts, washouts and current-cut steps from 10- to 12-feet deep. Crappie fishermen on the lake this week were catching fair-sized, 1- to 2-pound crappie on live shiners or jigs around 13- to 17-feet deep on shiners. The best bite remains prior to 10a.m., and very few crappie fishermen out after then. The channel catfish bite remains fair on blood bait and Catfish Charlie on yo-yos under cypress trees in 9-10 feet depths. White bass were periodically schooling in Little River the last few days, and are hitting Chuck-n-spins, ¼-oz Rat-L-Traps and Rocket Shads.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the lake is stained and low. Crappie are biting fair in 10 to 12 feet of water on shiners and silver crankbaits. Bas fishing is good in 6 to 8 feet of water on tequila sunrise and Junebug colored soft-plastics. Bream are good in 3 to 4 feet on crickets and red wigglers. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers fished in 5 to 6 feet of water.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is low and fishing is extremely slow. Catfish are fair on chicken livers.

White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said the lake is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is excellent on minnows and jigs fished near the shallow brush piles. Bass fishing is good on soft-plastic worms fished in the brush.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the water is dropping. Bream fishing is poor, with a few fish being caught on crickets in 5 to 8 feet of water. Bass are schooling early and late in the day and are being caught on crankbaits and top-water lures during the feeding frenzy. Catfishing is fair on minnows and chicken livers. Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is at 539.55 feet. Black bass are in brush around creek channels topping off at 12 feet and dropping to 25 feet. Soft-plastics worked slowly along the channel ledges are catching a few fish. Crappie are in the brush from 12 to 25 feet of water and are hitting minnows and jigs. Bream are in 8 to 15 feet of water. Catfishermen are doing well on chicken liver and live bait in 6 to 25 feet of water. Stripers and white bass are beginning to break the surface in small schools right at daybreak.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is murky and low at the west end. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, top-water lures and soft-plastics around rocky points. DeGray Lake Resort Marina said hybrids are good in the deep water around the middle of the lake on live shad. DeGray One Stop said the lake is clear and still falling. Bream are holding on deep weed edges in 25 to 35 feet of water. Crappie fishing has been good at night on minnows suspended around channel bends and rocky points. Bass are fair on floating worms, spinnerbaits and top-water lures fished around the moss beds. Catfish are fair on live bait in 8 to 18 feet of water. Hybrids and white bass are schooling early and late and are being caught on Rooster Tails, spoons and Near Nothings.

Little Missouri River: The generator work is scheduled to be complete in mid-August. Unfortunately with the summer heat, most of the trout have disappeared. Stockings won't resume until the generator work is completed.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is low with normal clarity. Bream are biting well from 3 to 5 feet deep on crickets around rocky points. Bass are fair on crankbaits and jig-and-pig combos fished near rocky points. A few stripers are being caught on large slab spoons. Catfishing is good early and late in the day on stinkbait, shad and shrimp. Cross Creek said bream fishing is good. Bass fishing is fair in 3 to 5 feet of water on white and chartreuse spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on live bait, blood bait and stinkbait.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the clarity is fair with the varying river level. Bream have been fair from 4- to 5-feet deep on red worms and crickets on any available structure. Catfishing is good on live shad fished in the slack water. Bass are fair around 12 feet deep on deep diving crankbaits and slow-rolled spinnerbaits near the riprap.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the lake is at 570.66 feet. Largemouth bass are slow to fair early and late in the day. They are still being caught on large Texas-rigged soft-plastic worms like Zoom Old Monsters and Speed Worms in strawberry, watermelon with red flake and redbug. The top-water action is slowing, but some fish are still coming up for prop baits and small stickbaits. Try main lake points near creek channels around 12- to 20-feet deep. Walleye are slow with a few fish being caught on silver spoons, 3-inch grubs and silver Rat-L-Traps around brush piles on main lake points in 10 to 25 feet of water. Stripers are good on hair jigs and live bait around the eastern end of the lake. Early and late in the day, try Brady Mountain, Spillway and Yorktown Bays. Bream are good on crickets and red wigglers around 12 to 20 feet of water in the coves. Crappie are fair with a few being caught on feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows around brush piles and moss flats from 15- to 35-feet deep. Catfishing is good on live bait, hot dogs and cut bait 10- to 20-feet deep. Cross Creek said bream fishing is good on red wigglers and crickets. Bass fishing is fair on top-water lures in the mornings. Blood bait has picked up quite a few catfish during the low-light hours of the day. Trader Bill's Sport Shop said bass fishing has been good on top-water lures like the Zara Spook in the mornings and on Texas-rigged soft-plastics at night. Most of the bass are holding in 15 feet of water. Stripers are picking up in the early morning on live bait. Most of the striper action is finished by 7:30 or 8 a.m. Bream are good in the moss beds on crickets.

Lake Catherine: Trader Bill's Sport Shop said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are good in 5 feet of water on crickets and red wigglers. Bass fishing is good on the lower end of the lake on Texas-rigged worms fished in brush piles in 10 feet of water. 1/8-ounce buzzbaits are also working over the rocks. Lake Catherine State Park said the water is semi-clear and at normal level. Bream fishing is excellent from the shoreline out to 8-feet deep on crickets and worms. Bass have been fair early and late in the day.

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill's Sport Shop said a few bass are being caught on the lower end of the lake using Texas-rigged strawberry worms in 10 feet of water. Early in the morning, try a 1/8-ounce buzzbait near rock piles and docks. Most of the good bite is over by 9 a.m.

Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs fished in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bass are good and can be found schooling in the mornings. Buzzbaits and worms are working well. Bream are good on crickets fished 4- to 5-feet deep. Trotliners are catching a few catfish on live bait.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is low with normal clarity. Bream are excellent on crickets and worms around 3-feet deep. Bass are excellent on soft plastics fished in brush from 6- to 7-feet deep. Catfishing is good on chicken livers and minnows.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait 'n' More II said the lake is at 343.59 feet. Bass fishing has been good on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms early and late in the day. Bream fishing is good using crickets and worms. Crappie anglers are bringing in quite a few fish on Bandit crankbaits, minnows and black-and-chartreuse jigs fished around 18- to 24-feet deep. Catfishing is great on minnows, stinkbait and turkey livers.

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said bass fishing is fair on top-water lures in the early part of the day. Tackle Box said the water is murky. Bream are holding around brush piles in the creeks and are biting on red worms and crickets fished 6-feet deep. Catfishing has been good below Lock and Dam 13. Bass fishing is fair at mid-day on crankbaits fished in the backs of the coves and is picking up in the low-light hours on top-water lures in the same locations.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Benson's Grocery and Bait said the water is clear. Bream fishing is good on crickets around the standing structure. Crappie fishing is good on jigs around brush piles.

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the water is dark and low. Bream, crappie and bass are poor. Catfish are fair using rice slicks and large minnows.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the lake is low and the water is murky. Fishing has been poor for all species.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Old Town Lake: Old Town Fish Camp said the lake is low and the water is clear. Bream are biting on wax worms and crickets around the cypress trees. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and top-water lures fished next to the bank. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with minnows and set in 12 feet of water. Crappie are fair around cypress trees.

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): River City Sporting Goods said the fishing has been slow for all species because of the heat. Bass are fair in early mornings, but not many fishermen are out during the daytime.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is clear and low. Bream fishing is excellent on red worms, crickets or popping bugs with Bream Killers dangling underneath. The best action is in 1 to 11/2 feet of water. The crappie bite is good in 6 feet of water on a jig-and-minnow combination. Bass fishing is fair on crankbaits and soft-plastic worms fished in 2 to 6 feet of water. Catfishing is excellent with stinkbait in the swift-water areas.

Midway Lake: Ed's Boat Camp said Midway is clear, but the level is low. Bass are fair from 1 to 2 feet on spinnerbaits bounced off cypress trees. Catfish are fair on minnows fished in the deeper drops. Bream are fair in the shallows on crickets.

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at normal level. Bream fishing is excellent on red worms and crickets fished in the shallows against the bank. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in brush piles around 12-feet deep. Catfish are good on cut bait. Six Rivers Sport Center said bream fishing is excellent on red worms, crickets and black grubs in brush piles around 5-feet deep. Crappie fishing is good around 13- to 15-feet deep on minnows. Bass have been good on top-water lures and buzzbaits early in the morning or late at night.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the heat has been keeping many fishermen of the lake, but they're missing out on some great action. The bream have been really good around the cypress trees and lily pads on crickets and wax worms. Crappie are fair on minnows fished around the piers in 10 feet of water. Bass are good early on soft-plastic worms in the shallows. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and stinkbait on yo-yos and limblines around the cypress trees.

White River Refuge Lakes: Ed's Bait Shop said the fishing has been poor all week. Bream are the only thing biting, and they're fair at best on crickets.

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