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 Sept. 14, 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.

Tip of the Week: Summer is waning and that means tilapia fishing on Lake Hogue (Poinsett County) and Mallard Lake (Mississippi County) is just about right. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stocks tilapia in both of these small lakes. The fast-growing African fish generally are taken with red worms fished on or near the bottom. The state record has been broken several times in the last two years, and stands at 1 pound, 14 ounces. Herman Hangii of Little Rock caught the record fish Sept. 18 last year. Don't wait too late to pursue these tasty swimmers - they can take the heat but cold water kills them, usually near the end of November. There is no creel limit.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is clear and a little low. Bream fishing is good on worms, wax worms, crickets and TiniMite bream jigs fished next to the bank. Crappie fishing is good on minnows fished on the shady side of the cypress trees. Bass are good in early mornings and late evenings on white or chartreuse buzzbaits and Zoom Horny Toads fished around lily pads. Dark plastic worms are catching a few fish near pads. Catfishing is fair on trotlines, yo-yos and jugs baited with cut shad.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river is running clear and low with one generator running in the afternoons. Trout fishing is good on wax worms, chartreuse Power Eggs or marshmallow baits. Little Cleos and Rooster Tails are also bringing in some good trout when fished across the current.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the water is clear, but the lake is low. Crappie are biting well in the morning from 14 to 16 feet deep on minnows. Black bass and Kentuckies are biting at night on worms, grubs and spinners. Hybrids and whites are schooling in the morning. Walleye are biting night crawlers about 35 feet deep.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is low and the water clarity is normal. Bream are biting well from 2 to 4 feet deep on worms and crickets near the bank. Small minnows and jigs are attracting some crappie about 6 feet deep near stumps. Bass fishing is good 2-4 feet deep with spinners, plastic worms and some top-water lures in coves. Catfishing is fair on worms near the bank.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is clear, but the lake level is too low to produce a good bite.

Cadron Creek: Wooster Grocery said fishing for all species has been poor. A few bream have been caught on crickets and a couple of anglers have caught a few crappie on live minnows.

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream fishing is fair on crickets. Bass and crappie are holding in the shallows and occasionally take minnows. Some bass have been taken on top-water lures.

Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said crappie fishing is fair behind jetties on minnows. Bass fishing is good early in the morning on large stick baits and black Bandit crankbaits behind jetties. Catfishing is fair on shad, trotline minnows and night crawlers.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is at normal level and normal clarity. Redear are biting fair at least 3 feet off the bank. Try using worms, wax worms and crickets. Crappie and bass fishing is poor. Catfishing is good with almost anything along the bottom.

Lake Cargile: Beeson's Grocery said the lake is almost clear and low. Bream fishing is good on red wigglers and crickets. Crappie fishing is good on live minnows under a slip-cork rig. Bass fishing is fair at best.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger's Marina said black bass are biting well. They are in deeper water, out to 25 feet deep during the day, but are moving shallow at dawn and dusk. Try crankbaits and spinner baits during the low-light hours and Carolina rigs, drop-shotted, soft plastics and tube lures during the middle of the day. Kentucky bass are good and are holding in 20- to 25-foot water. Anglers are doing well on 3-inch pumpkin grubs, worms and tube lures. The white bass are schooling from the marina east to Three-fingers Cove with some reports of white bass surfacing just north of Jim's Island. Catfish are biting well on large minnows and prepared baits in 25 feet of water. Crappie fishing is fair on 1/32-ounce jigs and small crappie minnows fished in 18 to 22 feet of water. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms in 20 feet of water.

Arkansas River: Charley's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 12,500 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 284.8 and a tailwater of 265.27. White bass are schooling and biting really well on Hawg Traps in smokey Joe. For whites, try fishing in the creeks mouths, Coppers Gap, Flagg Lake and upriver side of jetty tips. Black bass are biting excellently in the morning from 2 to 5 feet deep on June Bug worms and Gitzits. Kentucky bass are mixed with the whites. Use the same baits when fishing near jetties. Kentuckies are biting strong on bream-colored spinners in the morning near rocks in shallow water. Stripers are near whites and biting the same baits. Catfishing is excellent on live bream in 8 to 15 feet of water near secondary drops. Bream are biting well on crickets in 2 to 10 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished near wood in 3 to 10 feet of water.

Tom's Lake: Shirley's Bait said the hot weather has kept the fishermen off the lake.

Bradford Lake: Shirley's Bait said the weather has kept the anglers away from the lake.

White River: Shirley's Bait said the river is low. Catfishing is about the only thing going right now on the White. Worms, jumbo bass minnows, night crawlers and Docs bait are working well on the cats.

Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is low and dingy. All species are poor except for crappie. Some papermouths are being caught by drifting minnows along the levee in 5 to 7 feet of water.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill's Outdoor Sports said the lake clarity is fair, but the lake level is low. Bream fishing is fair in 8 to 10 feet of water using crickets. Bass fishing is fair in 8 to 10 feet of water using plastic worms. Catfish are biting fair on blood bait and chicken liver.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill's Outdoor Sports said the water clarity is fair, but the water level is low. Bream are biting fair on the deep bank using crickets near brush, stumps or rocky points. Crappie fishing is fair 2-4 feet deep using bright-colored tubes. Bass fishing is good 2-4 feet deep with bright top-water lures. Catfishing is poor.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the lake is high and the water is clear. Bream are biting well 2-3 feet deep on crickets near stumps, brush and rocky points. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting early on spinner baits, top-water lures and buzzbaits. Catfishing is good with jugs baited with night crawlers and shad.

Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the lake is stained and at normal pool. Bass fishing is good on the bottom using cut shad. A 15-pound striper was taken with cut shad Sept. 11. Catfishing is good on cut shad. A 35-pound flathead was taken Sept. 10.

NORTH ARKANSAS

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the river is clear and low. Trout fishing is good using yellow Power Bait, red worms, little gray sow bugs, Little Cleos in gold, Buoyant Spoons in gold and red. Brown trout are being caught on night crawlers. Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and Nuggets in orange. With generation, the Buoyant Spoons, Blue Fox and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. Fly fishermen have done well on olive woolly buggers, soft hackles, zebra midges, olive scuds and sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Flat Fish and night crawlers.

North Fork River: McLellan's Fly Shop said during low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days). Many trout are being hooked on terrestrials - grasshoppers, ants and beetles - and it will only get better as summer continues.

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the days are warm, but the nights are dropping into the 60s, making morning fishing very comfortable. The lake level continues to drop, but generation has been consistent with heat in Texas and Oklahoma. The pool is below normal. The thermocline has stabilized at 34 feet but continues to go down with the decreasing lake level. The lake temperature is about 81 degrees in morning, but reaches 84 degrees by mid-day. Crappie are being caught around brush piles and docks with structure. Try using live crappie minnows on a plain hook and split shot in 26 to 30 feet of water in morning and 30 to 35 feet of water throughout the day. Catfish were active this week on jugs with a 12-foot drop line. The entrances to the creek arm pockets seem to be producing catfish. Try using chicken livers, Magic Bait and frozen shad. Largemouth bass can be found near the bank during morning. Try using buzzbaits, Zara Spooks and Spit'N Image baits. Most of the largemouth strikes are reaction strikes, so make sure you cover a lot of water. Secondary points and main lake points are holding largemouth in 30 to 35 feet of water. The best baits under these conditions are Spider Jigs, football jigs, Carolina rigs with Brush Hogs or Trick worms and spoons fished vertically. Smallmouth bass are holding out in the thermocline until mid-afternoon. Later, smallmouth are moving up to points in shallow water and are biting Spider Jigs, tubes and Mojo rigs with finesse worms or lizards. Four-inch drop shot worms or Swimming Minnows will trigger a few smallmouths suspended off points. Kentucky bass have been pushing shad to the surface throughout the day. Kentuckies will bite almost any top-water lure during the frenzy feeding. To catch some nice Kentuckies, also look for schools of shad. If schools are found, then drop a ¾- to 1-ounce spoon (white, blue-and-silver or silver) through the shad; the Kentuckies will be under the school. The larger walleye bite has slowed down a bit, but walleye measuring 16 inches are very active. The hot baits are Reef Runners (blue-and-silver, trout and gray ghost), Hot'N Tot (fire tiger and purple passion) and Bill Norman's DD14s in 000 and 133 (shad) colors. Vertical spooning is also working well on the walleye that are hugging the bottom. The best colors are blue-and-silver, white and gray with an orange belly. Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is 8 feet below normal. The lake clarity is good to 18 feet, where it gets cloudy, but the water gets clear again at 42 feet. Bream fishing is excellent from the surface down to 10 feet practically everywhere on the lake. Red wigglers have caught the most bream. Crappie fishing is good on minnows fished on slip-cork rigs over brush piles in 32 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair on crayfish around 20 feet deep. Catfishing is good using jug lines; some large cats are being taken. Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and about 10 feet below normal pool. Bream fishing is fair on crickets fished against stumps. Crappie are biting on small shad and minnows fished around brush piles, but not many anglers are pursuing them. Stripers are biting well in early morning on spoons, Road Runners and umbrella rigs. Fishermen are catching quite a few on top-water lures when the surface activity begins. Catfishing is fair, but not many anglers are reporting outstanding stringers.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is 13 feet low and clear. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets in shallow water. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows about 8 feet deep in brush. Bass fishing is poor. However, the best time to fish for bass is at night. Try using spinner baits, plastic worms, jigging spoons or Carolina rigs.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is 8 inches low but clear. Bluegills are biting 6-7 feet deep on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting minnows near brush piles 12-14 feet deep. Bass fishing and catfishing are poor.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and low. Bream are biting well 4-8 feet deep on worms and crickets around brush, stumps, rocky points and weed beds. Crappie fishing is good 4-8 feet deep with minnows and crappie jigs around brush, stumps, rocky points and weed beds. Bass fishing is fair 4-8 feet deep with spinner baits and plastic worms around stumps, brush, rocky points, logs and weed beds. Catfish are biting 8-10 feet deep in open water. Try using worms, chicken liver, goldfish or cut shad.

Beaver Tailwaters: Fly anglers are reporting catches on brown beadhead woolly buggers (size 10), olive submarine soft hackles (size 16), and olive lightning bugs (size 16). Lower river levels and spooked trout demand longer, finer leaders, good drifts and quiet wading.

Buffalo River: Ozark Outfitters said the river is running low and has a stain in the water. Bass fishing has been good at night on top-water lures fished in 2 to 4 feet of water. Catfish are good at night on chicken livers and night crawlers. Bream fishing is good on night crawlers fished 4-6 feet deep.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is low and stained. Bream fishing is good with crickets around brush piles, stumps and rocky points. Crappie fishing is fair in deep water with minnows around brush piles, stumps and rocky points. Bass fishing is fair with crankbaits. Catfish are biting on chicken liver and stink bait.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is clear and low. Catfishing is fair with chicken liver and stink bait. Also, some Kentuckies are being picked up.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river is low and clear. Trout are biting well on Power Bait and salmon eggs. Bass are biting well on minnows fished around brush piles or stumps.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

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

Lake Monticello: Outdoor Super Store said few fishermen have been on the lake.

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

Arkansas River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said there have been no reports of good fishing.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 80 to 86 degrees, the lake level is half-an-inch above normal, and the discharge is 155 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass in the 2-4-pound range are good early morning and late evening. Cordell Crazy Shads in chrome and black, Baby Torpedos in leopard frog or bullfrog, stick prop baits like the Heddon Dying Flutter and dual-wing buzz baits with firecracker skirts are taking early morning keepers. Zoom Horney Toads in black, Turbo Shads or Bass Assasin Shads in crystal shad or Tennessee shad colors are catching bass in pad edges along Little River. Baby Brush Hogs and lizards in kudzu and camouflage or June bug colors are working along grass and vegetation lines. The jig bite continues to improve using Texas craw color, black-and-blue or pumpkin-watermelon-rind colors with Hog Craw trailers in pumpkinseed or black. The most consistent bites are from 7 to 10 feet deep on bases of cypress trees and knees. Berkley 10-inch Power Worms in June bug or tequila sunrise are taking keeper-length bass along the river stair-step washouts with lay downs or stumps. Crappie remain best from 7 a.m.-10 am. Try fishing from 8 to 13 feet deep with white or smoke grubs around planted brush piles and tops. The blue catfish bite has improved on cut shad, yo-yos under cypress trees in Mud Lake and McGuire Lake, and trotlines in Little River set at 15 to 20 feet. The best yo-yo bite remains at night on live shiners from 9 to 14 feet deep. White bass are schooling in Little River and are hitting on quarter- to half-ounce Rat-L-Traps in chrome-and-blue, white or chrome-and-chartreuse. Chuck-n-Spins, Rocket Shads and beetle spins are working well around these schoolers. The whites are just below or adjacent to schools of shad. Good areas this week have been in Little River around Hurricane Creek, Mud Lake and in Horseshoe Lake. Throw Rat-L-Traps or Rocket Shads from 10 to 15 feet deep around the edges of bait schools and yo-yo back through the school at various depths until you connect with the white bass.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the yearling bass are schooling a little all over the lake. Bream are biting well on red wigglers in 3 to 4 feet of water. Crappie fishing is fair on gray-and-pink jigs from 10 to 12 feet deep. Catfishing is fair on night crawlers.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the lake is low. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers. A few black bass have been caught at night on spinner baits with large, black blades.

White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said few anglers have visited the lake this week.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait Shop said the lake is clear and low. The fishing has been poor for all species with all the fluctuating weather.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said most of the people visiting the lake are swimming and skiing. Not many anglers are coming through the bait shop. The water is still low, so watch out for rocks and islands.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing is good 2-3 feet deep using crickets. Crappie fishing is fair 4-8 feet deep with minnows near brush. Largemouth bass are biting on crankbaits in shallow water off the bank. Stripers and whites are biting well on spoons. Catfishing is good below the dam using chicken liver, cut bait and live bait.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is clear, and the lake is at normal pool. Bream and crappie fishing are poor. Bass fishing is fair with spinner baits and crankbaits near 3-foot drop-offs. Catfishing is fair with shad and night crawlers below the dam.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear. The lake level is 569.39 and the surface temperature ranges form 88 to 94 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow to fair early and late in the day. They are biting well on Texas-rigged Zoom Old Monsters, U-tails and Speed Worms in strawberry, watermelon with red flake, and redbug. Try main lake points and large bay pockets near creek channels for the best results in 12 to 20 feet of water. Kentucky bass are good on live crayfish in 18 to 25 feet of water near brush piles. Walleye are biting well on the main lake points around brush piles. Try silver spoons, 3-inch grubs and silver Rat-L-Traps in 15 to 25 feet of water. Stripers are fair on live bait and hair jigs. The eastern end of the lake has seen the best success. Areas around Brady Mountain, Spillway Bay and Yorktown Bay are still the best early and late in the day. Bream are biting very well on crickets and worms. They are being caught from 12 to 20 feet of water. Crappie fishing is still slow with a few fish being taken around the moss flats on 2-inch grubs, minnows and feather jigs. Areas from 15- to 35-feet deep are the best bet. Catfish are still good on live bait, hot dogs and cut bait around 10- to 20-feet deep. Cross Creek said the lake is low. Bream are fair on crickets in 6 feet of water, but they are scattered and likely to be anywhere. Crappie have moved deep and are difficult to catch. Bass fishing has been good on 10-inch red shad worms fished in deep brush piles. Catfishing has been good on prepared catfish bait. Trader Bill's Sport Shop said the lake is clear and low. The lake temperature is 82 degrees. Bream are biting well on crickets in 10 feet of water. Bass fishing is good with top-water lures early in the morning. However, after noon, try using worms or jigs in 15 feet of water. Catfish are biting well on live bait fished near points in 10 feet of water.

Lake Catherine: Lake Catherine State Park said fish are breaking on the state park end of the lake. Crappie fishing is good around brush piles near the main river. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets fished in 3 to 6 feet of water near the bank.

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill's Sport Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. The lake temperature is 80 degrees. Bream are biting well about 5 feet deep on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting well 10-12 feet deep on top-water lures, in the morning in the creek mouths, and on Texas-rigged worms in the brush.

Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream fishing is poor. Crappie fishing is fair 15 to 20 feet deep with minnows and jigs near brush or stumps. Bass fishing is good with top-water lures. Catfishing is good using perch near trees and stumps.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and low. Crappie are biting well 6 to 10 feet deep on minnows fished near brush.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait 'n' More II said catfish are biting great on worms, turkey or chicken livers, minnows and yo-yos baited with goldfish. Bass are good early and late on plastic worms and spinner baits. Bream are biting well on worms or crickets. Crappie are biting minnows, jigs or Bandit crankbaits fished 12-18 feet. The lake is at normal level for this time of year.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said few anglers have been visiting the river lately.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the lake is dark and low. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows deep after dark. Catfishing is fair on trotlines.

EAST ARKANSAS

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the river is at normal level and is running fairly clear. Bream fishing is fair about a foot deep with worms and crickets near brush. Crappie fishing is fair 13-14-feet deep with minnows and blue-and-white jigs near treetops. Bass fishing is good 2 feet deep on buzzbaits near brush. Catfishing is fair with cut shad and worms. River City Sporting Goods said the river is stained and at normal pool. Bream are fair from 4 to 6 feet deep on crickets and worms. Crappie fishing is poor, but some are being picked up 12-14 feet deep on minnows near brush. Bass are biting well about 8 feet deep with plastic worms, top-water lures and buzzbaits near brush. Catfishing is fair to good using cut shad. Also, a 47-pound flathead was taken using bass minnows.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is clear and low. Bream are biting crickets 1-2-feet deep. Catfishing is good on stink bait on the bottom.

Midway Lake: Ed's Boat Camp said the lake is too low to launch a boat.

Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center said the water is clear and a little low. Bream are biting well in 2-3 feet of water on crickets fished near the banks. Crappie fishing is good in the main lake on minnows fished 12-14 feet deep. Catfishing is excellent on night crawlers fished straight out from the bank. Arkansas Outdoors said the lake clarity is poor, but the lake is at a normal level. Bream are biting about 6 feet deep on crickets and red worms. Crappie, bass and catfish are poor.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is beautiful with varying levels from normal to low. The lake appears to be losing water, but the ramps are accessible. Bream are biting well 3-4 feet deep with crickets around lily pads or cypress trees. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting well in shallow water on spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfishing is good with stink bait and night crawlers.

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