Weekly Fishing Report
2/16/2006

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. 15, 2006. 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: It’s always a good idea to carry a sport bottle in your boat filled with information. Boat insurance cards, fishing regulations, emergency cash, a small first-aid kit and flashlight can all fit inside, and the bottle will float if dropped overboard.

       
Statewide Urban Fishing Report:  Though the urban ponds are well stocked with trout, the fishing has been sporadic this week with variable weather conditions. Successful anglers have been using orange or chartreuse PowerBait, Trout Magnets suspended under a float, and 2-inch Countdown Rapalas. Cabot Community pond anglers are reporting good success in the late afternoons. Anglers at Rock Creek reported good success this week with pink Power Eggs, marshmallows, and 1/8-ounce Rooster Tails.

The following urban destinations are now stocked with trout: Lake Atalanta in Rogers, Murphy Lake in Springdale, West Memphis Park Pond, Pleasant View Park Pond in Russellville, Little Rock City Park ponds (MacArthur Park, War Memorial Park Youth and Senior’s, Kiwanis Park, Otter Creek Park, Boyle Park) and Rock Creek, Regional Park Youth and Senior’s Pond in Pine Bluff, Cabot Community Pond, Sherwood Community Pond, Lake Valencia, and Little Rock Air Force Base Pond. 

For the latest urban trout stocking information, call toll-free 1-866-540-FISH
 
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
 
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is low and murky. Crappie are biting well in the shallower coves. A few anglers are reporting some success on orange pumpkin and chartreuse jigs. Bass fishing is beginning to pick up. Catfishing is good on yo-yos baited with minnows at night.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river has seen very little generation, mostly running around 2 to 3 hours in the mornings. Fly-fishermen and spin fishermen using artificials hare staying happy with many good catches. Wax worms, PowerBait and corn are all working well. During generation, try casting across the current with a Little Cleo spoon or a small Countdown Rapala and try to score with one of the larger brown trout.

 
Greers Ferry: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 452.10 feet MSL.
Shiloh Marina said the walleye are running upstream and are biting well on Rattlin’ Rogues in gold with an orange belly.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water is falling again. The surface temperature has fallen with the cold weather. The cold really hampered the hybrid fishing last week, but the recent sunshine should get the fish back to the shallower water. When it’s cloudy, swim a grub or hair jig around the schools of baitfish for a few hybrids, and when it’s sunny switch to a spoon and jig underneath the schools. Most of the baitfish schools are showing up in about 50 feet of water. Black bass fishing has been decent, but should improve with warmer weather. Jerkbaits, Gitzit tubes and grubs swum in the middle of the pockets and on the bluffs in the main lake should take a few. You can also try a tight wobbling crankbait like a Wiggle Wart or a Shad Rap around channel bends or transition banks where chunk rock changes to sand or clay. As the water warms, spinnerbaits and jigs fished around timber will be the go-to baits and the best depth to target the fish should be between 15 and 30 feet of water. Walleye have slowed, but the longer days and sunshine should have them back up to speed by the weekend. Try Berkley Gulp leeches or jigs tipped with minnows, or troll walleye divers or deep-diving Rebels in the upstream arms of the river. With the river low, the fish can only go so far up the river and then stop because of obstructions. Throw heavy jigs with grubs on them and bounce them off the bottom in the deeper holes during bright days. You also can catch them shallow at night and during low light conditions with Rattlin’ Rogues. To try for the next world record, build a fire and sit on the bank with four rods baited with a slip-sinker rig and small bream at night. Wait to set the hook until after the fish make their first run. Big walleye usually won’t bite down on a bait until they’ve had it in their mouth for a little while.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the water is clear for Harris Brake and the lake is low. Crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows. The minnows have been the best producers in 4 feet of water in the backs of the coves. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms and spinnerbaits fished close to brush piles in 6 feet of water. All other species are slow.

 
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is a little low. The cold weather has kept anglers off the lake, but things are beginning to pick back up. Crappie are biting well on pink-and-white hair jigs and red-and-white Crappie Stinger tube jigs. All other species are slow.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is at a decent level and the clarity is fair. Bream are in 3 feet of water, and an occasional bluegill will fall for a red wiggler. Crappie fishing has been good on tube jigs and minnows fished near brush piles in 3 to 4 feet of water. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits fished against the banks. Catfishing is good on shad sides and prepared baits fished from the bank.

 
Lake Maumelle:  Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie anglers are reporting good success on live minnows fished 20 feet deep in the main channels on the west end of the lake.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting well in all the creek channels flowing into the river. Most of the crappie are being caught on live minnows. Stripers and white bass are biting well on Little Georges, Mann’s Split Tails and twister-tailed grubs below Toad Suck and Murray hydroelectric plants. Crappie are also biting well below the Murray plant on minnows fished under a slip-cork rig.

 
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the lake is at normal levels, but last week’s weather kept anglers away. Crappie are biting well in 4 to 10 feet of water on minnows. Some bass are being caught, but no predominant pattern is developing. Fishing with yo-yos baited with minnows at night should produce some cats and crappie.

 
Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is clear and at normal levels. The cold front has slowed fishing, but the fish are beginning to move in shallow again. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished around any brush piles in 4 to 15 feet of water. Bass have been biting well on deep-diving crankbaits fished slowly around any ledges and on jig-and-pig combos crawled along the bottom.

 
Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said people are doing well on the stocked trout using Berkley PowerBait in any color. Channel catfish are biting well on chicken livers.

       
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s said the lake is clear and low. Crappie are biting fairly well on tube jigs in 4 to 10 feet of water. Bass are biting fairly well in 4 to 6 feet of water on crawfish-patterned Bomber crankbaits.

 
        Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the river is running fairly clear and at normal levels. Bass are biting fairly well in 4 to 6 feet of water on jerkbaits. A few bream have been picked up on crayfish-colored tube jigs fished around the brush.

 
Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the fishing has been non-existent with the cold weather. No anglers have even been in the store to give a report.

 
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the fishing has been non-existent with the cold weather. No anglers have even been in the store to give a report.

 
 
NORTH ARKANSAS:
 
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said last week saw many changes. The temperatures dropped and the water level went up. There have been as many as six units from the dam running, although the average generation is two units. That is a great water level for fishing from a boat, as you can get up and down the river without much trouble at all. The trout love the water generation and have been going crazy this week. The hottest lure is the Flat Fish X-4 in gold. The Rogues and Husky Jerks are very popular, as usual, and 1/16-ounce white jigs will do very well in high or low water right now. Fly fishermen will enjoy using egg patterns or the Y2K bug, San Juan worms, and Hank's new Shad Fly on high water. Low water fly-fishing can be done with olive, brown, or black woolly buggers, sow bugs, and tan scuds. 

Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and Sunrise or Rainbow Nuggets. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, Super Dupers and Rooster Tails are working well during generation. The fly fishermen have done well with very little generation on olive woolly buggers, unreal eggs in peach and white, scuds and sow bugs.  The Brown trout are being caught on Rogues, Jointed Rapalas and sculpins. 

 
         North Fork River: Norfork Trout Dock said the river is running clear with up to five generators running in the mornings. Rainbow trout and even a few cutthroats are being caught on corn when the generators are off, but during the generation, the trout seem to be uncooperative.

 
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 644.71 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said with the cool nights the lake temperature has dropped to 46.8 degrees in the lower and middle lake areas and down to 45 degrees up in the Theodosia Arm and in the upper lake. The game fish haven’t changed much with the cold front, although the bass, crappie, and walleye that were up close to the banks have slipped deeper. Graph the deeper water in front of planted crappie cribs to find the fish. Fish crappie minnows on chartreuse or pink jigs either on a slip bobber or straight line at the depth the crappie are suspended. Also fish the pole trees along the bluff walls with the same bait set up. Largemouth bass became a little sluggish as the week wore on, but they should rebound with the warm up by mid-week. Fish the back of the creeks and pockets with crankbaits and suspending Rogues. If the largemouth aren’t up on the banks, move to the first drop off and fish jigs, tubes or brush hogs. Main lake largemouth are using bluff walls and transition swings. Jigs, deep running crankbaits and spoons are the best baits to trigger a few bites. The smallmouth bite is on the slow side. Most of the smallies are in 30 to 38 feet of water along bluff walls, off points, suspended under shad and in the middle of channel swings. The best lures to try are football-head jigs, tubes, spoons and Bandit or Wiggle Wart crankbaits.  Kentucky bass are doing their thing swimming with the food (shad) and cruising around the bluff walls, channel swings and chunk rock points near the creeks. Finding Kentuckies is not a problem, getting to them to strike is.  The two best techniques and baits are vertical spooning (silver, white or blue spoons) and drop shot rigs with finesse worms or Zoom Meatheads. Walleye did a good job of hiding last week. Most of the walleye are in 45 to 48 feet of water. About the only ways to catch them are by jigging a spoon directly over their heads or dragging a jig and minnow along at their level. Suspending Rogues were working around the banks in the upper lake, and that bite might pick up again mid-week if it warms back up.

        Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is low and the fishing has been hit-or-miss. Crappie are holding in 30 to 35 feet of water and are biting decent on minnows and jigs. Bass are still deep. The only success lately has been in 45 to 50 feet of water on drop-shotted soft plastics. Walleye are beginning to show up in the shallows of some creeks.

 
Lake Norfork: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.44 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is about 14 feet below normal pool still. The water clarity is around 12 to 14 feet of visibility. Crappie are biting fairly well on jigs tipped with minnows. Bass fishing has been good, but the bass are still all over the lake. Anywhere from 6 feet deep to 50 feet deep is a possibility. Jerkbaits, paddletails and curly-tailed grubs are all working well on both largemouth bass and Kentuckies. Stripers are fair on Rattlin’ Rogues trolled along major creek turns. White bass are biting well upstream on spoons fished on the edges of the creek channel.

 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,105.46 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is still very low. Crappie fishing has been slow, but a few have been taken on minnows and marabou jigs. Bass fishing also slowed with the cool weather, but spoons, jerkbaits and other reaction-type baits are catching a few fish. Stripers are decent on bucktail jigs trolled slowly around the main creek channels on the upstream side of the lake.

 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is dingy and at normal pool. Not many anglers are visiting the lake. Crappie are biting fairly well in 4 to 8 feet of water on minnows and crappie tube jigs fished tightly to cover. Bass are biting well in 4 to 10 feet of water on spinnerbaits and soft plastics around brush and rocks. Catfish are fair on cut bait in 10 to 12 feet of water around creek channels and deep holes.

 
Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said there has been very little generation the last few days, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities.  Of course, scuds and sow bugs as well as midge pupa patterns have been very productive. Cream midge adult patterns have hooked several trout over the past week as well.
 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.57 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 48 to 55 degrees with discharge at the dam around 160 cubic feet per second. Largemouth bass have retreated to deeper water along Little River in last four days. They are biting fair to good on suspending Cordell Ripplin RedFins, ¾-ounce spinnerbaits and heavy, slow moving Rat-L-Traps in red chrome. Jigs along the river next to stumps are working well.  Some nice bass have been responding favorably to Carolina-rigged lizards and Baby Brush Hogs around stumps in the river. Keeper-sized, 3- to 5-lb. black bass continue hitting crankbaits in brown craw/orange belly and chrome/blue colors, but keep the presentation slow. In some of the backs of the oxbows, several nice keepers are hitting Texas-rigged lizards in cherryseed, scuppernong, and chartreuse-pumpkin colors, around vegetation and stumps in 9-12 feet.  Kentuckies remain fair along the river on ¼-ounce Rat-L-Traps in white or chrome/chartreuse, rocket shads, and tail spinners. Creek channels and slightly deeper water close to the river are holding the better size fish. Crappie are fair, and within the last week, have moved back to deeper haunts along the river. The best depths have ranged from 12-17 feet. The best bite has shifted from mornings to mid-day.  Blue Catfish were good last week with the increase in current. Blues were biting well on chicken livers, prepared blood bait and cut shad on trotlines and on minnows on yo-yos.

 
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished right on the bottom near any shallow cover. Crappie are biting well on live minnows; try yo-yos at night and switch to a jigging pole during the day. Bass fishing has been fair at best.

 
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the bream are biting well. Yo-yos baited with minnows are producing plenty of crappie and catfish. Crappie anglers are also doing well using chartreuse-and-red jigs fished tight to any cover you can find near the shoreline.

 
        White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is low and clear. Trotliners are bringing in many catfish using live minnows. Many anglers are doing well on bream and crappie fishing red wigglers just off the docks and piers.

 
Lake Greeson: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 537.65 feet MSL.
Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is clear and rising. Bass fishing has been good on deep-diving crankbaits, jigs and spoons in 20 feet of water on main and secondary points. Stripers are holding around 20 to 30 feet deep and are being caught on large spoons. The white bass are showing up in the shallows and are biting well on shad-imitating crankbaits, spoons and inline spinners.

 
DeGray Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 397.40 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the lake is still low and is murky at the northern end. The water temperature is around 48 degrees. Bream are still out in 25 feet of water and are very tight-lipped. Crappie fishing is fair to good in 18 to 25 feet of water on jigs tipped with minnows. Catfishing is decent using live bait in the shallows at night. Black bass are holding in creek turns and on the deeper points off the main river channel. Hybrids and white bass are staging around Point Cedar and Shouse Ford.

 
Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said Lake Greeson continues to rise slowly but surely. Fish have been loaded into the river in huge numbers and they are slowly spreading up and down the river. Nothing like they normally would with generation to move them around, but this also means that the better quality fish are getting away from the easy access sites. They will be more established as we go into spring. The first couple of days in February saw a significant number of March Brown Mayflies hovering over the water in the late afternoon and a very strong midge hatch. Get those A&W Emerger patterns ready.
 
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is 6 inches low and the water is clear. The cold front pretty much shut all the fishing down. White bass and stripers are holding around the discharge at Nuclear One. The best bets are small crankbaits and spoons for the whites.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is low and there has been very little flow. When the generation picks up, so does the fishing. Crappie are biting well in 10 to 20 feet of water in the backwaters of the river channel in 10 to 20 feet of water. White bass are biting well below the dam on white and yellow jigs and minnows. Catfishing is fair on minnows, worms and chicken livers.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 569.06 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said largemouth bass are biting well on jerkbaits, crankbaits and jigs fished along the standing timber and moss flats on secondary points. Spoons fished around brush piles on the main lake points are working as well. Walleye are fair with reports of these fish still being caught over or near brush-piles and humps.  Jigging spoons or jigs tipped with minnows are still the most effective. Try water 18 to 30 feet deep. Stripers are very good on live bait, bucktail jigs or spoons. They are around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels on all sections of the lake. Crappie are fair 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 10-25 feet deep. The best colors are still white, silver and Tennessee shad.

 
Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said bass angling is decent on crankbaits fished 5 to 7 feet and on jigs fished around 10 feet deep. Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that rainbow trout fishing is red hot below Carpenter Dam. The fish are running in the area between the bridge and the dam, chasing injured shad and newly hatched insects. The walleye run will begin in the next few weeks as the water temperature reaches a constant 50 degrees. The best patterns for fly-fishermen have been streamers and eggs. Spin fishermen have done well on white and brown Rooster Tails and silver Countdown Rapalas. As always, wax worms and PowerBait have done well for bank fishermen.

 
Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the water is off-colored and the lake is still at winter pool. Crappie are biting well in 7 to 10 feet of water around brush piles. Bass are biting well on crankbaits fished 5 to 7 feet deep and on jigs fished 10 to 12 feet deep.

        Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting well on red worms. Catfishing is good using whole shad, nightcrawlers and chicken livers. All other species are slow.
        Arkansas River: Moss Point said bass are biting well. They have moved deeper, to ledges ranging from 15 to 25 feet of water. Texas-rigged trick worms and Yum Dingers are working well, as are Booyah Swimming Jigs worked slowly along the rocky bottom. Catfishing is fair to good on chicken livers and live bream. The cats moved deep with the cold front and are staying in 25 feet of water.
 
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the river is clear and at normal levels. The cold chased many anglers off the water last weekend. Crappie are biting well around the bar pits on minnows. Catfishing has been good behind Dam 2 at Dumas on shad fished on the bottom.
 
        Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake is clear and at normal level. Crappie have been biting around 20-feet deep on jigs tipped with minnows. All other species have been slow.

        Six Rivers Sport Center said the lake is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting well on minnows trolled slowly in 18 feet of water. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers and chicken livers fished on the bottom from the bank.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is low, but there has been some good fishing lately. Only 10 boats braved Saturday’s weather, but all of them turned in some good numbers. Bream are biting well on wax worms fished in 4 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on black-and-chartreuse jigs fished tightly against the piers. Catfishing was good on cut bait and nightcrawlers fished just off the piers.

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