Weekly Fishing Report
3/1/2006

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 March 1, 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: Anyone who enjoys crappie fishing or wants to pick up a few tips might be interested in Crappie.com’s annual Crappie Camp March 31-April 9. The camp will be held at the Kirby Landing Recreational Area on Lake Greeson in Southwest Arkansas. Anyone may attend the event, which will include fishing, fellowship and various seminars throughout the week. The timing should be excellent for many good catches of crappie, and anglers from across the country are already planning to attend.

        For more information, please contact Jerry Blake of Action Fishing Trips at 501-844-9028 or Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips at 501-844-5418. You can also find information on the camp at www.crappie.com.

 
Statewide Urban Fishing Report: With three more weeks of trout stocking left statewide, there is still plenty of time to get out and enjoy some fishing. Even when trout stocking ceases, you can catch trout well into April in most of the stocked locations. Pond anglers have been catching trout this week on colored marshmallows tipped with a small piece of red worm. Crappie minnows have also caught trout when suspended 18 inches under a bobber. Anglers at Rock Creek reported good success with white or rainbow PowerBaitâ and small Rooster Tails.  The water remains low and relatively clear despite the recent rain. Fly anglers are catching a good number of fish on egg and olive nymph patterns under a strike indicator.

For the latest urban trout stocking information, call toll-free 1-866-540-FISH (3474) or check our website (www.agfc.com). 

 
 
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
        
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is low and the water is stained. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets fished around any cover in 12 to 18 inches of water. Crappie are biting well on pink minnows and chartreuse tube jigs with an orange core near brush and stumps a little deeper than the bream. Bass are fair on crankbaits and spinnerbaits on the flats.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the river is running low and clear with little generation. Trout are biting very well on wax worms and marshmallows, chartreuse PowerBait, and pink Power Eggs. The best artificials to use have been Rooster Tails and marabou jigs fished under a strike indicator.

 
Greers Ferry: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 451.83 feet MSL.
Shiloh Marina said fishing has been extremely tough with the cool down over the last few weeks.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the walleye fishing has been very slow. But this week’s warmer weather should turn things around. Try deep-diving Rebels or Wally Divers, troll Rogues with line weights or fish slip-sinker rigs with live bream. Crappie are starting to get active in about 40 to 50 feet of water and are being caught on jigging spoons and over the tops of deep brush piles. Catfish and bream are slow. White bass and hybrids have slowed somewhat. As the afternoon bite picks up, the birds are scattering the baitfish and the whites and stripers are scattering with them. The bass are doing better everyday as more move up shallow in the afternoon. The best bite is on a jerkbait in pods of baitfish or a small grub on a jighead in 40 to 80 feet of water. The shallower fish in 25 to 30 feet will bite a Carolina-rigged lizard well.

 
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting well on red worms. Crappie fishing is good on many different color jigs. The best colors have been red/chartreuse, blue and salt-and-pepper. A few white bass have been caught by crappie fishermen as well.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the river is at normal levels. Redear bream are biting very well on worms fished in 3 feet of water at the edge of undercut banks. Crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows fished just out from the bank. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and Beetle Spins. A few bass have also been taken by crappie fishermen using minnows. Catfish are biting well on any live or prepared bait fished on the bottom of the main channel.

 
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the water is dingy. Crappie have been biting well on live minnows suspended underneath yo-yos. Hardly anyone is out fishing with pole or rod-and-reel, but the yo-yo anglers are doing very well.

 
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the lake 5.7 feet below the spillway, and the fishing is on fire. White bass are really stacked up and ready for their spring run. They are holding around the chimney close to the channel in 15 to 20 feet of water. They are feeding heavily on schools of shad and now’s the time to get out the CC spoons. If you don’t get out for the white bass now, you don’t know what you’re missing. The crappie are also biting extremely well and are in about 25 to 30 feet of water. They are being caught on 1/32-ounce jigs and minnows. The black bass are in their spring pattern again, hitting spinnerbaits and topwaters. The chilly weather last week pushed a few back to the deeper ledges, and they can be caught on a drop-shot rig or a tube. Kentucky bass are about 15 to 20 feet deep and are biting fairly well on pumpkin-colored grubs, worms and tubes. Catfish are in the channel and are biting fairly well on Canadian nightcrawlers and chicken livers in 20 feet of water.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting fairly well in 20 feet of water on minnows and jigs on the west end of the lake by the chimney.

 
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 10,000 cubic feet per second. Sauger fishing below the dam has been good on a chartreuse ¼-ounce jig tipped with a minnow and fished along the walls of the channel. The increased flow has created mud lines along the river where the bass are beginning to stack up. Kentucky bass and largemouth can be caught along the backside of the jetties and on the mud line on crayfish-colored or firetiger crankbaits. Stripers are holding below the dam and are biting well on live shad fished under a float around the current eddies. Crappie have moved up into Point Remove Creek and Flagg Lake and are holding around the wood structure in these areas. Catfish are biting well along the deep drops to the main river channel, with shad being the best bait to use. 

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the water is stained. Crappie are biting fairly well n minnows fished around brush and rocks near Burns Park in 3 to 4 feet of water. Bass are fair on chartreuse-and-white curly tailed grubs. Catfishing is good on cut shad fished near the bottom around the main river channel.

McSwain Sports Center said the river is running at normal levels below Murray Lock and Dam. Catfishing has been fair on cut shad fished just out of the main river channel. All other species have been slow.

 
Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the lake is stained and the water is low. Crappie are slow to fair in 3 feet of water. The best success has been drifting along the main lake with spider rigs baited with minnows. Bass are beginning to move up and can be caught in 5 to 8 feet of water on a jig-and-pig combo. Catfishing is slow.

 
Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the water is stained and the level is normal. Catfish have been biting well on nightcrawlers. Trout are still being taken on nightcrawlers and PowerBait fished on the bottom.

       
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the lake is at normal level and the water is clearing up. Crappie are biting well in 6 feet of water on Kalin grubs. All other species are slow.

 
        Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the river is running at normal speed and the clarity is stained. Crappie are biting fairly well in 6 feet of water on Kalin grubs in Tennessee shad color. Bass are fair on crayfish-colored crankbaits and shad-colored jerkbaits in 4 to 6 feet of water around any brush or rocks. All other species are slow.  

 
Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the river is muddy and at normal level. Crappie fishing is fair in 15 feet of water on white curly-tailed jigs. Anglers are also catching white bass on white curly-tailed jigs in the same areas as the crappie. Catfishing is fair on cut shad.

 
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the lake is muddy and rising. Crappie are biting well on minnows in around 5 feet of water around any visible cover. All other species are slow.
 
NORTH ARKANSAS:
 
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said last week started off with about six inches of snow and much cooler temperatures than we have seen all winter. But that didn’t stop the fishermen from wading into the river to catch a limit of trout. There were many nice brown trout caught and released last week. Most were caught on white or yellow PowerBait and wax worms or nightcrawlers, but artificial lures worked very well, too. Any type of white or silver spoon, such as a Little Cleo, Rooster Tail or Krocodile spoon is a good bet now. Fly fishermen are still using the Y2K bug with much success, as well as sow bugs, woolly buggers, and red San Juan worms when the water comes up.  Water generation was slightly higher this week, probably because to the colder temperatures. We have had more high water this week than in past weeks, which is great for fishermen who like to throw big Rogues and Husky Jerks from a boat. There are plenty of opportunities for both high- and low-water fishing, so be prepared for both water levels when you come to river.

McLellan’s Fly Shop said March is the month to start looking for big caddis hatches on the White.  Early in the morning, when few dry flies are present, nymph fishing the shoal areas with a Z-Wing Caddis, Graphic Caddis or Caddis Larva can be very productive. As the hatch progresses and the caddis pupae swim toward the surface, swinging a soft hackle like the Submarine Soft Hackle, Swing Caddis or Swing Nymph through the riffles can be very productive. Of course, when you see caddis in the air and trout rising to the surface, it’s time to switch to a caddis dry fly like the Elk Hair Caddis, E-Z Caddis, Candy Caddis or the new, ultra-realistic Web Wing Caddis and cast to the risers.

 Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, white and pink. Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, and white marabou jigs are the best bet during generation. There have been some shad coming through the dam this last week. We are not having a shad kill, but the shad are so deep they are getting sucked in. The injured shad are making for some great action on white Marabou jigs. The fly fishermen have done well during periods of no generation on olive woolly buggers, scuds and sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Shad Raps, Jointed Rapalas, Suspending Rogues and sculpins.  

 
         North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been sporadic. The wade fishing has been very good, and fishing high water from a boat has been productive as well. Try scuds, sow bugs, midges and eggs in low water, and eggs, San Juan Worms, and big streamers like the Articulated Zoo Cougar in high water.

Norfork Trout Dock said the river is running low and clear. Rainbow trout are biting well on PowerBait. Brown trout have been taken lately on nightcrawlers, Shad Raps and Rapalas fished across the current below any riffle.

 
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 644.06 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the snow is gone. Water temperature ranges from 46.4 on the surface to 45.7 in 10 to 90 feet of water. With spring just around the corner and sun getting higher in the sky, bass, crappie and walleye should begin moving to water from 20 feet deep to the bank on the northern side of creeks. The lake is still 10 feet below normal pool. Largemouth bass have moved up to the banks in the upper lake and in the Theodosia arm. Some largemouth are close enough to catch on spinnerbaits, but suspending Rogues are the best bet. The rest of the lake is still on the slow side, with largemouth holding on the bluffs and main lake points. When the wind is up, throw crankbaits or jerkbaits, otherwise fish jigs and tubes in brown colors. Smallmouth bass started showing up on secondary points in the creek arms this week. There are not many smallmouth coming in, but the ones that do are good fish. Spider jigs, tubes and grubs are working well along with Wiggle Warts and jerkbaits on breezy days. Start by fishing the 35-foot depth and then move in from there. Kentucky bass are still with the shad and catching one off the bank is rare. Look for the balls of shad in the main lake cuts, cliff wall ends and creek channel swings.  Spoons and drop shot rigs are still your best bet except along the bluff walls with pole tress where the Kentuckies will bite grubs, tubes and spider jigs fished through the trees. We are supposed to get a warm up this next week and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the shad start to make a move out of the deeper water.  If they move, the Kentuckies will move with them.  Walleye aren’t cooperating since the week of snow and freezing temperatures. We can mark the walleye in 45 to 48 feet of water off points and flats, but they just are not biting.  They should move if the shad move. Until then drop shiners on a jig head or spoons down to them and hope for a bite.  .   

Sugar Loaf Harbor said crappie are suspended in 15 to 25 feet of water and are biting fairly well on minnows. Walleye have been biting decent in the shallows of the creeks on crankbaits.

 
Lake Norfork: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.69 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is low and the water is extremely clear. Overall, the fishing has been pretty good. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished around brush in 5 to 20 feet of water. Bass are biting well on suspending jerkbaits and crankbaits on warm, sunny afternoons. The walleye bite has picked up, with many walleye beginning to make their move to spawning areas. Stripers are still deep.

 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,105.39 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is low and very clear. Crappie are biting well in 15 to 20 feet of water on chartreuse-and-red tube jigs and minnows. Stripers are slow, but a few have been taken on large shad or shiners where the river arms meet the main lake body. Bass have been fair to good lately. Most of the bass are holding near bluffs and biting vertically jigged spoons or jerkbaits cast parallel to the rocks. A few fish have been taken off submerged cedar trees as well.

 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and in good shape. Crappie fishing is fair in 2 to 3 feet of water on jigs and crappie minnows fished around any visible brush. Bass are biting fairly well in 4 to 6 feet of water around brush piles near the river. Catfishing is fair on worms, chicken liver and live sunfish in 6 to 10 feet of water.

 
Beaver Tailwaters: McLellan’s Fly Shop said scuds, sow bugs and midge pupa patterns have been very productive. Cream midge adult patterns have hooked several trout over the last week.
        
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Lake Chicot: Lake Chicot State Park said crappie have been biting well on minnows suspended under yo-yos. Bream have been biting well on red worms and pieces of nightcrawler fished close to the bottom around docks and pilings. Quite a few catfish have been caught on the yo-yos baited with minnows as well.

 
 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.66 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees and the water has the normal Millwood stain. The current is slow. Largemouth bass are holding in the deeper water of Little River because of the cool-down in the shallow water. They are biting fairly well on jigs along the river, next to stumps where you find any remaining vegetation. Black/blue/purple or Texas craw colors are working the best, with black Uncle Josh pork trailers. Keeper bass are still responding to Carolina-rigged lizards around stumps in the river. The best colors to try are blackberry, green pumpkin or Castaic shad. The crankbait bite has tapered off with the cooler water temperature. The oxbows along Little River are several degrees warmer than the main lake or river channel and those bass are slightly more aggressive. Keeper-size largemouths are hitting slow-moving ¾-ounce Rat-L-Traps, heavy spinnerbaits, and dead-sticked trick worms or Bass Assassin Shads, around vegetation and stumps in drop-offs around 9-12 feet deep. Kentucky bass remain fair along the river on small Rocket Shads, H&H spinnerbaits and tail spinners like Little Cleos or Little Georges in white/chrome/red. Creek channels and slightly deeper water close to the river are holding the better size fish. 1/8-ounce Rat-L-Traps in chrome/blue are taking a few spotted bass ganged up in the creek mouths around Little River. Crappie remain pushed back out to deeper haunts along the river. The best depths are 13-17 feet. The best bite has shifted from mornings to mid-day. The bite is best on shiners one day, jigs the next.

 
Lake Erling: Ark-La Outdoors reports Crappie are beginning to bite. There are a few reports of good crappie being caught around Bass Haven. Catfish are biting fairly well on nightcrawlers. Some good eating-size cats are being caught around Walker Creek Bridge.

 
        White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is low and the water is clear. Bream are biting well on red wigglers in 2 to 10 feet of water. Crappie are also in water from 2 to 10 feet deep, but are going for small minnows.

 
Lake Greeson: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 538.36 feet MSL.
Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is low and the water is stained. Bream and crappie are slow with all the changes to the weather. Bass are biting well in 5 to 15 feet of water on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft-plastic lizards. Walleye have started to move up into the river and are biting various jerkbaits and live-bait rigs.

 
DeGray Lake: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 397.87 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the lake is still low and the water temperature is pretty cold. The surface temp ranges from 46 degrees in the morning to 48 degrees in the late afternoon. Most of the fish are still holding in the deep water on the edge of the grass line.

 
Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said with the mass quantities of fish stocked over the last two months, particularly the 12,000 last week on high water there are fish everywhere. Many very active fish are in The Chute and the Catch and Release Area. A small tan bead belly fly or other midge pattern has been very productive. Later in the mornings, when the march browns begin to show up, switch to an A&W emerger and hang on.

 
 
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is at normal level for this time of year. Crappie are biting fairly well on red-and-chartreuse jigs and minnows fished in 3 to 10 feet of water. Bass are biting well on large spinnerbaits and jerkbaits fished slowly along transition areas between the bass’ winter hideouts and their spawning areas. Catfish are fair on shad.

Moss Point said bream are biting well on live bait and jigs in 15 feet of water along the outside of the grass. Crappie are suspended around brush and rocky bluffs about 15 feet deep. The best lures have been minnows and jigs fished fairly shallow in deeper water. Bass are biting decent on Bandit crankbaits around brush and rocks in 15 feet of water. Catfishing is good on live bait and cut shad.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is low and clear with little volume coming into the pool. Bream are improving. Most bream are being caught on nightcrawlers, but a few have been caught on crickets. Crappie fishing is good on jigs and minnows fished in 2 to 6 feet of water below the dam. A few sauger are also being caught below the dam on speck rigs and jigs. Bass fishing is good on spinnerbaits, soft-plastic worms and jigs. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers and minnows.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 569.32 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature ranges from 50 to 56 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting fair on jerkbaits, crankbaits and jigs. Try moss flats, standing timber and points for best results. Working spoons in or near brush-piles has been productive as well. Walleye are slow 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. These fish are beginning their move up the rivers to spawn. Stripers are still good on live bait, bucktail jigs and spoons.  The stripers are still around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels on all sections of the lake. Crappie are biting well over brush piles and moss flats. Try using feather jigs, 2-inch grubs and minnows. Try main lake points and large moss flats 6-15 feet deep. The best colors are white, silver and Tennessee shad.

 
Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is still low, but will be on the rise soon. Crappie are fair on minnows, jigs and small grubs in 6 to 10 feet of water around the moss. Bass are fair in 10 to 12 feet of water on Rat-L-Traps fished around any rocky points. Walleye are fair to good and have made their move to the dam area. Trout are biting well between Carpenter dam and the bridge.

 
Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the water is at normal pool and has a slight stain to it. Crappie are moving to the shallow moss flats and are biting small grubs fished around brush piles and moss beds in 6 to 10 feet of water. White bass are starting to move upstream and are being caught on spoons and hair jigs in 8 to 10 feet of water. Walleye have concentrated below the dam at Lake Ouachita and are biting well on large minnows and jerkbaits. 

 
        Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is in great shape and access to the boat docks and ramps is very good. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished under a bobber in fairly shallow water. Bass are being taken on minnows and minnow-imitating lures like crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The catfish anglers have been hitting the lake hard, but not many are having any success.

 
        Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is low and clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished around brush piles. There’s no definite depth they are holding at, so the best bet is to stick to visible cover. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers, chicken livers and shad fished on slip-sinker rigs on the bottom. All other species are slow.

 
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
        Felsenthal: Benson’s Grocery and Bait said crappie fishing is excellent on shiners fished around the mouth of the river around Grand Marias and the old riverbed.

 
 
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the water is clear and there has been no flow on the river lately. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished around the bar pits. Catfishing has been good on worms and chicken liver below the lock and dam.

River City Sporting Goods said bream are biting fairly well on crickets fished in 6 feet of water. Crappie are fair in 12 to 18 feet of water on jigs and minnows fished around the brush. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, black-and-blue jigs and No. 5 Shad Rap crankbaits. Catfish are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers fished 40 feet deep.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake is low and clear. Crappie fishing is fair in 2 to 3 feet of water on minnows and blue-and-white or black-and-white jigs. Bass are fair on crankbaits and tubes. All other species are slow.
 
        Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center said the crappie are biting well on minnows slowly trolled in 18 feet of water. Catfish are biting well on chicken livers fished on slip-sinker rigs cast out from the bank.

        Arkansas Outdoors said crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished in 20 feet of water. There was a bass tournament over the weekend, and very few fish were weighed in.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is low but the fishing is excellent. Crappie are really biting, and many limits are being caught right around the piers in 8 to 12 feet of water. Most anglers are using black-and-chartreuse jigs. Bream are fair around the piers, but are going for wax worms. Bass are slow, but a few are being pulled from the cypress trees in the shallows. Keep your presentation slow and you might be able to pull a few bass from their hideouts. Catfish are good on cut bait.

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