Weekly Fishing Report

8/2/2006
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 August 2, 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: One of the most productive ways to fish during the summer heat is by deadsticking a wacky worm. Just rig a hook right through the middle of the worm and let it fall along the edge of lily pads and vegetation. Watch your line; any slight movement or jump of the line, set the hook.  Any line movement on the fall indicates he has it. Sometimes a trophy will just pick up the worm and sit there without moving.

       
        Statewide Urban Fishing Report:  Catfish are biting on livers early and late in the day.  Bream are biting on crickets or red worms near shore or around logs. Weedlines have also been productive for bream anglers using a bobber rig.       

 
 
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
        
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the lake is low. Bream are biting well on worms, crickets and wax worms around creek channels. Crappie are biting on white/chartreuse mini jigs. Bass are schooling and biting on Rat-L-Traps and firetiger-colored plastic worms.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said fishing has been good. Generators are running in the afternoons between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Trout are biting on wax worms with marshmallows, Power Eggs and corn. In the morning, try anchoring and bait fishing. In the afternoon, try Rapala crankbaits like Shad Raps or Countdowns.

 
Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 458.34 feet MSL.
Shiloh Marina said fishing is slow because of the heat. Catfish are biting on jugs. Hybrids are biting on custom-made green or red giant Rooster Tails 50 feet deep.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the walleye bite has come to a stop. Bass are holding on ledges that top out around 20 feet deep and go as far as 45 feet deep. Hybrid fishing has been spotty, but they’re still with the shad. Crappie fishing has slowed and most of the crappie are in the deeper water of the main lake now. Catfishing and bream fishing are good.

 
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is a little lower than normal. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie aren’t biting much. Bass are biting fairly well on plastic worms and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on trotlines baited with live bream.

 
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the heat has kept almost everyone off the lake.
 
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said bass are biting around the jetties. Crappie are biting around the backwaters and the backsides of jetties.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said it is hot, but the river is at its normal level. Bream are biting on worms and crickets. Catfish are biting fairly well at the bottom. Crappie and bass aren’t biting much.

 
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the lake level is 3.2 feet below the spillway. Saugeye are biting fairly well on crankbaits 15 to 20 feet deep. Black bass are biting well on crankbaits and spinnerbaits around points. Drop shot finesse worms have also been working well around points and ledges where the deep and shallow water meet. Kentucky bass are biting well on 3-inch Pumpkin Grubs, worms and flipping tubes 15 to 25 feet deep. White bass are schooling on the east end of the lake in Timber Cove and are biting well on CC spoons, Near Nuttins and Smithwick Rogues with orange bellies. Also try trolling with orange-and-yellow crankbaits. Crappie are biting some on chartreuse jigs with minnows around brush or rock structures 15 to 25 feet deep. Catfish are biting well on large minnows, large Canadian nightcrawlers and chicken livers in deep water. Bream are biting very well on crickets 10 to 15 feet deep.

 
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said flow from Lock 9 is 3,000 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 285.84 and a tailwater of 264.64. Black bass are biting well on drop-shotted watermelon-colored worms around wood structure in 10 feet of water. Kentucky bass are holding around the rocks and are biting well on watermelon-colored finesse worms. White bass are schooling early and late in the day. Heddon Sonars are taking quite a few whites wherever the shad are congregating. Catfishing is good late in the day and throughout the night on jugs baited with shad or skipjack set next to the main channel about 25 feet deep. Crappie are fair on minnows up the creeks. The best bite has been at night under lights. Bream are holding on the grass line and biting well on crickets.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bass are biting well early and late in the day on buzzbaits fished around jetties. Shad-colored shallow-diving crankbaits are taking some good bass in the late morning around rocky areas as well. Once the day warms up, switch to Carolina-rigged finesse worms and fish just off the edges of the jetties and the backside of obstructions in the current. Channel cats are biting well on cut shad and large minnows.   

Outdoor Super Store said the river has no flow. Bream are biting well on crickets around banks and rocks. Crappie are biting on minnows around channels. Bass are biting fairly well early in the morning on buzzbaits or plastic worms fished slowly.

  
Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the water is muddy. Bream are biting well on crickets around banks. Crappie aren’t biting much. Bass are biting fairly well early in the morning on buzzbaits and plastic worms fished slowly. Catfish are biting well on stinkbait and chicken livers.

 
Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said fishing has been slow. Catfish are biting well on slip corks baited with large live minnows and nightcrawlers.

       
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the water is clear and lower than normal. Bream are biting on crickets. Crappie and catfish aren’t biting much. Bass are biting fairly well on plastic worms around brush piles 4 to 6 feet deep.


Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the water is clear and lower than normal. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie and catfish aren’t biting much. Bass are biting well on top-water lures such as Pop R’s.

 
Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said there is no current and fishing is slow. Catfish are biting at the bottom on cut shad.

 
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the lake looks fairly clear and is low. Very few fish are being caught. Black bass are biting on 10-inch black worms close to the bank.

 
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said fishing is slow and the water level has gone up enough to hide the stumps. Crappie and catfish are biting fairly well.

 
Murray Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said catfish are biting at the bottom on cut shad.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfish are biting well on live bream. Stripers are biting well early and late in the day on white twister tails and split tails.

 
Little Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said Bream are biting fairly well on crickets and red wigglers fished around the lily pads. Bass are biting well early and late in the day on buzzbaits, Smithwick Rogues and Gilmore Jumpers. Catfish are biting well on live minnows and bream.

 
Palarm Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting well on minnows. Bass are holding between the dam and the mouth of the river and are biting well in the low-light hours on topwaters and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on stinkbait and nightcrawlers.

 
 
NORTH ARKANSAS:
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said warmer weather has increased generation from the dams. Some mornings, one or two generators are on by 8 a.m. With the increase in flow, fishing has picked up. Little Cleo spoons, Buoyant spoons and Mepps spinners have been the hottest lures. When the flow picks up to four generators; Countdown Rapalas in No. 7 and 9 and Smithwick Rogues have caught some nice 2-5-lb. browns. Bait fishing is good on high or low water. Fly fishing still good on woolly buggers (green or brown), sow bugs, soft hackles, midges and black ants. Watch out for sudden rises in water levels.

Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River been steady. With light generation Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and Sunrise have worked well along with Berkley Power Wigglers. During generation, Buoyant Spoons, Super Dupers, Little Cleos and Rapalas are the baits of choice. Fly-fishermen have done extremely well with little generation on woolly buggers, zebra midges and San Juan worms. Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.  

  
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 652.98 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the surface temperature on the lake varies from 83 to 88 degrees. The thermocline remains from 28 feet to 38 feet of water and has the highest oxygen level in the lake.  White bass were active this week feeding on shad in 50 to 55 feet of water in main lake pockets and the back of some creeks.  Spoons were the key lures fished vertically down through the shad.  Silver, white and blue were the best colors. Largemouth bass are very slow during the day but not impossible to catch. Small top-water baits (Pop R’s or Chug Bugs) and buzzbaits will trigger a few in the mornings out on main lake points, along cliff walls and in the backs of a few creeks.  After the sun is up switch to jerkbaits for an hour and you should be able to pick up an extra largemouth or two. At the upper end of the lake and in the Theodosia arm some largemouth bass are being caught on football jigs 30 feet deep off secondary points; this bite seems to be the best in the morning. Smallmouth bass have changed again this week and are now using chunk rock banks as feeding grounds both on the main lake and in the creek arms. The jig and tube bite has picked up a little for small smallies but keeper smallies are still hard to come by. Shakey heads with finesse worms and Mojo rigs are your best techniques when fishing deeper than 30 feet of water, the slower the better.  Kentucky bass are pushing some shad to the top throughout the day and small top-water baits such as Pop R’s, Spit’N Image and Baby spooks will catch the feeders if you can get to the surfacing shad before they go back down. Walleye that are on the edge of the thermocline are feeding between 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Trolling lead core line using Hot’N Tots, Reef Runners, Glass Shad and Wally Divers has worked in the 30 to 34 foot range around creek channel swings. Another technique that is working is bottom bouncers with a crawler harnesses and Smile blades pulled along the drop off side of main lake points in 30 to 34 feet of water at .7 to 1 mph. 

Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake looks good, but is low. Crappie are biting on minnows 25 to 30 feet deep. Walleye are biting on nightcrawlers and spoons 28 to 38 feet deep. Catfish are biting on jugs.

 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 548.56 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said crappie are biting fairly well on crappie minnows, crappie jigs and spoons 25 to 35 feet deep. White bass are biting well on jigs early in the day and at night. Stripers are biting fairly well around stumps 30 to 40 feet deep. Try trolling umbrellas rigged with jigs or spoons. Bluegill are biting well on crickets 20 to 30 feet deep. Catfish are biting fairly well on jugs and trotlines baited with hot dogs, shrimp, cut bait or frozen shad. Walleye are biting fairly well on trolled crankbaits such as Shad Raps and Reef Runners 20 to 30 feet deep.

 
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the best baits have been small red worms, Power Eggs and corn. The best lures during generation have been No. 7 Countdown Rapalas. Fly fishermen are using zebra midges under a strike indicator when the water is low.  When the water is high, try small brown marabou jigs with chrome heads under a strike indicator.

 
 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,111.47 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said bream are biting on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting fairly well in deep water. Try trolling with small Bandits or Hot N’ Tots. Bass are biting fairly well at night around brush piles on dark-colored, 10-inch plastic worms. Catfish are biting well on jugs with live bait.

 
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said no one is fishing in the heat.
 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at its normal level. Bream are biting on worms and crickets around brush piles, stumps and treetops 4 to 8 feet deep. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows, jigs and Road Runners around brush piles, stumps and treetops 12 feet deep. Bass are biting fairly well on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits around stumps, logs and mossy points 4 to 8 feet deep. Catfish are biting some on chicken livers 12 feet deep.

 
 
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river is clear. Trout are biting well on salmon eggs. Walleye are biting on minnows.

 
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the water is clear, but not many people have been fishing because of the heat.

 
        Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Bass are only biting early and late in the day. Catfish are biting on chicken livers late in the day.

 
 
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Lake Chicot: Local anglers have reported moderate success with most of the anglers chasing bream and catfish. The hot weather has kept many people off the lake.

 
Grand Lake: Local anglers said fishing has been slow. Catfishing has been decent on chicken livers late in the afternoon.

 
Mississippi River: Local anglers said the river is low, but fishing for catfish with jugs has been good. Live bream have brought in some nice catfish when suspended under jugs.

 
  
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.43 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said water surface temperature ranges from 84 to 91 degrees. The water clarity ranges from 2 to 5 inches from recent rain and high winds.  Upriver oxbows remain clear, with up to 4 feet of visibility. Bass are in typical summer patterns with best feeding periods early and late in the day. Small bass continue schooling, chasing shad and baitfish in Little River along the edges of lily pads and breaking the surface in a fast feeding frenzy. Try a spinnerbait, Bass Assassin, buzzbait or spoon around the edges of the lily pads and vegetation. Poppers and Zara Spooks are taking some savage strikes along the edges of hydrilla, coontail, and lily pads along Little River.  Try the inside grass and pad lines where you see openings in the back of the lily pads and grass intersections, for example Pugh Slough, early and late in the day. Bass are also schooling and busting huge shad and bait schools in the river, from Yarborough Landing to the Highway 71 Bridge. White Bass were trying to school with the black bass further up Little River this week.  Be ready with a Little Cleo, Shad Assassin, or Rat-L-Trap when you see the top water frenzy start.  The wild action only lasts for 2-3 minutes at a time. Once the sun is up, it’s time to get out the flipping stick and fish Texas-rigged creature baits like Eager Beavers in watermelon red or green pumpkin around cypress trees. Keep the weight light (1/8-oz.) and fish in 7 to 9 feet of water. Crappie are still hitting shiners and minnows, but moved out of the lily pads, where they were located in past couple weeks, in less than 9 feet of water along Little River and in the oxbows.  Not a lot of crappie fishermen on the lake in the past few days due to heat after 9 a.m., and the bite is pretty much done by 10 a.m. Crappie were caught in the last 5 days back in the depths of the river between 13-17 feet deep in planted brush piles.

 
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said crappie aren’t biting much. Bass are schooling erratically. Catfish are biting well.
 
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said crappie aren’t biting much. Bass are schooling erratically. Catfish are biting well.
  
Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 543.20 feet MSL.
Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is dropping and the fish are in their summer pattern. A few stripers have been caught near the river channel. A few catfish are being caught on noodles. Quite a few rock bass have been caught by bream anglers fishing near rocky areas in the upstream section of the lake.

 
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 401.64 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the lake is falling fast, but the fishing has remained steady. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets and red worms 20 to 30 feet deep. Crappie aren’t biting much. Black and Kentucky bass are schooling on the south end of the lake and are biting well on top-water baits, Rooster Tails and CC Spoons. Hybrid and white bass are schooling in the central to south end of the lake and are biting well on Rooster Tails, CC Spoons, Boy Howdies and top-water baits. Catfish are biting fairly well on trotlines and noodles baited with live bait.

 
 Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said trout from the May stocking are looking good and are taking midge patterns stripped just under the surface of the water.

 
 
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the water looks clear. The water temperature is around 92 degrees. Stripers are biting in the main river channels on spoons. Crappie are biting around brush tops 12 to 14 feet deep.

 
Blue Mountain Lake: CNC’s End of the Line said the water level is low. Crappie and bass are biting fairly well. Catfish are biting on worms, chicken livers and minnows.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is clear and there is not much flow. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and nightcrawlers. Crappie are around 15 feet deep. Stripers are biting on topwaters. Black bass are biting on crankbaits and soft plastics. Catfish are biting well at night on cut bait, shad, minnows and nightcrawlers.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 572.54 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said largemouth bass are biting on Texas-rigged 10½-inch Ol’ Monster worms and grass jigs around moss flats, standing timber and points. After dark, try fishing main-lake and secondary points. Walleye are biting on silver jigging spoons 15 to 30 feet deep around brush piles on main-lake points. Stripers are biting on gizzard shad and minnows around main-lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channel. Bream are biting on crickets and worms around structure. Crappie are biting on minnows around brush piles and standing timber 18 feet deep. Catfish are biting on cut bait, live bait and nightcrawlers around pockets and moss flats 10 to 20 feet deep.

 
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said bass are biting fairly well in the morning and late afternoon on spinnerbaits fished along any kind of structure or cover near the shoreline. During the day the bite is extremely slow. Walleye are biting well in 4 to 12 feet of water about one mile downstream from Carpenter Dam on black/chartreuse jigs.

 
Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said the best time to fish is at night. Bass are biting early and late in the day by the dam when there is a current. Bream are biting on crickets around brush 20 feet deep. Catfish are biting well on cut bait. Crappie aren’t biting much.

 
        Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well 15 to 20 feet deep. Catfish are biting well on chicken livers and worms. Bass are schooling.

 
        Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said bream are biting well on crickets and worms. Bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits, worms and plugs. Catfish are biting well on worms and crickets.

 
        Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.76 feet MSL.
        Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said catfish are biting on goldfish.
 
        Beaverfork Lake: Conway Parks and Recreation said crappie are biting close to the middle of the lake early and late in the day on jig-and-minnow combinations.

 
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
        Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said bream are biting fairly well on crickets and red wrigglers. Crappie are biting fairly well. Bass are biting well on red shad worms around the old riverbed.

 
       
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said not many people have been fishing in the heat. Catfish are biting on stinkbait and nightcrawlers.

 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said it is too hot to fish, but bream and catfish are still biting. Bass are biting fairly well on plastic worms and buzzbaits. Crappie are deep.

River City Sporting Goods said the bite is slow. There is no current in the river.
 
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said fishing has been slow for bream and crappie. Bass are fair on soft-plastic worms fished off deep drops. Catfishing is decent on stinkbait.

  
        Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Bass are biting fairly well on plastics. Crappie and catfish aren’t biting much.

 
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said fishing is slow because of the heat and the low lake level. Bream are biting on crickets, red worms and wax worms around the piers 3 feet deep. Crappie are biting on minnows and jigs around the piers. Bass are biting on grape-colored plastic worms early and late in the day. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers and Catfish Charlie stinkbait.

Bond’s said the water level is very low and not many people have been fishing. Bream are biting well on crickets. Catfish are biting well.