Weekly Fishing Report

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 16, 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: When working along grasslines in the summer, try something different from the rest of the crowd. Instead of just dropping a jig-and-pig combo or worm down within flipping distance, line up on the outside edge of the grass and cast parallel to the grassline. One of the best lures for the weed line is a crayfish imitation like a Texas-rigged Yum Wooly Bug or Carolina-rigged tube.
 
 
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
        
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the water is very low, but you can still launch a boat at Adams Lake Landing and Gold Creek Landing. Bream are biting fairly well wherever you can find deep water. Bass are biting fairly well on bloodline, firetiger and camo-colored soft-plastics and light-colored buzzbaits early in the morning. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and dip bait.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said generation has been starting at 3 p.m. lately and running throughout the day. Trout have been biting well in the mornings on wax worms and PowerBait. Artificials like Countdown Rapalas are working best in the higher water levels.

 
Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 457.19 feet MSL.
Shiloh Marina said the water is clear and low. Hybrids and white bass are biting well around sunrise and sunset near Edgemont Bay on Man-O-Lures and other jigging spoons.

 
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said hybrids are hit and miss if you leave then schooling in one place in the afternoon you can go back and catch some first thing in the morning. After that they may disappear for two days and cannot find them or a bite, some days are just better than others, stay on the water and with the bait and sooner or later you’ll get into the fish. The bass fishing has been tough as well, with the smallmouth biting pretty well at night, most of the fish have been suspended and are hard to catch, try a drop shot, swim a grub or work a jigging spoon. Many black bass have been up shallow chasing the spawning bream, and that has been one reason most have not been catching them, but they are headed out deep now. Crappie are suspended over deep brush piles in about 25 feet of water. Bream have finished their last spawn up and are headed back to deep water again. Catfishing is good using just about any bait you want, anywhere from 5 to 40 feet deep.

 
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the water is a little cloudy, but not bad. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished around structure. Crappie are slow. Bass fishing is fair on spinnerbaits worked along shallow cover. Catfishing is good on stinkbait.

 
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the water clarity is fair. Crappie are fair on minnows and worms. All other species are slow.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the water is muddy and at normal levels. All species are poor.
 
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass activity has continued to be good despite the heat. Fish deep around structure. White bass are fair; trolling around Timber cove seems to be working best. Crappie fishing is slow, fish structure deep with minnows. Bream fishing is excellent. The bigger bream are deep. Catfishing is good about 15 to 20 feet deep with large minnows. Saugeye are biting well; people are actually coming out to fish for them. They are mixed in with the white bass.

 
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 3,000 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 286 and a tailwater of 265. Catfishing is good in the early morning around the main channel on a nightcrawler/skipjack combo. White bass are biting well early and late in the day on black/white Rooster Tails and pearl-colored Devil’s Horses. Kentucky bass are biting well along the grass on Tiny Torpedoes and Spooks. Some nice 2-31/2-pound bass have been taken where the grass is growing from the riprap. Bream are biting well around overhangs on crickets. Crappie are biting well at night under fishing lights around Coppers Gap and the Petit Jean River. Black bass are biting well early in the mornings on black Jitterbugs fished around Willow Bend.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bass are biting fairly well around jetty points on medium-running crankbaits, white buzzbaits and 4-inch Carolina rigs. Catfish are biting very well on trotlines baited with live bream or cut shad near channels with current.

Outdoor Super Store said there is no flow and the fishing is fair. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in the brush along the edge of the shore. Bass are fair on soft-plastic worms fished near the first drop to deep water. Catfishing is fair on cut shad and whole shad.

 
Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the water is muddy and at normal levels. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets around any visible cover. Bass are fair on soft-plastics during the day and buzzbaits in the low-light hours. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and chicken livers.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are biting well on crickets and red worms around the center of the lake near stumps. Crappie aren’t biting much. Bass are biting fairly well early and late in the day on buzzbaits and flukes. Catfish are biting well on chicken hearts.

 
Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfish are biting very well on worms, chicken livers and hearts.
 
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the bream are biting excellently on crickets in 15 feet of water. Bass are biting very well on top-water lures in the early morning. Catfishing is good on worms and chicken livers in 12 feet of water.

 
Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the water level is low. Bream are decent on yellow/black Rooster Tails. Crappie are poor. Bass are excellent early and late in the day on brightly colored top-water lures. Catfishing is decent on limb lines.

 
Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the stripers are biting fair to excellent, depending on the flow. When the gates open, the stripers are biting well on grubs and hair jigs. Catfish are biting well on cut shad just below the dam.

 
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the water is at normal levels. Bluegill are biting well in the deeper water on crickets and small jigs. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers around the banks.

 
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the water is 21/2 to 3 feet low, and the stumps are showing up at the surface. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on jigs, with some good slabs being pulled from the cover. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and minnows. A few catfish have been picked up by crappie anglers using jig-and-minnow combinations.

 
Murray Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said the water is clear and there is little flow to the river. Catfishing is good on chicken hearts fished near the bottom of the main channel behind the dam.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream and crappie aren’t biting much. Catfish are biting well on live bream and shad fillets. Stripers and whites are biting early in the morning on white twin tails and white Bang Tails.

 
Little Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are biting well on crickets and red worms around lily pads. Crappie aren’t biting much. Catfish are biting well on chicken livers and hearts, nightcrawlers and white Zoom Flukes.

 
Palarm Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfish are biting very well on nightcrawlers and chicken hearts.
 
Big Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are biting well on crickets and worms around cypress trees. Crappie and bass aren’t biting much. Stripers and whites are biting on Johnson Bang Tails around the Old Spillway. 

 
NORTH ARKANSAS:
 
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said generators have been running daily. Trout fishing is excellent. Fly fishermen have been successful using Partridge and Orange soft hackles, Red Butt soft hackles, black parachute ants, bulbous bivisible, olive wooly buggers and sow bugs. Spin fishermen have been successful using Buoyant Spoons and Little Cleos on a slow retrieve, or yellow PowerBait and wax worms or red worms on a no. 6 hook with a no. 9 bell sinker.

Wilderness Trail said Fishing for trout on the White River has been good. With light generation Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, white and Sunrise have worked well along with Berkley Power Wigglers in pink. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Rapala Countdowns or Deep Rogue Jrs. are the baits of choice. The fly fishermen have done extremely well with little generation on woolly buggers, zebra midges and scuds or sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, Deep Rogue Jrs., and nightcrawlers.  

  
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 651.68 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the bite is still slow. Generation was up last week and the lake dropped 21/2 feet below normal pool. Lake temperature is still in the mid-80s (84.5 to 86) and will stay there for a while. The thermocline starts at 28 feet and runs to 38 feet.  Most of the shad are positioned just above the thermocline and the game fish are feeding on them. Largemouth bass can be caught early in the morning on top water, if you are in the back of the right creek when they are feeding. Small top-water baits are working the best, such as Pop R’s, Spit’N Image, Zara Spook, Jrs. and Chug Bugs. Mojo rigs and Carolina rigs are catching the largemouth near deep brush piles that top out around the thermocline during the day. Smallmouth bass are scattered. Shakey heads with a Flirt worm, Meathead worm or 4-inch Dead Ringer and grubs work well as search baits. Fish off the banks and keep your lures in the thermocline range (28 to 38 feet).  Kentucky bass have gone below the thermocline in 45 to 55 feet of water. Drop shot rigs or spoons are the only way to trigger a few bites with artificial baits. The bite is even slow at night because the bass are not moving up onto the banks. They are staying in the thermocline, which puts them in that 28-foot range. Fish deep brush piles with jig and pigs or Texas-rigged 8 to 10-inch worms or slow roll single-bladed spinnerbaits and try to trigger a strike or two. Long-line trolling in the thermocline with lead core line pulling Hot ’N Tots and Rip Shads is catching limits of walleye. Also try bottom bouncers in 28 to 34 feet of water with crawler harnesses and leech harnesses. Inside the creek arms, pockets and bays is where the majority of the walleye are being caught and the bite seems to be the best from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 Sugarloaf Harbor said the water is low and clarity is fair. Crappie are biting decently in 25 to 30 feet of water on jig-and-minnow combinations fished around brush piles. Kentucky bass are biting well in about 28 feet of water on Bill Norman DD22 crankbaits. Some walleye have been taken on crawler harnesses fished 35 to 38 feet deep.

 
 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 547.25 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the water is clear and low. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair at night under lights. Large shiners are working the best once the light begins attracting baitfish. Bass are biting well at night on soft-plastics. Stripers are decent in the mornings on trolled swim baits. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with live shiners and bream.

 
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the water is crystal clear and the level is fluctuating rapidly with increased generation schedules. Rainbow trout are biting very well on Power Eggs, nightcrawlers and redworms. Brown trout are biting well on red worms, corn and Power Eggs. There have been some nice trout, up to 51/2 pounds taken in the last few weeks.

 
 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.70 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is low and clear. Bluegill are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on trolled jig-and-minnow combinations and Bandit crankbaits. Bass are fair at night on spinnerbaits and soft-plastics. Catfishing is fair on live and prepared bait.

 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the weather has kept anglers off the lake. The water is about 2 feet below normal pool.

 
 
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
White River: A local fisherman reported fishing is excellent with the most consistent lures being naturally colored soft plastics fished around wood piles and deep bluffs. The vegetation in the river is very abundant, and the fish in the grass are hard to pinpoint. There are some good fish in the grass, but hooking into one is a challenge. Early in the morning, throw topwaters (buzzbaits, moss frogs and spooks) for fast action on top of the grass, but then look for grass ledges where there are breaks in the current, and work plastic craws, jigs and grubs through these areas. The dams have been generating heavily last week, so the water will be high and swift. Check the creeks if the water is flowing too hard in the river and if that doesn't pay off, put on some extra weight and drift fish near the bluffs in about 10-20 feet of water, this is a good way to catch the smallies.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is clear and at normal levels. Trout have been good on Mepps in-line spinners. Bass are biting fairly well on minnows. A few catfish have turned up in the cooler water as well.

 
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the water is clear and at normal levels. Smallmouth bass have been biting very well on tubes.

 
        Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is a little cloudy from the rain and the lake is at normal levels. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Bass are fair on top-water lures early and late in the day. Catfish are biting decently on chicken livers.

 
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the weather has been too hot and not many people have visited the lake. Fishing is slow. 

 
 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the surface temperature ranges from 85 to 91 degrees, depending on location and time of day. Water clarity has improved to 18 to 26 inches in the river and 8 to 12 inches visibility in the main lake. Bass are in typical summer patterns with best feeding periods early and late in the day. Fish the grass, pads and other vegetation with Bass Assassin Shads in salt & pepper silver phantom, Bass Assassin Charms in crystal shad color, Johnson spoons with white grub trailers and War Eagle Spinnerbaits in aurora or firecracker colors. Try the inside grass and pad lines where you see openings in the back of the lily pads and grass intersections. A few fish are still busting buzz baits, but a slower presentation is emerging, and the bass are being a little more finicky. Bass Assassin Charm Assassins in crystal shad and silver ghost colors, wacky rigged, are still taking chunky Millwood Bass by dead sticking. For the past month, between 6-11am, black bass are schooling, busting the surface, running the shad and bait, in vegetation and lily pads all along Little River and have moved into the oxbow lakes all along Little River with their schooling activities. Johnson spoons, soft-plastic Bass Assassin Shads and Charms, rigged weedless, Rocket Shads, 1/4 oz to 1/2 oz size Rat-L-Traps, and Little Georges are catching these fish.  These same nomadic schools are also schooling and busting huge shad and bait schools in the river, from Yarborough Landing to the Highway 71 Bridge. White Bass were also schooling 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. Once the sun is up and more direct, red shad brush hogs and Eager Beavers in watermelon red or green pumpkin are taking keepers around cypress trees. The best bite on the Eager Beaver has been on cypress tree knees about 5-6 feet off the base of the tree in 7-9 feet of water. A slow fall seems to be a trigger to bite, so use a light weight. Tubes are working sporadically around the same stumps and cypress knees. Crappie are still hitting shiners and minnows, and have moved back into the lily pads, where they were the last couple weeks, in less than 9 feet of water along Little River and in the oxbows.  Not many Crappie fishermen are on the lake after 9 a.m., and bite is pretty much done by 10 a.m. Blue cats and channel cats this week were fair on yo-yos and trotlines using cut shad, Catfish Charlie and shiners. 

 
White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said bream are biting very well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting decently on minnows. Bass are really good during low-light hours. Catfish are biting well on stinkbait. 

 
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the water is low, but the bass fishing has been good on buzzing frogs fished around the lily pads in 4 feet of water at night.

 
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the water is clear and about 6 feet below normal pool. Catfishing is good on goldfish, minnows and stinkbait.

  
Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 541.92 feet MSL.
 
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 400.13 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the water is falling and the surface temperature ranges from high 80s to low 90s. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows fished off bluffs. They’re biting best at night on live bait. Black and Kentucky bass are in shallow waters in the morning and biting on top-water baits and jerkbaits. They move deeper in the afternoons and bite best on Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigged worms. Hybrid and white bass 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 and minnows fished 15 to 25 feet deep. Set noodles at 8 feet deep.

 
Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said there are plenty of trout that can be seen up and down the river, but getting them to bite has been a bit tricky. Although the temperature is holding steady around 100 degrees, the water is a cool 68 degrees in some places. The best action has been during times of light breeze when there has been a little extra chop in the water. Emerger patterns seem to work the best.

 
 
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
Lake Dardanelle: Low current and water levels have kept the fishing slow for most species. Grass and weeds are growing well along the edges of the shoreline and the water clarity is very good. Bass are holding in the grass, especially during the heat of the day. The trick is getting to them. Fishing along the edge of the grass with a tube or jig will produce a few fish, as will working a Pop R or Horny Toad over areas of thin vegetation in the mornings. During the day, find the ledges on the sides of the main river channel and cast deep-diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged Zoom Centipedes and Fish Doctors.

 
Blue Mountain Lake: CNC’s End of the Line said the weather has been too hot for most anglers. A few bream have been caught early and late in the day on crickets and some catfish have been biting during low-light hours on stinkbait. Other than that, the fishing is slow.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows in 15 feet of water. Bass are decent, with a few being caught on crankbaits early in the morning. Catfishing is decent when there is a little current.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 571.77 feet MSL.
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bream fishing is fair to slow. Bass fishing is picking up with frogs in the grass early and topwaters in the creek channels. After that try big worms and jigs about 35 to 40 feet deep for some nice fish. It’s hard work, but deep-water jigging can bring in a good limit of bass. Stripers are slowing down, but some big fish can be caught with spoons and swim baits about 35 feet deep next to the channels. Walleye are spotty but some are being caught in the trees around 35 feet deep. Catfish are still being caught on jug lines baited with small bream and goldfish.

 
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said the water is calm and at full pool. Clarity is good. Striped bass are schooling on shad in the early evening from Diamondhead Marina west. Silver spoons and shiners are taking a few striped bass. Catfishing is good on blood bait near the main channel. Walleye are decent around brush in 14 feet of water on bright-bodied jigs with dark-colored twister tails.

 
Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass are still tough during daylight hours with all the boat traffic. Spoons, drop shots and jighead worms around the bridges will produce some fish. Early and late try poppers or Spooks on breaking fish for some bass and stripers. Cut bait has also produced some stripers towards Blakely Dam. Bream are holding around boat docks 15 to 20 feet and biting well on crickets. Catfish are biting well on shrimp, liver and nightcrawlers. Crappie are still hit and miss but try small minnows and white/chartreuse grubs in 20 feet of water for the best results.

 
 Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the water clarity is very good. Saturday’s rain really helped the fishing. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are deep, and biting fairly well on jig-and-minnow combinations. Bass are schooling and biting well on Little Georges and topwaters. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

 
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Bass are biting well on worms, crankbaits and jigs fished on deeper ledges in the lake. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers and crickets. 

 
Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.56 feet MSL.
        Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said bream are fair below the dam on crickets. Crappie moved deeper, but are biting well in the cooler water just off deep ledges. Bass are biting fairly well on green and black spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on goldfish and bass minnows.

 
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
        Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said the water is at normal levels. Bream are biting very well on red wigglers and crickets, with the worms being the better bait. Crappie are biting well on shiners fished near cover. Bass are biting very well on spinnerbaits and soft plastics fished around cover. Catfishing is good on cold worms.

 
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said the heat is keeping people off the water. Bream are biting decently on crickets in the shallows. Catfishing is pretty good on chicken livers, shrimp, cut bait and nightcrawlers.

 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the water is low and clear. The current is still practically nonexistent. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in the backwater areas. Crappie are slow, but a few have been caught on minnows and white jigs. A few bass have been taken on buzzbaits early in the mornings and soft-plastic worms later in the day. Catfishing is excellent on cut shad and worms.

River City Sporting Goods said the water is clear and there is no flow. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets in 3 to 4 feet of water. Bass are biting well on buzzbaits and other topwaters fished around wood and rocky outcroppings. Stripers are biting well at the locks when the water is flowing. Use large spoons and bucktails. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

 
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is fairly clear and low. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets, but it’s a challenge to catch many keepers. Bass are biting decently on spinnerbaits fished around the grass. Catfishing is slow on stinkbait.

  
        Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the water is low. Anglers are catching plenty of bream, but not many large enough to keep. A few bass are being picked up on soft-plastics. All other species are slow.

 
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said it’s a chore to launch right now, but it’s worth the effort. Bream are very good on worms and crickets in 3 feet of water. Crappie are decent on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs around the piers. Bass are biting well in late afternoon on grape-colored soft-plastics. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

Bond’s said the lake is very low. Bream are biting well around the piers on crickets. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and chicken livers at night.

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