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 30, 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 fishing with live bait, such as minnows and nightcrawlers. Check your bait often and remove any sickly or dying minnows or worms. Dead bait left in the container can cause the other animals to die quickly. Also drop a few ice cubes into the water or soil every now and then to keep the bait healthy in the hot sun. 

 
 
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
        
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the fishing has been great with the lower water. The fish are really concentrated in the main lake and crappie are biting extremely well on minnows.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said one or two generators are running every afternoon. The fishing has been excellent with many anglers heading to the water. Wax worms and marshmallows are working well in the current, as are PowerBait and Power Eggs. The best bite is in the mornings.

 
Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the water is murky and the fishing has been slow. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers. Hybrids have been biting decently in 35 to 40 feet of water on spin-tail baits. All other species are poor.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 456.25 it is 4.78 feet low and falling. The water temperature has dropped after the recent rain.

The hybrid and white bass fishing is spotty at best, but the cooler weather and rain has the fish really on the move. When you find them you can catch many, but you have to find them first. The best bite is on swimming grubs, Rinky Dinks and jigging spoons. If they’re on the surface you can catch them on a Super Spook Jr. or a Hawg Stick. The crappie and bream are on the move also and when they get settled back into a groove, they can be caught over brush tops in about 15 feet of water and around docks on minnows and worms. The catfishing is good on jugs and trotlines baited with cut bait, liver and bream in about 17 feet of water. The walleye are fair but are scattered and moving and can be caught on crawlers in about 23 to 43 feet on spoons fished under the hybrids and whites, a lot are being caught by bass fisherman on c-rigs with lizards as well.  Bass are on the move shallower as well. They can be caught on top-water lures, Rinky Dinks, spoons and Texas-rigged and Carolina-rigged worms. After you find what depth the most of them are using that day you can pretty much pattern them, whether it is cloudy or sunny.

 
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 fishing picked up a little last week. Bream are biting decently on worms and crickets. Bass anglers are dong pretty well on Texas-rigged soft-plastic lizards. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the fishing is poor. A few small bream have been caught lately, but that’s about all.

 
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said black bass are biting well, hitting crankbaits during the day and soft-plastics at night. White bass are biting well on crankbaits trolled around 10 feet deep in Timber Cove and around Buoy Island. Saugeye are fair and are being caught with the white bass. Bream are excellent on crickets fished around 12 to 15 feet deep on humps in the mouths of coves. Catfish are fair on large minnows fished around 20 feet deep. Crappie are fair on small minnows fished 20 to 25 feet deep. The Lake is 5 feet low.

 
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 5,000 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 285.35 and a tailwater of 264.99. The water temperature has dropped because of the rain. Catfishing is good from 8 to 25 feet deep in the main channel using skipjack. Night fishing at the mouths of major creek channels is excellent on live bream fished around a submersible light in 15 to 25 feet of water. Bream are biting well near the bank and overhangs. Crappie are biting well at night on minnows fished around lights. The best areas have been Flagg Lake, Coppers Gap, the Petit Jean River and Point Remove Creek. Kentucky bass are being caught under the lights as well. Black bass are moving to the tops of the jetties and are biting well in 3 to 8 feet of water on crawfish-colored tube jigs. Fish the tube around riprap that has grass fished growing through it. Flip it to the bank and drag it out quickly for the best bite.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bass are biting fairly well on Carolina-rigged finesse worms, citrus-shad colored Bandit crankbaits and buzzbaits fished early in the day. The best fishing has been around jetty points near the main channel. Catfishing is good on jugs baited with live shad, cut shad and bream fished near any current breaks when there is any flow.

 
        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 clarity is good and the lake is in great shape. Bream are biting fair to good around stumps, but they are not holding to any beds. Crappie are biting very well on green/chartreuse jigs fished near stumps. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is very good on worms and stinkbait.

 
 
NORTH ARKANSAS:
 
White River: Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout has been good. With light generation Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, white and pink have worked well along with Berkley Power Wigglers in pink. During 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 olive woolly buggers, zebra midges, San Juan worms and scuds or sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Rapala Countdowns, Deep Rogue Jrs. and nightcrawlers.

 
Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the lake temperature dropped a degree or two this week, mostly because of small storms. The main lake temperature is at 84.6 and the creeks are between 85 and 86 degrees with the thermocline from 30 to 38 feet. The generation was high again this week and the pool level dropped to 650.77, 3 1/2 feet below normal. Big crappie were active this week about 36 feet deep in front of deep brush piles and along the bluff walls suspended on pole trees. Crappie minnows hooked through the tail were very effective early in the week and crappie grubs and tubes worked better over the weekend.  Largemouth bass can still taken on the surface in the mornings, but the strikes are coming in the cuts and pockets halfway back into the creeks, secondary points are the best. Fish brush piles during the daylight hours with Texas-rigged worms and Brush Hogs.  Smallmouth bass are the same as they have been for the last month -- scattered and deep. Stay in 40 feet of water and jump around from point to point that have some ledges and chunk rock.  Fish hula grubs, spider jigs and shaker heads with finesse worms.  Kentucky bass have moved with the shad that are relocating in the middle of the coves and inlets in the creeks.  They are holding at 40 to 50 feet and can be caught on spoons and drop shot rigs; the morning bite is the best. Walleye continue to be the one game fish that can be caught day in and day out. They are holding between 32 and 40 feet. The walleye that are on the bottom can be triggered with Bink’s spoons any time of the day. The suspended walleye are being caught using lead core line pulling Hot-N-Tots, Rip Shads, Jointed Shad Raps and Wally Divers at .9 to 2 mph.  Purple or red colors are the best. 

Sugarloaf Harbor said the lake is still dropping, most likely because of generation at the dam. Crappie are fair on minnows fished around brush in 30 feet of water. Bass are biting well on deep-diving Norman and Rapala crankbaits fished over 19 to 23 feet of water. Catfishing is decent on jugs and lines baited with live bait and fished around 16 feet of water. Walleye are biting fairly well on crawler harnesses dragged behind a bottom bouncer in 38 to 42 feet of water.

 
 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 545.94 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said bream are holding in 20 feet of water, and are biting excellently on red worms and crickets fished under a slip-cork rig. Crappie are poor. Walleye are biting very well. The best success has been with Hot-n-Tots, Reef Runners and Shad Raps trolled in 35 feet of water. Vertically jigging a white Bink’s spoon is also working well for the walleye. Bass are biting well early and late in the day on jigs and worms. During the day, a Norman DD22 crankbait is catching a few keepers as well. Stripers are biting very well on Bink’s spoons and large Storm swim baits. 

 
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the water is crystal clear and the generating schedule has been steady in the afternoons. Fishing has been slow because of the rain, but some good size trout are being caught on red wigglers and nightcrawlers. A 16-lb. brown trout was caught last week in the tailwater.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said trout are biting excellently on Rapalas, Colorado spoons, Rogues and pink or chartreuse PowerBait. Fly anglers are doing well on woolly buggers and hare’s ear nymphs.

 
 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.66 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the water level is up since the last rain, but it is still low. River areas of the lake are pretty muddy right now. Crappie are poor to fair, with a few being taken on jigs fished around deep brush piles. Catfishing is good on chicken livers, small bream and goldfish. Bass fishing has been fairly slow, with the best bite coming at night. Dark-colored jigs, spinnerbaits and large soft-plastics are working in shallow water during the evening. During the daytime, it’s a finesse bite with Shaky head worms being the go-to bait.

 
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the surface temperature has been in the high 80s and very few anglers have been visiting the lake due to the heat.

 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake has risen some since last week. Bream are fair in 4 to 10 feet of water on worms and crickets fished near stumps and brush. Bass are biting well on live minnows. Catfishing is fair on worms, chicken livers and cut perch. The fishing should break loose any day now with the cooler temperatures on their way.

 
 
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is clear and at normal levels. Trout fishing is good on Rooster Tails and salmon eggs.

 
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the fishing has been good on the river. Many smallmouth are being caught on finesse worms and crawfish imitations. Largemouth bass are biting fairly well near the bank on soft-plastic worms. Walleye are holding in the deepest sections of the river and are hard to catch right now.

 
        Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and Beetle Spins. Crappie anglers are also catching a few saugeye. Bass have been getting active lately, with the best action coming on top-water lures early and late in the day. Catfishing is excellent on worms and stinkbait.

 
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
Lake Chicot:  Anglers are catching bream on red worms close to the bank.  Bass fishermen reporting moderate to low success.

 
Grand Lake:  Bream fishermen reporting moderate success with red worms and crickets.
 
Mississippi River:  Catfish biting moderately well to very good with cut bait, and trotlines producing good catches of big blues.

 
Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the fishing has picked up a little with bream biting well on worms and crickets. Bass are biting fairly well on darker-colored soft-plastic worms. The larger worms are getting the best bite.

 
 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 85 to 89 degrees.  As of Monday, the lake level is bout 4 inches above normal pool, at 259.57 feet. Current in Little River is slow with release at the dam being 158 cubic feet per second. Bass are in typical summer patterns with best feeding periods early and late in the day.  Best bite remains from daylight to 9 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Small bass continue schooling, and are chasing shad and baitfish in Little River along the edges of lily pads, and in the oxbows all along Little River, breaking the surface in small feeding frenzies. The best locations to find these schooling bass have been along Little River between Pugh Slough and Jack's Isle. Several large schools were breaking the surface in Mud Lake and Horseshoe Lake. Bass remain good in the grass, pads and vegetation on Bass Assassin Shads in salt and pepper/silver phantom or crystal shad colors, Bass Assassin Charms in silver ghost color, Johnson spoons (gold seems to be best on cloudy days) with white grub trailers and War Eagle Spinnerbaits in firecracker, or gold shiner colors.  Depths of 2-6 feet remain best close to and in the vegetation, early and late in the day.  Later in the day, Eager Beavers in watermelon/red or black/blue are taking keepers around cypress trees.  The best bite on the Eager Beaver has been on cypress tree knees (5-6 feet off the base of the tree) in 8-10 feet of water. Fattbutt Gitzits are working sporadically around same stumps and cypress knees. Not many crappie fishermen are out due to heat, however a few crappie fishermen reported fair catches in 14-17 feet depths on shiners in planted brush piles. Blue cats and channel cats are fair on yo-yos using shiners and chicken livers. White bass are trying to school with the black bass in the mornings in the last few weeks in lily pads, along Little River, especially between White Cliffs and Highway 71 Bridge.  If you can find these large schools of Whites chasing bait and shad along the outside edges of the pads, they will hammer a Rocket Shad or Chuck-n-Spin in white/chartreuse, as well as Rat-L-Traps in chrome/black and chrome/green backs, or Little Cleos and Rooster Tails. 

 
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bass are fair to good on soft plastics fished slowly around deep ledges and tucked back deep in cover.

 
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Catfishing is good on worms and chicken livers.

  
Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 540.15 feet MSL.
Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the clarity is good, but the lake level is still dropping. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Bass are biting fairly well on top-water lures. Catfish are biting well on worms, chicken livers and stinkbait. Stripers are holding in 20 to 40 feet of water and biting well on spoons. White bass are schooling early and late in the day and biting well on Tiny Torpedoes and spoons cast into the frenzy.

 
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 398.69 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the lake is still falling, but the water temperature has cooled to the mid-80s. Crappie are fair 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 fished outside the weed line. 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. The bite should be improving the next two weeks.

 
Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said fishing has been pretty good lately, with most of the fish needing a few casts over their heads before they’re finally tempted to strike. The trout are growing pretty well, with a few even touching the 15-inch class.

 
 
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. 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 water level is coming up some. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting very well on minnows and jigs. Catfishing is very good on chicken livers, stinkbait and minnows. Bass are slow.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is clear and at normal levels. A few bass have been caught on jigs and crankbaits fished right along the edge of the grass. Catfishing is fair on shad and nightcrawlers. All other species are slow.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 570.81 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said largemouth bass are still fair and can be caught with frog-style baits and grass jigs. Try moss flats and points for best results. Texas-rigged worms in grape, strawberry and red bug colors are working well fished after dark on main lake and secondary points. Spotted bass are good on live crawfish fished near brush 20-28 feet deep. Walleye are good with reports of these fish still being caught near brush piles on main lake points. Silver jigging spoons are working best 25-35 feet deep. Stripers are still fair on live bait, gizzard shad or large trotline minnows. Stripers are located around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels on the eastern end of the lake.  Bream are still very good and are being caught around structure with crickets or worms.   Try main lake and secondary points 20 to 28 feet deep. Crappie are fair and being caught over brush piles. Try deep pockets and standing timber 18-35 feet deep.  Minnows or jigging spoons seem to work best. Catfish are still good and being caught on cut bait, nightcrawlers and live bait. Try pockets and moss flats 15-25 feet deep.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass have been good this week with the top-water action picking up. Throw your favorite top-water lure and have fun. This week the white bass have made some appearances in the creeks with white Rooster Tails and spoons doing well. Crappie are slow and bream are fair on crickets. Stripers are still good with many of them in the trees. Getting hooked up with a spoon isn’t a problem, but getting the fish out of the trees is.

 
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said the lake has been calm and is at normal elevation. White bass and stripers are schooling on shad in the evenings. Walleye have slowed since last week. The best bite has been close to the cooler water of the dam on twister tails and other artificial lures fished slowly along the bottom.

 
Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass fishing is still fair at night with many small bass being caught on plastic worms Texas-rigged with an1/8-oz. weight fished extremely slow in brush piles around 10 to 15 feet deep. Crappie are slow and bream are fair on worms and crickets. Stripers are still holding toward Blakely Dam on and biting top-water lures early in the morning. Look for the shad and you’ll find the fish.

 
 Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is in good shape. Bream are biting pretty well on worms and crickets. Crappie are holding really deep and biting well on minnows if you can find them. Bass are still schooling early in the mornings and biting well on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is fair on worms and chicken livers.

 
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake has risen about 4 inches but is still low. Bream are biting well in 4 feet of water on red worms and crickets. Bass are biting well on soft-plastics fished around stumps in 7 feet of water. Catfishing is excellent on yo-yos and trotlines baited with minnows.

 
 
Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.27 feet MSL.
        Local angler Billy Blankenship said the lake has two new ramps and many new improvements since last season. The water is clear on the lower end near the dam and the river has stained water. Bream are biting well in 8 to 9 feet of water around the treetops the Corps put in. Crappie are biting well on minnows and a chartreuse jig with red head in the same areas. Bass are biting well on black and blue soft-plastics fished around stumps in 12 feet of water. Many anglers are visiting the lake every night now that the evenings are beginning to cool down. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers around the treetops the corps set up in the lake.

 
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
        Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said bream are fair despite the heat. Crappie have picked up in the deeper parts of the river. Bass are biting well on Flukes and other soft-plastic jerk baits in Arkansas Shiner colors.

 
  
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said the bite has been very slow and the water is about 4 feet lower than normal. The few people that are out are catfishing and only catching a few. Be cautious when motoring around the chute. There have been problems with carp jumping out of the water lately.

 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the river is low and there is no current to speak of. Bream are biting well in the mornings on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass have been biting well on spinnerbaits and topwaters fished along the grassline. Catfishing is very good on nightcrawlers. 

River City Sporting Goods said all species are slow because of the high temperatures and lack of current.
 
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said low water and high temperatures have kept the fishing slow for all species.
  
        Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said fishing has been poor for all species. The heat kept most anglers away, but the fishing has still been poor.

 
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water has great color and the level is good. Bream are biting very well on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting very well on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on grape-colored soft plastics and white spinnerbaits fished around the lily pads in the late afternoon. Catfishing is great on stinkbait.