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 Sept. 6, 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: Many anglers keep a journal of their fishing trips. They include the date, weather conditions, size and number of fish and locations. As the journal grows, it will become easier to flip back through previous trips and get a good starting point for their next outing.

 
  
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
        
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the water is low, but if you can launch a boat, you can catch some fish. Bream have been biting well around Gold Creek and Adams Lake on wax worms, crickets and brown/black Tinsel Teasers. Crappie are biting well on medium-sized minnows and chartreuse Trout Magnets. Bass are biting well on dark-colored soft-plastics and Rat-L-Traps. Catfish are biting fairly well on live minnows and cut shad.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey’s Resort said that the generators are coming on in the afternoons, leaving good fly-fishing conditions in the mornings. Fishing has been good on nightcrawlers, corn and PowerBait drifted in the current. Many trout are being caught on marabou jigs drifted under a strike indicator. Sow bugs and scuds are producing well for the fly anglers.

 
Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 455.75 feet MSL.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the surface temperature is 83.5 degrees. As the temperature cools, the bite will improve. Hybrid fishing is great right now using a Buckshot Bait in-line spinner or rattling spoon. Stay around the shad and jig the lure through the shad and the vibration will create a reaction strike. Try the mouth of Shiloh and Cove creeks as well as Dave creek and Mill creek. A few bass and walleye are mixed in with the hybrids. Crappie are biting in the pole timber about 15 feet deep suspended over 40 feet on minnows and chartreuse/red Rite Bite crappie jigs. Bream are making their beds as the moon comes up and can be caught around docks and up shallow. Catfishing is good using cut bait on jugs in about 17 feet of water. Walleye are fair but scattered on flats in about 43 feet of water and biting crawlers. The bass are scattered.  Some can be caught in 20 feet on a Texas rig or Carolina rig and some are on the bank chasing bream and can be caught with a small crankbait or a jighead worm. Some largemouth are following the baitfish up the creeks, use a small crankbait or Texas rig, or jighead worm for them.

 
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 clarity is poor and the water is low. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting fairly well on black soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits.

  
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the bass fishing is excellent in the backwater areas on Rat-L-Traps and top-water lures. White bass are holding on the jetties and biting excellently on Rooster Tails and white Rat-L-Traps.

 
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the water is fairly clear. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Catfish are fair on minnows and worms. Crappie and bass fishing are both poor.

 
Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said flow from Lock 9 is 900 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 285.35 and a tailwater of 265.08. Kentucky bass and largemouth bass are schooling and are biting excellently on Tiny Torpedoes and Zara Puppies early and late in the day. Once the sun comes up, switch to CC Spoons and drop shots in the deeper water and Horny Toads and heavy drop shots along the edges of the grass. Catfishing is excellent on skipjack and live shad drifted in 5 to 20 feet of water on the upstream side of the jetties. Bream are biting well around 4 to 8 feet deep on crickets. Crappie are biting well at night under lights. White bass and stripers are chasing shad early in the mornings around the middle of the channel. When they’re breaking, throw a Hopkins’ style spoon or white twister tail. The stripers are also schooling around the tailwater of the dam.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie fishing is fair in the main channel on minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Bass fishing is fair to good on shad-colored crankbaits, black/red flake tubes and Carolina-rigged 4-inch worms fished around the jetties. Catfishing is good on the main channel with minnows and live bream. Stripers are schooling around the main channel and are biting well on clear Near Nuthins and white CC spoons.

Outdoor Super Store said there is still no flow on the river. Bream fishing is good on red wigglers and crickets. Bass are fair on Brush Hogs and other creature baits flipped in the grass mats. Catfishing is fair on cut shad and livers. Crappie fishing is slow.

 
Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said the water is muddy. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting fairly well on red shad colored worms fished in brush and laydowns. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait and chicken livers in the deeper channels.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are biting fairly well on the shallow end of the lake on panfish worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is poor, but a few have been taken on minnows fished on a slip-cork rig. Bass are fair on white buzzbaits and top-water lures near the main channel of the lake.

 
Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said channel catfish are biting well on live bream and nightcrawlers.
       
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the water is low and stained. Bream fishing is excellent in the deeper water on crickets fished near brush piles. Crappie are biting well on chartreuse jigs fished in brush around 15 feet deep. Bass are biting decently on top-water lures. Catfishing is fair on Catfish Charlie.

 
Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the river is extremely low. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are poor. Bass fishing is decent on small spinners and brightly colored top-water lures fished near current breaks. Catfishing is fair on live bait. 

 
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the lake is clear and in good shape. Bream are scattered, but a few have been caught on crickets fished around stumps. Crappie are biting decently on green/chartreuse and brown/chartreuse jigs fished tight to stumps. All other species are slow.

 
Fourche La Fave River: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are fair on live minnows. Bass are fair to good on shallow-diving crankbaits. Catfishing is good on limblines and jugs baited with live bream.

 
Fourche Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are fair on live minnows. Bass are biting fairly well on tube baits and crankbaits fished shallow. Catfish are good on chicken livers, chicken hearts and shad.

 
Murray Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfishing is fair to good on live shad, minnows and bream. Stripers and white bass are biting well on Mann’s split tails, white twister tails and Little Georges.

McSwain Sports Center said bream are near the banks and biting well on micro jigs and crickets. Catfishing is picking up with the cooler weather. Cut shad are working the best on the catfish. Stripers are picking up with the weather. A 4-inch grub is working well below the dams.

 
Little Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are biting well along the lily pads on crickets and wax worms. Crappie are fair near the middle of the channel on live minnows. Bass are fair to good on Rattlin’ Rogues, Bomber Long A’s and white spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on trotlines and limblines baited with cut shad and chicken hearts.

 
Big Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said the crappie are biting fairly well around trees. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and tube lures. Stripers are biting well around the old spillway on clear Spooks, Torpedoes and CC Spoons. 

 
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the water is at normal levels and clear. Bream are biting well on red worms. Crappie are biting decently on minnows and jigs suspended over deep holes.

 
 
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, Buoyant Spoons, Rooster Tails and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. The fly fishermen have done well with little generation on Olive Woolly Buggers, zebra midges and scuds or sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Count Downs, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.  

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 650.05 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the surface temperature has dropped to 80.5 degrees. The thermocline is at 35 to 45 feet, with the best oxygen levels right around 35 feet.  There is an algae bloom in the thermocline and you can see some of it on the surface floating about. Most game fish are either inside the thermocline or under the thermocline. Largemouth bass like the cooler water temperatures and are spending more time up on the banks in the mornings. They are not chasing buzzbaits as yet, but they are jumping on Spook Jrs. and Lucky Craft Sammys. The jig and Carolina-rig bite are slow, but the spoon bite for largemouth picked up this week in 35 feet of water. White slab spoons worked the best.  Smallmouth bass can be found around pea rock points and flats or along chunk rock channel swings, although most of the fish being caught are under the 15-inch minimum length. Tubes and Mojo rigs will trigger the smaller smallmouths, but if you are looking for the keepers go outside the thermocline with football jigs.  Kentucky bass are in 45 to 50 feet of water under shad on the bluff walls and on the fast dropping side of main lake points. Spoons are still the best bait to trigger the feeding Kentuckies, and if you have the patience to “doodle” a finesse worm on a drop shot rig, you can trigger some strikes. Also look for schooling Kentuckies pushing shad to the top throughout the lake. Small top-water baits are deadly on schooling Kentuckies. Walleye continue to feed during mid-day on flats and around points, both on the main lake and in the creek arms.  They are 32 to 34 feet deep and 42 to 45 feet deep because of the algae in the thermocline. Long liners started catching a few on deep diving Tail Dancers and Bill Norman DD22’s last week. The Tail Dancer will dive to 30+ feet and the DD22’s will dive to 28+ feet, which puts them in the walleye zone.

Sugarloaf Harbor said the water is clear and low. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows suspended under jugs. Walleye are biting fairly well on spoons and jigs fished around brush.

 
 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 545.63 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the water is clear and about 4 or 5 feet low. Bream are biting well, but they are still holding deep. Worms and crickets in planted brush piles are taking a few when you find the brush. Catfishing is slow. Walleye are biting well in the morning on spoons vertically jigged over 42 feet of water. The rest of the day, anglers are having success with a bottom bouncer and worm harness. Stripers are biting well on spoons around deep drops near the main river channel. Black bass are biting decently on top-water lures in the early morning.

 
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the flow has slowed some with generation slacking off. The fly-fishing has really picked up with the lower water conditions. Sow bugs and Zonker are catching some large fish. Worms, corn and Power Eggs are all working as well.

 
 
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.41 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is clear and about 10 feet low. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and trolled crankbaits. Bass are slow during the day. The anglers having any daytime success are fishing drop-shot rigs and spoons in deeper water. Night fishing with black spinnerbaits and soft-plastics is working well. Catfish anglers are doing well on jugs baited with live sunfish.

 
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said fishing is slow for all species.
 
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the water level is normal and the clarity is good. Bream are biting fair in 4 feet of water on worms and crickets fished near brush piles. Crappie are fair on minnows, Road Runners and tube jigs slowly trolled around brush piles. Bass are slow, but a few have been caught on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers, goldfish and bass minnows in 4 to 15 feet of water.

 
 
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
  
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the water is clear. Trout fishing is good on salmon eggs and in-line spinners.
 
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the river is at normal level and the fishing has been slow.

 
        Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is clear and at normal levels. The fishing is picking up with the cooler weather. Bream are biting excellently on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on Beetle Spins. Bass are biting well during low-light hours and on cloudy days. The best bite has been on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and top-water lures. Catfish are biting well on worms, chicken livers and shrimp. A few saugeye have been caught on crankbaits with bright orange bellies.

 
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
 
 
Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the water is very low. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass fishing is good on dark-colored soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is very good on stinkbait.

 
 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said as of Monday, the surface temperature was 83 to 85 degrees. Water clarity has improved with 24 to 36 inches of clarity in the river and around 20 inches of visibility in the main lake. USACE recently reworked all Little River markers and navigation is much better. The lake level has fallen from last week, and is about 2 inches above normal pool at 259.42 feet. Current in Little River slightly increased as of Monday, with release at the dam being 782 cubic feet per second. Bass are still in typical summer patterns with the best feeding periods early and late in the day. Small Black Bass continue randomly 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 a feeding frenzy. The best places to look for schooling bass are along Little River between Pugh Slough and Jack's Isle, Mud Lake and Hurricane Creek and in Horseshoe Lake. Bass remain good early and late, in grass, pads and vegetation, on Bass Assassin Shads in salt and pepper silver phantom or crystal shad colors. Because of improved water clarity, choose your colors to reflect surrounding conditions, or transparent hues, and natural appearing colors.  Clear has been a good choice, of late. Later in the day, once the sun gets up and more direct, 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. White Bass were schooling up Little River this week. Be quick with a Chuck-n-Spin, Shad Assassin, or Rat-L-Trap when you see the top-water frenzy start.  The wild action only lasts for 3-4 minutes at a time, but catches are common of 20-40 fish, from different schools, in just a few hours. The better weather has brought out a few more crappie fishermen during the last few days because of improved weather. Catches are fair to good in 9-12 feet depths on jigs in white or smoke and on smoke Cordell paddle tail (spaded tail) grubs, in planted brush piles. Blue catfish and channel cats this week are improved on yo-yos using shiners hung from cypress tree limbs 8-12 feet deep.

 
White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the cooler weather has a few more people hitting the water. Catfish are beginning to move again and are biting well on stinkbait and chicken livers fished around creek channels and near the first drop off to deep water.

 
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair and improving. Fish the edges of the creek channels with small Rat-L-Traps and Beetle Spins. Bass are biting well on tequila sunrise soft-plastic worms and chartreuse spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on live or prepared baits.

 
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well on crickets and red wigglers. Bass are biting well on dark-colored soft-plastics and spinnerbaits fished slowly along the edges of the creek channels. Catfishing is good on prepared baits like Catfish Charlie and Berkley Power Nuggets.

  
Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.39 feet MSL.
 
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 398.20 feet MSL.
 
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: Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the water is clear and the surface temperature is around 82 degrees. Catfishing has been very good on worms, minnows and stinkbait fished on the main lake. Bass are holding in the weed beds and are biting well on white or chartreuse frogs fished over the top and smoke or black/red soft-plastic worms pitched along the edge.

 
Blue Mountain Lake: CNC’s End of the Line said the lake is being drawn down, and is about 3 feet low. Many small crappie have been caught on minnows and jigs. With the falling water, find brush and other cover on drop offs near deep water, and you have found the fish.

 
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is clear. A few bass have been caught on crankbaits fished near points and deeper ledges. Catfishing is goon on large shad and minnows. All other species are slow.

 
Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 570.19 feet MSL.
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass are biting very well during the first four hours in the morning on top-water lures; throw a Lucky Craft Gunfish in ghost minnow for best results. Once the sun is up, a Carolina rig fished around stump flats are putting fish in the boat rest of the day. Stripers are slowing down but can still be caught around standing timber on spoons. White bass are biting well in the creeks; just look for the water churning up and have fun. Walleye are biting well on small worms and spoons in 35 feet of water. Bream fishing is slow.

 
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said the water is at normal levels. Many anglers are doing well fishing black/blue jigs, soft-plastic worms and yellow Rooster Tails around the grass beds.

 
Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said breaking bass have been around the Goat Island area and in White Oak Basin early and late in the day. Rooster Tails have done well on the breaking fish. Stripers are still above the 270 bridge very early. Find the shad, and the stripers will be close by. Boat traffic is making it difficult to fish during the day, so try some night fishing and be careful. Catfish are fair on cut bait and goldfish.

 
 Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said bream are biting very well on crickets. Crappie are deep and biting decently on minnows fished under a slip-cork or jigs fished tight to cover. Bass are biting well on all sorts of top-water lures. Catfishing is good on worms and chicken livers fished by the dam.

 
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting well on small shad-colored crankbaits and tequila sunrise ribbontail worms. Catfishing is excellent on chicken livers and nightcrawlers.

 
Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.10 feet MSL.
Local angler Billy Blankenship said the water is low and the water varies from clear near the dam to dingy closer to the river. Some small crappie are biting fairly well on minnows and jigs around brush piles. Bass are biting well around rocky areas. Anglers are doing the best with firetiger crankbaits. Catfishing is good on cut shad and minnows fished on a rod-and-reel or on trotlines and jugs.

 
 
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
        Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said the water is murky. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets near the main river channel. Crappie are biting well on shiners fished in the deeper holes off the river. Catfishing is decent on cold worms and stinkbait.

 
 
EAST ARKANSAS: 
 
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said the water is low and the fishing has been poor for all species.
 
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said bream are biting very well on worms and crickets near the river channel. Crappie are biting well on shiners. Bass are biting well in the early morning on jigs and shiners fished around the edges of the grass. Catfishing is good on worms, chicken livers and live bream.

 
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is clear and low. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. All other species are slow.

  
        Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the water is low and cloudy with a green tint to it. A few bream have been caught on crickets, but it has been slow. A few bass have been taken on spinnerbaits. All other species are slow.

        Six Rivers Sport Center said the water is low. Bream are biting well on wax worms and crickets fished around cover in 3 to 4 feet of water. A few crappie have been picked up slow-trolling minnows deep. Bass are biting well around rocky areas on Junebug-colored soft-plastics. Catfish are biting decently on jugs baited with live green sunfish.

 
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water is very low and the fishing has been slow because of the difficulty in launching a boat. The anglers that are getting on the water are having some decent success. Bream are biting fairly well on wax worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on black/chartreuse jigs fished around piers. Bass are fair around the piers on white spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and cut bait.