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. 27, 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: Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service offers this tip:
“The water temperature drops rapidly in the fall, and you can find some large groups of fish hanging out in creek channels, especially around timber. Watch your graph for the schools suspending below and lower a drop-shot rig to the school’s level and gently shake it. You can often put a fast limit in the boat this way.”

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the water is very low, but you can launch at Adams Lake Access and a few flat-bottom boats have been able to launch at Gold Creek Access. Catfishing is very good on stinkbait and large minnows. Bass fishing is hit-and-miss on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits early in the mornings and late in the evenings. The crappie bite slowed, but might pick up with the cooler weather.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the water level is running very low most of the day, but generators are coming on later for a few hours. Trout fishing is good in the mornings on wax worms, PowerBait and marshmallows.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said the hybrids are beginning to run and the fishing should be heating up once the high barometric pressure has moved out.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 455.16 and the surface temperature is 69-76 degrees. Hybrid fishing is great one day and not so good the next. It is on the verge of being fantastic, but they have not gotten in big groups yet. If you do not find them schooling on the top, look in ditches about 43 feet deep. Buckshot spinners vertically jigged in these areas are working pretty well. The bass fishing is good in about 15 feet with Carolina rigs and crankbaits. Also try topwaters and buzzbaits early and late and if it is cloudy throw them all day. Stump flats are producing some good black bass on crankbaits and a jighead worms, some are still deep and can be caught with a football head or a drop-shot rig. Crappie have improved. They are still in the pole timber suspended in about 15 feet over 40-60 feet of water and can be caught on jigs and minnows. Catfishing continues to be good using cut and live bait in about 17 feet of water. A few walleye are being caught with the schooling fish and the others are being caught with a Shad Rap trolled in about 15 feet of water. Bream fishing is slow.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the water is cloudy and at normal levels. Bream are biting well in 6 feet of water close to the banks. Find some cover and fish worms and crickets for a few bluegill. Crappie are close to the mouth of the cove and are biting fairly well on small jigs and extra-small minnows. Bass are biting well on finesse worms and spinnerbaits. Catfish are fair on trotlines baited with small minnows.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the water is clear and the rain has helped the lake level. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Catfish are biting well on minnows.

Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said stripers are biting well on white and smoke-colored grubs fished below the dam when the water is running. Catfish are biting well below the dam on live shad. Trotliners are catching some good cats on live minnows and shad.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the clarity is so-so and the river is at normal level. Bream are biting well on red wigglers and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs, but the fish have been on the small side. Bass are biting fair on minnows and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on live and prepared baits.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water level is 5.8 feet low and the clarity is improving since the turn over. Black bass are biting very well on crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished around points and sharp ledges. Kentucky bass are mixed in with the largemouths, and some occasional schooling is happening at the surface. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms in 15 to 20 feet of water. Crappie are fair in 20 feet of water on minnows. White bass are biting well around Timber Cove. Trolling Rattling Rogues is working the best. Catfishing is good on prepared bait about 20 feet deep at the east end of the lake.

Big Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are poor. Crappie are fair on live minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Bass are biting fairly well on top-water stick baits. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers and chicken livers.

Little Maumelle Creek: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said bream are fair in the lily pads. The best bite has been on red wigglers and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair to good in the mornings on top-water lures.

Lake Valencia: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said crappie are biting well on minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Catfishing is fair to good on Catfish Charlie and nightcrawlers.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said flow from Lock 9 is 3,000 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 285.87 and a tailwater of 265.09. The flow reached 20,000 CFS last weekend and really put the fish in a feeding frenzy. Largemouth bass are excellent on watermelon seed worms and tubes flipped around jetties in 2 to 6 feet of water. Kentucky bass are holding on the jetty tips a little deeper than the largemouths and are biting well on spinnerbaits and black/white crankbaits. Catfishing is strong on the jetty tips using whole shad. Cast the bait above the jetty and let it drift past the waiting catfish. Stripers are biting well at the power plant in the evenings on 3-inch Sassy Shads and Johnson spoons. White bass are around the mouths of major creeks and biting well on blue/white spintails and blade baits. Crappie are fair in the creeks.

Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Outdoor Super Store said there still hasn’t been much flow on the river, but fishing has improved with the cooler weather. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows fished against overhanging brush. Bass are fair on shad-colored crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait and chicken livers.

Pickthorne Lake: Outdoor Super Store said bream are biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie are biting better this week, but live minnows are the only thing they’ll hit. Bass are picking up with a soft-plastic worm being the go-to bait. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait and chicken livers.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said the water is muddy and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie and bass are slow. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the water is dirty and the river is full after the recent rain. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on shallow-running crankbaits and 2-inch jerkbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said the water is stained and at normal levels. Bream are fair on crickets in the shallows. Crappie are biting well on minnows and tube jigs. All other species are slow.

Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the windy weather has kept some anglers off the lake. Crappie fishing is good in the stumps that are just below the surface of the water. Catfishing is picking up and getting better every day.

Murray Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfishing is fair on shad fillets and live green sunfish. Stripers and white bass are schooled up behind the dams and biting well on chartreuse Mann’s Twin Tails and CC Spoons.

Palarm Creek: McSwain Sports Center said the water is muddy. Crappie are biting well on tube jigs and a few have been caught on yo-yos baited with minnows. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers.

NORTH ARKANSAS:
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said mostly low water conditions again this week – anywhere from no generation, to one generator running by noon or 1 p.m. Some afternoons we have seen three generators running. Bait fishing still excellent with yellow or chartreuse Power Eggs, wax worms and red worms. The best artificials have been Cleo spoons, Mepps spinners, Rooster Tails and Floating Rapalas. Early morning fly-fishing is still strong. Olive green woolly buggers, Rocky nymphs, soft hackles and sow bugs are still good along with bivisibles and black beetles.

Wilderness Trail said trout fishing has been good. With light generation Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and pink have worked well. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Rapala Countdowns and Floaters, Little Cleos, are the baits of choice. The fly-fishermen have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, scuds or sow bugs. Brown trout are being caught on Rapala Countdowns, jointed Rapalas and nightcrawlers.

Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 649.19 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the rain and cool weather really affected the water temperature. Lake temperature is holding between 74.8 and 75.8 throughout most of the lake. This weeks’ thermocline has made some changes. The lower lake thermocline has moved up to 28 feet and is 10 feet wide (28 to 38 feet). The mid-lake thermocline has dropped down to 40 feet and is 8 feet wide (40 to 48 feet). Crappie moved back into the brush piles and are holding tight about 16 feet down. Crappie minnows do not work as well when the crappie are hiding in the brush piles. If you are having trouble getting bites, switch to crappie tubes or Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows. Largemouth bass still remain elusive except for in the mornings on top-water lures in the backs of creeks and coves. Buzzbaits picked up this week, but Zara Spook Jrs. and Lucky Craft Sammy’s still caught more 15 to 18 inch keepers. During the day a few largemouth can be caught but there are no schools or patterns. Spoons in 30 to 35 feet of water on the bluffs and around points will trigger a few, drop-shot rigs fished in 30 to 38 feet of water in the middle of creek pockets will catch a few also. Try Carolina rigs with Baby Brush Hogs or Zoom Trick Worms in 28 to 38 feet of water over flats. Smallmouth bass continue to move up onto pea rock banks and points that have some transition chunk rock around or on them. They are using a zone between 18 feet out to 32 feet of water, so your best bet is to set your boat in 36 to 38 feet of water and work back to the boat. Tubes, Spider jigs, Mojo rigs with Baby Brush Hogs or finesse worms and hula grubs are all starting to trigger the smallies. Kentucky bass are still at the ends of bluffs, middle of coves and off main lake points with balls of shad. Spoons and drop shot rigs with 4-inch finesse worms remain your best bet to trigger a few. Walleye are still on the flats in 33 to 38 feet of water, but they were a little picky this week. There was no technique that worked better than another; a few on spoons, a few on bottom bouncers with a crawler harness, a few on lead core with deep-diving Tail Dancers, Reef Runners and Jointed Shad Raps and few long lining a Bill Norman DD22.

Sugarloaf Harbor said the water is up a bit from last week and clarity is fair. Crappie are in 25 to 30 feet of water and are biting well on minnows and some jigs near brush piles. Bass are biting well early in the mornings on top-water lures and later on drop-shot rigs near the deep flats. Walleye are in 38-42 feet of water and some are being caught on nightcrawlers and spoons. Catfishing is good on jugs baited with small bream.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 545.45 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the water is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting excellently on crickets fished around brush and other cover in 15-20 feet of water. Crappie are fair and picking up on live minnows. Catfishing is good on cut shad drifted along the main channel. Stripers are biting very well on spoons, Glass Shad Raps and Tail Dancers. Black bass fishing has been good lately. Fish shallow water with soft-plastics, jigs and top-water lures early. Later in the day, spinnerbaits are catching more fish with regularity. Walleye are fairly active, biting trolled Reef Runner crankbaits and crawler harnesses.

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the river is at normal levels and generators have been running all night. Rainbows and brown trout are biting well on yellow PowerBait and nightcrawlers fished in the current. Fly-fishing has been tough with the increased flow.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.89 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is going through a transition right now. Bream are poor because of muddy conditions from the recent rains. Crappie have moved to brush piles in 5 to 15 feet of water and are biting well on minnows. If you’re after a bass bite, find some deep drops to timber and fish a spoon. Catfishing is very good on live shad and nightcrawlers.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said fishing has been slow. A few bass have been caught, but a good pattern has not developed yet. Catfishing is good on chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Bream and crappie fishing are poor.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is muddy and about 6 inches above normal. Bream are biting on worms and crickets fished as slow as possible. Crappie are poor, but a few anglers have caught some fish about 3 feet deep along cover. Bass fishing is fair and the river is within the normal levels. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on cut shad, live bluegill and goldfish.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the flooding kept everyone off the water last weekend. The water is muddy and high. No report on fishing success.

Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is clear and low. The surface temperature is dropping with the cool nights. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting very well on minnows and Beetle Spins or Road Runners. Bass are decent on top-water lures in the morning and crankbaits in the evenings. Catfishing is good on chicken livers and shrimp.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
Lake Chicot: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine said the water is low and there hasn’t been much action on the lake lately. With the exception of the BASS series tournament over the weekend, there haven’t been many anglers on the water. Catfish are holding in deeper water and biting fair on nightcrawlers.

Local anglers report bass hitting topwaters and spinnerbaits next to docks. Bream are still doing well on red worms close to the bank and other natural cover.

Grand lake: Fishing success has been low with few reports.
Mississippi River: The river is rising slowly; anglers have had low to moderate success on catfish.
Lake Monticello: The Tackle Box said crappie fishing is very good.
Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the water is stained and about a foot low. Crappie are biting pretty well on minnows. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with live minnows.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said water temperature cooled again last week, and ranges from 72 to 79 degrees. Little River's clarity diminished to about 8-14 inches with 3 to 5 inches visibility in the main lake. The lake level has risen from last week, and is about 2 inches above normal pool, at 259.36 feet and rising. The activity level of bass continues improving with the cooler water temps. The colored water and rise in elevation are pushing the larger bass much shallower. They’re responding well to a variety of top-water lures, frogs, Rat-L-Traps and buzz baits. The best Trap bite has been on Clear Hologram Shad, bone white and Smoky Joe patterns in 1/4 to 1/2 oz sizes. If you can work your Trap shallow and thread it through the vegetation and lily pads (hint, drop down from the 1/2 oz to the 1/4oz and it's much easier), there are some good bass shallow that will try to take it from you. The best soft-plastic bite remains on Bass Assassin Shads in salt & pepper silver phantom color, wacky-rigged Charm Assassins, in silver ghost color, or Plastic Toads, in thicker vegetation where you can't work a Rat-L-Trap. These fish range in depths of 2 to 5 feet, remaining in the vegetation, moving shallow, throughout the day. There are some really nice size bass blowing up in lily pads and vegetation on Bass Assassin Shads where you can't work any other bait. We have caught several in the past few weeks between 3-7 pounds in the pads along Little River. With the incoming fresh water and higher amount of stain, this is changing daily. Several schools in the past week are busting bait way back into the lily pad fields. Weedless rigged, 5" Shad Assassins are about the only way to get them out, and that's with braided line, or 25-lb. test monofilament. White Bass are beginning to surface and bite chrome or white Rat-L-Traps at various locations along Little River this week. Large schools have been located in Little River around the areas of Jack's Isle, Hurricane Creek and Horseshoe Lake this week. Crappie catches are decent size, ranging from 12-16 inches in length (1 to 2.5lbs each), and have also remained slightly shallower the past few weeks at 6-9 feet deep on smoke-colored Cordell paddle tail grubs using a 1/8-oz. jig head, and shiners. Also try underneath Cypress trees in 3-6 feet depths with your shiners.

Blue cats and channel cats are good on trotlines baited with Catfish Charlie blood bait and cut shad along the outside bends of Little River.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said catfishing is excellent on cold worms and red wigglers.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well in the shallows and on the first drop to deeper water. Crappie are still holding deep, but are biting well on minnows. Bass are biting well in the evenings along the creek channels. Buzzing toads and frogs are taking some good bass along the creeks.

Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 537.20 feet MSL.
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said water temps have dropped to the low 70’s from recent rains and cooler nights. The lake will be coming up respectably with fresh, cool water. This is good news for all species of fish. Crappie are showing definite signs of a “Fall Feeding Frenzy.” Not only are the crappie stacked up on the brush piles, but the smaller crappie are in an aggressive feeding pattern. Fish can be caught from as shallow as 7 feet to as deep as 15 feet. Be on the lookout for the hefty slabs in the next few weeks. Family Fishing Trips by Darryl Morris and Action Fishing Trips by Jerry Blake will be hosting a Fall Crappie Camp at Lake Greeson’s Kirby Landing October 26-31. Come and join us for some great crappie fishing action, eating and story telling.

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 397.26 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said the lake level dropped again last week. Bream are biting well on crickets fished in 20 to 30 feet of water. Crappie are biting fairly well on live minnows and light-colored jigs. Catfishing is fair on trotlines and noodles set at 8 to 15 feet of water and baited with live minnows and shad. Hybrids and white bass are schooling on the south end of the lake. Black bass and Kentuckies are in the shallows early in the morning and late in the evening. Floating worms and Horny Toads are working well on the bass. Once the sun is up, go to the deep weed edge and fish Carolina rigs and jighead worms.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Lake Dardanelle: Spadra Marina said weekend rains greatly improved the fishing on the west end of Dardanelle. The water temp dropped under 80 degrees, and the water level is still a little lower than normal, but up by about 10 inches. Catfishing has been a lot of fun. Cut shad is the choice bait. Most fishermen have caught their limit within a couple hours of fishing. Crappie are starting to bite on jigs as well as minnows, 5-6 feet deep, near downed treetops. Bass have been slower than usual. Plenty of bream are near the banks.

Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the weather kept many anglers off the water, but the bite should be improving.
Blue Mountain Lake: CNC’s End of the Line said crappie are biting well on minnows fished under a slip-cork rig. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers. Bass fishing is good.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water has a tint to it. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Crappie have moved out to 8-10 and a few are biting on jigs tipped with a minnow. Catfishing is good during generation below the dam on cut bait and live minnows. Bass fishing is good on black crankbaits and soft-plastics fished in the shallows.

Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 569.21 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear and the surface temperature ranges from 72 to 80 degrees. Largemouth bass are good and can be caught on frog-style baits and grass jigs along moss flats and points. Kentucky bass are biting extremely well on live crawfish near brush in 20 to 28 feet of water. Walleye are biting well around brush piles on main lake points. Silver jigging spoons are working well in 25 to 35 feet of water. Stripers are fair on live gizzard shad and trotline minnows fished around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in river channels on the eastern end of the lake. Bream are slow to fair and are being caught around structure in 20 feet of water on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting well around brush piles in 18 to 35 feet of water. Jigging spoons and minnows are working well. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait, nightcrawlers and punch bait in pockets and moss flats 15 to 25 feet deep.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass are very good on top-water lures in the creeks and shad-colored Rat-L-Traps around timber. Stripers are still fair on umbrella rigs and shad. Crappie are starting to be caught around brush piles in 12 to 15 feet of water. Catfish are fair on goldfish suspended under jugs. Walleye have started hitting finesse worms in watermelon and green pumpkin in 25 to 30 feet of water.

Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said the rain has stirred up the water and reduced water clarity. Crappie are beginning to stage around Carpenter Dam in 4 to 6 feet of water and are biting well on minnows and jigs baited with twister tails. Bass are holding around the edge of the grass.

Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said this is transition time for most fish. The bass are biting well once you find them near the mouths of the creeks. Use drop-shot rigs with green pumpkin finesse worms with a chartreuse fire tail or a Carolina rig with the same worm. Crappie are fair to good this week with many small crappie being caught. A few nice fish are being caught on chartreuse/white grubs fished on a 1/16-ounce head over the brush. Stripers are slow in the mouths of the creeks and above the 270 Bridge.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the fishing is very slow on the lake right now. Perhaps once things settle down from the recent rains, fishing will improve.

Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.66 feet MSL.
Local angler Billy Blankenship said the lake is muddy from the recent rains. Fish are making a move to shallower water and stacking up in creek channels. Crappie are moving into the river channel and creek channels near both sides of the lake. Chartreuse and pink/white jigs are working well. Catfishing is good on live and prepared bait.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said crappie are biting well over deep brush piles on tightlined minnows. Catfishing is good on cold worms.

EAST ARKANSAS:
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said bream and crappie are biting well on minnows and crickets. Crappie are turning on in Cane Creek. Catfishing is good below dams three and five, using a spoon.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the fishing has been slow. A few bass have been caught in the morning on buzzbaits, but the bite is short-lived and random.

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the water is clearing a little, but anglers are still on the water. Bream are biting decently on worms and crickets.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is low and the clarity is good. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie anglers are doing well trolling in the middle of the creek channels or fishing along the piers in deep water with jigs and minnows. Bass are biting decently around baitfish balls in shallow water on white spinnerbaits. Catfishing is very good on cut bait and stinkbait.