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 Oct 18, 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: Christmas Weenie, Texas Craw and Electric Bream are just a few of the thousands of lure colors available to anglers. Here’s a tip from the folks at Gander Mountain that will take the confusion out of color selection:

Time of day, water clarity, weather and waves, all have an affect on how your baits appear underwater. Glow, white, green and blue are good colors during low-light periods or in murky or deep water. Yellow, red and orange shine when the sun is high or the water is clear. Black and purple are good in many conditions but may not always be the best color option.
 

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the water is still very low and murky. Crappie fishing is excellent between the bridge and the dam and deep in the main channel. Crappie anglers are doing the best on minnows and chartreuse jigs.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the water is clear and at normal levels. The generators are running some in the afternoons, but the fishing is fantastic. Trout are excellent on wax worms and marshmallows and pink or chartreuse Power Eggs.

Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 454.56 feet MSL.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level at Greers Ferry is at 454.60 and rising. It was at 454.28 before the rain and the south fork was at 3.90 and running at 12 cubic feet per second; now it is at 5.16 and running at 232 cubic feet per second. Shad balls as big as a house are starting to come out of deep water after the rain. In another few days the fishing will explode to say the least. Hybrids are hit-and-miss, the rain drove the shad that were up down and the fish also, get away from the mud on the south end of the lake and look for shad on your graph and things will happen. Drop jigging spoons and buckshot in-line spinners to catch them when they are down and top-waters and Rinky Dinks when they are on top. Bass fishing is pretty good. Smallmouth are on brush piles and are biting jigs and Carolina rigs in 8-15 feet of water. Black bass and Kentuckies are in the standing timber and will bite spoons, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Some largemouth are in 6 inches to 4 feet of water on stumps and lay downs that will bite jigs and spinnerbaits as well as crankbaits and jighead worms, but be careful not to get to close and spook them. Crappie are biting in the channel bends in about 15 feet of water on minnows and jigs and grubs. Catfish are biting cut bait in 17 feet of water on jugs and trotlines around the creek channels. The bream are up shallow and eating crickets and nightcrawlers.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting well on minnows all over the lake. Bass are biting well near the banks on spinnerbaits and other shad-imitating lures. Catfishing is excellent on blood bait.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the water is clear and at normal levels. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on a jig-and-minnow combination. Bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits fished 3 feet off the bottom.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water level is 6.5 feet down (last year the lowest level was 6.7). The lake has finished its turn over and fishing has improved. Largemouth bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits fished around points and over the channels in 6 feet of water. Kentucky bass are excellent; they are mixed in with the blacks and out to slightly deeper water, but are very aggressive. White bass are slow. They were schooling across from old Jolly Rogers on the east end of the lake last week. Bream are slow and deep. Catfishing is good on flats off the main channel.

Arkansas River: Charley’s Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said flow from Lock 9 is 0 cubic feet per second with a headwater of 284.31 and a tailwater of 264.83. Stripers are schooling around Grandma’s Point and the Petit Jean River. Many of the stripers are in the 4- to 10-pound range and are biting well on shad-colored flukes. Some stripers are also holding below the dam and biting fairly well on spoons. Kentucky bass are biting well along the riprap on crawfish-colored Bomber crankbaits. Largemouths are still holding around wood and sandy banks. Crawfish-colored worms and tubes are working well. Catfishing is good on top of the jetties using live shad fished 2 to 6 feet deep. Blue cats are running to the upstream side of the jetties and biting well on live bream or shad in 10 to 20 feet of water. Bream are in 6 to 10 feet of water and are biting fair around the riprap. Crappie are fair in 6 feet of water on live minnows.  

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said the water is low. Bream are biting well on crickets and Rooster Tails. Crappie are poor. Bass are biting well on brightly colored spinnerbaits. Catfishing is improving on trotlines baited with live minnows.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said bream are biting well on crickets and micro-sized jigs. Crappie are decent on small minnows and tube jigs. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers.

Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said the water is clear and low. Crappie fishing is excellent around 5 feet deep and shallower on jigs fished near the channels. Herman’s will only be open for two more weeks before they close for waterfowling season. Get out and get your fish now.

Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center said stripers are biting well on large white grubs and minnows fished below the dam. Catfish are biting well on large minnows and cut shad. The rains should help the flow and the fishing.


NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said there have been mostly low-water conditions again this week. Anywhere from no generation to one generator running by 2 p.m. On some late afternoons there have been three generators running. The bait fishing is 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.

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

 Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 648.32 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail said the lake temperature is down to 66.8 degrees in the morning, warming to 67.8 during the day. Lake clarity is at 9 feet with some stain in the creek arms and in the upper lake areas. The thermocline is gone, the lake did not turn over (or flip), one day the thermocline was at 34 feet and the next day it was just gone.  That means we now have the same temperature from the surface down to 48 feet and the game fish also have great oxygen down to 48 feet and they can feed and move anywhere. The largemouth top-water bite has fallen off this week. Buzzbaits and Spook Jrs. seem to be the best top-water baits. Keep your eyes open out on the main lake or in the middle of creeks for largemouth pushing shad to the top. Smallmouth bass are using “do nothing” banks (pea rock banks), but it is hard to pinpoint how deep of water they are in.  Best bet is to keep your boat in 40+ feet of water and fish toward the bank with tubes, football jigs, spider jigs and hula grubs. When the wind was blowing this week we were able to trigger a few nice smallies on Bandit and Wiggle Wart crankbaits and a few smallmouth even hit spinnerbaits. Kentucky bass are back under the shad. That is good because the shad are up on the surface. Frenzy feeding might happen at any time throughout the day and it could be on the main lake, in a pocket, cove or creek.  Best baits on top are Lucky Craft Sammys, Pop R’s or Zara Spook Jrs. There are also Kentuckies in the 40- to 48-foot range, which will hit a spoon or football jig. They are located on deep structure, such as channel swing drop offs and in the tree tops. Walleye were “so-so” this week and there were keepers caught in a wide range from 15 feet of water out to 48 feet of water. The only problem was numbers – one here and one there – not much of a pattern. Under these conditions it is better to graph the area you wish to fish and see what depth the walleye are in over the structure you are graphing.  Leadcore is still the number one technique by most local walleye anglers.  Best baits have been Deep Tail Dancers, Wally Divers, Glass Shad and Jointed Shad Raps. 

Sugarloaf Harbor said the water is at normal levels and the clarity is reduced from the runoff. Crappie fishing is good in 25 to 35 feet of water on minnows. Walleye are biting fairly well on trolled spoons and bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses.  

 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 545.05 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the water is murky from the rains. Crappie are excellent in 25 to 30 feet of water around submerged brush piles. Bass up to 6 pounds are biting excellently in 30 feet of water. They’re frenzy feeding in the mornings, and are being caught on top-water lures such as Heddon Spooks. Catfishing is excellent on live and prepared baits. Walleye are fair on trolled Reef Runner crankbaits and slow-trolled crawler harnesses. Stripers are biting very well, schooling on the surface in 65 feet of water. C-10 Redfins are working well on the surface fish, then switch to a spoon. Some of the stripers have been as large as 20 pounds.

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the water is cloudy and at normal levels. The generators have been silent for a while. Rainbows and brown trout have been excellent on wax worms and chartreuse PowerBait.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.68 feet MSL.

Southtown Sporting Goods said rainy weather has kept many anglers off the lake. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs fished 8 to 12 feet deep around brush and laydowns. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters fished in the backs of the creeks. White bass are schooling and biting extremely well on white or silver Rooster Tails. Bluegill are holding on woody cover around 4 to 10 feet deep and biting fair on small in-line spinners.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the water is murky from the rain. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and other shad imitations. Bluegill are fair on worms and crickets.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the water is low and clear. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are biting well in the shallows on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is excellent on live bream. Some really nice cats have been caught on the bluffs across from the pier.


NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the rain has kept most anglers off the water.

Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is murky from the rain and slightly high. Crappie are excellent on minnows in 10 to 15 feet of water. Bass are excellent on jigs fished around 15 to 20 feet deep. All other species are slow.


SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine said not many anglers are hitting the lake for fish.

Grand lake:  Fishing success has been low with few reports.

Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the water is clearing with the algae beginning to die out. Bass fishing is good. Catfish have been biting well on trotlines baited with live bream. Crappie and bream fishing are poor.


SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.61 feet MSL.

 Millwood Lake Guide Service said water surface temperature ranges from 69 to 73 degrees, depending on location and time of day. Upstream water and oxbows are warmer than the main lake surface temps by as much as 5-7 degrees. Little River's clarity is about 18-22 inches, and main lake clarity is 12-14 inches. Current in Little River increased from last week, with release at the dam 782CFS as of 16 October. The tailwater elevation below the spillway is 224.00 and steady. Bass are excellent with the cooler water. Feeding periods are generally good to very good during most periods throughout the day. The recent rise in elevation is pushing the larger bass much shallower. The continued cooler weather has drastically improved the bass' attitude. The bass continue to respond well over deep water or in shallow water and especially on points. Rat-L-Traps, Bass Assassin Shads (or twitch worms) and a War Eagle Spinnerbait or Rocket Shad tail spinner is all you need to catch fish. The best Rat-L-Trap bites remain with the Clear- Hologram Shad, Diamond Shad or chrome/blue patterns in 1/4 to 1/2 oz sizes.  Several schools of largemouths continue yielding 3- to 5-pound young adults. Throwing Traps beyond the school, and letting the Trap sink about 8 feet, then ripping back through the lower quadrant of the school seems to be the best method for finding the larger fish.  Experimenting with a crankbait yielded some nice size bass over the past week along the vegetation and lily pad lines parallel to the river channel. Using a suncraw pattern DLN Norman crank gave us a few nice keepers, as well as a Excalibur Fat Free Shad in a brown back/orange belly crawfish pattern. The best soft plastic bite for us remains the 5-inch Bass Assassin Shads in salt-and-pepper/silver phantom or baby bass; Charm Assassins-wacky rigged in silver ghost color, are working well in thicker vegetation where you can't work a Rat-L-Trap or treble hook through the density of the vegetation.   These fish remain in depths of 3 to 9 feet. White bass are still roaming Little River in fair numbers and large schools. The whites will bite chrome or white Rat-L-Traps, Rocket Shads, Little Cleos and Rooster Tails at various locations along Little River this week.  Once you connect with a single fish, know that there is a large school down there.  Large schools have been located in Little River around the areas of Hurricane and between White Cliffs and the Hwy 71 Bridge. Crappie angling improved with the weather. The catches are decent in size, ranging from 12-16 inches. The fish went to slightly deeper water this week. The best bite last week was on Southern Pro Tiny Tubes in red/white or smoke/chartreuse, and on shiners, between 15-22 feet deep in brush. Lots of Longnose Gar are making another great opportunity for bow fishermen.  Several in the 15-40 pound class are surfacing repetitively and very frequently all day along Little River in front of Mud Lake, Horseshoe Lake and around Hurricane Creek. Channel Cats improved this week with the increase in river current, on trotlines and yo-yos from cypress trees.  Trotlines set in Little River outside bends between 12-17 feet depths, and yo-yos set 9-12 feet deep using chicken livers, cut shad and Catfish Charlie have been working well.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream are biting well. Crappie are beginning to improve around main channel swings. Bass anglers are doing well on a variety of lures. Catfishing is fair.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said the crappie bite is picking up on minnows fished near creek channels. Bass fishing is good on shad-imitating lures. Catfishing is good on live minnows. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets fished near shallow stumps and brush.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said catfishing is good on chicken livers and minnows.

Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 535.92 feet MSL.

Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said Lake Greeson is hot for crappie fishing.  The same pattern is holding true and improving each day. The crappie are stacked up on brush piles in 18-22 feet of water and are being caught anywhere from 8-18 feet deep. The bigger crappie (up to 16 inches and over 2 pounds) are starting to show up, and taking home your limit should be quite easy as long as you fish the brush piles. Use rosy red minnows or your favorite jig as long as it has some chartreuse in it. It’s only going to get better as the weather cools. Spotted and largemouth bass are still being caught off rocky points with live crawfish.

Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait said the water is low and clear. Bream fishing is poor. Crappie are biting well in 10 to 15 feet of water on minnows fished around brush piles. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and worms fished around channels and points in 1 to 5 feet of water. Some schooling fish have been caught on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on jugs and trotlines baited with stinkbait. Walleye are biting well on crankbaits trolled in 10 feet of water. Stripers are schooling and biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 396.46 feet MSL.

DeGray One Stop said the water is clear and low. Surface temperature is around 68 degrees. Bream are biting well on crickets fished 20-30 feet deep. Crappie are schooling up and biting excellently on minnows and jigs fished in brush piles around 5 to 10 feet deep. Bass are shallow in the early morning and late afternoon. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and top-water lures are working well on the largemouth. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers.

Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said midge pupae patterns are working well, even when no hatch is evident. Some light Cahills are around the edges of the water and a parachute light Cahill will work decently for dry fly fishing as well. Beetles and ant patterns have been working well in the afternoons.


WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Spadra Marina said the colder weather has crappie biting well again. Many anglers are catching between 10 and 20 in a couple of hours. The crappie are averaging about 1 pound each. Darker jigs, such as black/silver have been working well, but minnows are the choice bait. Catfish and bass have slowed. The rain has brought the water up 8 inches already, and it's still rising. The water will probably be on the muddy side, but running, the next 3 or 4 days, producing good catfishing situations. Shad, chicken hearts and livers should do well.

Murphy’s Sporting Goods said the water is murky and at normal levels with a surface temperature at 65 degrees. Crappie are biting fairly well and improving. The best bet for crappie has been on minnows in 12 feet of water. Bass are fair to good and moving to the backs of the coves looking for shad. Catfish are biting well on worms. Stripers are being caught below the dam on live shad and gray hair jigs.

Blue Mountain Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 385.04 feet MSL.

CNC’s End of the Line said the water is muddy and the water is low. Boats can still load down a t Ashley Creek. Bream are fair. Crappie fishing is good on minnows and white/chartreuse tube jigs. Bass are biting well. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the rain has kept the anglers off the water. Creeks are being flushed out by the rain. Baitfish should make a move to the backs of the creeks and game fish will follow.

Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 568.80 feet MSL.

Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear and surface temperatures range from 70 to 76 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on frogs worked around mossy areas in the mornings. Spooks and Boy Howdies are working well around the outside edges of the moss and back in creeks. Kentucky bass are biting well on live crawfish fished around brush in 20 to 28 feet of water. Walleye are still being caught around brush piles on main lake points. The best action on walleye has come on silver jigging spoons near brush in 25 to 35 feet of water. Stripers are biting well on live gizzard shad and large trotline minnows. The stripers are holding around main lake points and rock bluffs near the river on the east end of the lake. Bream are fair around 20 to 28 feet deep on red worms fished close to cover. Crappie are still biting very well around brush piles near deep pockets and standing timber in 18 to 35 feet of water. Minnows and crappie grubs are working well. Catfish are fair on cut bait, nightcrawlers and punch bait in 15 to 25 feet of water around moss flats.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass fishing is excellent; take your pick on how you want to catch them. Everything from flipping a jig in the grass to drop-shotting at 25 to 35 feet is working. Crappie fishing is picking up a bit on Tennessee shad grubs fished just over the grass. No report on Bream. Walleye are fair to slow on the outside edge of the grass. Stripers are hard to find, but when you do find them fishing is great.

Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said bass fishing is excellent in 3 to 4 feet of water on shad-imitating crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass fishing is good on a variety of lures. Crankbaits and Carolina rigs are producing the most. Crappie are biting well on chartreuse grubs fished around brush piles in about 10 to 12 feet of water. No report on Bream or catfish. Walleye are biting fair around brush piles on green pumpkin finesse worms. Stripers are slow.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on tube jigs and minnows under a slip-cork rig. Bass fishing is improving, with the bass biting well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft-plastic worms around shallow areas. Catfishing is good on worms, chicken livers and crickets.

Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.39 feet MSL.

Local angler Billy Blankenship said the water is low and clear. Crappie are excellent on minnows fished deep around creek mouths. Bass are on the move to the channels and biting well on shad-imitating lures. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said the water is muddy from the rain. Crappie are biting well on shiners fished in 5 to 10 feet of water. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers.

EAST ARKANSAS: 

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): River City Sporting Goods said the water is clear and at normal levels. No one is fishing to give a report.  

The Tackle Box said the water is running and murky. Crappie are biting well on red shiners. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is murky and low. Bass fishing is fair on crankbaits in the local lakes. Catfishing is good on stinkbait in upper Maddox Bay.

White River: Triangle Sports said the water is about 5 feet lower than normal. Bream are fair on crickets and nightcrawlers fished close to the banks. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished along the deeper edge of the main channel bends. Bass are biting well around brush in shallower water. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters are working well. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait and nightcrawlers below the dam. Walleye are slow, but a few have been caught on Wally Divers. Hybrids and Kentuckies are schooling on overcast days and are being caught on the surface on Rooster Tails and Road Runners.

Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center said the water is about 1 foot below normal. Bream are biting well on crickets in 3 feet of water. Crappie are excellent on minnows in 12 feet of water. Catfishing is excellent on nightcrawlers fished right on the bottom. Red-eared sunfish are biting well on red wigglers.  

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water is low. Crappie fishing is good on trolled minnows. Bream fishing is poor. Bass anglers are doing decently on white spinnerbaits fished in the shallows. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers fished around the piers.

Bond’s said the water is low and clear. Crappie anglers are doing well on wax worms and crickets fished close to piers.