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 25, 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 cold fronts blast the area, the bite gets very tough. Sometimes Kentucky bass are the best way to salvage a day. Look for concentrations of baitfish in your depth finder around deep water structure. Work a spoon, finesse worm or drop-shot worm right below the school for the Kentuckies. It’s not uncommon to pull up a walleye, white bass or striper when working the baitfish as well.  

Statewide Family and Community Fishing Program Report: Hybrid striped bass were stocked last week into a number of central Arkansas ponds, including one in Pine Bluff. Fish are averaging a little over 2 pounds and will bite artificial baits such as Roostertails, Beetle Spins and spoons. The hot colors are white or silver and most of the fish are biting early in the day or right before dark. Prepared baits such as shrimp, chicken liver and worms will also catch the hybrids.       

Arkansas River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Monday, Oct. 23 the Arkansas River stages are:

4.56 feet at Dardanelle (flood stage – 32 feet)
9.21 feet at Morrilton (flood stage – 30 feet)
7.52 feet at Little Rock (flood stage – 23 feet)
31.20 feet at Pine Bluff (flood stage – 42 feet)
26.14 feet at Pendleton (flood stage – 31 feet)

White River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Monday, Oct. 23 the White River stages are:

7.38 feet at Georgetown (flood stage – 21 feet)
19.52 feet at Augusta (flood stage – 26 feet)
6.62 feet at Newport (flood stage – 26 feet)
7.43 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet)
3.32 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet)

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. All in all, fishing has changed very little from last week.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said that river water is clear with the generators running infrequently.   Brown trout have begun to spawn and are being caught by fly fishing with pink, orange, and zebra patterned eggs. 

Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 454.71 feet MSL.

Shiloh Marina said that hybrids and white bass are biting well in the early mornings and after sunset with spoons and topwater near the rocky points.  Walleye are also doing well in water 35 feet deep.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said there is very little fishing at the lake.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said that fishing has been slow, but is beginning to pick up.  They expect the fish to be moving into the bank soon.  Catfish have been biting well on red worms and minnows.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said bream are doing well on crickets and worms.  Crappie are also good on assorted minnows and jigs.  Bass are biting on spinner bait and minnows.  Catfish are fair, fishing near the bottom of the lake.

Lake Maumelle: Hatchet Jacks Sport Shop said crappie are doing well on assorted minnows and jigs.  They are also catching white bass with crank bait around the rocky points.

Pickthorne Lake:  Hatchet Jacks Sport Shop said that bass are being caught around the woody covers using crank baits.  Catfish are also being caught while fishing in the channels. 

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 and a tailwater of 265.10. The recent cold front moved through with a great deal of rain and few fishermen ventured out. White bass have schooling. Try bucktail spoons and white grubs. Kentucky bass can be found on top of jetties. Use a green or black and red crawfish jig. Stripers can also be found around a jetty where shad are schooling. Try a bucktail spoon. Black bass can be found around woody structure using a white spinner or grub. Catfish are found on the up stream side of a jetty. Live shad 8 to 10 feet deep are working well. Crappie are being caught in Flagg Lake cutoff and Coppers Gap. Live minnows in 5 to 10 feet of water are working well.

Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said that fishing has been fairly slow on the lake, but the water is clear and at normal level.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said that the river is low, but the water is clear.  Bass are doing well on small jerk baits.

Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center said that crappie are doing well on assorted minnows and jigs. Catfish are being caught on night crawlers and large minnows.

Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing said that the lake is clear and low. Crappie are biting well on assorted jigs around tree stumps. Herman’s Landing will be closing on Nov. 1 and reopening the first week in February.

Terry Lock and Dam:  McSwain Sports Center reports that stripers are being caught on 5 inch grubs and large minnows.  Catfish are also doing well on cut shad, large minnows, and shrimp.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said there have been mostly low-water conditions again this week. 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. During light generation, Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, pink and chartreuse and rainbow nuggets have worked well. With generation, buoyant spoons, Blue Fox spinners and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. Fly-fishermen 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 648.38 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail said the pool level is now at 648.38, six feet below normal pool.  The new pool level will be 659.23 next spring, now that the minimum flow for the White River has passed. This will put brush, trees and many blow downs in and under the water, which will in turn create great spawns for years to come. Lake temperature this week is at 63.5 degrees, warming to 64.5 throughout the day. Crappie were active this week in brush piles on the main lake but not very active around the brush piles in the creek arms.  Reaction baits are working better than live crappie minnows. Crappie tubes, grubs and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows have been the best baits. The crappie were suspended about a foot off the bottom around the brush piles. Largemouth bass have slowed on their surface feeding in the mornings, but you can trigger them on spinner baits.  They are holding halfway back in the cuts both in the creeks and in main lake coves.  Tubes and mojo-rigged Brush Hogs and Yum Woolly Hawgtails are starting to work along the transition rock banks during the morning hours. Fish docks and brush piles from 30 feet deep to the bank. Smallmouth bass continue to suspend over 40+ feet of water in front of pea rock banks moving up to 18 to 24 feet of water to feed from time to time. Best baits have been spider jigs in peanut butter and jelly or green pumpkin and tube baits in apple seed or pumpkin. When the wind is up, there is a crank bait bite along pea rock transition areas on Wiggle Warts and Bandits. Kentucky bass are roaming shallow and deep with the shad. Deep Kentuckies are still reacting to drop shots and spoons in 35 to 55 feet of water and the shallow Kentuckies are striking spider jigs, tubes and grubs in 18 to 30 feet of water on chunk rock banks in the main lake coves. This bite will get better as we go into the fall cool down. Walleye were a little finicky this week as the Walleye Group of Mountain Home found out in their club tournament on Friday.  There were only two walleye turned in; a 31/2-pound fish and a 13/4-pound fish. Walleye were easy to mark in 38 to 43 feet of water off flats but they just wouldn’t bite. Spoons should still be an option but covering water, trolling leadcore line pulling Reef Runners, Deep Tail Dancers and Jointed Shad Raps are your best bet. The walleye will continue to roam instead of holding in a comfort zone until the lake temperatures stabilize.

Sugarloaf Harbor said that the water is stained. Crappie are doing well with minnows.

Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 545.48 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said that bass are being found in the channels during the early morning and the late evening, then moving to deeper waters during the middle of the day. Crappie are biting on the Lake Norfork jig in 20 to 30 feet of water. 

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said that the river level is normal with generators running on and off.  Fishing for brown trout is doing excellent on red worms and chartreuse Power Bait.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,110.82 feet MSL.

Southtown Sporting Goods said crappie are fair on shiners and minnows in 15 feet of water around the brush piles.  Bass are also fair on crank bait, top water, and silver and white jigs.  Blue Gill are being caught on crickets and red worms.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said that fishing was slow this week.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said fishing was very slow.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said that fishing is slow, but the water level is up as they recently received 5 ½ inches of rain.

Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina reports that the water is clear and rising.  Bream are biting well on worms, and bass are good on topwater and jigs. Crappie are being caught in 20 feet of water with assorted minnows and jigs.  Catfish are biting on worms, chicken liver, and large minnows. 

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Fishing success has been slow to moderate. Most anglers are still going after bream with red worms and crickets. Bass fishermen are catching a few nice fish close to docks.  The lake water remains low and murky.

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

Mississippi River:  The river is down, and anglers still catching catfish close to the Greenville Bridge.

Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park reported that lake water was clear but down about a foot.  Crappie fishing has been slow, and they are using assorted minnows and jigs.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.80 feet MSL.

Millwood Lake Guide Service says water surface temperature range from 65 to 70 degrees, depending on location and time of day. Up-river water and oxbow's surface temps remain warmer than the main lake surface temps by as much as for to 8 degrees. Millwood underwent dramatic changes in the past week with repeated cold frontal passages, high winds, and much needed rainfall. Little River's clarity as of Monday is drastically reduced at about  8 to 12 inches and main lake clarity at about 3 to 8 inch visibility. Upriver oxbows remain fair to good water clarity over the last week and ranges from 1-3 feet in places. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently reworked all Little River markers and navigation has been improved. As of Monday, the lake has risen from last week, and is about 6 inches above normal pool. The current in Little River  increased from last week, with release at the dam of 1,587 cubic feet per second as on Monday. The tailwater elevation below the spillway was unavailable on Monday.  Discharge rate at the spillway has 4 gates open 1 foot each. The activity levels of bass and crappie have tapered off within the past week with the repeated cold fronts passing through the region. Feeding periods are fair to good during warmer periods of the day, but slower than the past few weeks. Juvenile and yearling black bass continue randomly schooling, but have diminished.  Large schools of white bass continue roaming the river and main lake, over the past few weeks with the cooler surface temperatures. Largemouth bass have become more finicky, and purposely selective on feeding over the past week on Millwood.  Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits are a sure bet for a good bite, but requires more patience and persistence. The best Rat-L-Trap bite over the past week with the reduction in water clarity, has been the Honey Bee, Bleeding Shad Lemon or chartreuse shiner color patterns, in 1/2 to 3/4 ounce sizes. Working traps deeper to approximately 12 to 14 feet or deflecting off stumps and standing timber has been the key over the past few days. The 3/4 ounce size Trap will allow you to get down to where the fish are holding quicker and coax a bite if you work it slowly and methodically deflecting around stumps. Repeated casts to the same target, are normally required to coax a good hit from a keeper size largemouth this week. Crankbaits worked parallel to the river channel are beginning to pick up a few more fish in the past week but are having mostly the same presentation as the Traps. Using a shad pattern Little N Norman crank or an Excalibur Fat Free Shad in a bream or shad pattern has been randomly working. Cordell Big-O cranks produced a few good bass as well, using a Smokey-Joe or shad pattern, but bite was slow and deliberate.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said bream fishing is fair with worms and crickets.   Crappie are pretty good, biting on minnows and jigs.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said that water level is still low but clear.  Bream fishing has slowed down, but crappie are doing well on shiners.

Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 536.12 feet MSL.

Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said the surface water temperature is in the mid-60s and the lake level appears to be stable. Crappie, bass and bream can be caught on brush piles using rosy red minnows, shiners or jigs with contrasting colors 9- to 14-feet deep in 10 to 24 feet of water. Larger crappie are starting to show up, as is the winter wildlife on shore. The weather forecast looks to be perfect for fishing this next week.  Fall Crappie Camp starts this Thursday, October 26^th and runs through the 31^st at Kirby Landing. Guides will help everyone get on some good crappie and will give mini-seminars on everything from fishing techniques to how to use your GPS and fish finders effectively when crappie fishing.

Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait report that the fishing is still the same as last week.

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 396.52 feet MSL.  DeGray One Stop reported that the fishing is the same as last week, with the lake water clear and still dropping.

Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said the rainbows are taking pheasant tails, smidges and tan bead bellies very well under the surface. When the sun is out, there’s still a good Cahill hatch and Light Cahills are generating some surface action.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Spadra Marina said water level about 6 - 10 inches lower than last week, but holding steady.  Limits on catfish have been seen daily for about a week now, although it did slow down starting on Monday.  Catfish biting good on cut shad and chicken hearts.  Whole shad doing well too, but it is hard to find anything but the big ones right now.  Crappie have been biting on jigs, 5 - 6 feet deep.  Solid pink or pink heads with white skirts are the choice color of the week.  White bass easily caught and mixed in with the crappie.  Crappie fisherman are catching 15 - 20 crappie daily.

Murphy’s Sporting Goods said that lake water is at a normal level and muddy.  Crappie are biting on minnow in the creek channels.  Bass are slow right now, but are starting to transition.  Catfish are being found below the dam. 

Blue Mountain Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 384.56 feet MSL.

CNC’s End of the Line said that the lake water is clear and low, and they are still taking water out at Ashley Creek.  Bream, bass, and crappie fishing is slow.  Catfish are biting well on worms, stink bait, and minnows.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said that lake water is normal but muddy.  Bream and crappie fishing is slow.  Catfish are biting well on worms, minnows, and night crawlers.  The bass are doing fair on spinners and jigs.

Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 568.81 feet MSL.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass fishing continues to be excellent with some very nice bass being caught in the grass by flipping a large black and blue jig. There is some good frog action on top of the grass that is producing some fish, but the bite is slower than last week. A drop shot 35 to 40 feet deep is producing some very big spotted bass. Stripers are very spotty with the afternoon bite being the best around standing timber. Crappie are continuing to improve on small crappie jigs over the grass. Walleye are being caught on spoons near the outside edge of the grass next to timber.

Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service  says the breaking fish are improving, but the action is better in the mid-morning. Try the creeks to find the best action on bass and stripers. Crappie are good this week on small crankbaits and also on white and chartreuse crappie jigs over brush piles in 12 to 15 feet of water.

Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said that bass are doing well in the shallow waters with spinner bait.  The lake water is clear.

Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the crappie are biting very well on assorted minnows in jigs out in deep water.  Bass are doing fairly well on topwater, and catfish are being caught on worms, chicken liver, and shrimp.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said that the lake water is clear but still about a foot low.  Bream are biting well in 3 feet of water on crickets.  Crappie fishing is excellent with assorted minnows and jigs in fairly shallow waters.  Bass is doing well on spinners, and catfish are being caught on the bottom of the lake with chicken liver.

Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.42 feet MSL. Local angler Billy Blankenship had no report, since he did not fish this week.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said that their fishing reporter was out-of-town for the week.

EAST ARKANSAS: 

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said that the river is murky with no current.  Bream are fair using crickets and worms.  Catfish are doing well, biting on chicken liver and night crawlers.  Fishing has been especially good around the harbor and in Cane Creek. 

River City Sporting Goods reported that crappie have been biting well on minnows in 10 feet of water.  Bass are biting on spinner bait and black and red jigs.  Stripers are doing well on white buck-tail jigs. 

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said that the river water is murky and the level is rising.  Crappie are biting on minnows and jigs.  Catfish are doing well on stink bait.

Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center was also unable to give a report due to low angler numbers.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is clear and low.  A ramp was recently dug out on the lake to make entry more accessible.  Bream are biting on crickets in 2-3 feet deep water.  Crappie are doing excellent on minnows in the channels at about 10 feet deep.  Bass are being caught in the shallow water with white spinner bait.  Catfish are also doing well with night crawlers and cut bait in the deep water.