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 Nov. 15, 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 on Lake Hamilton and Lake Ouachita has this tip for fishing surface and subsurface shad-imitators:

Calm water on clear lakes can be a great time to break out the buzzbaits. Fish will come up and grab buzzbaits worked around points and islands around the main lake. When the weather is windy and the surface is choppy, a spinnerbait will coax more strikes.

Arkansas River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Monday the Arkansas River stages are:
6.64 feet at Dardanelle (flood stage – 32 feet)
9.61 feet at Morrilton (flood stage – 30 feet)
7.40 feet at Little Rock (flood stage – 23 feet)
31.06 feet at Pine Bluff (flood stage – 42 feet)
25.93 feet at Pendleton (flood stage – 31 feet)

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

8.96 feet at Georgetown (flood stage – 21 feet)
21.51 feet at Augusta (flood stage – 26 feet)
8.83 feet at Newport (flood stage – 26 feet)
7.57 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet)
3.32 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet)

Statewide Family and Community Fishing Program Report: Hybrid striped bass are biting well on 2-inch white Mister Twister grubs 1/16-ounce jigheads. White/silver Roostertails are also catching fish. Reel straight in with occasional pauses to increase strikes. Trout fishing has been excellent in Lake Atalanta, Murphy Lake, Wells Lake and Craighead Forest Youth and Senior’s Pond. Green or yellow PowerBait and corn are catching most of the fish. Central Arkansas ponds will be stocked with trout in early December. For stocking information, call 1-866-540-FISH (3474).

CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
             
            Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said crappie fishing is excellent on pink minnows and chartreuse jigs fished around the main channel. The lake is still low from the drawdown.

 
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort said the water is clear and low. Generators are running a little at night, but are otherwise quiet. Trout are biting well on PowerBait and wax worms. Brown trout are headed to the shoals, so it’s time for fly-anglers to break out the egg patterns.

Mark Owner at The Little Red Fly Shop in Heber Springs said cool weather the last few weeks has kept hydroelectric generation to a minimum. Flies that are working the best are: tan bead head sow bugs (#14), red or black zebra midges (#16), copper Johns (#16), pheasant tails and princes (#16), olive woolly buggers (#10-#12) and egg patterns in virtually every size from #8 to #14. BWO's (Blue-wing Olive Mayflies) and, to a lesser degree, Caddis Flies, are coming off every afternoon. You may see large male brown trout doing aerial leaps and displays. This is part of the spawning ritual and should not be confused with aggressive surface feeding. You may also witness large female browns being escorted by several smaller male browns nipping at her fins as she moves toward a shoal. Look for flashes of light reflecting off the female brown trout's sides as she makes her redd (spawning area).

Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 455.51 feet MSL.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water temperature ranges between 58 and 62 degrees. The bass are scattered from 6 inches to 60 feet deep and can be caught on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and jighead worms fished around shallow creek bends, and Carolina-rigged centipedes, drop-shotted finesse worms and wacky-rigged Cinkos deep, just find the bait and you will find the fish. Walleye are fair on trolled crankbaits anywhere from 15 to 60 feet deep. No report on catfish but rumor is they are still biting well. The crappie are biting in the creek and river bends. They are suspended in the pole timber about 15 feet deep and will bite jigs tipped with minnows.

Hybrid and white bass fishing is a constant battle with all the pressure on them, but stay with the bait and you can catch a few every day.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said fishing is fair for all species, but the water is low and not many anglers are visiting the lake. Waterfowl season begins this weekend, so be careful of hunters when visiting the area and try not to run up on a duck hunter’s spread.

 
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the water is low and clear. Crappie are biting well on pink minnows and red/white tube jigs in the mornings. Bass are fair on live minnows. Catfish are biting well on minnows.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said the water is at normal levels and has normal clarity. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around 3 feet deep. Bass are poor. Catfishing is good on just about anything.

 
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said catfish are biting very well on nightcrawlers below Murray Lock and Dam.

 
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports said no one is hitting the water now that deer season is in full swing.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s said no one is hitting the water now that deer season is in full swing.
 

NORTH ARKANSAS:
 
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said many fish are being caught on red/gold Cleo spoons, Buoyant spoons and gold No. 7 and 9 Countdown Rapalas. Bull Shoals Dam has been running between one and two units daily during the weekends, which is great for fly-fishing. Best flies are sow bugs, pink micro jigs and all colors of woolly buggers and soft hackles. Because of power demands, river conditions are higher during the week with schools in session, and factories operating. So if you like to throw artificial lures in higher water and current, week days are best. Weekends are usually better for fly-fishing and bait fishing.

Wilderness Trail said if you are fishing the White River for trout, remember that the area in front of the state park is now seasonal catch-and-release, all brown trout must be released immediately and no PowerBait, live bait or barbed hooks are allowed. The regular catch-and-release area is now closed. Further downstream Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, Sunrise, and pink or Chartreuse or Rainbow nuggets have worked well. During generation the Buoyant Spoons, Blue Fox and Little Cleos are the baits of choice. The fly fishermen have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, zebra midges, scuds and sow bugs. 

 
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 647.58 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail said the lake temperature is in the upper 50s, which will be falling with the cool night temperatures projected for this week. Lake clarity is now at 14 feet and it is that time of the year to downsize your line to 4- or 6-pound test to increase your bites. Crappie were active this week around the brush piles between 18 to 24 feet down. Crappie minnows are good search baits, but artificial baits are working the best.  Crappie tubes, jigs and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows worked slowly up and down through the zone have been the ticket.  The afternoon bite has been producing the better crappie. Largemouth bass are starting to cruise the banks for their fall pattern feed. With the wind throw Wiggle Warts and spinnerbaits around main lake and secondary points that have step-down ledges. During calm weather, fish docks, blow downs and large chunk rock structure with Zoom Brush Hogs and jigs. Smallmouth have been moving in throughout the week, schooling up along banks that have deep water in front of any area where the chunk rock stops and the pea rock starts. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits work well on windy days and tubes and spider jigs are the best under low-wind conditions. Kentucky bass have also moved closer to the banks and bluff points this week.  Fish football jigs up against the end of the bluff walls. Zoom finesse worms and Baby Brush Hogs are working on the channel swings on light wind days fished on a split shot or Mojo rig. The upper part of the lake is ahead of the mid-lake down to the dam area and the fish are already into their fall bite above Lead Hill. Walleye have moved to a new zone. They are now in 30 to 36 feet of water in the creeks and off main lake points. There is a night bite on main lake points with suspending Rogues and X-Raps if you can dress warm enough. Long liners are pulling Reef Runners, Glass Shad Raps and Bill Norman 22’s and having some success in the new zone. 

           
 Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 546.65 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the water is clear and about 5 feet low. Surface temperatures are around 60 degrees. Crappie are fair on minnows, but they’re scattered anywhere from 6 to 50 feet deep now that the thermocline has lifted. Bass are biting well on Wiggle Warts and jig-and-pig combos fished near main lake points. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers and cut shad. Stripers are fair on shiners fished 25 feet deep in 40 feet of water. The stripers are also biting well on Rattlin’ Rogues fished around main lake points at night.

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock said the water is clear and the generators have been at a standstill. Rainbow trout are biting well on Belgian worms. Brown trout are biting well on shad imitations like spinners and spoons.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,111.96 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting decently on red worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs in 8 to 18 feet of water around planted brush piles. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and spoons fished on the edges of main lake points and bluffs. Stripers are fair on ½-ounce to 1-ounce Roostertails.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the water is murky and at normal levels. Not many anglers are visiting the water.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the water is at normal levels. Crappie are in 4 to 10 feet of water, but are biting poorly. Bass are in 4 to 8 feet of water, and only a few are willing to hit. The only action has come from spinnerbaits and soft-plastics fished along mossy points. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers. Blue cats are biting fairly well on live bream in 10 feet of water.

 
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
  
Spring River: No report.

Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground said the water is muddy and no anglers have been visiting the water.

            Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina said the water is clear and high. Bream are fair. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished in deep water. Bass are fair on crankbaits. Catfishing is fair.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
  
Lake Chicot: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine said the water is low. Bream are fair on wax worms. Catfishing is good on worms.

 
Grand lake:  Koenig Bass Tracker Marine said crappie fishing is fair on minnows trolled slowly around open water.
  
Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are fair on red minnows. Catfishing is fair on trotlines baited with nightcrawlers and live minnows.

 
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
 
Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.90 feet MSL.
 Millwood Lake Guide Service said main lake and Little River water surface temperature ranges from 54 to 60 degrees. The upriver oxbows remain warmer than the main lake by as much as 5-8 degrees. Little River's clarity is drastically reduced and muddy, with about 2-4 inches of visibility with tremendous current from incoming water and release at the dam. The main lake clarity is about 3-5 inches. Current in Little River Monday increased, and release at the dam was 6,171 cubic feet per second as of November 13, although this may change mid-week with the recent rains. The activity levels of bass and crappie have stabilized, and improved with the decrease in cold fronts and steady water temps. Feeding periods are fair to good early and late, with good to very good feeding periods during the warmest part of the day. Large schools of white bass continue roaming the river and main lake, and the black bass continue to venture shallow during the heat of the day. Bass are fair to good on buzzbaits if wind conditions will cooperate. The muddy rise over the last five days has most of the bass relating to shallow stumps and flooded bushes. Largemouths are still hitting Rat-L-Traps, Bass Assassin Shads and Crankbaits. The best Rat-L-Trap bite has been on firetiger, bleeding chartreuse, or honey bee colors. Some bass are going for Cordell Big O's and Excalibur Fat Free Shads worked parallel to the river channel and in creek mouths. War Eagle spinnerbaits in aurora or firecracker colors are working very well where baitfish are hiding in the grass beds. The best soft plastic bite remains on the Bass Assassin Charm Assassin in crystal shad or silver ghost colors, with Bang Garlic spray. These bass were taken along almost any entrance to any larger creek channel dumping into Little River. The jig bite improved over the past week with the recent high muddy water.  These bass were relating to stumps and extremely shallow flats next to creek channels and on cypress trees. White bass have disappeared, or gone deep, with the muddy water.

Crappie, likewise, have almost entirely shut down in the last few days, with the high muddy rise. Channel Cats are very good this week on trotlines in Little River. Trotlines and yo-yos set between 6 and 14 feet deep and baited with chicken livers, blood bait or cut shad are working well in the current. 

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said most folks headed outside are after deer lately. Crappie fishing is good over deep water on gold shiners and yellow/white jigs fished close to the bottom. Bass are biting well on grape and Junebug soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said crappie fishing is good over deep water on gold shiners and yellow/white jigs. Bass are biting well on Junebug soft-plastics. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits.

Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 538.76 feet MSL.
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said recent rains and warmer days have made the water temperature rise to the low 60s. However, the expected cool down should drop the water temp again and put the crappie back on the move. They can still be caught in a scattered pattern on jigs or minnows. Gray days call for gray jigs and bright days require bright jigs. The same goes for the bass and bream.  White bass and stripers are breaking randomly off the main channel. Some whites are moving up into the secondary creeks as well.

Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait said the water temperature is around 60 degrees. Crappie fishing is poor to fair in 15 feet of water on minnows and jigs fished in brush. Bass are biting well in 3 to 5 feet of water on crankbaits and soft-plastics. Some largemouth and Kentuckies are still schooling and being caught on top-water lures around rocky main lake points. White bass are being caught fairly well in the mornings on shad-imitating crankbaits. Some smallmouth have been caught at the mouth of the river on Carolina-rigged centipedes. Catfishing is fair on trotlines and jugs baited with live shad. Walleye are being caught on deep-diving crankbaits.  

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 397.74 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop said there have been low angler numbers lately. No report.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the water is low. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. Bass are fair on soft-plastic worms.

Little Missouri River:  Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said stockings are in full swing and the trout fishing has been excellent lately.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
Lake Dardanelle: Murphy’s Sporting Goods said white bass and stripers are biting fairly well below the dam on live shad and gray hair jigs. Catfishing is excellent below the dam on live and prepared baits.

Blue Mountain Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 384.70 feet MSL.
CNC’s End of the Line said the water is low and clear. Crappie fishing is good on a jig-and-minnow combination. Bass fishing is good on soft-plastic worms and minnows. Catfishing is fair.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the water is stained ant at normal pool. Bream are poor. Crappie fishing is good on minnows fished 6 to 8 feet deep in the creeks. Bass are fair on jigs and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on worms and cut shad.

Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 570.63 feet MSL.
Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is stained and the temperature ranges from 60 to 64 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on crankbaits on the outside edge of the moss. Kentucky bass are still biting live crayfish near brush in 20-28 feet of water. Walleye are fair on silver jigging spoons fished around brush piles on main lake points in 25 to 35 feet of water. Stripers are biting well on live gizzard shad and large trotline minnows around main lake points near river channels on all areas of the lake. Top-water action is excellent early and late in the day. Crappie are biting well on crappie grubs in Tennessee shad, Arkansas shiner and white fished around brush in 18 to 35 feet of water.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said last week was a tough week for bass because of the windy weather. Bass are still very good if you can hold to your area. Some large fish have been caught in the grass on large black/blue jigs. Some excellent top-water action is also going, and many fish have been caught at the surface. Stripers were spotty but a spoon did produce a few. Crappie are slow to fair and you really have to work for them. No report on Bream.         

 
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina said the water is clear and 5 feet low from the drawdown. Bass fishing is good on nightcrawlers and soft-plastics in 15 feet of water.

Lake Hamilton: Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass are fair but a lot of small fish are being caught. Covering a lot of water with crankbaits and spinnerbaits is your best bet. Shad colors seem to do better. Crappie are good in about 10 to 12 feet of water. White and chartreuse grubs and black and silver grubs are working well on the crappie. No report on stripers or bream.        

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the water is about one foot low and clear. Bream are biting excellently on red worms and crickets along the bank. Crappie are biting well on minnows in 8 feet of water. Catfishing is good on minnows. Bass are poor. 

Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.46 feet MSL.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
            Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on shiners. No report on any other species.

  
EAST ARKANSAS: 

            White River: Triangle Sports said the water is high. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass fishing is fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is poor, but a few have been caught on chicken livers. Walleye are biting well on large shiners in deep pools of the river.   

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said Stripers are running at the lock and dam and biting well on white bucktail jigs. Catfishing is good on cut shad below the dam. All other species have been slow.

River City Sporting Goods said the water is stained. Crappie are fair on minnows in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers and cut shad. Stripers are good along the jetties.

Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said the water is at normal levels and clear. Crappie are biting well on black/chartreuse jigs fished around stumps in 3 feet of water. All other species are slow.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is murky and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on minnows and jigs in 1 to 5 feet of water.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and low. Fish are gathering in the main channels and stacking up. Bream are biting fairly well in the shallows and around mossy points. Crappie fishing is excellent on minnows trolled in the middle of the lake. Bass fishing is good on white spinnerbaits fished along the edges of shallow water. Catfishing is excellent on cut bait and nightcrawlers.