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 Dec. 20, 2006. If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please call or e-mail us with information on possible sources for that lake or river.

Fishing Tip : The AGFC fishing report will not run December 27 because of the Christmas holiday. We will update again January 3, 2007.

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

5.56 feet at Dardanelle (flood stage – 32 feet)

9.52 feet at Morrilton (flood stage – 30 feet)

7.30 feet at Little Rock (flood stage – 23 feet)

31.20 feet at Pine Bluff (flood stage – 42 feet)

26.24 feet at Pendleton (flood stage – 31 feet)

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

12.11 feet at Georgetown (flood stage – 21 feet)

23.04 feet at Augusta (flood stage – 26 feet)

10.31 feet at Newport (flood stage – 26 feet)

8.25 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet)

5.42 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet)

Statewide Family and Community Fishing Report:   Trout are biting very well on PowerBait tipped with a wax worm and marshmallows in the ponds. Roostertails, small Rapalas, and olive Trout Magnets are working well in Rock Creek at BoylePark. Fly anglers are catching trout on egg patterns, nymphs and black woolly buggers. With the warm weather, catfish have been biting in some of the ponds on chicken livers. For more information on trout stockings, call toll-free (866) 540-FISH (3474).

CENTRAL ARKANSAS :

             
LakeConway: Bates Field and Stream, (501-470-1846), said the water is low and murky. Crappie are excellent on pink minnows in 18 inches of water. Catfishing is excellent on AdamsLake using minnows.  

Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort (501-302-3139) said the generators are running mainly in the mornings and are usually off by 10 a.m. PowerBait is working well on the trout. While the water is running, the fishing has been a little tough, but the afternoons are seeing some increased action on sow bugs and egg patterns.  

Mark Owner at The Little Red Fly Shop in Heber Springs said more releases have made finding a place to wade or safely boat the river problematic. The power house has been blowing both barrels every morning from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Evening releases have been at dusk. The best wade fishing is at JFKPark after the morning water releases recede. Midges, Blue Wings and Caddis continue to hatch sporadically every day. Red butts (sizes 14-16) and red zebra midges (size 16) have been the hot flies. Any fly with red, gold or tan has been productive. Copper Johns (size 16) and olive woolly buggers (size 12) are also working quite well.

Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 460.69 feet MSL.

Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said there haven’t been many anglers out.

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 49-58 degrees depending on the weather and time of day. Some walleye and catfish are being caught on jugs fished as shallow as 10 feet with live bream for bait. The rest of the walleye are shallow on cloudy days and hitting well on nightcrawlers and minnows as well as Shad Raps and Wally Divers. During sunny days, try trolling these crankbaits and Spoonbill Rebels in 34 feet of water. Some large bass are right on the bank, and are willing to hit jigs, jighead worms and Rat-L-Traps. Many bass are suspended in 30-35 feet of water and are pretty hard to catch. Some bass are on the bottom in 40-70 feet of water and can be caught on Carolina rigs and football head jigs. Crappie are slow, but some nice size fish are biting jigs and minnows in 12-25 feet of water around creek bends. White bass and hybrids are being caught up the rivers as well as the last main points at the mouths of rivers. Some are being caught shallow on curly tailed grubs fished on a steady retrieve in less than 5 feet of water. Most of the whites are suspended from 15-40 feet deep. Look for shad and you will find the whites and hybrids as well as a few other species.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said the water is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are excellent on minnows and Crappie Stinger jigs. Catfishing is good on blood bait.

Lake Overcup : Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470) said the water is at normal levels and clarity is good. Bream are biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie are very good on shiners and jigs in red/white, white/chartreuse and pink. A few bass have been caught by anglers targeting crappie.  

Little MaumelleRiver: River Valley Bait (501-868-3279) said the water is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on red worms. Crappie are biting well on a jig-and-minnow combination fished on a tight line in brush around 3 feet deep. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits fished around shallow brush. Catfishing is good on live and prepared baits fished on the bottom.  

Sunset Lake : Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said bream are fair on worms and crickets in 15 to 20 feet of water. Crappie are biting decently around brush in 12 to 15 feet of water on red/chartreuse jigs. Bass are biting well on silver spoons fished in 20 feet of water. Catfishing is poor.

Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is low and rising. Bass fishing is decent on bright crawdad-colored crankbaits. Walleye are biting well on live shiners. All other species are slow.

NORTH ARKANSAS :

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said there has be an increase in water generation this week. Two to three generators are running in the morning. The water may only run for a few hours, but it gives a great opportunity to catch some trophy brown trout on white 1/8^th-oz. jigs, silver Rattlin’ Rogues and gold or silver Countdown Rapalas.

Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said trout fishing has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, Sunrise, and pink along with artificial or live wax worms. Fly fishermen have done well with little generation on olive woolly buggers, zebra midges, and “unreal” eggs in peach or white   Brown trout downriver from the catch-and-release areas are being caught on Countdowns, Rogues and nightcrawlers.

Bull Shoals Lake : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 653.24 feet MSL.

Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said lake temperature jumped up a few degrees with the warm days, and you can find 51- to 53-degree water throughout the lake. Water clarity is around 12 feet of visibility. The warm up has made it comfortable to fish, but it is that time of the year and the bite will remain slow until spring, so catching a few a day is a good thing.  Crappie were biting well in the upper lake this week. Reports from the Lead Hill area had numbers of crappie biting crappie minnows and crappie jigs on brush piles in the middle of main lake cuts. Deeper brush piles are holding the bigger crappie. Bass continue to be spotty and slow. Largemouths have left the banks in the back of the creeks and out on the main lake. A few days of wind will put them back near the banks where Wiggle Warts, Bandits or Bill Norman crankbaits and spinnerbaits will trigger a few bites. Without the wind, pull out to 40 to 50 feet of water in the creeks and in the main lake coves and pockets, find the shad and the largemouth will be under them. Drop-shotting a finesse worm or jigging a spoon will trigger some strikes.  Smallmouth are grouped together off secondary points, main lake points and along bluffs.  If you find one, you will catch more in the same area. Tube baits and spider jigs are key baits fished slowly across the bottom.  If the bite is slow, switch over to a mojo rig with finesse worms or Zoom Meatheads to key in on the smallies that have moved off the bottom.  Kentucky bass can be caught along with largemouth bass under the balls of shad with spoons and drop shot rigs. Walleye made a small move this week, showing up on drop offs on main lake points and creek arm points. There are still walleye out over the feeding flats but many are on the drop offs. Max Gap jigs with Lindy Munchie grubs and spoons are the best baits. Fish in 45 to 50 feet of water along the drop offs. Long liners can still get a few bites working Reef Runners, jointed Shad Raps, and Deep Tail Dancers off the flats in 45 to 50 feet of water

Sugarloaf Harbor (870-422-7444) said the water is murky and at normal level for this time of year. Crappie are biting excellently on jigs in 12 to 15 feet of water.  

 LakeNorfork:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 554.19 feet MSL.

Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said crappie were biting pretty well on crappie minnows and Norfork Crappie Jigs. Some very nice 14-inch crappie have been caught lately. Bass are best on drop-shotted Flirt worms, peanut-butter-and-jelly colored jigs and Wiggle Wart crankbaits worked around 30 to 35 feet of water. Walleye are biting well around gravel banks on Nroman Deep 22s. Some very large stripers have been caught recently on ¾-ounce Binks Spoons and large shiners.

Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said the water is cloudy and two generators are running most days. Brown trout are biting well on shrimp, red worms and corn.  

Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said trout were biting well with the low water on live bait and crawdads. Jerkbaits and Rapalas are working well during generation.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,118.46 feet MSL.

Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said crappie are biting very well on minnows, crappie tubes and Shinneee Hinneee jigs around brush piles in 6 to 14 feet of water. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, spoons and jigs all over the lake. Stripers are fair on live shad, Roadrunners and hair jigs.  

Beaver Tailwater: McLellan’s Fly Shop said there has been very little generation the last few days, providing plenty of wade-fishing opportunities. Scuds and sow bugs as well as midge pupa patterns have been very productive. Fall and winter are also great times to fish egg patterns as the brown trout make their annual spawning run. For the health of the fishery, avoid actively spawning fish and their spawning redds (clean oval depressions in the gravel).

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said not many anglers have visited the water because of the weather and hunting seasons.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water level and clarity are both good. Bream are biting fair on worms. Crappie are biting very well on minnows, Roadrunners and tube jigs fished in open water near sharp drops. Bass are biting very well on spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps, buzzbaits and jig-and-pig combos in 4-8 feet of water. Channel catfish are biting fair on worms and chicken livers.  

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting at the edge of deep water. Bass have been slow, but a few have been taken on Brush Hogs. Some saugeye have been caught lately on crankbaits fished around windy shorelines.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot :  Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the fishing is picking up. Crappie are fair around planted mats. Catfish are biting well on worms and chicken livers.

Grand lake:   Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said crappie are biting well on trolled minnows.

Mississippi River :   Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the river level is dropping and the fishing is picking up.

Cane Creek Lake: Cane Creek State Park said the water is clear and low. Catfishing is fair on live minnows and nightcrawlers. All other species are slow.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.38 feet MSL.

Millwood Lake Guide Service said the surface temperature ranges from 49 to 52 degrees. Upriver water and oxbow surface temps remain warmer than the main lake surface temps by as much as 8 degrees. Main lake clarity is improved to about 6 inches of visibility. Upriver oxbows range from 2 to 5 feet of clarity. Largemouth bass are relating strictly to deeper water, typical of winter patterns, and are slow, for the most part. The best bite of the day has been between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on jigs, 10-inch worms, and Yum Dingers. The bass are periodically feeding on shad, but the bite has improved around cypress trees, stumps and flooded timber. Upriver, where you can find more clear water, we had several great days this past week using the Yum Dingers in watermelon red and smoke colors. The trick was to rig them on a light-wire 2/0 hook and just let the lure sink and sit next to remaining vegetation as long as we could stand it. 

Spinnerbaits are still taking a few keeper size bass around grass and vegetation, but the bite is picky at best. Along the river next to stumps and deeper cypress trees, we are having our best luck using jigs in black/blue or pumpkinseed/chart with rattles and Bang Garlic spray attractant. Carolina rigs using blue fleck or black and blue lizards were taking a few bass this week ranging from 2-3 pounds each along the stair steps and wash outs along Little River. Crappie are improving again on shiners and jigs, but the fish are still scattered from 18 to 22 feet around planted brush piles. Channel cats remain good with the current along outer river bends of Little River. Trotlines are taking nice channel cats in the last few days using chicken liver, cut shad and homemade blood bait.

Lake Columbia : Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is low and clear. Bream are holding to the bottom and biting well on red worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on a jig-and-minnow combination. Catfish are biting well on yo-yos baited with shiners at night.  

Lake Erling : Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs.

White Oak Lake : Charlie’s One Stop (870-685-2753) said the water is clear and low from the work being done on the levee. Crappie fishing is good on 10 to 16 feet of water. Bass are biting well on minnows. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with stinkbait.

Lake Greeson : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 539.58 feet MSL.

Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is clear and at 54 degrees. Crappie are fair on jigs. Bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. Stripers are biting well on topwaters during short feeding frenzies. A few walleye have been caught on deep-running crankbaits.

DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 398.73 feet MSL.

DeGray One Stop (501-865-3511) said the water is murky on the north end of the lake and clear around the state park area. The surface temperature is 52 degrees and the water level is rising. Bream are biting poorly, but a few have been caught in 20 to 30 feet of water. Crappie are scattered around 15 to 20 feet deep and biting decently on crappie minnows and small multicolored jigs. Catfish are slow and holding in 20 to 30 feet of water. Hybrids and white bass are schooling and moving upriver. The best bite has been on Roostertails and spoons. Black bass are in 8 feet of water during the mornings and move out to 20 feet by around 10 a.m. Slow-rolled spinnerbaits and deep-diving crankbaits are working the best on the bass.

Little Missouri River :   Jeff Guerin of Little Missouri Flyfishing said stockings continue on the Little Missouri and some nice 13- to 14-inch fish are available from earlier stockings. Woolly buggers fished across the current are producing some good fish, as are midges drifted along with the current.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle : Murphy’s Sporting Goods (479-229-3200) said crappie are biting decently on minnows in 12 to 15 feet of water. A few bass have been caught on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Stripers are biting curly tailed grubs and split tails below the dam when the water is running.  

Blue Mountain Lake : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 384.20 feet MSL.

CNC’s End of the Line (479-947-2398) said the water is at normal levels for this time of year. Fishing is particularly good for crappie. Almost all the crappie anglers are using minnows on a slip-cork rig. A few bass have been picked up by the minnows as well. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the water is slightly murky and at normal levels. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs below the dam. White bass are fair on minnows below the dam. White bass are fair on minnows below the dam. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers.

Lake Ouachita : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 574.99 feet MSL.

Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said the fishing is slow. Bass are on the deep side of the grass, holding tight to cover. You can still catch some quality bass, but you have to fish slowly with a jig. Some stripers are biting, but you really have to be at the right place at the right time. The shad are pushed into the small pockets next to the creek channels, so the bite may be very good very soon. No report on bream, crappie or walleye.

Lake Catherine : Diamondhead Marina (501-262-2272) said the water is still 4 to 5 feet low from the winter drawdown and clear. Bass are biting well, but are holding at the edge of deep cover.  

Lake Hamilton : Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said many anglers are having some excellent results lately, with as many as 30 bass a day being caught. The best bite is on drop-shot rigs in 20 to 25 feet of water on finesse worms. Larger fish are being caught on crayfish-colored crankbaits and jig-and-pigs. Only a few stripers have been brought in. Crappie are biting fairly well with mixed sizes stacking up together. Use minnows on slip-bobber rigs set about 10 feet deep and look for the brush piles.

Lake Hinkle : Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is high and clear. Crappie are holding deep and biting well on minnows fished near deep-water stumps. Bass are biting well on minnows and top-water lures. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with live shad.

Lake Atkins : Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on jigs tipped with a minnow. Catfishing is good on shad and minnows.  

Lake Nimrod : As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.23 feet MSL.

Local angler Billy Blankenship said the lake is in good shape, although the weather has been a bit windy for fishing. Crappie are biting very well on red/chartreuse or pink/white jigs. No report on any other species.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop (870-943-2683) said the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie are biting well on shiners. All other species are slow.  

EAST ARKANSAS : 

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is murky. Crappie are biting well on black jigs and red shiners. Catfish are biting well on cut shad. All other species are slow.

River City Sporting Goods (870-534-8303) said there hasn’t been much activity on the river lately.

Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) said the water is clear and at normal pool. Crappie are biting well on jigs fished tight to stumps in 3-4 feet of water.

White River : Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is at normal levels and flow. Crappie are biting fairly well on medium shiners fished in the channel side of the bank. Bass are biting well on finesse worms and hula grubs. Walleye are biting well on large green sunfish.

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is low. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with live shad or minnows. All other species are slow.  

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors (870-295-4240) said crappie are fair in 16 feet of water on minnows. All other species are slow.  

Horseshoe Lake : Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the water is in good shape and crappie anglers are visiting the lake. Most of the crappie are being caught on minnows and jigs trolled in the channels or around piers. Hybrid stripers are biting well on silver spoons fished near the main channels. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and cut bait.