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Weekly Fishing Report for January 31, 2007
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Weekly
Fishing Report
Arkansas
Game and
Fish Commission
Keith
Stephens (501) 223-6342, e-mail:
kastephens@agfc.state.ar.us
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| This is the
Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission’s fishing report for Jan. 31, 2007. 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.
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Fishing Tip : When the temperature is below
freezing, boat ramps can be very hazardous. After you’ve launched or
loaded your boat on the trailer, only pull forward enough to get your
trailer clear of the water’s surface and let the water drip for a
minute. Fewer people will be on the lake in the winter, and those
anglers will appreciate the efforts to keep as much ice off the ramp
as possible. |
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Arkansas River Levels:
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Wednesday the
Arkansas River stages are:
9.72
feet at Dardanelle (flood stage – 32 feet)
14.89
feet at Morrilton (flood stage – 30 feet)
7.86
feet at
Little Rock (flood stage –
23 feet)
32.22
feet at
Pine Bluff (flood stage –
42 feet)
27.27
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:
23.12 feet at
Georgetown (flood stage –
21 feet)
32.69
feet at
Augusta (flood stage – 26
feet)
24.03
feet at
Newport (flood stage – 26
feet)
9.93
feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet)
8.60
feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet)
Statewide Family and Community Fishing Report:
We’re midway through
the winter trout-stocking season. More than 35,000 trout have been
stocked statewide so far, and the fishing just keeps getting better.
It’s definitely not too late to get outside with family and friends
and enjoy some winter trout fishing in a Program pond near you. Trout
are biting very well on PowerBait and mini-marshmallows in Program
ponds. Water levels are excellent in Rock Creek, and fish are biting
on PowerBait, Roostertails, and nymph patterns. For more information
on trout stockings, call toll-free 1-866-540-FISH (3474).
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| CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
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Lake
Conway
:
Bates Field
and Stream (501-470-1846) said the rising water level scattered the
fish, so fishing is slow to fair for all species. Bream are fair on
redworms and nightcrawlers. Crappie are still deep and biting poorly.
Pink minnows are about all they’ll hit. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits,
but you have to cover some water to find them.
Little
Red River:
Lindsey's Resort (501-302-3139) said
the generators are running from daylight to dark, so wading is at a
standstill. Drift fishing with wax worms or PowerBait is working well.
Minnow-imitating crankbaits are working well near the banks on some
large brown trout.
Mark Hollan at
The Little Red Fly Shop in Heber
Springs said the brown trout spawn is over but egg patterns are still
working well. Other flies that are proving productive include the Red
Ass (size 16), tan bead head sow bug (sizes 14 to 16), Zebra Midge
(red or olive, size 16),
San Juan worm (size 14 to
18) and olive or brown woolly buggers (sizes 8 to 12). There is a wade
fishing opportunity at Winkley and Libby Shoal every morning from dawn
to about 9 a.m.
Greers Ferry:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 469.90 feet MSL.
Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said the
cold weather is keeping most people off the water. No report.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service
said the surface temperature is between 43 and 46 degrees. Walleye
fishing is poor now, but should improve in the next two weeks as the
days begin to lengthen. Bass are fair on
Carolina rigs and
football-head jigs in 40-70 feet of water around steep bluff banks.
Crappie are stacked up and suspended in 25 to 40 feet deep over 100
feet of water, but the bite is slow. All other fishing is slow.
Harris Brake Lake:
Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745)
said the water is still a little high but clearing. Crappie fishing is
picking up on small jigs tipped with a minnow. All other species are
very slow. The tops of stumps are submerged, so be careful on the
water.
Lake
Maumelle
:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said
the high water has slowed all the fishing. Fish are scattered, but
should begin to congregate around creek channels and points as the
water drops.
Little
MaumelleRiver:
River
Valley
Bait (501-868-3279) said the water is low and clear. Crappie are fair
on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on live and prepared baits. All
other fishing has been slow.
Sunset
Lake
:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said
the water is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on
chartreuse jigs fished in 15 to 20 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair
on crankbaits and jigs in 12 to 15 feet of water.
Saline
River
Access in
Benton:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports
(501-315-3061) said the water is clearing and back to normal levels.
Bass are fair on green-colored crawdad crankbaits in 6 to 8 feet of
water. All other species are poor.
Arkansas River at Morrilton:
Charley’s
HiddenHarbor
in Oppelo said the flow from Lock 9 is 59,000 cubic feet per second
with a headwater of 284.73 and a tailwater of 271.00. Catfishing is
decent on whole shad fished around deep holes in the river and the
deeper jetty tips.
Kentucky bass are decent
on secondary drops in 10 to 15 feet of water on cc spoons and
jig-and-pig combos. Stripers are biting well around creek mouths and
below the dams on wobble spoons. Some large drum are being caught on
the backside of the jetties using worms and live shad.
Terry Lock and Dam:
McSwain
Sports
Center
(501-945-2471) said the water is still too high for much fishing. No
one is snagging or bait fishing.
Clear
Lake:
McSwain
Sports
Center
(501-945-2471) said the water is high and muddy. Crappie are fair in 5
to 6 feet of water on minnows.
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NORTH
ARKANSAS |
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White River
:
McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation
has been heavy. When wade fishing has been possible, areas like Rim,
Roundhouse and Wildcat Shoals have been very productive with egg
patterns, tan and olive McLellan’s Hunchback Scuds and Woven Sow Bugs.
Fishing high water out of a boat has also been very productive using
large scuds, eggs and
San Juan worms.
Bull
Shoals
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 657.14 feet MSL.
No report this week due to cold weather.
Lake
Norfork
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
reports the lake’s elevation at 554.82 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is 3
feet over conservation pool, so the generators are running every day.
Bass and crappie are poor. Stripers and hybrids are biting very well
on Rattlin’ Rogues and soft-plastic swim baits trolled in 40 to 60
feet of water. White bass are biting well on spoons fished in 40 to 60
feet of water. Walleye are poor.
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock
(870-499-5381) said the generators are running 24 hours a day to bring
down the water level. Trout fishing is good in the current on Rapala
Countdowns in rainbow trout or silver colors. 1/32-oz. micro jigs in
brown and white are working drifted in the current. |
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NORTHWEST ARKANSAS |
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Beaver
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
reports the lake’s elevation at 1126.09 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is still 5 to 6
feet high and stained. Crappie are biting well on minnows and Shinneee
Hinneee Jigs fished around brush in 8 to 20 feet of water. Bass are
fair on spinnerbaits and jig-and-pig combos fished around brush.
Spoons are working well if you can find the schools of shad.
Beaver Tailwater:
McLellan’s Fly Shop said with
BeaverLake
filling, generation has increased on the Beaver Tailwater the last few
days. Midge patterns are always important on Beaver Tailwater, but
especially during winter. Patterns like the Jujubee, the Poison Tung,
and the Zebra Midge have been fooling lots of trout this week, and
especially on breezy days,
Griffith’s Gnats and other
midge dry fly patterns have been hooking plenty of trout as well.
Lake
Sequoyah:
Lake
Sequoyah
Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water level is almost back to normal
and the weather has been very cold. Bream fishing is fair on redworms,
but few people are interested in them with the weather. Crappie have
been biting on trolled or cast Road Runners during the warmest parts
of the day. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and jig-and-pig combos
fished tight to cover. During the warmest part of the day, a buzzbait
bounced around brush at the surface will tempt a few strikes as well.
Catfishing is poor, but a few have been caught on nightcrawlers.
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NORTHEAST ARKANSAS |
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Crown
Lake:
Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said
the water is somewhat clear and at normal levels. Crappie are very
slow. A few bass have been caught on jigs, but fishing is slow.
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SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS |
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Cane
Creek
Lake:
Cane
Creek
State Park
said weather conditions have kept anglers off the water. No report.
The Tackle Box
(870-534-1498) said crappie are fair to good on black/chartreuse jigs
and red minnows.
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SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS |
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Millwood
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
reports the lake’s elevation at 259.99 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said
surface temperature ranges from 41 to 45
degrees, depending on location and time of day. More rains this week
will most likely change up the level and clarity again later this
week, as well as release rate at the dam.
The
lake level has fallen during the last two weeks, but Millwood is still
12 inches above normal pool. Main lake clarity is 2 to 4 inches of
visibility depending on location. Release rate at the spillway is
21,637 cubic feet per second with all 13 gates open 4 feet each. The
bass bite has been tough, to say the least. The changes in lake
elevation, water temperature and muddy conditions have pushed the
majority of the fish back out to the river and on stumps and old tree
trunks. The best bite over the past couple weeks has
been, on jigs, 10-inch worms, and slow rattling crankbaits. Chrome
hammered Cordell spoons jigged over brush piles in 12-14 feet were
taking a few decent bass at beginning of the week, if you could get
out of the current and find some water in the 6- to 10-inch
clarity range. The bass that are still feeding on shad, will hit a
slow moving, large thumping, War Eagle Spinner Bait. With the lake
falling, the deeper stumps and larger cypress trees are holding the
better quality fish in the 9-14 feet depth range. No report for White
Bass. The Crappie have for the most part, shut off. Channel
cats continue to bite well, with the moving current along outer river
bends of Little River. Trot lines were working using just about any
blood type bait or stink bait that would disperse a downstream scent
trail.
Lake
Columbia
: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the
lake is full. Bream fishing is poor. Crappie are excellent around the
344 Bridge. The crappie are in 15 feet of water and are holding 8 feet
deep. The best bite has been on yellow jigs, but minnows are working
as well. Catfishing is good on shiners and stinkbait.
Lake
Erling
: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the
lake is full. Crappie are biting well on Mississippi Hair Jigs tipped
with a minnow. The hair is important in colder weather because the
cold water keeps plastics from moving as well. Catfishing is good on
stinkbait.
White
Oak
Lake
: Charlie’s One Stop (870-685-2753) said the
water is clear and at normal levels. Bream are biting well on redworms.
Crappie are biting well on pink minnows fished right on the bottom.
Catfishing is fair on live and prepared baits.
Lake
Greeson
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 551.57 feet MSL.
Darryl Morris of
Family Fishing Trips said Lake
Greeson is still very high and very few of the boat ramps are usable,
except maybe Swaha Marina.
DeGray
Lake: As of Tuesday,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
408.51 feet MSL.
DeGray One Stop (501-865-3511) said the north end of the lake is very
muddy from recent runoff, but the south end of the lake remains clear.
The water level is dropping and the surface temperature is around 42
degrees. Not many anglers are on the water because of the cold
temperatures.
Darryl Morris of
Family Fishing Trips said
LakeDeGray
is high and muddy with surface temperatures around 45 degrees. The
Point Cedar boat ramp is usable and has a truckload of Christmas pine
stacked next to it for public consumption. It’s time to sink some
cover for the spring spawn. The crappie bite is slow. Clear water can
be found up the river past Cox Creek.
Little Missouri River
: Jeff
Guerin of
Little Missouri Flyfishing said water
levels have kept the fishing to a minimum, but when the water calms
down, there should be a lot of fish with a lot of fight in them. The
AGFC recently released brown trout to the river as part of the
experimental catch-and-release program.
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WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
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Lake
Dardanelle
: Murphy’s Sporting Goods (479-229-3200) said the water
is dingy, but the bays are beginning to clear. Bass are biting well on
crankbaits and jigs fished around rocky points. Stripers and white
bass are holding around the warm-water discharge of the power plant.
Blue
Mountain
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 394.96 feet MSL.
CNC’s End of the Line (479-947-2398) said constant rising and falling
water levels are keeping the fishing slow. Some crappie anglers are
having luck on minnows when the water is falling.
Ozark Pool:
Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155)
said the water has been too cold for most anglers.
Lake
Ouachita
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 580.02 feet MSL.
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service
said stripers are in the creek channels around Cedar Fourche in 60
feet of water around 20 feet deep, very good. Jigging spoons are the
way to get them. Look for the schools in your sonar and get ready for
fun. Bass have scattered throughout the lake and are suspended out in
the middle of nowhere. Red-colored crankbaits are working, but the
bite is slow. There are some
Kentucky bass underneath
the stripers and whites, but the majority of the fish caught will be
linesides. Walleye are stuck to the bottom around 30 feet deep. Spoons
bounced off the bottom will catch a few, but the fishing is only fair.
Mountain Harbor Resort said
largemouth bass are fair and can be caught on the outside edge of the
moss using crankbaits and green pumpkin jigs. Brush piles in 20 to 30
feet of water are good places to target. Walleye are biting well on
silver spoons fished around the edges of creek channels in 20 to 35
feet of water. Stripers are fair on live gizzard
shad and bass minnows fished near main lake points and rock bluffs
near or in the river channels. Crappie are biting well over brush
piles in 8 to 20 feet of water. Minnows and crappie grubs are working
the best.
Lake
Catherine
: Diamondhead Marina (501-262-2272) said the water has
cleared some, but the current is still fairly swift. Catfishing is
fair on nightcrawlers. Bass and trout have been caught on crankbaits
near the upper end of the lake. Minnow-style crankbaits like Rapala
floating minnows work well in the colder water.
Lake
Hamilton
:
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service
said the lake is still very muddy from the current and rains. Fishing
has been slow for all species.
Lake
Hinkle
: Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said
fishing is slow for all species.
Lake
Atkins
: Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the
water is at normal levels and clear. Bream are biting well on redworms.
Catfishing is good on live shad.
Lake
Nimrod
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 356.39 feet MSL.
Local angler Billy
Blankenship said the water is still high and it will be a couple of
weeks before things get back to normal. A few people are still having
some success with crappie and catfish on yo-yos baited with minnows
set in the flooded timber.
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SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
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Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop (870-943-2683) said the
weather has kept most anglers off the water. No report.
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| EAST
ARKANSAS |
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Arkansas River (Pine
Bluff): The Tackle Box
(870-534-1498) said bream fishing is fair on redworms, but it’s very
cold on the water. Catfishing is picking up on cut shad.
River
City
Sporting Goods (870-534-8303) said no anglers have been on the water
lately. No report.
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock
(870-739-3478) said the water is clearing, but the cold temperatures
are keeping most of the anglers off the lake. No success to report on
any fish species.
White River
: Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the
water is high, but beginning to clear. Crappie are fair on minnows
where the water has receded.
Maddox
Bay:
Maddox
Bay
Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is too high for good fishing.
When the water begins to fall again, fishing should pick up.
Bear
Creek
Lake:
Arkansas
Outdoors (870-295-4240) said a few crappie have been caught on trolled
jigs and minnows in 12 feet of water.
Horseshoe
Lake
: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the
water is rising. Bream are biting well on wax worms. Crappie fishing
is very good on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs. Catfishing is good
on cut bait and stinkbait.
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