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2/14/2007
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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 Feb. 14, 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 : In late winter, concentrate your
efforts in clear or stained water. Cold, muddy water is one of the most
difficult areas to fish because fish are lethargic and cannot see the
lure presentation long enough to provoke a strike. |
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Arkansas River Levels: According to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, as of Wednesday the
Arkansas River stages are:
14.85 feet at Dardanelle (flood stage – 32
feet)
18.85 feet at Morrilton (flood stage – 30
feet)
7.76 feet at
Little Rock (flood stage –
23 feet)
31.55 feet at
Pine Bluff (flood stage – 42
feet)
27.14 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:
19.11 feet at
Georgetown (flood stage – 21
feet)
27.63 feet at
Augusta (flood stage – 26
feet)
14.82 feet at
Newport (flood stage – 26
feet)
11.05 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15
feet)
11.56 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19
feet)
Statewide Family and Community Fishing Report:
Trout anglers are catching fish on chartreuse PowerBait. Trout are
also being caught on shallow-running crankbaits and white Roostertails
retrieved very slowly. Anglers have reported catching hybrid striped
bass this week in Otter Creek and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park ponds
using minnow-imitating lures. 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 water is
muddy. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting well
on black/chartreuse, chartreuse pepper and orange core Dynamax jigs in
deep water. Catfishing is fair on trotlines baited with shrimp.
Little
Red River:
Lindsey's
Resort (501-302-3139) said the water is clear and generators
are running 24 hours a day. Trout fishing is good on spinners cast
across the current and on wax worm/marshmallow combinations drifted in
the current.
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 (no. 16), tan beadhead sow bug (no. 14-16), zebra midge (red or
olive no. 16),
San Juan worm (no. 14-18)
and olive or brown woolly buggers (no. 8-12). The Corps is operating
both generators every day in an effort to lower the lake level prior to
spring rains. Wade fishing is possible at Winkley and Libby shoals every
morning from dawn to about 9 a.m. When the lower
White River gets below flood stage,
both generators may be turned on constantly for weeks.
Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 465.15 feet MSL.
Shiloh
Marina (501-825-6237) said the water is clear. All fishing
has been slow lately.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service
said the surface temperature at Greers Ferry is ranging from 41 to
46 degrees. The water level has been falling about 6 inches per day.
Bass fishing has been very slow at best with 4 or 5 lbs. winning
tournaments as of late. The best bite is in deep water around brush and
or big rocks using a football head or
Carolina rig anywhere from
40-70 feet of water with 2 or 3 bites a day being good. The whites and
hybrids are pretty slow, but some action can be found around the
baitfish in the clearer water with spoons and the buckshot big fish
bait, look for the birds. Bream can be caught in the guts of the creeks
about 40 feet deep. Crappie are bunched up suspended in 40-60 feet of
water on pole timber. Walleye fishing is warming up, there have been two
caught over 30 inches and some males have been showing up in the river.
With the predicted warm rain, we will see a big movement of them
upriver. Fishing should be good on grubs and jigs tipped with minnows as
well as Wally Divers and long-billed Rebels.
Harris Brake Lake:
Coffee
Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said the water is murky and at
normal levels. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows and jigs. An
occasional crappie is also being taken on nightcrawlers.
Lake
Overcup
: Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470) said the
water is murky and the fishing is slow.
Overcup
Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is murky and high.
Bream are fair on redworms. Crappie are biting fairly well on pink
minnows and pink/white and chartreuse pepper jigs fished around boat
docks and piers. Bass and catfish are slow.
Lake
Maumelle
: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958)
said the lake is muddy and high. Stripers and white bass are being
caught making their move to the upstream end of the lake. Crappie are
fair to good on minnows and red/chartreuse mini jigs. Bass are biting
well on minnows.
Little
MaumelleRiver:
River
Valley
Bait (501-868-3279) said the water is low and has a good stain to it.
Bream fishing is poor. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass
are poor. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers, blood bait and stinkbait.
Sunset
Lake
: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061)
said the water is low and clear. Crappie are biting well on minnows in 5
feet of water. Bass are biting well around the banks on crankbaits
deflected off the bottom. Catfishing and bream fishing are poor.
Saline
River Access in
Benton:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water as fallen and
is running fairly clear. Crappie are biting well in 5 to 6 feet of water
on small jigs and spinners. Bass fishing is excellent on
crayfish-colored crankbaits in 5 to 6 feet of water. All other species
are slow.
Arkansas River at Morrilton: Charley’s
HiddenHarbor
in Oppelo said few people are fishing lately. Catfishing is good in deep
holes and around jetty tips on whole shad.
Kentucky bass are biting
fairly well on jigs and CC Spoons fished around secondary drops around
10 feet deep. Stripers are biting fairly well on wobble spoons fished
around the mouths of creeks and below the dams. Some large drum are
coming up to the back side of the jetties and are biting excellently on
live shad.
Murray
Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said crappie are biting well on minnows and red/white
mini-jigs. White bass are biting well on white twister tails below the
generator.
Terry Lock and Dam:
McSwain
Sports
Center
(501-945-2471) said the water is high. Catfishing is fair below the dam
on shad. Occasionally a striper will hit on cut shad below the dam as
well.
Clear
Lake:
McSwain
Sports
Center
(501-945-2471) said the water is high and clear. Crappie fishing is fair
around brush and stumps in 4 to 6 feet of water. Live minnows have been
the only way to catch them lately. All other species are poor.
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| NORTH ARKANSAS |
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White River:
Gaston's White River Resort said high
water and shad are coming through the gates. Many excellent size browns
are being caught on shad-imitating lures and flies. Most browns are
being caught on no. 9 and 7 Countdown Rapalas, 1/8-ounce white jigs,
silver Rattlin’ Rogues and Spoons. Water generation has been running
around the clock, with 6 to 7 units running full time. Power Eggs in
Yellow and White with Glo-worms are still catching plenty of rainbows.
Gold Cleo spoons and Buoyant spoons will catch rainbows too. Fly-fishing
on the high water is best with red
San Juan worms, white woolly
buggers, white shad flies and egg patterns in yellow, peach and red.
Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said fishing has been good on
Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and white along with white marabou jigs
with or without a chrome dome head. During generation, Buoyant spoons,
white Rooster Tails and white Krocodiles are the baits of choice.
Fly-anglers have done well with little generation on olive or white
woolly buggers,
San Juan worms in bright
colors, white doll flies (jigs) and “unreal” eggs in peach or white.
Bull
Shoals
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 653.66 feet MSL.
Wilderness Trail (870-445-2703) said lake temperature is at
43 degrees. Shad are still coming through the dam and they are starting
to struggle with the lake temperature down close to the 40-degree
mark. Another few degrees and we could have a shad kill. Crappie remain
slow, although some are showing up around docks that have brush hanging
off the sides. Live minnows on a slip bobber is the best way to trigger
these suspending crappie. Largemouth bass are holding tight to deep
cover both in the creeks and on the main lake. Cold water conditions
mean smaller lures and slow retrieves. Work water from 25 feet to 55
feet deep with spider jigs, finesse worms, Baby Brush Hogs and
spoons. Smallmouth bass are hard to find, but a few are around
transition banks and will hit tubes and jigs. Kentucky
bass have gone deep again taking up under the shad in 48 to 60 feet of
water. Spoons and drop shot rigs are the key techniques to catching a
few. Walleye are slowly moving into the creek entrances, but they are
not in any hurry to leave deep water. Most of the walleye that we can
mark are close to points in 48-55 feet of water or they are suspended
over flooded forests. Spoons are your best bet in catching a few unless
you wish to bang the banks with long-billed Rogues or deep X-raps.
LakeNorfork:As
of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s
elevation at 551.98 feet MSL.
Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is
clear and at normal levels. Bass are biting excellently on spinnerbaits,
crankbaits, jerkbaits and jigs fished near major points and creek turns.
Stripers are biting well on flat-tailed grubs and jerkbaits.
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock
(870-499-5381) said the water is very clear and generators are running
all day except for early mornings. Trout fishing is good on No. 7 size
Husky Jerks.
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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 1,120.97 feet MSL.
Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is muddy and
high. Crappie are poor, but a few are being taken on Shinneee Hinneee
Jigs. All other species are slow.
Beaver Tailwater:
McLellan’s Fly
Shop said with
BeaverLake
filling up, generation has increased on Beaver tailwater. Fishing high
water out of a boat can be productive using
San Juan worms, egg
patterns, and shad patterns like the Arkansas Beadhead. During low
water, midge patterns are always important on Beaver tailwater, but
especially during the winter months. Patterns like the jujube midge, 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.
SWEPCO
Lake
: Local guide
Brad
Wiegmann said the water is clear. The boat ramp continues to
be an icy challenge some mornings. Check the ramp before you launch your
boat. Most anglers are launching with four-wheel drive vehicles on the
gravel beside the concrete ramp. Anglers continue to catch bass on shaky
head jigs with finesse worms. Other successful techniques have been
drop-shot rigs,
Carolina rigs,
Texas rigs and dragging
jig-and-pig combos. The discharge area seems to be the hot spot lately.
Lake
Sequoyah:
Lake
Sequoyah
Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and at normal
elevation. Crappie are fair on minnows and Road Runners fished in open
water. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in 4 to 10 feet of water.
Catfishing is fair on worms, chicken livers and large bass minnows.
Bream fishing is good.
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| NORTHEAST ARKANSAS |
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Eleven-Point
River
: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground (870-892-9732) said
the water is high and muddy from the rain. Yellow suckers are coming up
in the river to spawn.
Crown
Lake:
Boxhound
Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is cloudy from the rains
and windy weather. Crappie fishing is good on minnows and small
soft-plastic minnow imitations like Sassy Shads. |
| SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS |
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Lake
Chicot
: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the
water is high and murky from the wind and rise. Crappie are fair on
jigs.
Local anglers report that despite the cold weather, some good crappie
are being caught slow trolling near docks and other cover. Catfishing is
good on trotlines and yo-yos.
Grand lake: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine
(870-265-5374) said the water is murky, but crappie fishing has been
good on jigs.
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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 259.22 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said
the surface water temperature ranges from 40-43 degrees, depending on
location and time of day.
Lake level on Millwood has returned to
normal. Little River's clarity as of Monday is normal stain and
improved, with about 6 inches of visibility and current reduced at 1,152
cubic feet per second. Navigation is much improved with the reduced lake
level and current flow. Bass and crappie are in their typical winter
patterns. Feeding periods are are slow, but best, during the warmest
periods of the day. Several days last week warmed up into the 60 to
70-degree range and improved the activity levels of the
bass. Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits, lizards, and jigs are the best bet for a
good bass bite. Rat-L-Traps and big wobbling crankbaits are taking some
really good keeper bass. The more aggressive bite last week was on red
or orange Rat-L-Traps or shad-colored cranks with a wide wobble like the
Cordell Big-O. Several nice keepers in the 4-7 pound class were caught
and released last week. Best colors last week for jigs were Texas Craw
or black/blue combinations using pork trailers. Bass are fair to good
on War Eagle spinnerbaits in holographic shad colors. Good quality
bass are near cypress trees and cypress knees near deep drops. Another
two to three weeks of high temperatures will put them in a much more
aggressive feeding pattern. Keep a close eye on your surface temp gauge
the next few weeks. White Bass were reported at creek mouths this week
above the Arkansas Highway 71 bridge and were fair to good from 1 to 4
p.m. on Little Cleos, Rooster Tails, Roadrunners or Rocket Shad in
white, red or chrome. Crappie improved over the past week with
the improved level and clarity. The best crappie bite was in brush piles
along Little River in 12-18 feet of water on jigs and mini-tubes in
white, shad or chartreuse colors. Channel cats continue to
bite well, along outer river bends of Little River on trot lines
using blood or stink bait combinations with cut shad, or cottonseed meal
cake.
Lake
Columbia
: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water
is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on pink shiners
and crappie shiners under the Ark. Highway 344 Bridge.
Lake
Erling
: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water
is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on gold and
silver shiners and orange jigs fished around 8 feet deep.
White
Oak
Lake
: Charlie’s One Stop (870-685-2753) said the
water is at normal level and the clarity is good. Bream are biting well
on redworms. Crappie are biting well on pink minnows and jigs. Bass are
biting fairly well on soft-plastics and jigs fished tight to cover.
Lake
Greeson
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 544.90 feet MSL.
Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is clear
and high. The surface temperature is hovering around 45 degrees. Crappie
fishing is poor. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, jigs and crankbaits in 5
to 15 feet of water. Stripers are busting surface lures and spoons on
the south end of the lake.
Darryl Morris of
Family Fishing Trips Guide Service said
the water is getting down to a comfortable level again. Crappie, black
bass and white bass can be caught on minnows or jigs fished in 20 to 30
feet of water on brush piles fished around points extending into deep
channels. The surface water temperature is 45 degrees.
DeGray
Lake: As of Tuesday, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 406.69 feet
MSL.
DeGray One Stop (501-865-3511) said the water is muddy on the north end
of the lake and clear on the south end near the state park. Fishing is
fair for bream. Crappie fishing is fair on a jig-and-minnow combination.
Bass fishing is fair near the lower end of the lake. Catfishing is fair.
Little Missouri River
: Jeff
Guerin of
Little Missouri Flyfishing said the
water has settled a bit and fishing is possible on the river again. A
few of the brown trout stocked are showing up, but the rainbows are
going crazy after all the high flows. March browns are hatching
occasionally, so emergers are working well.
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| WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
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Lake
Dardanelle
: Murphy’s Sporting Goods (479-229-3200) said the water is
muddy with a good flow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are biting
well on spinnerbaits and stick baits around points near the main
channel. Catfishing is good on cut bait. Stripers are also biting well
below the dam on cut shad.
Blue
Mountain
Lake
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 384.26 feet MSL.
CNC’s End of the Line (479-947-2398) said the water is muddy and up from
the rain. Crappie fishing is good.
Ozark Pool:
Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said
the water is murky and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is poor, but a
few have been taken on jig-and-minnow combinations. Bass fishing is
slow. Catfishing is fair to slow on stinkbait in large live minnows.
Lake
Ouachita
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 577.34 feet MSL.
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said bass are hit and
miss, but they will bite if you keep at it. Crankbaits are working well,
deflected off wood cover in 6 to 10 feet of water. Rat-L-Traps fished
over the mossy flats will pick up a few fish, but you have to cover a
lot of water. Rattlin’ Rogue jerkbaits are working well over deeper
grass. The hit is coming on long pauses. Brown and pumpkin jigs are
working next to standing timber at the moss line. Stripers are biting
well on spoons fished 30 feet deep in creek channel swings. A few
walleye are also being picked up beneath schools of shad in 30 feet of
water.
Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature ranges from
46 to 52 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair to good on crankbaits fished
around the outside edge of the moss and green pumpkin or black/blue
grass jigs. Gray bucktail jigs are working on suspended fish near creek
channels. Try brush piles in 20-30 feet of water. Walleye are still
good and being caught on silver spoons on the edges of creek channels 20
to 35 feet deep. These fish are starting to move up the rivers and stage
for pre-spawn. Stripers are fair on live gizzard shad or bass minnows
around main lake points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels on
all areas of the lake. Crappie are fair and still being caught over
brush piles. Try deep pockets and standing timber 12-20 feet deep.
Minnows or crappie grubs are working best.
Arkansas shad,
Tennessee shad and white
are the best colors for artificial baits.
Lake
Catherine
: Diamondhead Marina (501-262-2272) said fishing has been
slow and not many anglers are out with the weather.
Lake
Hamilton:
Poorman’s Tackle and Guide Service said
Hamilton is fishing very
well right now. Some good quality fish and good numbers are being caught
on crankbaits fished in 5 to 8 feet of water. Find the stumps and rocky
cover and deflect a crankbait off of them during sunny days. Brown jigs
are working well in brush piles in 8 to 12 feet of water. Suspending
jerkbaits are working well worked over the brush.
Lake
Hinkle
: Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the
water is clear and high. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. Bass
fishing is fair. All other species are slow.
Lake
Atkins
: Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water
is clear and at normal levels. Crappie fishing is good on chartreuse
jigs fished 7 feet deep.
Lake
Nimrod
: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 342.49 feet MSL.
Local angler Billy
Blankenship said the water is murky from all the rain and level
fluctuations. Crappie fishing is good on red/chartreuse jigs.
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| SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
Felsenthal: Hale’s One Stop (870-943-2683) said fishing
has been very slow. Not many anglers are out with the weather
conditions. The water level is very high.
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| EAST ARKANSAS |
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Arkansas River (Pine Bluff):
The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is at normal
levels and clarity. Bream are biting well on redworms. Crappie are
biting well on rosy red minnows and jigs. Catfishing is good on
nightcrawlers and whole live shad.
River
City
Sporting Goods (870-534-8303) said the water has a good flow and the
water temperature is at 38 degrees. There has been a shad kill and dead
shad are all around the banks. Fishing is poor.
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock
(870-739-3478) said the water is clear and low. Fishing is slow for all
species.
White River
: Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the
water is clear and around 8 feet low. The surface temperature is 37
degrees. Crappie are fair on minnows fished in sloughs and the main
river channel. A few walleye are being caught on minnows after dark.
Maddox
Bay:
Maddox
Bay
Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is clear and high. The extremely
cold weather has everyone off the lake.
Bear
Creek
Lake:
Arkansas
Outdoors (870-295-4240) said the water is high and clear. Crappie
fishing is good on minnows fished 14 feet deep. All other fishing has
been slow.
Horseshoe
Lake
: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake
is clear and the water level is fairly low. Crappie are fair on minnows.
Catfishing is good on minnows.
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