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8/29/2007 Weekly Fishing Report Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Randy Zellers (501) 223-6406, e-mail: rdzellers@agfc.state.ar.us This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for Aug. 29, 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.
Fishing Tip: Because length limits are placed on most major Arkansas lakes and rivers, it’s always good to have a measuring board handy. If you don’t have room for a board, here’s an inexpensive fix: Measure from the butt of your rod to the length limit of the lakes you fish most often and wrap these marks with a band of colored electrical tape. This gives you a handy measuring device without setting your rod down.
Arkansas River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Wednesday the Arkansas River stages are: Trimble Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 13): Headwater – 391.54 feet, Tailwater – 377.36 feet, Flow – 51,332 cubic feet per second Ozark Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 12): Headwater – 371.89 feet, Tailwater – 343.14 feet Dardanelle Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 10): Headwater – 337.48 feet, Tailwater – 288.54 feet Ormond Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 9): Headwater – 285.09 feet, Tailwater – 268.83 feet, Flow – 44,447 cubic feet per second Toad Suck Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 8): Headwater – 265.15 feet, Tailwater – 254.77 feet Murray Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 7): Headwater – 248.53 feet, Tailwater – 232.25 feet, Flow – 31,900 cubic feet per second Terry Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 6): Headwater – 230.81 feet, Tailwater – 215.65 feet, Flow – 32,916 cubic feet per second Sanders Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 4): Headwater – 195.84 feet, Tailwater – 183.68 feet Hardin Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 3): Headwater – 182.49 feet, Tailwater – 168.94 feet Mills Dam (Dam 2): Headwater – 162.90 feet, Tailwater – 132.30 feet, Flow – 52,780 cubic feet per second
White River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Wednesday the White River stages are:
2.5 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet) 6.7 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet) 2.2 feet at Newport (flood stage – 26 feet) 14.0 feet at Augusta (flood stage – 26 feet) 2.2 feet at Georgetown (flood stage – 21 feet) 11.7 feet at Clarendon (flood stage – 26 feet)
Statewide Family and Community Fishing Program Report: Fishing in Community Ponds has been improving with cooler temperatures at night. To increase fishing opportunities, try fishing in early mornings before the sun gets directly overhead or late evenings in deeper water. Catfish can be caught using liver, worms or paste baits and bream can be caught using crickets or worms. For information on catfish stockings, call toll-free 1-866-540-FISH (3474).
CENTRAL ARKANSAS:
Little Red River: Lindsey's Resort (501-302-3139) said the river is clear and at a normal level. Trout fishing has been excellent using wax worms with marshmallows and Power Bait. Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said The Greers Ferry Power House has been releasing water mid-afternoon every day. The generation has been lasting from two to six hours using mostly one generator. This fish and angler-friendly pattern is most welcomed since it serves to keep the river clear, cold and richly oxygenated. The same old aquatic insect hatches means that the same old flies are still working. This is a good thing. Sulphurs, pale morning duns and blue-winged olive mayflies are still hatching and their artificial fly counterparts are attracting trout. Try a CDC Baetis dun or a CDC PMD dun pattern or any sulphur in orange or yellow and you will catch some fish. Catching trout on dry flies is always exciting, but if you want to catch (and release) larger quantities of fish, you should fish under the hatch. Fishing soft hackle emergers, such as the Red Tail or Partridge & Orange during a hatch usually results in more strikes. Flies such as the pheasant tail, copper John, gold-ribbed hare's ear or prince are excellent mayfly nymph imitations.
Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 457.65 feet MSL. Shiloh Marina said the lake is pretty clear and the water level is normal. Bass are biting very well on spinnerbaits and top-water baits. Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said cool nights will start the fishing back on an upswing and should get better almost overnight. Largemouth and Kentucky bass are still deep on long tapering points in 28-35 feet of water. The best bite has been on football-head jigs and Carolina rigs, almost all of the other fish except for a few shallow fish can be caught in the pole timber on a spoon and drop-shot finesse worm. Smallmouth can be caught at times with a small Redfin on flats and spinnerbaits on cloudy windy days. Otherwise the smallmouth are in 18 to 20 feet of water and holding close to the bottom. Crappie have slowed, but can still be caught on top of some brush piles and also in the pole timber in 25 feet suspended over 60-80 feet of water. Bream are finishing a spawn and will be headed back out deep with some small ones still being caught shallow and the better ones in about 22 feet of water. Walleye have slowed, but will get better after the fall turnover for sure. Catfish are still feeding very well on cut and live bait. Whites and hybrids are hit and miss day and night they are on the move quite a bit but remember they will not move more than a couple of acres, a good graph is a must. Keep up with the bait, and the fish will be close.
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said lake conditions are normal, but the water is a little low. Bream fishing is good on the banks using crickets. Crappie fishing has been good using dark-colored rock hoppers and small minnows. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers earlier in the day.
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470) said water clarity good, but the water is a little low. Bream fishing is good on the banks using crickets. Crappie fishing has been on jigs and small minnows. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers earlier in the day. Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is clear and low. Bream fishing is excellent using crickets and redworms. Crappie fishing is decent using salt-and-pepper and red/chartreuse jigs in 7 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair using spinnerbaits and top-water baits. Catfish aren’t biting too well, but a few have been caught on live bream and shrimp.
Brewer Lake: Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is clear, but a little low. Bream fishing has been good using redworms and crickets. Some crappie have been caught using small minnows. Catfishing is very good using stinkbait and live bait.
Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait (501-868-3279) said the river is clearing up and at a normal level. Bream fishing is good on crickets and worms. Crappie fishing is starting to pick up on jigs. Bass fishing is fair using buzzbaits
Sunset Lake: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is clear and at a normal level. Fishing has been very slow because of the heat, but some catfish have been caught on stinkbait.
Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the river is clear and very low. Some bass have been caught on top-water baits.
Arkansas River at Morrilton: Charley’s Hidden Harbor at Oppelo said the flow looks pretty good. Bass fishing on the main part of the river is good on the front side of the jetties. Bream are biting well on crickets in grassy areas. Catfishing is strong using worm-and-shad combos. White bass are schooling on shad. Striper fishing is good below the dam using live bream or shad in 6 to 8 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on minnows in about 5-10 feet of water.
Arkansas River in Little Rock: Larry Hurley of Poorman’s Guide Service said fishing on the river is very good with the current slowing enough to actually fish again. Here is your best bet on catching fish. Bass are biting very well on shallow-running crankbaits in white or chartreuse and white spinnerbaits. The most bass are coming on the crank and spinnerbait, but the larger fish are biting well on black/red jigs and black/red Texas-rigged tubes pitched to every piece of wood or rock you can find.
Murray Lock and Dam: Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop said some catfish and stripers have been reported. Catfish are biting on cut shad and liver.
Terry Lock and Dam: McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is clear, low, and has a pretty strong current. Black bass are biting excellently on top-water baits early in the day. Catfishing is excellent on the bottoms using cut shad.
Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is steadily dropping. Bream fishing is fair using crickets in about 4 feet of water. Some crappie have been caught in around 5-6 feet of water on minnows. Some bass have been caught in 2-3 feet of water in grassy areas using white/chartreuse spinnerbaits.
Peckerwood Lake: Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the lake is normal, but not many anglers are out, making fishing has been very slow. Catfishing is fair.
NORTH ARKANSAS: White River: Sportsman’s White River Resort said the water is clear and normal. Two generators are running at night, and they are picking up in the afternoon. Trout fishing has been excellent. Many big and healthy trout have been caught using about any kind of trout bait. Angler’s White River Resort said trout fishing has been good, and night trout fishing is even better. They are being caught using spinnerbaits, glow worms, Power Bait, and Rapalas.
Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 652.56 feet MSL. Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock (870-445-4424) said Bull Shoals Lake has dropped a couple of feet since the last report. Surface water temperature is around 85 degrees and the thermocline is running around the 30-35 foot level. Fish are in summer patterns, moving to the deeper, cooler water. There still is a minor top-water bite first thing in the morning, but this pattern has slowed. The best advice is to get your bait or lure in the 30- to 40-foot zone. Bass are fair on main lake points, bluff ends, timber bluffs and in deep brush piles. The most productive method is a split shot and nightcrawler worked slowly in 25 to 35 feet of water. Strawberry soft-plastic worms, tubes, Carolina-rigged centipedes and hula grubs are working fairly well on bluffs and deep cover. Vertically jigged spoons in 30 to 40 feet of water are working well. Walleye are in the same 30- to 40-foot depth range, and are biting fair on nightcrawlers dragged on a crawler harness or split-shot rig. Long-line trolling is also working well. Crappie are fair around brush and timber on bluff ends with small jigs, minnows and tiny tubes. Catfish are biting well on trotlines and jugs lines baited with live bait at night. Focus on the blue-sign brush piles for the best catfish bite.
Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 549.73 feet MSL. Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is clear and at normal level. A few bream have been caught on crickets. Bass are biting well at night on jigs and plastic worms. Walleye are biting well on Mack’s Walleye Pops. Stripers are biting early on spoons in 60 to 70 feet of water.
Norfork Tailwater: Gene’s Trout Dock (870-499-5381) said the water is clear. The generators have been off in the mornings, and two have been coming online at about 2 p.m. Fishing has been excellent using nightcrawlers, corn, Power Eggs, and gold Flatfish on sunny days. Mountain River Fly Shop said fly-fishing has been excellent with the best opportunities for wading of any Ozark tailwater. A copper and copper midge remains a favorite among more experienced anglers – leaders should be long and fine and indicators small and subtle. Black/silver, red/silver and black/copper zebras are doing well. Ron’s Anna K in black is also working well swung across the nose of trout rising to some seriously teeny midges. Hoppers have also scored some very nice cuts recently, tan hoppers, plus larger ant or beetle patterns can produce on windy afternoons
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,116.73 feet MSL. Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clear. Some bream have been caught on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair in 8-10 feet of water on minnows and trolled Hot-N-Tots. Some bass have been caught, mostly at night on jigs, spoons, and drop shots. Catfishing has been very good using live or prepared bait. Wiegmann’s Guide Service (479-756-5279) said the water is clear in the mid-lake and dam areas. Bass fishing has been decent, but is better at night. The most effective baits have been crankbaits, black Jitterbugs, dark-colored worms and spinnerbaits. Some small bass are being caught during the day on buzzbaits. Some stripers can be caught on shad and shiners.
Beaver Tailwater: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been during mid-afternoon on most days, providing plenty of wading opportunities during the mornings. The terrestrial dry-fly fishing has really picked up over the last couple of weeks, with various ant, beetle and hopper patterns producing several hook-ups. While fishing terrestrials may not produce as many hook-ups as nymph fishing, the smashing strikes that patterns like the club sandwich, Turk’s tarantula or chaos hopper can produce are more than enough to make up for it! During low water, midge patterns are always important on Beaver Tailwater. Patterns like the jujubee, the poison tung, and the zebra midge have been fooling lots of trout.
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is about normal but fishing has been very slow because of the heat.
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said fishing has been very slow.
Sugarloaf Lake: Midland Minimart (479-639-9467) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are the only thing being caught and the best bite is coming on crickets.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS Crown Lake: Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and a little low. Bream fishing is good on crickets. Catfish have been biting well on liver. Crappie fishing and bass fishing are slow, but better at night.
Lake Frierson: Lake Frierson State Park said the water is clear and a little low. Catfishing is your best bet right now using trotlines baited with stinkbait.
Eleven-Point River: Woody’s Canoe Rental and Campground (870-892-9732) said the river is clear and at a normal level. Bass fishing is good using spinnerbaits and catfishing is excellent using stinkbait and chicken liver.
Spring River: Many Islands Camp (870-856-3451) said the water is clear and normal. Trout fishing has been excellent using Rooster Tails, spinnerbaits and salmon eggs.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS Lake Chicot: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the water is clear and at about normal level. Fishing has been very slow, but a few bream have been caught on crickets, and some crappie have been caught on jigs.
Grand Lake: Koenig Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the water is clear and a little low. Catfish are the only fish being caught. The best bite is on limblines and drop hooks.
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.32 feet MSL. Millwood Lake Guide Service said the surface temperature is still in the mid-80s, depending on location and time of day. Little River's clarity has improved to 8 to 10 inches of visibility. Main lake clarity and visibility is about 4 to 6 inches. Current is constant at 1,553 cubic feet per second as of Monday, and navigation has returned to normal with the reduction in recent lake pool level. Bass and crappie are in normal summer patterns, with the most aggressive bite being early and late in the day. The most consistent bite has been on swimming jig heads w/ Bass Assassin Curly Shad trailers, Rat-L-Traps, and bulky worms, early in the morning. Bass are relating to deep water during the heat of the day. Bass Assassin Shads and swimming 1/8- to ¼-ounce silver or white-headed (no skirt and no weed guard) jigheads with curly shad trailers are catching some decent bass from grass and pads in 4 to 8 feet of water. Hold the rod tip high to keep the open hook upright and out of the weeds. The buzzbait bite has diminished in the last week or so. War Eagle spinnerbaits in firecracker are still taking a few random bass. Bass Assassin Shads in salt-and-pepper or rainbow trout, and Rat-L-Traps in baby crappie or red chrome are catching good keeper bass on flats adjacent to creek channels areas. Crappie are fair on live shiners, Cordell paddletail grubs and Southern Pro tubes in 19-22 feet of water around planted brush piles. No report on white bass or channel catfish this week.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is clear and a little low. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets. Catfishing is excellent at night using cut shad and large minnows.
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is clear and a little low. Bream fishing is good on crickets. Some crappie are biting minnows. Catfishing is excellent at night using cut shad.
Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 541.50 feet MSL. Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait (870-398-5304) said all species are slow. The lake’s condition is terrible – low and very hot. A few bass have been caught using top-water baits in the early morning. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Service said the water is falling rapidly. Shorter days and cooler nights have allowed the water temp to fall as well. A continued drop in the water temperature will improve fishing. Crappie fishing is very slow. Both black and white bass can be found schooling and breaking in the primary creek arms.
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 399.62 feet MSL. DeGray One Stop (501-865-3511) said the water is clear and dropping. Bream are biting well in 15-20 feet of water on crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on live bait, with the best bite at night. Bass and catfish are slow.
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS Lake Dardanelle: Murphy’s Sporting Goods (479-229-3200) said the water is murky and low. Bream fishing has been pretty good on crickets. Bass fishing is fair on jigs and worms. Catfishing is a little slow, but some have been caught on live shad and stinkbait. Blue Mountain Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 385.24 feet MSL. CNC’s End of the Line (479-947-2398) said the water level is low. Bream fishing is fair on crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Bass fishing has improved a lot on spinnerbaits. Catfish are fair on minnows, worms and chicken liver.
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the water is finally clearing up and is pretty low. Bream can be caught on crickets and nightcrawlers. Crappie fishing is fair in deeper water on minnows. Bass fishing is picking up a lot on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers, cut bait and minnows.
Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 570.77 feet MSL. Mountain Harbor Marina said the water is clear and the surface temperature ranges from 90 to 93 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on U-tail worms, swim baits and grass jigs fished around the hydrilla. Top-water toads are also working well anywhere the vegetation reaches the surface. Walleye are biting well on spoons and crankbaits fished over main lake humps and points with brush. Stripers are biting well on live minnows and shad near the eastern end of the lake. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms in 18 to 25 feet of water. Crappie are slow, but a few have been caught around 20 to 35 feet of water near moss flats. Minnows and crappie tubes in Arkansas shad are working the best. Catfishing is good on jugs and trotlines baited with stink bait and live bream. Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said fishing is slow but is improving. Bass are pulling into the thick grass and can be caught on large jigs and plum apple Zoom Old Monster worms. Stripers are starting to school up and can be caught on spoons and topwaters. Bream are still hit and miss but try crickets on the outside edge of the grass. Walleye are slow, but a few can be caught at night on spinnerbaits.
Lake Catherine: Diamondhead Marina (501-262-2272) said the water is clear and at full pool. Bass fishing is pretty good during the early morning and late hours on top-water baits. Some walleye are biting in the deeper areas on minnows. Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that the water temperature below Carpenter Dam is holding steady at 58 degrees because Entergy is running water in 12-hour periods. Rainbow trout fishing has slowed somewhat; however, limits of trout can still be caught with most of the fish measuring 15 inches and longer. Bank fishermen are catching most of the fish as they continue to stick with the corn and marshmallow combination along with nightcrawlers and redworms floated under a bobber. Boaters are catching trout below the below the bridge that have congregated around the pilings. White and yellow jigs in 1/16- and 1/8-ounce sizes are perfect around this structure. Even though the shad migration towards the dam is in full swing, the striper and hybrid action is hit-and-miss. The fish tend to move in and out of the tailrace area with no real pattern – making it hard to plan effective fishing strategies. When the fish are present they feed heavily on top, so large surface baits that imitate rainbow trout and gizzard shad are very effective. C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks are excellent choices to target these feeding fish.
Lake Hamilton: The water temperature ranges from 82 to 89 degrees and the water is clear. There is some surface activity in the early morning around deep ledges and humps near the main channel. The best bite is over by 8 a.m., and then it’s a grind. A few fish have been caught on boat docks during the heat of the day with shakey head worms, but the bite is slow. Deep brush piles may produce a few more keepers on Texas-rigged 10-inch green pumpkin worms, but it’s a very slow bite. Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said boat traffic is minimal and the fishing is great from sunrise until about 10 a.m. Concentrate on the edge of flats that drop off into the creek channels with a drop-shot rig baited with a 6-inch magic worm in oxy craw color and ox blood blue flake. A ½-ounce spoon caught a few fish. Some walleye are starting to get on windblown points hitting shad-colored jerkbaits.
Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said bream fishing is fair on crickets. Crappie fishing has been slow, but some have been caught in 12-15 feet of water on minnows. Bass fishing is good on spinnerbaits and top-water baits.
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water is a little low and clear. Bream fishing has been good on crickets. Bass fishing is excellent on spinnerbaits, plastic worms, redworms and minnows. Catfishing also has been excellent using stinkbait and chicken liver.
Lake Nimrod: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 343.05 feet MSL.
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS Moro Bay: Moro Bay State Park said the water remains a foot above normal (currently 66 feet), and the temperature still stands in the upper 90s. Bream fishing has been pretty good using fly rods and top-water bugs. Crappie anglers have been successful using jigs around the trees in the bay. A few Kentucky bass have been picked up. No reports of bream or catfish have come in.
EAST ARKANSAS:
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is back to normal levels. Bream have been caught on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing has been great on minnows. Catfishing is very good on almost any kind of bait behind the lock and dam. River City Sporting Goods (870-534-8303) said the water is clearing up and at a normal level. Bream fishing has been good in 2-4 feet of water on the banks on redworms and crickets. Catfishing is good in about 30-40 feet of water in the main channel on cut shad and nightcrawlers. A lot of black bass have been caught early and late in the day in about 10 feet of water on top-water baits, plastic worms and buzzbaits. Stripers are biting well on bucktail jigs.
White River: Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the river is clear and a little low. Not many fish have been caught except a few bass on spinnerbaits.
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is a little low. Bream have been caught on crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on jigs and minnows. Bass fishing is pretty good on spinnerbaits.
Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors (870-295-4240) said the water is pretty murky. A few bream have been caught on crickets and redworms. Some bass have been caught on plastic worms.
Horseshoe Lake: Bond’s (870-339-2464) said the water is clear. Because of the heat, not many anglers have been out, but the ones who have been are catching fish. Bream are biting pretty well on redworms and crickets in shallow water. Bass fishing has been pretty good on spinnerbaits. A 9-lb. largemouth was caught last weekend. Catfishing is fair.
Island 40 Chute: Daily’s Boat Dock said fishing is extremely slow because of the heat.
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