The fishing reports below are brought to you by the site: http://www.agfc.comLake Conway:Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said fishing has been slow because of the windy weather. All species are slow, but a few catfish have been caught on trotlines. Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) had no report. Little Red River:Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) said the water is clear and low with one generator running. Trout are biting well on wax worms, Power Bait and nightcrawlers. Marabou jigs and crankbaits are also working well in the current. Greers Ferry:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 462.68 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 461 MSL). Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water is falling and the surface temperature has cooled to 58-62 degrees because of recent cool rain and cool nights. Bass are biting well but they have backed off to slightly deeper water. A few have spawned, but most have not. The best bet is a Carolina rig fished in front of shoreline brush. Jerk baits fished in the guts of creeks are working, and fish are trying to move into the bushes. By the weekend, top-water frogs, buzzbaits and Texas-rigged lizards fished in the brush should work well. Crappie fishing is still very good in the bushes. Not all of the crappie have spawned. Try jigs tipped with a minnow and dabbled around bushes near the shore. Walleye are fair. A few fish can be caught in 18-27 feet of water on jigheads dressed with a nightcrawlers and dragged along the bottom. A few walleye have been caught by trollers and crankbaiters fishing 15 feet deep over 27 feet of water. Catfishing is good on points with floating trotlines baited with soap and dog food. Some flatheads are coming in on jugs set at 17 feet deep and baited with bream. White bass and hybrids are scattered all through the water column. They could be anywhere from 6 inches deep to 47 feet deep. Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said the water is clear and still a bit cold. Bream are slow. Crappie are slow. Largemouth bass are fair to good on watermelon seed soft-plastics in deep water. Walleye are fair on minnows dragged along the bottom in deep water. Catfishing is slow. Harris Brake Lake:Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said the water is murky and low. Bream are fair on crickets fished around shallow brush. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around the dock. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms fished around rocky areas. Catfishing is slow. Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no new report. Lake Overcup:Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said Crappie are still in 10 to 12 feet of water and are biting well on minnows and a red/blue/clear sparkle jig. Bream are good on crickets and redworms. Bass are doing good on soft plastics and spinner baits on the banks with grass. Catfish are good on cut bait and stink bait. The water is now about a foot high and a little dingy. Brewer Lake:Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said crappie are doing well on white/chartreuse jigs and small minnows. Bass are biting well on buzzbaits and jigs. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms around the bank. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and large minnows. The water is a little high and clear. Lake Maumelle:Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water is 6 inches above the spillway and is 65 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms, jerk baits and spinnerbaits in 4-10 feet of water along the edge of the grass. White bass are biting well in the western creeks on small crappie jigs, Rooster Tails and minnows. Crappie are biting well on 1/32-oz. jigs and minnows and shad-colored grubs in 3-10 feet of water. Bream are fair on crickets and worms; some smaller bream have moved into shallow water, but the better fish are still in 20 feet of water. The breakwater by the yacht club is producing a few bream as well. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with cut shad and prepared bait. Saugeye are being caught on the points in the afternoon on strolled crappie jigs, Rogues and worms. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report. JB’s Guide Service had no report. Lake Valencia:Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report. Sunset Lake:Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said bream fishing is excellent on crickets. Crappie are fair. Bass are fair on top-water lures. Catfishing is excellent on chicken livers. Saline River Access in Benton:Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is at normal level and has some color to it. Bream are biting very well on 1/16-oz. black/brown Rooster Tails. Crappie are fair. Bass are excellent on small white/chartreuse buzzbaits. Catfishing is fair. Arkansas River at Morrilton:Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said fishing is picking up, but the weather has kept boaters off the main river. Bass fishing is fair on floating worms fished in the backwaters around spawning flats. Kentucky bass are around the tops of jetties on warm afternoons and are biting well on chatterbaits. Catfishing is good in Cypress Creek and Flagg Lake Cutoff on whole shad. Crappie have been biting well in Cypress Creek, Flagg Lake Cutoff and Point Remove Creek on red/white jigs tipped with a minnow and fished slowly around woody cover. White bass and stripers are at major creek mouths and are biting well on pearl-colored Wiggle Wart crankbaits and Sassy Shad swim baits. Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool):Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report. Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool):Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff (501-834-5733) said the water is at normal level. Crappie are biting fairly well in the shallow water around the backwater areas on black/chartreuse jigs and minnows. All other species are slow. Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report. McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is high and muddy from the rain. Fishing is slow. Clear Lake:McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are excellent on crickets and small brown/black jigs fished around cypress trees in 4 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows in 10-12 feet of water. All other species are slow. Peckerwood Lake:Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is clear and the lake is full. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on stink bait. Lake Pickthorne:Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report. |
North Arkansas |
White River:Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water was off Tuesday morning. There is a lot of moss and algae in the water. Trout fishing is good overall. Rainbow trout are biting well on pink Power Worms and nightcrawlers. Brown trout are biting fairly well on shad and white jigs. (Updated 4-21-2010) Cotter Trout Dock said the number one brown trout-catching bait between Arkansas Highway 62 bridge/Cotter and Buffalo City is minnows. The guides caught more than 25 browns on Saturday, 10 of those were over 22 inches. The water is high and somewhat mossy, but it hasn’t stopped the fish from biting. We’ve had some luck with rainbows using white Power Bait but the big fish follow the minnows. Smithwick barbless suspending Super Rogues with blue backs and silver sides worked well. This is a great time to catch big fish. Don’t let high water stop you – the guides know the river and want to provide a safe, productive fishing excursion. Guide Davy Wotton said last weekend’s fishing was just about as good as you will find anywhere. We saw way lower water flows for the White, which gave opportunities to wade fish and float the rivers. Caddis hatches were awesome, with many 20-inch browns rising to the occasion along with many good cutthroats. This gives the fly fisher the opportunity to use dry and soft hackle techniques during the emergence when the trout can be seen rising to take the naturals. Standard caddis patterns such as the elk hair, balloon caddis and Davy’s caddis will do the business here in sizes 12 and 14. Pretty much any soft hackle in the hare’s ear range, such as green butt, partridge and HE, partridge and gold, hare’s ear and woodcock, grouse and green will catch fish at this time. Wet flies should include Invicta, Whickham’s, hare’s ear and mini muddlers. We will see caddis hatches slow down in the next few days, but look for action at least for a while even if the hatches are moderate. It often pays to fish dry and soft hackles in likely looking fish holding zones, riffle water and fast to slow back water seems. Catch rates at Bull shoals dam increased due to the lower water levels. Hot flies were sow bugs, white tail midges, zebra midges, dynamite and prism worms. The lower White was still pretty ugly this past weekend due to rain storm run off, moss and suspended matter making life difficult for all methods of fishing. Hopefully the lower generation levels will clear the river before too long. High water generations will likely not as that increases further moss and shoreline trash into the system at lower levels of the river. Spin fishing during the lower flows for Norfork and upper White has been very good. Likewise bait fisherman have done well with both natural and artificial baits of all sorts. Here again the algae levels may make life a little difficult. Spin fishing is probably the best option if you are fishing zones that moss is a problem. White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing):Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the rain did not muddy up much of the White. The Buffalo came up only a foot, so there was no dirty water coming into the White. Fishing has been very steady on bottom baits and artificials. Power Bait, worms, corn and corn tipped with Power Bait are working well. Countdown black/gold/white Rapalas will work anywhere you can find a swift run that has more food supply and oxygen. Buffalo River:(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said the water temperature is in the mid 60s. The water level at St. Joe is 6.03 feet. This is high for fly-fishing. Spin fishing with heavier lures along the bottom should produce. Crooked Creek:(Updated 4-14-2010) Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said water levels are at 13.40 feet. This is just over a foot higher than the low-water bridge at Kelly’s Slab. This level is high for fly-fishing, but spin fishing should be good later in the day. Water temperatures are hitting 63 degrees in the heat of the day. Smallmouth should be working on soft-plastic lures on the bottom. Bull Shoals Lake:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 656.95 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL). Bob Pauletti at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock had no new report. Lake Norfork:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 555.28 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL). (Updated 4-21-2010) 101 Grocery and Bait said the surface temperature ranges from 57-62 degrees. Fishing has been good for all species. Monster bluegill have been hitting minnows, red worms and crickets. Crappie are hitting minnows and jigs, and are moving to shallow water. Bass fishing has been good on jigs, crankbaits, flukes and top-water lures. Stripers, white bass, walleye and catfish have all been good and will only get better. (Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the upper 50s to the low 60s. The top-water bite is starting to get going and the night bite is getting better. The top-water striper bite is good for about an hour when the sun gets higher the fish go deeper. There is some activity about a half hour before dark too. Throw stick baits after it gets dark. Swim baits were also producing stripers, hybrids, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. (Updated 4-14-2010) Guide Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said fishing is still hot for both live bait and stick baits. Stripers have been caught early along the shore. As the wind picks up, fish wind-blown banks out to about 40 feet deep. Gizzard shad are working the best, but flukes and stick baits are producing as well. The dam area, Big Creek and Brushy Creek are holding good fish. Norfork Tailwater:Shannon Murphy with Charlie’s Rainbow Trout Resort said the tailwater has had low water almost every day. The fishing has been exceptional. Fisherman are catching all four species of trout found in Arkansas. The fishing is at its best. There were some really big rainbows caught in front of our dock. The biggest was caught by guide Paul Storm, and it was 22 inches and weighed 7 pounds. Plenty of fish over 18 inches are being caught, and some 20 to 22 inch browns are being caught in the middle of the day. Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the handicapped access to the confluence with the White is fishing well. White River Zig Jigs in ginger, olive and ginger/orange are working well on rainbows and a few browns. Be sure to let the jig settle almost to the bottom, and then pop it up. The hit will almost always come on the drop. |
Northwest Arkansas |
Beaver Lake:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,124.10 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120 MSL). Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said stripers are feeding actively in the creek arms and the rivers. There are some very nice stripers being caught on top-water right now. Spooks, Redfins and Rapalas are working well at daybreak and dusk. The stripers will begin moving back to the main lake as the water temperature approaches 70 degrees. Night fishing is picking up as well. Most stripers are keyed on the flats where they can hunt shad. Balloons with bait fished 5-6 feet deep without any weight, Free-lining or flat-lining are the live bait techniques to use. Troll slowly and expect to cover water to get your fish. An umbrella rig will also produce; remember to use chartreuse in the stained water. Try trolling Redfins, Rapala’s and other shallow plugs about 150 feet behind the boat, and try using planer boards to spread out your trolling pattern. White bass are done spawning. There are few stragglers left in the headwaters. At the War Eagle/White River junction, look in the mouth of War Eagle up to the sidewalk hole. Water temperature is in the mid to high 60s. White bass and hybrids are being caught in this area. Free-line and balloons 8-10 feet deep for striper and cast spoons for whites and hybrids. In the Blue Springs area, the 412 bridge is holding some fish. During bright sun they are suspending in the shade of the bridge. In Hickory Creek, Fish activity is good about an hour before sunrise till around 8:30 a.m. In Prairie Creek, fish are being caught. They are back from upriver. Try looking in the back of the creek arm and around the islands. Around Copper Mine, fish are being caught near the tailings. At Coose Hollow, there has been some striper activity. Look for them to move in as they move toward the main basin. For daily Beaver Lake levels and flow data go Bailey’s Web site and click on the Daily Beaver Lake Level and Flow info link. JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been decent. Try a finesse worm on a 2/0 hook fished with a split shot and work that around any and all visible cover. A spinnerbait also has been effective. A lot of male fish have begun making beds in 4 to 6 feet of water. The crappie spawn continues. The first wave was cut short due to the last weather system, but we are cleaning plenty of big females packed with eggs. Look for these fish to spawn in 5 to 11 feet of water in the backs of coves and bays. Small tubes or curly tailed grubs have been effective. Best jig colors have been chartreuse, white and black/chartreuse. White bass have been schooling in the back of big main lake coves like Hickory Creek, Monte-NE, Prairie Creek and Indian Creek. Try trolling small curly tailed grubs behind the boat for the best action. Catfish have been biting well at night from the bank using liver or worms. Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is about 4 feet high and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting excellently on spinnerbaits and flukes fished around shoreline cover. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and worms. Beaver Tailwater:Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guides said low-water opportunities have been very numerous on the tailwaters. The rain event earlier in the week and over the weekend did not seem to deter the fishing. Lots of great-looking fish are being caught. Mid-morning midge hatches have got the fish keying in on midge imitations. There is a good population of sculpins so far this year, so smaller streamers will pick up fish as well. There are not many scuds or sow bugs in the water. Zebra midges, Cadion midges, Disco midges, and brassies in sizes 18-22 are very successful. Takes can be very subtle at times, and adjusting your fly depth is sometimes a better option than switching flies. Smaller slumpbusters, sculpzillas, and near-nuff sculpins are doing well fished in the slower waters and around structure. Kings River:(Updated 4-14-2010) Just Fishing Guides said the water level is at 4.21 feet, which is very good for floating and fishing. It is a bit high for fly-fishing in the middle stretches. Soft-plastics fished on spinning gear should be the ticket. Water temperatures are hitting the mid 60s late in the day, so the best time should be late afternoon. Lake Fayetteville:Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows; there have been a few reports of people limiting out on minnows. Bass are biting well. No report on catfish. Lake Sequoyah:Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is murky and is at normal levels. Bream are biting well. Crappie are biting well on minnows and Roadrunner jigs. Bass are biting well on small spinnerbaits in 2 feet of water. Catfishing is fair on shad, goldfish and worms. |
Northeast Arkansas |
Lake Poinsett:Lake Poinsett State Park said crappie are still biting well on minnows. It’s been a great season and some nice ones are still being caught. Bream and catfish are starting to pick up as well, hitting on a variety of baits. Crown Lake:Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is dingy and 67 degrees. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows fished around rocky areas. Bass are fair; they are coming off the beds and are biting soft-plastics fished around brush. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers and chicken livers. Lake Frierson:Lake Frierson State Park said bass are biting fairly well on crankbaits. All other species are slow. Spring River:Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shop said the Warm Fork has become muddy from recent rain, but the Spring is still running clear. Water levels at the Spring are at 460 cfs. With clear weather in the forecast the water should clear up quickly and come back down. During murky water conditions, black and fluorescent colors work well. Black woolly buggers and red San Juan worms do well. Check out Mark’s Blog for daily updates on river conditions and what they might be biting. |
Southeast Arkansas |
Lake Chicot:(Updated 4-21-2010) Lake Chicot State Park said fishing took a sharp downturn last weekend. Fishing is hit-or-miss for all species. Even yo-yos and trotlines aren’t producing well. Cane Creek Lake:Cane Creek State Park said fishing on Cane Creek Lake has been slow due to the wind. Trotlines are still doing well for catfish. Bream are still being caught on crickets around piers and brush. Lake Monticello:(Updated 4-14-2010) Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.com said bedding activity has picked up considerably over the weekend. The surface temperature ranges from mid-60s to low 70s. There are more fish in the shallows doing their business. Several anglers reported catching nice bass on beds Saturday and Sunday. There are bass in all three phases of the spawn. Prespawners are still being caught off the bedding flats. Cruising bass in the shallows also will bite. Soft plastics still seem to be the best bet for most of these fish. |
Southwest Arkansas |
Millwood Lake:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.91 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 259.2 MSL). Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said water surface temperature ranges from 70 to 80 degrees. The lake level is slowly rising and the discharge at the dam is 3,539 cfs. Clarity worsened from good to stained on the main lake and river. Largemouth bass are completing spawning activities in most areas around Millwood. Most post-spawn largemouths are recovering and beginning to feed again with a more seasonal late spring/early summer attitude and appetite. This should continue to improve over the next few weeks. Many 2-5 pounders and several between 8-12 pounds each, have been caught and released over the past 2-3 weeks around the spawn. The best bite is beginning to shift to early morning. Trick worms, Bass Assassins, and floating worms in Merthiolate or sherbet, and black shad colors; lizards and jigs in pumpkinseed and chartreuse, are catching fish. Buzzbaits are beginning to consistently catch a few more bass. Spinnerbaits in spot remover, aurora, and cole slaw colors continue taking keeper fish along flooded creek channel swings, large cypress trees, stumps, and any new vegetation. Jigs in black/blue/purple or Texas craw colors are catching bass on cypress trees in deeper sections of the creek channels. White bass have finished their annual spawn and are scattered. Rocket Shads, Rat-L-Traps, Little Cleos, Little Georges and Rooster Tails were working during the spawning run. Crappie are still improving in the oxbows around cypress trees on white jigs, smoke grubs, shiners and Blakemore Roadrunners. Longnose gar continue to roam shallow and spawn, making perfect opportunities for bowfishermen. Try the back of creeks and oxbows up Little River for some really big gar over the next couple weeks. Bream are biting very well around Millwood State Park and also up Little River at Jack’s Isle off the bank on crickets, redworms and grubs. Channel cats are improved in the increased current of Little River. Blues and channel cats are biting best on cut shad, chicken livers and cottonseed meal cakes, by either anchoring and tight-lining, or on trotlines, along Little River between Jack’s Isle and Mud Lake. White Oak Lake:(Updated 4-21-2010) Local angler John Tilley said the water level is rising but is still 4 feet below normal. Bass fishing is excellent in 4 to 5 feet of water. Crappie have been fair around the island. No reports on catfishing or bream fishing, but both should pick up very soon. Lake Columbia:(Updated 4-21-2010) Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) said the water temperature is 63 to 64 degrees. Bream are biting well on small worms and minnows fished 4 feet and deeper. Crappie are fair on small jigs and electric chicken-colored Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows. Bass are biting well on top-water lures in 3 to 4 feet of water. Catfishing is fair on blood bait and nightcrawlers fished in 8 feet of water. Lake Erling:(Updated 4-21-2010) Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) said the water is 63 to 64 degrees. Bass are biting excellently on white or black spinnerbaits, Arkansas shiner-colored flukes and buzzing toads fished around lily pads. Catfishing is fair in 8 feet of water. Bream are biting well on crickets. Lake Greeson:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.61 MSL (Flood pool – 548 MSL). Lakeside Grocery and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on crickets fished in brush along the shoreline. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows and jigs fished in 10-15 feet of water. Bass are slow, but a few have been caught on crankbaits and floating worms. Catfishing and walleye fishing are slow. Cossatot River:Cossatot River State Park had no report. DeGray Lake:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 407.72 feet MSL (Flood pool – 408 MSL). Local angler George Graves said the water is clear throughout the lake and the surface temperature is in the mid to high 60s. Crappie fishing remains good despite the cold fronts this week. The fish have backed off from the shallows to the shelters/attractors. The best shelters are the ones at the mouth of a spawning cove. Use a 2-inch Kalin’s Tennessee shad grub and fish the thickest part of the cover. Use a light (1/16 or 1/32-ounce) jig head and cast the lure to the shelter and let it drop to just above the cover, the fish will hit it on the way down. Remember the fish will bite in just one spot of the attractor, so be sure to work all the way around the shelter. The best area has been between Caddo Drive and Shrouse Ford. The big coves around Shrouse Ford have been especially good this year. Bass fishing has been only fair, with only a few decent reports this week. The problem has been the cold fronts. The fish are scattered and are holding deeper than normal in 10 to 15 feet of water. Best lures have been the ones that go near the bottom, like Texas-rigged worms, Carolina-rigged worms or lizards and jigs. Use neutral colors in the clear water such as green pumpkin. Very little surface activity in this cold weather, so fishing near the bottom has been the best bet. May is usually a very good month for bass surface activity when the fish come off the beds. Look for long sloping main lake points and throw a top water plug or buzz bait. Early morning and evenings are the best times for surface activity. Bream fishing has been fair off shallow points in the coves. Use either worms or crickets. With the full moon there should be some bedding activity. Several fair reports or catfish coming from the shallow coves at the State Park. Best bait has been night crawlers or chicken livers. Early, late and night have been the best times. There has been some hybrid schooling activity in the morning and evening, with morning the best time. Look for breaking fish at the mouth of coves or major points near the state park and Caddo Bend. Also around the islands across from the lodge. The fish are not staying up very long so get into the fish as soon as you can. The best lures have been top water plugs, Flukes, spoons, big in line spinners, Rattletraps and swim baits. Remember, never run the outboard into the school. Shut down outside the school and approach with the trolling motor. |
West-Central Arkansas |
Lake Nimrod:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 344.18 feet MSL. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will slowly lower the water level in Lake Nimrod in Yell County, beginning May 15. The water level will be lowered 5 feet by July 1, and the lower level will be maintained until Oct. 1. The drawdown is part of the Corps and AGFC’s water management plan, and is an attempt to meet fisheries management goals without the need for the costly 10-foot draw downs previously conducted on the lake. (Updated 4-21-2010) Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting very well on minnows. Bream are biting well on crickets. Catfishing is very good on worms and crickets. Lake Dardanelle:Regina Olson at Spadra Marina said largemouth bass have been in abundance, but sizes have been small. Buzz baits have been the most popular choice, particularly chartreuse and orange. Crappie are still biting pretty well; they are 5-6 feet deep. Bream have been biting well on crickets and worms. Flatheads are still biting in the shallows on goldfish. Channel catfish are biting best on shad, but stink bait does really well in full sun. Worms have done unusually well with catfish lately, too. Blue Mountain Lake:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 387.68 feet MSL. Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop (479-947-2178) said fishing is slow. Lake Ouachita:As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 577.47 MSL (Flood pool – 578 MSL). (Updated 4-14-2010) Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports s aid the water temperature is in the 60s and the water is in the buckbrush. Bass are being caught in all areas of the lake and are spawning. Sight-fishing is great on the north side of the lake. Fish on the south side of the lake are still on windswept points. Floating worms are working excellently in pockets all around the lake. Crappie are biting well in 5 feet of water and less on minnows. Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said fishing has been pretty good. The bass are good with a lot of post-spawn patterns working. Many fish have been caught on shad-colored Revenge spinnerbaits fished in the standing timber next to creek channels. Buzzbaits fished in shallow water around secondary points have worked well in the mornings. Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is 66-70 degrees and the water is clearing. Largemouth bass are still excellent on Carolina-rigged lizards, jighead worms and super flukes. Top-water action is good with Zara spooks and Boy Howdies. Walleye are very good and being caught on green plastic worms and jigs. Stripers are still excellent on top-water C-10 Redfins. Good action is still being reported on Rapala jerk baits on secondary points in large bays and creek channels. Large shad-colored swim baits are working as well. Bream are very good on worms or crickets in water 10 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are still excellent and being caught near brush. Try brush in water 4 to 10 feet deep. Minnows or crappie grubs are still working best. Tennessee shad and white are the best colors for artificial baits. Catfish are very good and being caught on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines. Lake Hamilton:(Updated 4-14-2010) Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports said the water temperature the water temperature is in the 60s and the water is clear. The lake is at full pool and still has a lot of floating logs and trash from the rise. This is the peak of the spawn. Bass are being caught on any type of lure you want to throw. Floating worms, jerk baits, and Carolina rigs are all working well. Crappie are in 5 feet of water and less. White bass are running up all major creeks. Lake Catherine:Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, (501-624-8757) reports that water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 51 degrees with very good clarity. High winds have hampered anglers. Bank fishermen are catching limits of trout on wax worms, meal worms, redworms and nightcrawlers floated just off the bottom with marshmallows. Live minnows are taking larger trout as these fish are actively feeding on shad. Fly-fishermen casting small white streamers around rocks and sandbars are hooking trout during periods of generation. San Juan worms in red or hot pink under a strike indicator have outperformed all other flies for the past month. Boaters trolling below the bridge with small crankbaits that imitate shad or crawfish have taken quality rainbows. Small white jigs in white or silver fished around structure in the current will entice feeding trout to strike. Crappie are still spawning with the vast majority of fish concentrated below the powerhouse and along the front of the dam. Action has been spotty at best with the fluctuating temperatures. Minnows and jigs have accounted for the fish taken with some females over 3 pounds caught on small spinnerbaits while the turbines are running. White bass are mixed in nicely with the crappie and are being caught by using the same techniques. Striper action is very slow with no top-water action observed. The freshwater drum spawn is underway with females caught over 20 pounds. Lake Hinkle:Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is clear and at normal level. Redear are biting well on crickets fished near the bottom. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well. Catfishing is fair. Lake Atkins:Ken Vinson at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said bad weather didn’t stop anglers in a bass club tournament. Many good fish were weighed in last weekend, with the largest being a 9.21-lb. fish. Bass are moving to their beds. Floating worms and swim baits are working well. Crappie are still a bit slow, but some nice sizes are making up for the low numbers. Bream and catfish are picking up closer to the banks. Sunday, an angler brought in 12 of the largest redear I’ve seen in years. The water is about 9 inches high, and is clear. |
South Central Arkansas |
Moro Bay:(Updated 4-21-2010) Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay said the river level is 65.00 feet msl. Bream are biting well on worms, crickets, and even on jigs. Crappie can be caught on redhead jigs tipped with a crappie nibble. Ouachita River Oxbows:Some Ouachita River Oxbows are on fire with the warmer weather. Large bass are in the pre-spawn stage and are feeding well. Many good bass were caught on ¼-oz. black/blue jigs around standing trees in 3-6 feet of water and on crankbaits. Tri-County Lake:Bass are biting well on crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished around shallow cover. |
East Arkansas |
Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is at normal levels. Bram are biting well on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Bass are fair on soft-plastic worms and lizards. Catfishing is slow, but a few have been caught on shad and chicken livers. White River:(Updated 4-21-2010) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water clarity is good and the water is at normal levels. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting well in ponds and backwaters, but not on the river. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic tubes and flukes. Catfishing is good on stink bait. Maddox Bay:Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is high and has good color to it. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on trotlines and yo-yos baited with worms. Catfishing with rod-and-reel is poor. Island 40 Chute:Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) said the water is low. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs with a red head in 21/2 feet of water around stumps on the levee side of the island. Bass are biting fairly well on chartreuse spinnerbaits and dark-colored soft-plastics fished around shallow cover. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers, chicken livers and hotdogs soaked in strawberry gelatin mix. Horseshoe Lake:Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal levels. The conditions are great for fishing. Bream are fair on wax worms and crickets fished around shallow rocky areas. Crappie are biting well on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs in 3 to 4 feet of water. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits fished around cypress trees and knees. Catfishing is good in deep water on cut bait and nightcrawlers |