Arkansas Game and Fish Commission´s fishing report for July 8, 2009
Fishing Tip:
When trout fishing tailwaters of dams, be very careful to watch for rising water. One way to remember when it’s time to go is to take a $10 or $20 bill and place it close to the water line. When the water rises close enough to scare you into getting your money back, it’s time to leave and head downstream.
Arkansas River Levels
are available at:
http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/Reports/Daily/Pao_rvrs.txt
White River Levels
are available at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/forecast/tributaries/status_white.shtml
Northwest Arkansas
Weekly Fishing Report
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Weekly Fishing Report-draft
Weekly Fishing Report
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Randy Zellers(501)223-6406, e-mail:
rdzellers@agfc.state.ar.us
July
8, 2009 Edition
This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for July
8, 2009. 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:
When trout fishing tailwaters of dams, be very careful to watch for rising water. One way to remember when it’s time to go is to take a $10 or $20 bill and place it close to the water line. When the water rises close enough to scare you into getting your money back, it’s time to leave and head downstream.
Arkansas River Levels
are available at:
http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/Reports/Daily/Pao_rvrs.txt
White River Levels
are available at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/forecast/tributaries/status_white.shtml
Central Arkansas
Northeast Arkansas
Southwest Arkansas
North Arkansas
Southeast Arkansas
West-Central Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas
South Central Arkansas
East Arkansas
Central Arkansas
Lake Conway:
Bates Field and Stream
(501-470-1846)said water is stained and at a normal level. Bream are being caught on redworms, wax worms and crickets along the bank. Crappie are biting on minnows near cypress trees and the bank in the late evening. Bass are biting well on dark-colored plastic worms and white spinnerbaits. Catfish are doing well on trotlines with minnows and bream.
Little Red River:
Lindsey’s Resort
(501-302-3139)said the fishing is good. Generators are running around 8 or 9 a.m. Trout are biting well on Power Bait, marshmallows and white Power Eggs in the morning when the water level is low. Spoons, Rapalas, and marabou jigs work when the water level is higher.
Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said water releases at Greers Ferry were reduced, which means wade fishing opportunities abound on the river. Releases should only occur around 3-5 p.m. Aquatic insect hatches include midges, caddis and March brown mayflies. The sulphur hatch is waning, and although there are sporadic hatches of stoneflies and hexes, they are not pervasive enough to matter. Good dry flies to offer include midge (size 22-32; cream), Adams (size 18), March brown (size 14), blue-winged olive (sizes 18-20) and elk hair caddis (sizes 16-20; tan). Sub-surface flies for trout include sow bug (size 14; smoky olive, tan, UV tan or peacock), zebra midge (sizes 16-22; red or black), red or green soft hackle (sizes 14-18), copper john (sizes 14-16; red, green or copper), San Juan worm (size 14; red, fluorescent cerise or worm brown) or woolly bugger (sizes 8-12; olive, brown or black).
Greers Ferry:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
462.63 feet MSL.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service
said the water level is falling. Hybrids and white bass are biting very well when the dam is generating and there is a good chop on the water. Try spoons, spinners and hair jigs in 33-44 feet of water around ledges. The bass have left the shallows and are headed to their summer haunts, ledges and points anywhere from 15 to 40 feet deep. Try Texas-rigged worms, football head jigs and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Bream are biting well on crickets and night crawlers in the shallows. Catfishing is good everywhere on the lake. Walleye are slow. No report on crappie.
Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said the water is clear and normal. Bream are biting well on nightcrawlers and crayfish. No report on crappie, bass or catfish.
Harris Brake Lake:
Coffee Creek Landing
(501-889-2745)had no report.
Lake Overcup:
Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470)said the water is a little low and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on black/blue jigs. Catfish are biting well on goldfish.
Overcup Landing
(501-354-9007) said the water is normal and clear. Bream are biting well on wax worms, redworms and crickets. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass are doing fair on plastic worms. Catfish are biting well on trotlines with live bait.
Brewer Lake:
Overcup Landing
(501-354-9007)said the water is clear and normal. Bream are biting well on crickets near the bank. Crappie are biting fairly well on small minnows and white/chartreuse jigs near brush. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait.
Lake Maumelle:
Jolly Roger’s Marina
had no report.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the water is back to normal and clear. The bream are biting well on crickets. No report on crappie. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits in the mornings and evenings. Catfish are biting well on live bream and large minnows.
Lake Valencia:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the water is normal and stained. Bream are biting on crickets. Bass are biting well on minnows and crankbaits. Catfish are biting well on night crawlers and package bait. No report on crappie.
Sunset Lake:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor
Sports (501-315-3061)said the water is normal and dingy. Bream are biting well on crickets in 6-8 feet of water. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting in the morning on top-water baits and in late evening on plastic worms. Catfish are good on chicken liver in 10-12 feet of water.
Saline River Access in Benton:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor
Sports (501-315-3061)said the water is normal and dingy. The bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on top-water lures. Catfishing is fair on live bait.
Arkansas River at Morrilton:
Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo
said the river flow is low and the water is clearing up well. Largemouth bass are biting very well around jetties on Texas-rigged soft-plastic crayfish in watermelon/red. Catfishing is good drifting whole shad in 18 to 30 feet of water and below dams. Bream are biting well on crickets anywhere you can find grass growing around riprap. White bass are biting well in the morning on firetiger-colored Rat-L-Traps. Stripers are being caught around the generator on Lock 9 at night on large Spooks. Crappie are fair in 6 to 12 feet of water near the mouths of creeks on red/white jigs tipped with a minnow.
Arkansas River at Little Rock:
Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff(501-834-5733)
had no report.
Hatchet Jack’s
Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms at Fourche La Fave. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait. At Fourche Creek bream are biting well on redworms and crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on plastics. The catfish are biting well on cut shad or small bream. At Big Maumelle Creek the bream are biting well on crickets. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on cut bait. At Murray Lock and Dam, bream are being caught on redworms. The bass have been biting well on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on cut bait. At Little Maumelle Creek, the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait. At Palarm Creek the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and plastics. The catfish are biting well on large minnows and night crawlers. At Burns Park bream are biting well on redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait.
McSwain Sports Center
(501-945-2471) said water is normal and muddy. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are poor. The bass are biting fairly well on red shad worms. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers.
Clear Lake:
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is normal and muddy. Bream are biting fairly well on redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting poorly but are being caught in deep water on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs. The bass are biting well on black/blue jigs. Catfish are fair on night crawlers.
Peckerwood Lake:
Herman’s Landing
(870-241-3731) said water is clear. The bream are biting well in deep water on crickets. Crappie are biting well in deep water on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits. Catfish are doing well in deeper water on worms.
Pickthorne Lake:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the bream are biting well on redworms. Crappie are slow. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and large minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits.
North Arkansas
White River:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid lower flows have occurred during the night and morning, and heavy flows have prevailed during the afternoon during peak power demand. This has created challenging conditions for drift fishing and very limited wade fishing. The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been a mixed bag – some days have been excellent, others have been slow. On higher flows, the ticket to success has been to fish brightly colored flies under an indicator. The best patterns have been hot pink or red San Juan worms and orange egg patterns. Use long tippet/ leader combinations (12 to 14 feet) and plenty of lead to weight the fly down to the bottom. Concentrate along the banks and over any sunken islands or weed beds. The section from White Hole to Cotter has been very popular for float trips. The preferred technique in this section is to bang the bank with large streamers. The best flies have been Kelly Gallop zoo cougars and similar oversized streamers. Rim Shoals has fished particularly well. The water has been lower in the morning, and the hot flies have been black zebra midges with silver wire and bead. The most productive sizes have been 14 to 16. The heavier flows come around 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., when it is best to switch to brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. If you must wade, there is usually some wadable water as long as generation is less than 17,000 cubic feet per second. Contact Rim Shoals Trout Dock to arrange a water taxi to shuttle you to wadable water and pick you up when you are ready to go.
Sportsman’s White River Resort
(870-453-2424) said fishing is good with 4-8 generators running. Mostly rainbows were being caught on White River rigs with Power Bait or artificial rigs.
White River (From Buffalo Shoals to Norfork):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185)
said Rim Shoals continues to be hot. White River Zig Jigs on spinning tackle, hot pink San Juan Worms and peach egg patterns have been successful. Norfork down to Reds Landing continues to be a little slow. Power Baits on the bottom will produce, as will Rapalas cast to the bank, but the numbers have not been nearly as good compared with the Rim Shoals area.
Crooked Creek:
John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have fished extremely well this week, particularly on Clouser minnows, Barr’s meat whistles and crawfish patterns. The water has reached a much safer level and cleared substantially. This is a reliable place to do some wade fishing.
Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
664.60 feet MSL.
Bob Pauletti (870-656-3350) with Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dockhad no report.
Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
559.18 feet MSL.
101 Grocery and Bait
said the surface water temperature is in the low 90s. The thermocline is around 30 feet deep, and that’s where the fish are hanging out. Crappie fishing is good around brush in 30 feet of water on minnows. Bluegill fishing is good on worms and crickets. Walleye fishing has been good jigging a spoon in 25-30 feet of water. Bass fishing is good on Carolina-rigged and Texas-rigged lizards. White bass fishing is good. Catfishing is fair. Striper fishing is slow.
Norfork Tailwater:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid generation on the Norfork River has increased substantially, which has severely limited wading. The river has received less pressure this week. There is no more wadable water in the morning, but there is some low water at night. If you choose to fish at night, you’re advised be very careful and plan your escape – water can rise anytime. Once generation begins around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. drift-fishing from a boat is the only option. Employ classic high-water tactics. Fish brightly colored San Juan worms or egg patterns under an indicator with plenty of weight. Dry Run Creek has been busy. The main food source on the creek is sow bugs. After a rain, worm patterns are particularly effective. Other productive flies are Y2Ks and woolly buggers. Work a short line, as there is a lot of tree cover.
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185) said fishing remains fairly slow, but there was a 39-inch Brown caught and released last week in the McClellan area on a live minnow.
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
1,127.64 feet MSL.
JT’s Crappie Guide Service
(479-640-3980) had no report.
Southtown Sporting Goods
(479-443-7148)said the water is high and clear. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows in deep water near the brush. Bass are biting well on big worms and spinnerbaits in the morning and plastic worms at night. Catfishing is good with live bait on limb lines and trotlines.
Beaver Tailwaters:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guidessaid smaller sizes in flies are the choice for fly fishermen. Olive sow bugs, pink scuds, hare’s ear nymphs and copper johns work in sizes 18-22. Setting these up about 6-8 feet under an indicator in the deep sections of the river is your best bet. A soft hackle slowly stripped or dead-drifted may also induce a strike. Fish seem to stay close to the bottom, so make sure those flies can get to the bottom. With conventional tackle, Rooster Tails and Power Bait are always productive. Crawfish and small baitfish hardbaits are a good bet as well. Fish tend to be schooling with the higher water, so work the channels and shady banks.
Kings River:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guidessaid warm weather and less rainfall have caused the river level to drop, but this does not mean fishing has slowed. Tube jigs and finesse worms have been working well in the deep sections. The riffles and tail outs at the end of the rapids are great places to catch feeding fish. Shallow-running Rapalas and crayfish hardbaits are great options, too. Fly fishermen might try terrestrials for their fill of bluegill. Dry flies are worth a try. Wet flies such as clousers in olive or white, crayfish, muddlers, and woolly buggers will entice low-lying bass. Try a sink tip or a very long leader and let these bounce off the bottom. A quick retrieval will excite feeding fish, but erratic action is a great way of prospecting. Most fish are off their spawning beds and move around freely, so keep your eyes open.
Lake Fayetteville:
Lake Fayetteville Boat
Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is normal and murky with temperatures ranging from high 80s to low 90s. Fishing is a little slow. Some bluegill have been caught on worms and crickets. No report on crappie or catfish. A few black bass have been caught on plastic worms, jerkbaits or buzzbaits.
Lake Sequoyah:
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock
(479-444-3475)said the water is about 2 feet above normal and dingy. Bream are biting fair to well on worms, and crickets. Crappie are biting well in the shallow water around tree tops on minnows and roadrunners. Bass are biting fair in 1-3 feet of water on plastic worms and buzzbait. Catfishing is good in 8-10 feet of water on chicken liver and shad.
Northeast Arkansas
Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA:
Judy Potts of Judy’s Bait
Shoppe at the north entrance to Henry Gray Hurricane
Lake WMA said anglers have been able to catch nice stringers of bream on crickets, red worms and a few jigs on all lakes. Some did very well on crappie in the deep waters. Many anglers caught bass on minnows and crankbaits. Stripers were in abundance along the Little Red’s coves next to the WMA; several people did really well on those bream on Big Bell Lake. Hurricane Lake was producing large numbers of all varieties. A few trotliners were catching some 20 pounders out of the White River using large minnows. Slicks were the most popular attractor for catfish. Judy’s Bait Shoppe has moved to Highway 64 in Augusta next to the Family Dollar. Come by and see us.
Crown Lake:
Boxhound Marina
(870-670-4496) said water is normal and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets and nightcrawlers. Crappie and bass are slow, but some crappie have been caught while trolling deep with spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and nightcrawlers.
Lake Frierson:
Lake Frierson State Park
said water is normal and muddy. They have no report.
Spring River:
Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shopsaid the weather has been perfect for trout fishing. Water levels are at average flows, and the water is clear. Coachman dries (size 
have been working great when fished deep; brownies run a close second. Olive woolly buggers and the snail pattern have been very productive, too.
Southeast Arkansas
Lake Chicot:
Lakeshore Motel and Marina
(870-265-9901) had no report.
Lake Monticello:
Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.comsaid the temperatures are a little more bearable. Surface water temperature is in the low 90s. Bass are being caught on points in 6 to 8 feet of water on big worms and crankbaits. Bass are also biting well on deep drops from 12 to 14 feet on big worms. The best worm colors have been black, tequila and junebug. The best crankbait colors have been shad patterns. There are still some quality bass in the pads early and late in the day, and a few will take a top-water lure like a Devil’s Horse or Pop-R.
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
259.53 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service
said the lake level is falling. The main lake and Little River’s water surface temperatures range from 87- 92 degrees. As of Monday, the discharge was 172 CFS with one gate open 0.4 feet. Main lake visibility was approximately 10-15 inches away from any remaining current in Little River. The USACE campground at Beards Bluff is closed. A drawdown of 4 feet (to 255.2 feet) on the lake will start July 13, 2009, until Feb. 9, 2010, to control unwanted aquatic vegetation and make repairs. Bass are in typical seasonal summer routines on Millwood and are steadily improving their appetites, early and late in the day. The best bite over the past few weeks range from sunrise until 10 or 11 a.m., and then again between 6 and 8 p.m. The best bass bite has been on weightless trick worms or wacky rigs in junebug, grasshopper, or kiwi colors. Medium-running-depth crankbaits like the Deep Little N’s in chrome/blue color, and Bomber or Excalibur cranks in brown back/orange belly crawfish or citrus shad colors and patterns are still taking some keeper-sized bass in the 3-6 pound class. Once the sun gets high, the best bass option is to switch to a 10-inch worm in Black, Blue Fleck, Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly, or Plum; try pitching or flipping stumps, cypress trees, and laydown tree trunks near deep water. Major or secondary points in the Little River are holding good numbers of bass willing to bite almost anything; they are near deep vertical drops or creek mouths adjacent to deeper water. The white bass bite is slow. Crappie have improved on Blakemore roadrunners, Southern Pro Crappie Tubes and live shiners in oxbows close to cypress trees in 17 to 25-feet depths or in deep creek channels with cypress knees or stumps or in planted brush piles along the Little River. Catfish continue to bite well on cut shad, hot dogs, Charlie and chicken liver on yo-yos hung from cypress trees in oxbows over 8 to 12-inch depths and on trotlines in the river.
White Oak Lake:
Local angler John Tilley
said the weather has heated up, but the rain dropped the water temperature to about 88 degrees. A few more hot days should really get the morning and evening schooling action back to normal. Small topwaters in shad colors are working best during these periods. Bream action is still good as the males guard the nests. Crickets work best for bluegill in 2 to 4 feet of water around visible cover. Catfishing slowed down with only smaller ones being caught on trotlines. Live bait seems to work best on the cats. No report on crappie.
Lake Greeson:
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Servicesaid the lake level is at 545.96msl and water temperature is in the high 80s. The recent rains have somewhat cooled the water. Crappie are biting very well 8-12 feet deep in 16-26 feet of water. Spotted bass are biting on top-water baits early in the morning. Stripers are being caught near the dam on trolled crankbaits. A few catfish are being caught on brush piles and bamboo condos, too. Bream are excellent on crickets.
Cossatot River:
Davy Ashcraft at
Cossatot River State Park said USGA states the water level is 2.12 feet, and the surface temperature ranges from 70 to 80 degrees. With the recent rainfall, the river has risen to ideal fishing levels. Rooster Tails have been catching many bass and green sunfish. Bass are also biting well on green pumpkin finesse worms rigged Texas-style on a 1/8-oz. jig head. Bream have been biting well on worms and crickets. Some anglers have been having luck catfishing at night with worms in deeper pools. Be cautious on the river and remember to wear good shoes to handle slippery rocks around the water.
DeGray Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
403.95 feet MSL.
Local angler George
Graves said the water is clear and the surface temperature is in the mid-80s. Hybrid fishing has slowed somewhat with only a few fair catches reported. The rain and cool weather have scattered the fish and bait from the deep thermocline. Try using in-line spinners (Roostertails), jigging spoons and swim baits. Fish will not be as deep as they have been because the water is cooler. Bass fishing is fair in the early morning and late in the evening. Try fishing main-lake points, look for any breaking fish early, and then fish about 15 to 20 feet deep later in the day. Try swim baits and top-waters for breaking fish and Texas-rigged worms for the deeper fish. Pumpkin/Red has been a good worm color. Bream fishing is good; quite a few fish are bedding with the full moon. Try fishing shallow secondary points, (5-10 feet) and use either worms or crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on the deeper brush piles, (20-25 feet). The area between Caddo Drive and Yancey Creek has been producing. Also try about halfway back in Brushy Creek. Two-inch grubs in Tenn. Shad have worked along with live minnows. Blue and channel catfish have been taken below the dam at the regeneration lake. Cut skipjack has been the best bait.
West-Central Arkansas
Lake Nimrod:
Lake Nimrod Bait and More II (479-272-4025) said that despite all this spring’s rain, the lake is at normal summer elevation and the water clarity ranges to about 6 feet of visibility. Bream are excellent, and some of the largest bream caught in the last few years are coming right now on crickets and small jigs fished around the banks. Crappie are biting very well on jigs and minnows in 12-14 feet of water. Most of the crappie are small, but a few 1- to 11/2-pound fish are still being caught. Catfishing is excellent in the late evening and at night on cut shad, goldfish and worms. Bass are starting to bite well on bass minnows and artificials.
Lake Dardanelle:
Regina Olson at Spadra Marinasaid catfishing has been slow. The best bet is to fish bass minnows or stink bait early in the day or late at night. A few nice crappie have been coming in, as well as some excellent catches of bream in backwaters and area ponds. Bass have been biting very well. Bright-colored (chartreuse and orange) crankbaits and watermelon/flake-colored lizards and brush hogs have worked well.
Blue Mountain Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 393.62 feet MSL.
Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop
(479-947-2178) said the water is high and cloudy. No report on bream or bass. Crappie are biting excellently on minnows, and jigs. Catfishing is slow.
Ozark Pool:
Lakeside Food Mart
(479-667-5155) said the water is clearing and normal. Bream are biting well on crickets and night crawlers. Crappie are biting on minnows and white-colored jigs. Catfish are biting well on cut bait and nightcrawlers. Black bass are biting on soft plastics and spinnerbaits.
Lake Ouachita:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had no elevation available.
Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Servicesaid bass fishing has been good with early and late breaking fish hitting top-water lures and spinnerbaits. When the breaking action dies, fish a Texas-rigged watermelon/red Old Monster worm around the deep grass for a few more fish. Stripers are excellent with some 30- and 40- pound fish being caught on shad spoons and swim baits.
Mountain Harbor Resort
said the lake level is 577.37 and clear; the water temperature fluctuates between 80-86 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shad-imitating baits and Flukes fished on main and secondary points. Top-water action is still good early and late. Large Texas-rigged worms are effective fished in brush piles in 18-25 feet of water. Watermelon/red, bloodline and red shad are the best colors. Walleye are still good and being caught on bottom bouncers and Lindy rigs on main lake points near brush. Bream-colored crankbaits are also effective. Stripers are very good on live shad or trotline minnows. Main lake points near creek channels or open water humps are the best areas. Bream are still excellent with worms or crickets in 18-25 feet of water. Crappie are good and being caught near brush or over moss. Try brush in water 20-30 feet deep and moss flats 10-20 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 trot lines.
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports
said the surface water temperature is in the mid-80s and the water is clear. Top-water lures are working well around points early in the morning. Texas-rigged worms in 10 to 12 feet of water are working well as the sun gets above the treeline. Bluegill are excellent on crickets near shore. Stripers are biting well on live shad.
Lake Hamilton:
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports
said the surface water temperature is in the mid-80s and the water is clear. During daylight hours, most people are finding fish schooling in the mouths of major creeks and catching them on top-water lures. Night fishing with a black Texas-rigged worm or spider grub is working well in brush piles. Bluegill are excellent in the backs of most main lake pockets.
Lake Catherine:
Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service,
said that the water temperature is 59 degrees in the tailrace despite extremely hot and humid weather. There is a very healthy rainbow trout population below the dam; these fish average 13 to 17 inches long. Bank fishermen are catching limits of trout using wax worms and meal worms under a bobber to avoid moss. Nightcrawlers and redworms also work well fished just off the bottom. Boaters concentrating on visible structure are catching large trout on live bait rigs; some trout have measured more than 20 inches. Anglers are advised to fish slowly and avoid aggressive fishing techniques such as crankbaits and spinners. Summer trout fishing requires a more steadfast approach since the fish travel in schools and actively search for prey other than shad or crawfish. Stripers are cruising the main channel and following the threadfin shad schools. Trout-colored C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks are very good baits to entice fish to bite. Brood and gizzard shad fished under a balloon rig is the best way to land a striper over 30 pounds. The giants are in the tailrace.
Lake Hinkle:
Bill’s Bait Shop
(479-637-4719)said water is normal and clear. The bream are biting well on crickets. The crappie are biting fairly well on jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is good on chicken liver, goldfish and sunfish.
Lake Atkins:
Lucky Landing
(479-641-7615)said water is normal and clear. Bream are biting on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well in deep water on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting slow but can be caught in deep water on crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken liver, minnows, nightcrawlers and crickets.
South Central Arkansas
Moro Bay:
Moro Bay State Park
at
the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and
Moro Bay said the river is only a foot above summer normal (66 feet above sea level). Bream fishing has been excellent. Crickets are working better than worms, and people are catching them in boats and off the bank. Some catfish are being caught on trotlines in the main river channel. Live bream work best on trotlines, but worms and hot dogs are producing as well. Some crappie are being caught, but few people are fishing for them while the bream bite is so good.
Tri-County Lake:
Fishing is good early on shallow crankbaits, finesse worms and top-water frogs. Most of the anglers are off the lake by noon because of the sun and heat.
Ouachita River Oxbows:
Bream are really picking up in the Ouachita River Oxbows. People are catching them on crickets about 4 to 5 feet from the bank. There are still some good bream beds to be found as well. Bass are biting well on brush hogs and crankbaits fished around trees. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished on the outer edges of brush tops.
East Arkansas
Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:
The Tackle Box
(870-534-1498) said water is normal and murky. Bream are doing well on wax worms, redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows in about 12-15 feet of water. Bass are biting well on crankbaits. Catfishing is good on cut bait.
White River:
Triangle Sports
(870-793-7122) said water is a little high and clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie and bass fishing is slow. Catfishing is slow on Doc’s stinkbait. Walleye seem to be biting the best this week; they are being caught on big minnows.
White River Refuge near DeWitt:
Bass and goggle-eye are biting very well in backwaters of the White River. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and live bait are working very well. Bream are biting excellently on crickets and worms.
Maddox Bay:
Maddox Bay Landing
(870-462-8317) said water is a little high and falling, but clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs. Catfish are biting stinkbait. Bass are biting on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.
Island 40 Chute:
Daily’s Boat Dock
(870-739-3478)said the water level is normal and clear. No report on bream. Crappie are biting well in deep water on minnows and chartreuse jigs around stumps. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and black plastic worms on the levee side. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and chicken liver towards the river end in the deep part of the river.
Horseshoe Lake:
Local angler Clyde
Gregory had no report.
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Weekly Fishing Report-draft
Weekly Fishing Report
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Randy Zellers(501)223-6406, e-mail:
rdzellers@agfc.state.ar.us
July
8, 2009 Edition
This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for July
8, 2009. 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:
When trout fishing tailwaters of dams, be very careful to watch for rising water. One way to remember when it’s time to go is to take a $10 or $20 bill and place it close to the water line. When the water rises close enough to scare you into getting your money back, it’s time to leave and head downstream.
Arkansas River Levels
are available at:
http://www.swl-wc.usace.army.mil/WCDS/Reports/Daily/Pao_rvrs.txt
White River Levels
are available at:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lmrfc/forecast/tributaries/status_white.shtml
Central Arkansas
Northeast Arkansas
Southwest Arkansas
North Arkansas
Southeast Arkansas
West-Central Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas
South Central Arkansas
East Arkansas
Central Arkansas
Lake Conway:
Bates Field and Stream
(501-470-1846)said water is stained and at a normal level. Bream are being caught on redworms, wax worms and crickets along the bank. Crappie are biting on minnows near cypress trees and the bank in the late evening. Bass are biting well on dark-colored plastic worms and white spinnerbaits. Catfish are doing well on trotlines with minnows and bream.
Little Red River:
Lindsey’s Resort
(501-302-3139)said the fishing is good. Generators are running around 8 or 9 a.m. Trout are biting well on Power Bait, marshmallows and white Power Eggs in the morning when the water level is low. Spoons, Rapalas, and marabou jigs work when the water level is higher.
Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said water releases at Greers Ferry were reduced, which means wade fishing opportunities abound on the river. Releases should only occur around 3-5 p.m. Aquatic insect hatches include midges, caddis and March brown mayflies. The sulphur hatch is waning, and although there are sporadic hatches of stoneflies and hexes, they are not pervasive enough to matter. Good dry flies to offer include midge (size 22-32; cream), Adams (size 18), March brown (size 14), blue-winged olive (sizes 18-20) and elk hair caddis (sizes 16-20; tan). Sub-surface flies for trout include sow bug (size 14; smoky olive, tan, UV tan or peacock), zebra midge (sizes 16-22; red or black), red or green soft hackle (sizes 14-18), copper john (sizes 14-16; red, green or copper), San Juan worm (size 14; red, fluorescent cerise or worm brown) or woolly bugger (sizes 8-12; olive, brown or black).
Greers Ferry:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
462.63 feet MSL.
Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service
said the water level is falling. Hybrids and white bass are biting very well when the dam is generating and there is a good chop on the water. Try spoons, spinners and hair jigs in 33-44 feet of water around ledges. The bass have left the shallows and are headed to their summer haunts, ledges and points anywhere from 15 to 40 feet deep. Try Texas-rigged worms, football head jigs and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Bream are biting well on crickets and night crawlers in the shallows. Catfishing is good everywhere on the lake. Walleye are slow. No report on crappie.
Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said the water is clear and normal. Bream are biting well on nightcrawlers and crayfish. No report on crappie, bass or catfish.
Harris Brake Lake:
Coffee Creek Landing
(501-889-2745)had no report.
Lake Overcup:
Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470)said the water is a little low and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on black/blue jigs. Catfish are biting well on goldfish.
Overcup Landing
(501-354-9007) said the water is normal and clear. Bream are biting well on wax worms, redworms and crickets. Crappie fishing is slow. Bass are doing fair on plastic worms. Catfish are biting well on trotlines with live bait.
Brewer Lake:
Overcup Landing
(501-354-9007)said the water is clear and normal. Bream are biting well on crickets near the bank. Crappie are biting fairly well on small minnows and white/chartreuse jigs near brush. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait.
Lake Maumelle:
Jolly Roger’s Marina
had no report.
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the water is back to normal and clear. The bream are biting well on crickets. No report on crappie. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits in the mornings and evenings. Catfish are biting well on live bream and large minnows.
Lake Valencia:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the water is normal and stained. Bream are biting on crickets. Bass are biting well on minnows and crankbaits. Catfish are biting well on night crawlers and package bait. No report on crappie.
Sunset Lake:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor
Sports (501-315-3061)said the water is normal and dingy. Bream are biting well on crickets in 6-8 feet of water. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting in the morning on top-water baits and in late evening on plastic worms. Catfish are good on chicken liver in 10-12 feet of water.
Saline River Access in Benton:
Turbyfill’s Outdoor
Sports (501-315-3061)said the water is normal and dingy. The bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on top-water lures. Catfishing is fair on live bait.
Arkansas River at Morrilton:
Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo
said the river flow is low and the water is clearing up well. Largemouth bass are biting very well around jetties on Texas-rigged soft-plastic crayfish in watermelon/red. Catfishing is good drifting whole shad in 18 to 30 feet of water and below dams. Bream are biting well on crickets anywhere you can find grass growing around riprap. White bass are biting well in the morning on firetiger-colored Rat-L-Traps. Stripers are being caught around the generator on Lock 9 at night on large Spooks. Crappie are fair in 6 to 12 feet of water near the mouths of creeks on red/white jigs tipped with a minnow.
Arkansas River at Little Rock:
Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff(501-834-5733)
had no report.
Hatchet Jack’s
Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms at Fourche La Fave. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait. At Fourche Creek bream are biting well on redworms and crickets. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on plastics. The catfish are biting well on cut shad or small bream. At Big Maumelle Creek the bream are biting well on crickets. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on cut bait. At Murray Lock and Dam, bream are being caught on redworms. The bass have been biting well on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on cut bait. At Little Maumelle Creek, the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait. At Palarm Creek the bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and plastics. The catfish are biting well on large minnows and night crawlers. At Burns Park bream are biting well on redworms. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. Catfishing is good on large minnows and cut bait.
McSwain Sports Center
(501-945-2471) said water is normal and muddy. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are poor. The bass are biting fairly well on red shad worms. Catfish are biting on nightcrawlers.
Clear Lake:
McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is normal and muddy. Bream are biting fairly well on redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting poorly but are being caught in deep water on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs. The bass are biting well on black/blue jigs. Catfish are fair on night crawlers.
Peckerwood Lake:
Herman’s Landing
(870-241-3731) said water is clear. The bream are biting well in deep water on crickets. Crappie are biting well in deep water on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits. Catfish are doing well in deeper water on worms.
Pickthorne Lake:
Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop
(501-758-4958) said the bream are biting well on redworms. Crappie are slow. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and large minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits.
North Arkansas
White River:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid lower flows have occurred during the night and morning, and heavy flows have prevailed during the afternoon during peak power demand. This has created challenging conditions for drift fishing and very limited wade fishing. The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam has been a mixed bag – some days have been excellent, others have been slow. On higher flows, the ticket to success has been to fish brightly colored flies under an indicator. The best patterns have been hot pink or red San Juan worms and orange egg patterns. Use long tippet/ leader combinations (12 to 14 feet) and plenty of lead to weight the fly down to the bottom. Concentrate along the banks and over any sunken islands or weed beds. The section from White Hole to Cotter has been very popular for float trips. The preferred technique in this section is to bang the bank with large streamers. The best flies have been Kelly Gallop zoo cougars and similar oversized streamers. Rim Shoals has fished particularly well. The water has been lower in the morning, and the hot flies have been black zebra midges with silver wire and bead. The most productive sizes have been 14 to 16. The heavier flows come around 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., when it is best to switch to brightly colored San Juan worms and egg patterns. If you must wade, there is usually some wadable water as long as generation is less than 17,000 cubic feet per second. Contact Rim Shoals Trout Dock to arrange a water taxi to shuttle you to wadable water and pick you up when you are ready to go.
Sportsman’s White River Resort
(870-453-2424) said fishing is good with 4-8 generators running. Mostly rainbows were being caught on White River rigs with Power Bait or artificial rigs.
White River (From Buffalo Shoals to Norfork):
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185)
said Rim Shoals continues to be hot. White River Zig Jigs on spinning tackle, hot pink San Juan Worms and peach egg patterns have been successful. Norfork down to Reds Landing continues to be a little slow. Power Baits on the bottom will produce, as will Rapalas cast to the bank, but the numbers have not been nearly as good compared with the Rim Shoals area.
Crooked Creek:
John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have fished extremely well this week, particularly on Clouser minnows, Barr’s meat whistles and crawfish patterns. The water has reached a much safer level and cleared substantially. This is a reliable place to do some wade fishing.
Bull Shoals Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
664.60 feet MSL.
Bob Pauletti (870-656-3350) with Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dockhad no report.
Lake Norfork:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
559.18 feet MSL.
101 Grocery and Bait
said the surface water temperature is in the low 90s. The thermocline is around 30 feet deep, and that’s where the fish are hanging out. Crappie fishing is good around brush in 30 feet of water on minnows. Bluegill fishing is good on worms and crickets. Walleye fishing has been good jigging a spoon in 25-30 feet of water. Bass fishing is good on Carolina-rigged and Texas-rigged lizards. White bass fishing is good. Catfishing is fair. Striper fishing is slow.
Norfork Tailwater:
John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Servicesaid generation on the Norfork River has increased substantially, which has severely limited wading. The river has received less pressure this week. There is no more wadable water in the morning, but there is some low water at night. If you choose to fish at night, you’re advised be very careful and plan your escape – water can rise anytime. Once generation begins around 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. drift-fishing from a boat is the only option. Employ classic high-water tactics. Fish brightly colored San Juan worms or egg patterns under an indicator with plenty of weight. Dry Run Creek has been busy. The main food source on the creek is sow bugs. After a rain, worm patterns are particularly effective. Other productive flies are Y2Ks and woolly buggers. Work a short line, as there is a lot of tree cover.
Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185) said fishing remains fairly slow, but there was a 39-inch Brown caught and released last week in the McClellan area on a live minnow.
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
1,127.64 feet MSL.
JT’s Crappie Guide Service
(479-640-3980) had no report.
Southtown Sporting Goods
(479-443-7148)said the water is high and clear. Bream are biting fairly well on crickets. Crappie are biting fairly well on minnows in deep water near the brush. Bass are biting well on big worms and spinnerbaits in the morning and plastic worms at night. Catfishing is good with live bait on limb lines and trotlines.
Beaver Tailwaters:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guidessaid smaller sizes in flies are the choice for fly fishermen. Olive sow bugs, pink scuds, hare’s ear nymphs and copper johns work in sizes 18-22. Setting these up about 6-8 feet under an indicator in the deep sections of the river is your best bet. A soft hackle slowly stripped or dead-drifted may also induce a strike. Fish seem to stay close to the bottom, so make sure those flies can get to the bottom. With conventional tackle, Rooster Tails and Power Bait are always productive. Crawfish and small baitfish hardbaits are a good bet as well. Fish tend to be schooling with the higher water, so work the channels and shady banks.
Kings River:
Zachary Hoyt at Just Fishing Guidessaid warm weather and less rainfall have caused the river level to drop, but this does not mean fishing has slowed. Tube jigs and finesse worms have been working well in the deep sections. The riffles and tail outs at the end of the rapids are great places to catch feeding fish. Shallow-running Rapalas and crayfish hardbaits are great options, too. Fly fishermen might try terrestrials for their fill of bluegill. Dry flies are worth a try. Wet flies such as clousers in olive or white, crayfish, muddlers, and woolly buggers will entice low-lying bass. Try a sink tip or a very long leader and let these bounce off the bottom. A quick retrieval will excite feeding fish, but erratic action is a great way of prospecting. Most fish are off their spawning beds and move around freely, so keep your eyes open.
Lake Fayetteville:
Lake Fayetteville Boat
Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is normal and murky with temperatures ranging from high 80s to low 90s. Fishing is a little slow. Some bluegill have been caught on worms and crickets. No report on crappie or catfish. A few black bass have been caught on plastic worms, jerkbaits or buzzbaits.
Lake Sequoyah:
Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock
(479-444-3475)said the water is about 2 feet above normal and dingy. Bream are biting fair to well on worms, and crickets. Crappie are biting well in the shallow water around tree tops on minnows and roadrunners. Bass are biting fair in 1-3 feet of water on plastic worms and buzzbait. Catfishing is good in 8-10 feet of water on chicken liver and shad.
Northeast Arkansas
Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA:
Judy Potts of Judy’s Bait
Shoppe at the north entrance to Henry Gray Hurricane
Lake WMA said anglers have been able to catch nice stringers of bream on crickets, red worms and a few jigs on all lakes. Some did very well on crappie in the deep waters. Many anglers caught bass on minnows and crankbaits. Stripers were in abundance along the Little Red’s coves next to the WMA; several people did really well on those bream on Big Bell Lake. Hurricane Lake was producing large numbers of all varieties. A few trotliners were catching some 20 pounders out of the White River using large minnows. Slicks were the most popular attractor for catfish. Judy’s Bait Shoppe has moved to Highway 64 in Augusta next to the Family Dollar. Come by and see us.
Crown Lake:
Boxhound Marina
(870-670-4496) said water is normal and clear. Bream are biting well on crickets and nightcrawlers. Crappie and bass are slow, but some crappie have been caught while trolling deep with spinnerbaits. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and nightcrawlers.
Lake Frierson:
Lake Frierson State Park
said water is normal and muddy. They have no report.
Spring River:
Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shopsaid the weather has been perfect for trout fishing. Water levels are at average flows, and the water is clear. Coachman dries (size have been working great when fished deep; brownies run a close second. Olive woolly buggers and the snail pattern have been very productive, too.
Southeast Arkansas
Lake Chicot:
Lakeshore Motel and Marina
(870-265-9901) had no report.
Lake Monticello:
Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.comsaid the temperatures are a little more bearable. Surface water temperature is in the low 90s. Bass are being caught on points in 6 to 8 feet of water on big worms and crankbaits. Bass are also biting well on deep drops from 12 to 14 feet on big worms. The best worm colors have been black, tequila and junebug. The best crankbait colors have been shad patterns. There are still some quality bass in the pads early and late in the day, and a few will take a top-water lure like a Devil’s Horse or Pop-R.
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
259.53 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service
said the lake level is falling. The main lake and Little River’s water surface temperatures range from 87- 92 degrees. As of Monday, the discharge was 172 CFS with one gate open 0.4 feet. Main lake visibility was approximately 10-15 inches away from any remaining current in Little River. The USACE campground at Beards Bluff is closed. A drawdown of 4 feet (to 255.2 feet) on the lake will start July 13, 2009, until Feb. 9, 2010, to control unwanted aquatic vegetation and make repairs. Bass are in typical seasonal summer routines on Millwood and are steadily improving their appetites, early and late in the day. The best bite over the past few weeks range from sunrise until 10 or 11 a.m., and then again between 6 and 8 p.m. The best bass bite has been on weightless trick worms or wacky rigs in junebug, grasshopper, or kiwi colors. Medium-running-depth crankbaits like the Deep Little N’s in chrome/blue color, and Bomber or Excalibur cranks in brown back/orange belly crawfish or citrus shad colors and patterns are still taking some keeper-sized bass in the 3-6 pound class. Once the sun gets high, the best bass option is to switch to a 10-inch worm in Black, Blue Fleck, Peanut Butter ‘n Jelly, or Plum; try pitching or flipping stumps, cypress trees, and laydown tree trunks near deep water. Major or secondary points in the Little River are holding good numbers of bass willing to bite almost anything; they are near deep vertical drops or creek mouths adjacent to deeper water. The white bass bite is slow. Crappie have improved on Blakemore roadrunners, Southern Pro Crappie Tubes and live shiners in oxbows close to cypress trees in 17 to 25-feet depths or in deep creek channels with cypress knees or stumps or in planted brush piles along the Little River. Catfish continue to bite well on cut shad, hot dogs, Charlie and chicken liver on yo-yos hung from cypress trees in oxbows over 8 to 12-inch depths and on trotlines in the river.
White Oak Lake:
Local angler John Tilley
said the weather has heated up, but the rain dropped the water temperature to about 88 degrees. A few more hot days should really get the morning and evening schooling action back to normal. Small topwaters in shad colors are working best during these periods. Bream action is still good as the males guard the nests. Crickets work best for bluegill in 2 to 4 feet of water around visible cover. Catfishing slowed down with only smaller ones being caught on trotlines. Live bait seems to work best on the cats. No report on crappie.
Lake Greeson:
Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Servicesaid the lake level is at 545.96msl and water temperature is in the high 80s. The recent rains have somewhat cooled the water. Crappie are biting very well 8-12 feet deep in 16-26 feet of water. Spotted bass are biting on top-water baits early in the morning. Stripers are being caught near the dam on trolled crankbaits. A few catfish are being caught on brush piles and bamboo condos, too. Bream are excellent on crickets.
Cossatot River:
Davy Ashcraft at
Cossatot River State Park said USGA states the water level is 2.12 feet, and the surface temperature ranges from 70 to 80 degrees. With the recent rainfall, the river has risen to ideal fishing levels. Rooster Tails have been catching many bass and green sunfish. Bass are also biting well on green pumpkin finesse worms rigged Texas-style on a 1/8-oz. jig head. Bream have been biting well on worms and crickets. Some anglers have been having luck catfishing at night with worms in deeper pools. Be cautious on the river and remember to wear good shoes to handle slippery rocks around the water.
DeGray Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at
403.95 feet MSL.
Local angler George
Graves said the water is clear and the surface temperature is in the mid-80s. Hybrid fishing has slowed somewhat with only a few fair catches reported. The rain and cool weather have scattered the fish and bait from the deep thermocline. Try using in-line spinners (Roostertails), jigging spoons and swim baits. Fish will not be as deep as they have been because the water is cooler. Bass fishing is fair in the early morning and late in the evening. Try fishing main-lake points, look for any breaking fish early, and then fish about 15 to 20 feet deep later in the day. Try swim baits and top-waters for breaking fish and Texas-rigged worms for the deeper fish. Pumpkin/Red has been a good worm color. Bream fishing is good; quite a few fish are bedding with the full moon. Try fishing shallow secondary points, (5-10 feet) and use either worms or crickets. Crappie fishing is fair on the deeper brush piles, (20-25 feet). The area between Caddo Drive and Yancey Creek has been producing. Also try about halfway back in Brushy Creek. Two-inch grubs in Tenn. Shad have worked along with live minnows. Blue and channel catfish have been taken below the dam at the regeneration lake. Cut skipjack has been the best bait.
West-Central Arkansas
Lake Nimrod:
Lake Nimrod Bait and More II (479-272-4025) said that despite all this spring’s rain, the lake is at normal summer elevation and the water clarity ranges to about 6 feet of visibility. Bream are excellent, and some of the largest bream caught in the last few years are coming right now on crickets and small jigs fished around the banks. Crappie are biting very well on jigs and minnows in 12-14 feet of water. Most of the crappie are small, but a few 1- to 11/2-pound fish are still being caught. Catfishing is excellent in the late evening and at night on cut shad, goldfish and worms. Bass are starting to bite well on bass minnows and artificials.
Lake Dardanelle:
Regina Olson at Spadra Marinasaid catfishing has been slow. The best bet is to fish bass minnows or stink bait early in the day or late at night. A few nice crappie have been coming in, as well as some excellent catches of bream in backwaters and area ponds. Bass have been biting very well. Bright-colored (chartreuse and orange) crankbaits and watermelon/flake-colored lizards and brush hogs have worked well.
Blue Mountain Lake:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 393.62 feet MSL.
Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop
(479-947-2178) said the water is high and cloudy. No report on bream or bass. Crappie are biting excellently on minnows, and jigs. Catfishing is slow.
Ozark Pool:
Lakeside Food Mart
(479-667-5155) said the water is clearing and normal. Bream are biting well on crickets and night crawlers. Crappie are biting on minnows and white-colored jigs. Catfish are biting well on cut bait and nightcrawlers. Black bass are biting on soft plastics and spinnerbaits.
Lake Ouachita:
As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had no elevation available.
Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Servicesaid bass fishing has been good with early and late breaking fish hitting top-water lures and spinnerbaits. When the breaking action dies, fish a Texas-rigged watermelon/red Old Monster worm around the deep grass for a few more fish. Stripers are excellent with some 30- and 40- pound fish being caught on shad spoons and swim baits.
Mountain Harbor Resort
said the lake level is 577.37 and clear; the water temperature fluctuates between 80-86 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shad-imitating baits and Flukes fished on main and secondary points. Top-water action is still good early and late. Large Texas-rigged worms are effective fished in brush piles in 18-25 feet of water. Watermelon/red, bloodline and red shad are the best colors. Walleye are still good and being caught on bottom bouncers and Lindy rigs on main lake points near brush. Bream-colored crankbaits are also effective. Stripers are very good on live shad or trotline minnows. Main lake points near creek channels or open water humps are the best areas. Bream are still excellent with worms or crickets in 18-25 feet of water. Crappie are good and being caught near brush or over moss. Try brush in water 20-30 feet deep and moss flats 10-20 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 trot lines.
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports
said the surface water temperature is in the mid-80s and the water is clear. Top-water lures are working well around points early in the morning. Texas-rigged worms in 10 to 12 feet of water are working well as the sun gets above the treeline. Bluegill are excellent on crickets near shore. Stripers are biting well on live shad.
Lake Hamilton:
Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports
said the surface water temperature is in the mid-80s and the water is clear. During daylight hours, most people are finding fish schooling in the mouths of major creeks and catching them on top-water lures. Night fishing with a black Texas-rigged worm or spider grub is working well in brush piles. Bluegill are excellent in the backs of most main lake pockets.
Lake Catherine:
Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service,
said that the water temperature is 59 degrees in the tailrace despite extremely hot and humid weather. There is a very healthy rainbow trout population below the dam; these fish average 13 to 17 inches long. Bank fishermen are catching limits of trout using wax worms and meal worms under a bobber to avoid moss. Nightcrawlers and redworms also work well fished just off the bottom. Boaters concentrating on visible structure are catching large trout on live bait rigs; some trout have measured more than 20 inches. Anglers are advised to fish slowly and avoid aggressive fishing techniques such as crankbaits and spinners. Summer trout fishing requires a more steadfast approach since the fish travel in schools and actively search for prey other than shad or crawfish. Stripers are cruising the main channel and following the threadfin shad schools. Trout-colored C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks are very good baits to entice fish to bite. Brood and gizzard shad fished under a balloon rig is the best way to land a striper over 30 pounds. The giants are in the tailrace.
Lake Hinkle:
Bill’s Bait Shop
(479-637-4719)said water is normal and clear. The bream are biting well on crickets. The crappie are biting fairly well on jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is good on chicken liver, goldfish and sunfish.
Lake Atkins:
Lucky Landing
(479-641-7615)said water is normal and clear. Bream are biting on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well in deep water on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting slow but can be caught in deep water on crankbaits and jigs. Catfish are good on chicken liver, minnows, nightcrawlers and crickets.
South Central Arkansas
Moro Bay:
Moro Bay State Park
at
the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and
Moro Bay said the river is only a foot above summer normal (66 feet above sea level). Bream fishing has been excellent. Crickets are working better than worms, and people are catching them in boats and off the bank. Some catfish are being caught on trotlines in the main river channel. Live bream work best on trotlines, but worms and hot dogs are producing as well. Some crappie are being caught, but few people are fishing for them while the bream bite is so good.
Tri-County Lake:
Fishing is good early on shallow crankbaits, finesse worms and top-water frogs. Most of the anglers are off the lake by noon because of the sun and heat.
Ouachita River Oxbows:
Bream are really picking up in the Ouachita River Oxbows. People are catching them on crickets about 4 to 5 feet from the bank. There are still some good bream beds to be found as well. Bass are biting well on brush hogs and crankbaits fished around trees. Crappie are biting well on minnows fished on the outer edges of brush tops.
East Arkansas
Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:
The Tackle Box
(870-534-1498) said water is normal and murky. Bream are doing well on wax worms, redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows in about 12-15 feet of water. Bass are biting well on crankbaits. Catfishing is good on cut bait.
White River:
Triangle Sports
(870-793-7122) said water is a little high and clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie and bass fishing is slow. Catfishing is slow on Doc’s stinkbait. Walleye seem to be biting the best this week; they are being caught on big minnows.
White River Refuge near DeWitt:
Bass and goggle-eye are biting very well in backwaters of the White River. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and live bait are working very well. Bream are biting excellently on crickets and worms.
Maddox Bay:
Maddox Bay Landing
(870-462-8317) said water is a little high and falling, but clear. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs. Catfish are biting stinkbait. Bass are biting on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.
Island 40 Chute:
Daily’s Boat Dock
(870-739-3478)said the water level is normal and clear. No report on bream. Crappie are biting well in deep water on minnows and chartreuse jigs around stumps. The bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and black plastic worms on the levee side. Catfishing is good on stinkbait and chicken liver towards the river end in the deep part of the river.
Horseshoe Lake:
Local angler Clyde
Gregory had no report.
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