October 21 , 2009 Edition

Fishing Tip:  One of the best times to trout fish is right around the corner. Brown trout spawn during fall, and this can be one of the best times to catch a giant. At the same time, lakes throughout Arkansas will turn over, and the trout tailwater will be full of dead and dying shad that have been pulled through the dams. Egg patterns during the spawn, followed by minnow imitators during the turnover will keep trout anglers busy through winter.

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

Lake Conway:

Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water has good clarity and is at normal level. Bream are slow, but some are being caught close to the bottom. Crappie are biting well on minnows near the mouths of creeks. Bass and catfish are slow.

Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) had no report.

Little Red River: 

Lindsey's Resort  (501-302-3139) said the clarity is about 85 percent and the river is flowing with one generator on almost all the time. Trout fishing is excellent on wax worms and Little Cleo spoons.  

Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said water releases at Greers Ferry are occurring for 18+ hours per day. The average temperature of the water coming from the lake is 54.8 degrees with an average dissolved oxygen content of 4.9 parts per million. Drift-fishing from a boat is good during releases from one generator. Launch your boat, rent a boat or hire a guide with a boat and enjoy! On the Little Red River, October, November and December mean only one thing – spawn. Female brown trout dropping their eggs and males ejecting milt are beginning to show up at the end of anglers’ lines. So far, there are no other overt spawning behaviors (aerial leaps, young male browns nipping at the female's fins, females creating redds or large numbers of browns holding above the shoals). Last year, the spawn started during the night of November 1. The best dry flies to try right now are Adams (size 18), PMD (sizes 16-18), BWO (sizes 18-20), midge (sizes 22-32; cream or black) and elk hair caddis (sizes 16-20; tan or black). The most productive sub-surface flies include sow bug (sizes 14-16; tan, UV tan, UV light gray, smoky olive or peacock), zebra midge (sizes 16-22; red, black or copper), San Juan worm (size 14; red, hot pink or worm brown), egg pattern (size 14; salmon, bubble gum or roe), red butt soft hackle emerger (sizes 14-18) 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 465.27 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 461 MSL).

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service  said the water level is rising with all the rain. The surface temperature is in the high 60s to low 70s. Hybrids and white bass are scattered and chasing shad. The cloudy, rainy, windless days have kept the action very slow. They should get back to schooling if the sun breaks free and we get a little breeze. Find the schools on your fish finder and drop a spoon or in-line spinner to them. The smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass bite is off as well. Spinnerbaits, Rat-L-Traps and crankbaits fished shallow are taking the occasional bass. Some deeper fish are still being caught on football head jigs and Carolina-rigged Senkos. No report on crappie or catfish. Bream are biting crickets and crawlers in shallow water around cover. Walleye are fair on spoons and in-line spinners fished in 35 to 45 feet of water near the bottom. The rain has driven the shad deeper and scattered them. Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said not many anglers are on the water because of the weather. No report.

Harris Brake Lake:  

Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said no one is fishing because the lake is being drawn down and will remain so until Dec. 12.

Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said hunting and rain have kept all the anglers off the water.

Lake Bailey (Petit Jean State Park): 

Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said hunting and rain have kept all the anglers off the water.    

Lake Overcup:  

Overcup Landing  (501-354-9007) said the water is high, clear and 58 to 60 degrees. Bream fishing is slow. Crappie fishing is good on white shiners and minnows. Bass are fair on soft-plastic worms and spinnerbaits fished around brush. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and live minnows.

Brewer Lake:  

Overcup Landing  (501-354-9007) said the water is clear and high. Crappie are biting well on black/chartreuse jigs and minnows fished in brush. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and top-water lures. Catfishing is good on cut bait and live minnows.

Lake Maumelle: 

Jolly Roger’s Marina  said the water is 0.6 feet above the spillway and has flooded all the water willow. Largemouth bass are biting well in 15 feet of water on tubes, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Kentucky bass are biting well on tubes and jigs fished 15 to 20 feet deep. White bass are fair and are schooling around the east end of the lake on CC spoons and Rogues. Crappie are being caught about 15 to 20 feet deep on minnows and 1/32-oz. jigs. Bream are biting well around rocky structure 10- to 20-feet deep, but the bite is dying for the year. Some saugeye are being caught 10 to 15 feet deep on trolled jigs and Rogues. Catfishing is good on minnows, worms and prepared bait in 8 to 15 feet of water.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report.    

Lake Valencia: 

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said catfishing is good on chicken hearts and nightcrawlers.  

Sunset Lake: 

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is clearing and at normal level. Bass are fair on shallow-running crankbaits. All other species are slow.  

Saline River Access in Benton: 

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on chartreuse jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfishing is slow.   

Arkansas River at Morrilton:

Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said the river flow is dropping, but still too fast for boats to be out on the main river. Catfishing behind jetties with whole shad is working well. Stripers are being caught at the tips of jetties and below dams 9 and 10 on live bream and shad floated 6 to 12 feet under a balloon. Black bass are fair on firetiger crankbaits in Coppers Gap, Flagg Lake Cutoff and the Petit Jean River.  

Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool):

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said the river is flowing too fast for fishing anywhere on the main channel. In the Little Maumelle River, crappie are biting well on yo-yos baited with shiners. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and top-water lures. Catfishing is good on chicken hearts and cut bait.  

Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool):  

Vince Miller from Fish N’ Stuff (501-834-5733) said the current is too high for any fishing and will be high for the next few weeks.

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said catfishing is good to excellent on cut bait and live bream in Burns Park and below Murray Lock and Dam. No report on any other species.

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said that around Terry Lock and Dam, the water is muddy and high. Catfishing is good on shad.   

Clear Lake: 

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is clear and at normal level. Crappie fishing is good on minnows. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers. No report on any other species.

Peckerwood Lake: 

Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is high and clear. Crappie are biting well on jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Catfish are biting well on liver and shrimp. Bream are slow.

Lake Pickthorne:

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) said crappie fishing is good on live minnows. No report on any other species.

North Arkansas

White River: 

Mountain River Fly Shop had no report.

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said high lake levels and cooler nights have had a dramatic effect on the fishing. Steady around-the-clock generation has been the norm, with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. There has been precious little wadable water. Fishing in the catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam was excellent. When we had muddy conditions downstream following the heavy rains, this was the only clear water around and it received some significant pressure. The hot flies have been brightly colored San Juan worms (cerise, hot fluorescent pink and red) and egg patterns (orange and peach). White marabou jigs accounted for some good fish. There was also some nice top-water action with Chernobyl ants. The stretch from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter has fished well. The moderate flows have been perfect for drift-fishing. The hot flies have been San Juan worms and Y2Ks. There also has been a bit of grasshopper action, especially on windy days. Rim Shoals has been red hot. The go-to flies have been Y2Ks and cerise San Juan worms. Other flies, specifically black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads and small pheasant tails accounted for some good fish. Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee.

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and two generators are running constantly. Trout fishing is good on small spinners, Little Cleo spoons, Countdown Rapalas and 3-inch trout worms.     

White River (From Buffalo City to Red’s Landing):

Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said the water out of the Buffalo has cleared considerably and the fish are biting very well. The water is slightly stained, but clear enough to catch fish on crankbaits. Large numbers of fish are coming on the No. 7 Gold/Black/White Rapala. Cast to the bank but don't miss opportunities out in the middle of the river around current breaks. Anywhere shallow water meets deeper water with a little current will hold fish.

Crooked Creek: 

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service had no report.

Bull Shoals Lake:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 667.56 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 654 MSL).

Lake Norfork:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 560.31 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).

101 Grocery and Bait said the surface water temperature is in the low 70s. Bass fishing has been good in the mornings using top-water baits, especially buzzbaits and spooks. Crappie fishing has been fair around brush piles in 20-30 feet of water using minnows. Sunfish are doing well on worms and crickets. Catfishing has been fair on trotlines. White bass fishing has been good with some top-water action and some a little deeper using a variety of baits from Beetle Spins and in-line spinners to Rat-L-Traps. Walleye fishing has been fair using worms on a crawler harness bounced on the bottom in 18-25 feet. Striper fishing has been fair using live bait. With the rain and cool temperatures, a lot of the fish are moving into and around coves that have creeks and streams flowing into them.

Norfork Tailwater: 

Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said lack of generation continues to be factor. When the water is dead, cast 1/16-or 1/32-ounce Zig Jigs and give the fish time to hit it. Don't fish too fast. When there is some generation go to the 1/8-ounce and keep it close to the bottom. Ginger and Ginger/Orange have been working fairly well.

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said there have been significant periods of no generation every day with moderate generation in the afternoon. This has created some great wading conditions daily. The Norfork River has received quite a bit of pressure due to round the clock generation on the White. The lower flows fished well with midge patterns. The hot flies were black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads, black Norfork midges and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. On higher flows hot pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have been the most effective flies. There are some spawning rainbows in the catch-and-release section. Please watch your step and avoid walking through the redds (spawning beds). They will appear as light colored depressions in the gravel. Dry Run Creek has fished well. Some big browns have begun moving into the creek to spawn. The hot fly, as always, has been the sow bug. Other hot flies have been worm brown San Juan worms and egg patterns (orange).

Northwest Arkansas

Beaver Lake:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,126.39 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120 MSL).

JT’s Crappie Guide Service  (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been pretty good lately. Fish crawdad-colored crankbaits along chunk rock banks or fish Texas-rigged lizards and top-water plugs near flooded cover. Crappie fishing has been very good. Minnows fished just above brush in 25 to 35 feet of water have worked best. Monte-NE and Horseshoe Bend have been good places to fish. Whites have been in the mouths of secondary coves and are periodically breaking the surface during the day. Small casting spoons have worked best. Catfishing has been good at night from the bank with worms or liver at Prairie Creek, Monte-NE and the Hwy. 12 Bridge.

Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is muddy and high. Bream are slow on redworms and crickets around rocky areas. Crappie are slow on minnows in 8 to 12 inches of water. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, top-water lures and Spooks. Catfishing is slow.

Beaver Tailwaters: 

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides said the flow is still high with few wading opportunities due to the level of Table Rock Lake, but the levels are coming down. Most fishing will be out of a boat. Trout are taking gray beadhead scuds, beadhead pheasant tails and small olive Woolly Buggers. Fish with a small indicator about 8-10 feet deep. The fish are biting lightly and quick, so be prepared. 

Kings River:

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides said the river level is a little high for fly-fishing and the water is starting to cool. Spin fishing with soft plastics on the bottom is the best bet now. Remember to slow your presentation as the water cools.  

Lake Fayetteville: 

Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) had no report.

Lake Sequoyah: 

Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is high and clear. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows in 4 to 6 feet of water. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms and spinnerbaits fished around brush piles in 1 to 5 feet of water. Catfishing is fair on chicken liver, cut bream and minnows in 6 to 8 feet of water.

Northeast Arkansas

Crown Lake: 

Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and high. Bream are biting well on worms. Bass are fair on jigs. Catfishing is good on crickets.

Lake Frierson: 

Lake Frierson State Park  said bream are fair to good on crickets. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers. Not many anglers are on the water now that hunting season has started.    

Spring River: 

Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shop said the rain has stopped, but the water clarity is still poor. Water levels are normal. Several fish can still be caught on large flies, particularly Cotton Candy and large Coachman patterns. There have not been many insect hatches, but the minnows are thick and the crawfish have a reddish color to them.  

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.com said the surface temperature is cooling a little every day. With that, there are bass in the shallows around the pads. Yum Dingers and slowly fished Flukes are working in the skinny water. Jighead worms are catching fish here and there on the lake. There are still bites to be had in the deeper water around 8 to 12 feet on worms and crankbaits. The lake level has been fluctuating with the recent rains, but the water is still as clear as usual. The schooling is still not happening like it should be for this time of year. Top-water fishing should improve during the next week or two as the water continues to cool.

Southwest Arkansas

Millwood Lake:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 260.88 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 259.2 MSL).

Millwood Lake Guide Service said as of Tuesday the surface temperature of the lake is 63 to 70 degrees. Although the 4-foot drawdown is still in effect, the rain has filled the lake back to normal conservation pool. The Corps of Engineers has opened gates in the dam to draw the lake back down as soon as possible. The drawdown and radically fluctuating water have made the lake extremely dangerous to navigate because of added debris and water levels exposing stumps. Boat ramps at various locations are closed due to lake level during drawdown, but Yarborough and Jack's Isle will stay open. Wilton Landing on Hwy 71 and White Cliffs are open and gravel has been added by the USACE, to the end of the ramp to assist loading and unloading boats and trailers. The dam discharge increased to 33,640 CFS is with 13 gates open at 5.5 feet each and 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet each. Main lake visibility is 2-4 inches. The oxbows’ clarity also worsened due to recent thunderstorms, and is 5-6 inches, at best. The activity level of the bass has dropped with the continued cool down and muddy water. Until the lake clarity returns to normal and temperatures stabilize, the best bite will be from slow, methodical presentations of bulky 10-inch worms, jigs and slow-rolled spinnerbaits. Once the lake returns to normal, schooling fish may pick up again and the Rat-L-Trap bite will resume. Right now, 10-inch worms in Peanut Butter 'n Jelly are working in the clearest water of the oxbows one can find up Little River. June Bug, The General, Blue Fleck, Red Shad and Black are good colors in the muddy areas. Pitch or flip stumps, cypress trees and laydown tree trunks near deep water. Crankbaits are finding a few schools of larger bass. When the water was back in the grass, 3- to 4-inch tubes were working well. The best colors for bass jigs were Texas Craw, Black/blue and chartreuse walnut. White bass and crappie disappeared with the current and muddy water. Channel catfish are excellent on cut shad, chicken livers and Catfish Charlie near current in 10 to 15 feet of water.

White Oak Lake:

No report.

Lake Greeson:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 547.5 MSL (Flood pool – 548 MSL).

Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Service said the rain has cooled the water temperature and caused the lake to rise. Water color in the creek arms is stained. Crappie and bass are being caught 15-feet deep on brush piles and bamboo condos in 25-feet of water with live bait and jigs. Fish the cleaner water and you'll find the fish. 

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 407.8 feet MSL (Flood pool – 408 MSL).

Local angler George Graves said the surface temperature is in the mid-60s. The lower lake is clear and slightly dingy above Caddo Drive. Fishing is slow because of the high, falling water and cold fronts. A few bass are being caught on main lake and secondary points. Fish the deep side of the point, between 10 and 20 feet deep, with a Texas-rigged worm or a jig. Mid-lake between Edgewood and Yancey Creek is best. Also try about halfway to the back of Brushy Creek. Dark-colored lures, such as red shad and green pumpkin, are working best. Hybrid fishing is very slow. A few fish are showing up on the sonar in the spillway area, but they refuse to bite. Some fish are still in the timber off DeRoche Ridge in 90 to 100 feet. This fishing will improve when the water stabilizes. Crappie fishing is slow. The fish are tight to the brush and fish shelters, and are reluctant to bite. When the weather and water become more stable, this fishing will pick up. Look for attractors in 20 to 25 feet of water and fish a jig with a 2-inch Tennessee shad-colored grub just above the brush.

West-Central Arkansas

Lake Fort Smith:  

No report.   

Lake Nimrod:

Lake Nimrod Bait and More II (479-272-4025) had no report.  

Greer’s Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) had no report.    

Lake Dardanelle:

Regina Olson at Spadra Marina had no report.  

Blue Mountain Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 393.9 feet MSL.

Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop (479-947-2178) said not many anglers are visiting the water now. No report.

Ozark Pool:

Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the current is high and the water is muddy. Crappie are slow, but a few have been caught on a jig-and-minnow combination. All other species are slow.   

Lake Ouachita:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 579.23 MSL (Flood pool – 578 MSL).

Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said the rain and cold weather have scattered the bass and stripers in Lake Ouachita. Fishing is slow, but if you cover a lot of water with crankbaits and spinnerbaits, you can catch a few fish.

Mountain Harbor Resort  said no new report.

Dave Lindhag from Striped Bass Adventures had no report.

Lake Hamilton: 

Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports had no new report.    

Lake Catherine: 

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that very heavy generation is taking place below Carpenter Dam. This pattern will continue until flood levels have subsided. Boaters are advised to use extreme caution when attempting to navigate the treacherous currents in the tailrace. Water temperature remains slightly below 58 degrees as cooler nights become more consistent. Rainbow trout fishing will return in mid-November when the stocking program begins again. Hybrid and white bass are schooling together as these fish feed heavily on threadfin shad that move in and out of the tailrace. Fishermen casting Shad Raps and Zara Puppies into the action have done very well with catches averaging 1 to 3 pounds. Small stripers from 5 to 8 pounds have been caught along with the hybrids. Walleye are present in the main river channel and are chasing shad. White Rooster Tails and gray 1/8-ounce jigs fished on the outside of the heaviest current have worked well. As the heavy generation lessens in the upcoming days, fishing will improve and become much safer.

Lake Hinkle:  

Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is high and clear. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on worms and chicken livers.

Lake Atkins:

Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said catfish are still biting well on bass minnows and shad. Most of the catfish are being caught under noodles or jugs. Bream picked up a little this weekend, and some good-size bream have come in (especially for this time of year). Some redear being caught are close to one pound. Crappie fishing is picking up, and a few decent ones have come in, but most of the crappie being caught are in the ½-pound to ¾-pound range. Please try to release smaller crappie to help next year’s spawn. The lake is still falling, and the water is clear. Many new stumps are floating in the lake, so boaters should be very careful.

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 very high and rising (currently 82 feet above sea level which is 17 feet above normal). The National Weather Service predicts that it will peak at 87.6 feet by late Friday. It’s a good time to fish for buffalo in the flooded backwaters. They can be caught in commercial nets or on trotlines baited with cottonseed meal. Small bass and bream are hard to find with this much water. They can often be found on the downcurrent side of a flooded roadway, where they wait to catch baitfish and insects swept downstream by the current. A good way to find them is by watching the birds -- crows, egrets and herons. Getting to the fish on foot will soon be difficult as it will require crossing water in most places. Inexperienced boaters should steer clear because launching a boat is difficult with the ramp underwater; currents are swift, and floating debris can damage boats.  

Tri-County Lake:

No report.  

Ouachita River Oxbows: 

The rain and high water have fishing at a standstill.

East Arkansas

Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:  

The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is muddy and high. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the harbor. Catfishing is fair.   

White River: 

Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said fishing is poor. Not many anglers are on the water, most have left for the hunting woods.    

Maddox Bay: 

Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is high and muddy. Crappie are slow, but a few small ones have been caught on minnows. Catfishing is fair on worms and chicken livers hung from trotlines. Not many anglers are on the water because of hunting seasons.

Island 40 Chute: 

Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) said the river conditions have been bad for fishing. No report.

Horseshoe Lake:

Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is at normal level and clarity is good. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms fished around downed cypress trees. Crappie are biting well around piers on minnows and jigs and on trolled jigs fished 15-feet deep. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and jig-and-pig combos fished around lily pads. Catfishing is fair on cut bait and worms fished in the middle of deep channels around 20-feet deep.