November 25, 2009 Edition

Fishing Tip:  When fishing laydowns, many anglers run right to the stump and the parts of the tree they can see. The most cover a laydown provides is in the crown of the tree, which often is just out of sight under deeper water. Before fishing the base of the tree, look at trees nearby and try to estimate where the crown of the laydown is under the surface.

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 is low and clear. Crappie fishing is excellent on minnows and jigs near the bank. All other species are slow.

Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said crappie fishing has been fair on jigs, shiners and pink minnows. Bass fishing is slow. Bream are fair on redworms and wax worms fished on the bottom. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers.

Little Red River: 

Lindsey's Resort  (501-302-3139) said the water is clear and one to two generators are running. Trout fishing is good from a boat on Shad Raps and on drifted Power Bait and wax worms.

Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said power generation at Greers Ferry continues mostly around the clock. The water releases are being restricted by roughly 50 percent due to the high water in the White River. Midges, blue winged olive mayflies and some lingering caddis flies are coming off most days over the Little Red. If you can find a spot to stand, such as on a boat ramp, you might try the following dry flies: Adams (18), elk hair caddis (18-20 tan or black), midge (22-32 cream or black) or bwo (18-20). Your best bet for fly fishing below the surface is an egg pattern (14 roe, salmon or pink), San Juan worm (14 red, hot pink or fl. cerise), sowbug (14 tan, uv tan or peacock), zebra midge (16-22 red or black), or woolly bugger (8-12 olive, brown or black). Still the best, hands-down, way to fish high water is to hire a guide with a boat and go!

Greers Ferry:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 475.2 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 461 MSL).

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is falling and the surface temperature is around 60 degrees. The hybrids and white bass continue to be on a tear, feeding well all day, fishing vertically will catch them and some spotty schooling is going on as well, the best bet is to stay over them with a spoon or in-line spinner. The bass bite is most consistent in shallow water. A jig or a Right Bite Cinko pitched around steep banks will work, also try a spinnerbait and small shallow-running crankbait up the rivers. No report on crappie, bream or catfish. Walleye are biting well on jigging spoons fished around pea gravel flats and near any schools of hybrids and white bass.

Shiloh Marina (501-825-6237) said bass are schooling fairly well. Top-water lures worked well when they were surface feeding, but once they went deep, live bait was about all they would hit.

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 crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows. White Crappie Stingers are working especially well.

Lake Bailey (Petit Jean State Park): 

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

Lake Overcup:  

Overcup Landing  (501-354-9007) said the water is high and clear. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on white/chartreuse jigs. Bass are fair on buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Brewer Lake:  

Overcup Landing  (501-354-9007) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are slow, but a few have been caught on redworms. Crappie are biting well on small minnows and white/chartreuse jigs fished around brush. Bass are fair on white soft-plastic jerkbaits and dark-colored worms fished around brush. Catfishing is fair on live bream and cut bait.

Lake Maumelle: 

Jolly Roger’s Marina  said the water is 1.6 feet above the spillway. Black bass are in 15 to 20 feet of water and are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and tubes. Some good catches have come from the banks around muddy water as well. Kentucky bass are biting well in 15 feet of water on tubes, jigs and soft-plastic worms. White bass are schooling around the east end of the lake, and some are beginning to gather at the west end of the lake. CC spoons, clear Near Nuttings and Rogues have worked well. Crappie are biting well in 15 to 20 feet of water on minnows and 1/32-oz. jigs. Pink minnows will be the key to good crappie catches in the next few months. Saugeye are fair on trolled Rogues and jigs in 10 to 15 feet of water. Catfishing is good on minnows, worms and prepared baits 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 clear and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on 2-inch, Tennessee shad-colored grubs. Bass are biting well on watermelon seed lizards in brush about 12 feet deep. Catfishing is slow.

Saline River Access in Benton: 

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on live bait in 4 to 5 feet of water. Bass are biting well on bright red crawdad-colored crankbaits in 4 to 5 feet of water. Catfishing is slow. 

Arkansas River at Morrilton:

Charley’s Hidden Harbor in Oppelo said the flow is well below the 100,000-mark and is dropping. Catfishing is good on the inside of jetty tips. Live shad and bream fished off the bottom are working well. Stripers are below dams 9 and 10 and are biting well on live shad fished 6 to 8 feet deep. Some very large drum are being caught on Mudbug crankbaits fished around jetties. Largemouth bass are in the creeks and backwater and are fair on soft-plastics. White bass are biting well on Sassy Shads fished around schools of shad in the warm pockets of water near roads in the evenings.

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 current has slowed enough for fishing. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows. Bream fishing is dead slow because of the cold. Bass fishing is good on jigs and crankbaits. No report on catfish.

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

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is still high. Fishing is slow for all species.   

Clear Lake: 

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) had no report.

Peckerwood Lake: 

Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the lake is closed for fishing until Jan. 31, 2010.

Lake Pickthorne:

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

North Arkansas

White River: 

Mountain River Fly Shop said the White is fishing very well both for boaters and waders during on moderate flows. Places like Rim Shoals, the Narrows, Cotter/Roundhouse and Wildcat have been fishable for waders. Egg patterns have been tremendously productive, pinks, oranges, and other hues have all done very well. With a bunch of browns having started the spawning cycle before the warm weather (and a bunch more ready to go) the rainbows are really keying on eggs. Midge patterns are working as well.

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said the lake levels on the White River system continue to rise, but at a much slower rate. The White has had light, but steady generation around the clock with slightly higher flows in the afternoon. There has been precious little wadable water. Remember that there is a new size limit on Brown trout. All browns less than 24 inches must be released immediately no matter where they are caught on the White and North Fork rivers. Only one brown trout may be kept in the daily limit of five trout. The stretch from Bull Shoals State Park down to Wildcat Shoals has fished very well. The moderate flows we have received this past week have been perfect for drift fishing. The hot flies have been San Juan worms and Y2Ks. Two fly rigs (San Juan worm and egg) have done particularly well in this area. Small midge patterns (black zebra midges with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles have also been effective. Rim Shoals is still fishing well. The go-to flies have been Y2Ks and cerise San Juan worms. It has fished much better in the morning than the afternoon. If you want to access some wadable water, Rim Shoals Trout Dock maintains a water taxi and will ferry you to wadable water for a nominal fee. With the upcoming holiday, fishing pressure has abated somewhat. Now is the perfect time to fish Dry Run Creek. There are few people in the area over the holiday weekend and there are some big browns that have begun moving up into the creek to spawn. The hot fly, as always, has been the sowbug. San Juan worms and Y2Ks have also been productive. There is precious little room to cast with the tree cover in this tight creek valley. High sticking nymphs is the most effective technique. Carry your camera and the biggest net you can lay your hands on. Most big fish are lost at the net.

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

Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said water levels have been very consistent with two to three generators on each day from Bull Shoals. Artificial bait fishing has been superb. A Gold/Black/White No. 7 or 9 Countdown Rapala has been deadly. A 1/8-ounce ginger-colored White River Zig Jig also has been producing large numbers of fish.

Crooked Creek: 

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are clearing, but fishing is still very slow.

Bull Shoals Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 680.80 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 570.9 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April – 552 MSL, April-Sept. – 554 MSL).

101 Grocery and Bait said fishing has been good for the most part. The surface temperature is in the low 60s. There is some stained water near the newly flooded brush that has been good for largemouth bass. Kentucky and smallmouth bass are being caught more often in the deeper water. Crappie fishing has been fair using minnows and small rubber baits with a very light jig and a slow presentation. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and live minnows. Walleye fishing has been slow. Striper fishing has been slow. White bass fishing has been fair on top-water baits.

Norfork Tailwater: 

Jim Brentlinger at Linger's Guide Service and Fishing Lodge (870-499-5185) said some daily flow has helped the fishing somewhat, but it is still difficult to catch numbers of fish.

John Berry from Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Norfork has received a lot of pressure due to round the clock generation on the White, but has still fished well. Midge patterns have been the go-to flies on the lower flows. The most productive patterns were black zebra midges with silver wire and silver beads, black Norfork midges and Dan’s turkey tail emergers. Other effective flies have been olive woolly buggers and soft hackles (partridge and orange soft hackles and green butts). On the higher flows hot fluorescent pink San Juan worms and orange egg patterns have been the most effective way to fish. There has been some major work done at Quarry Park. The parking lot at the ramp has been resurfaced. This is a busy ramp and it is great to have it back in service. Dry Run Creek has fished well this past week. There are some big browns that have moved into the creek to spawn. The hot fly, as always, has been the sow bug. San Juan worms and Y2Ks have also accounted for some large fish.

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides had no report.

Northwest Arkansas

Beaver Lake:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,128.57 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120 MSL).

Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service said stripers are hitting shad all over the lake, with the hottest action being in the creek arms. A few fish are being caught on top-water lures early and late in the day. In the War Eagle arm, try fishing shad or brooder minnows 10-15 ft deep under balloons 50 feet behind the boat. Concentrate your efforts from the War Eagle/White River junction up War Eagle to the Sidewalk Hole. White bass and hybrids can be taken in the area with some good top-water action early and late in the day. Try fishing Rooster Tails or jigging spoons in silver or gold/chartreuse combinations. Trolled jigs and umbrella rigs in chartreuse have also been producing fish in this area. Around Lost Bridge fish 10-15 feet deep with shad or brooder minnows. Trolled jigs, umbrella rigs (white) and crankbaits have also been producing fish in his area. In Indian Creek fish 10-20 feet deep with shad or brooder minnows. Trolled jigs, umbrella rigs (white) and crankbaits have also been producing fish in his area. Jigging spoons fished 10-20 feet deep on the primary points are also producing fish. In Coose Hollow, fish 10-20 feet deep with shad or brooder minnows. Trolled jigs, umbrella rigs (white) and crankbaits have also been producing fish in his area. Jigging spoons fished 10-20 ft deep on the primary points are also producing fish. On the main lake, try fishing jigging spoons 20-30 feet deep on rocky points.

JT’s Crappie Guide Service  (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been good using crawdad, shad or firetiger-colored crankbaits fished 5 to 12 feet deep along chunk rock banks. Crappie fishing has been good using minnows fished just above brush piles in 20 to 30 feet of water. The closer to a creek channel the better. White bass have been schooled up in main-lake channel bends and points suspended 10 to 35 feet deep. Small curly tailed grubs or jigging spoons have worked best for whites. Catfishing continues to be good from the bank using cut bait or liver in the evening hours.

Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is high and clear. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows fished near ledges dropping from 8 to 20 feet. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits along main lake ledges. White bass and stripers are biting well on spoons and live shad. Catfishing is slow.

Beaver Tailwaters: 

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides had no report.

Kings River:

Ken Richards at Just Fishing Guides had no report.

Lake Fayetteville: 

Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said fishing is slow and no anglers are visiting the lake.

Lake Sequoyah: 

Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished around rocks in 3 to 4 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on jigs and minnows in brush from 1 to 4 feet deep. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft-plastics fished around rocky shorelines. Catfishing is fair.

Northeast Arkansas

Crown Lake: 

Boxhound Marina ( 870-670-4496) said the water is dingy and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs tipped with a minnow. Bass are fair on soft-plastic lizards. Catfishing is slow. Most fishing is slow because of the holidays and hunting season.

Lake Frierson: 

Lake Frierson State Park  said no anglers are visiting the water. No report.  

Spring River: 

Mark Crawford at Spring River Fly Shop said fishing has been fantastic. The water has cleared up to its normal green color. Water levels are just below 500cfs. There is a chance of rain on Tuesday night, hopefully it will not rain much. Grandma's brownie and minnow patterns are working well for large trout, but pheasant tail, and hare's ear nymphs are a good way to catch numbers.  

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 lake is back down to near normal. Bass are chasing shad from top to bottom. Senkos and Flukes are catching bass in the shallows. Soft plastics and shad-colored crankbaits are taking some fish in the mid-range depths of 8 to 12 feet. Some bass can be caught 27 to 35 feet deep on blade baits and tailspinners. The yellow bass are biting like crazy, but the size is pretty small. All in all, the fall bite is on pretty good!

Southwest Arkansas

Millwood Lake:  

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

Millwood Lake Guide Service said exercise extreme caution boating Little River; many river markers are pushed out of place or missing because of current and major pool fluctuations. USACE will run the 4-foot drawdown from July 2009-February 2010. Many stumps are exposed or shallow enough in the boat lanes to cause major damage to boats and injure boaters. Many boat ramps are closed because of the proposed lake level during drawdown. Yarborough and Jack's Isle are still open. River Run East and River Run West are all closed due to high water. Boat ramp repair and improvements at the Millwood State Park are recently completed. Main lake and Little River water surface temps are 56 to 61 degrees. As of Monday, the discharge at the dam is 10,013 CFS. Main-lake visibility has increased to 5-9 inches. The feeding activity of bass has increased with the stabilizing conditions. Some random schooling has been seen in the back of Yarborough Lake and other upriver locations. The best reaction bite over the past 2 weeks was on smoke or holographic grubs rigged on white jig heads for schooling fish, along with topwater baits like Cordell Crazy Shads, Clear Baby Torpedoes, Bass Assassin Shad jerk baits and Ken-Pops, Chug Bugs and Spitn Images. For sub-surface schools, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Big O or XCalibur Fat Free Shad Crank baits were best bets. Since the lake level, current and temperature have stabilized, bulky 10-inch worms, jigs and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have worked well in the clearest water areas available, typically in the oxbows away from the current of Little River. Schooling white bass are still nonexistent. Crappie improved last week, with the best bite coming on shiners, white hair jigs and white/chartreuse tubes in 12-13 feet of water. Channel catfish are biting very well in current on bulky worms, cut shad, chicken livers and Catfish Charlie.

White Oak Lake:

Frequent rain has kept anglers off the lake. The water is high and muddy.

Lake Greeson:  

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 544.97 MSL (Flood pool – 548 MSL).

Cossatot River: 

Cossatot River State Park said the water is too high and swift for fishing.

DeGray Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 407.6 feet MSL (Flood pool – 408 MSL).

Local angler George Graves said water surface temperature is in the low 60s and the water is clear throughout the lake. Crappie are scattered throughout most of the mid-lake fish shelters. The shelters will attract more crappies as the water gets colder. The secret is to not spend too much time on unproductive shelters. If you catch a few and they quit biting, move on to the next one. The best areas are between Caddo Drive and Goat Island. Fish directly over the attractor with a 2-inch Tennessee shad grub on a 1/16-ounce jig head. Fish the grub very slowly between 15 to 20 feet down on shelters in 25 to 30 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair with most catches coming from deep points and creek channel ledges, 25 to 40 feet deep. Fish a Texas-rigged finesse worm or heavy jig in dark colors like green pumpkin. Also try a heavy jigging spoon if a school is indicated on the sonar. Best areas for bass are between Edgewood and Point Cedar. Bream fishing is fair with most concentrated on the fish attractors. Fish the edge of the cover with redworms or crickets. No report on catfish.

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 said reports of crappie limits have slowed, but crappie fishing still seems to be doing well. Crappie minnows and peppered red head/chartreuse skirt jigs are the most popular. Anglers are fishing about 6 inches off the bottom. Largemouth bass have been fair, but not as good as days past. Catfish have done well. Cut shad and worms are the best baits.

Blue Mountain Lake:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 399.38 feet MSL.

Teresa at CD’s Quick Stop (479-947-2178) had no report.

Ozark Pool:

Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the water is off color. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around brush and rocks. Black bass are slow. A few white bass have been caught on a jig-and-minnow combination near the crappie. Catfishing is fair on worms and cut bait.  

Lake Ouachita:

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 577.55 MSL (Flood pool – 578 MSL).

Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said bass fishing is good with spinnerbaits around standing timber and spoons fished in the creek channels. Stripers are still scattered and slow.

Mountain Harbor Resort  says largemouth bass are fair and can be caught with jigs fished in brush piles in 18 to 25 feet of water. Deep diving crank baits are working as well fished over humps and main lake points. Walleye are fair and being caught on jigging spoons on main lake points or humps near deep water in depths of 16 to 24 feet. Stripers are good on live bait with shad or trot line minnows. Main lake points near creek channels or open water humps are the best areas. Bream are slow with worms or crickets in 18 to 25 feet of water. Crappie are still very good and being caught near brush. Try brush in water 20 to 30 feet deep. Minnows or crappie grubs are still working best. Tennessee shad and white are the best colors for artificial baits. Catfish are good and being caught on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trot lines. The lake water temperature is 58 to 62 degrees with clear water. The lake level is 577.55 feet.

Dave Lindhag from Striped Bass Adventures had no report.

Lake Hamilton: 

Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports had no new report.

Daryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips said crappie fishing is excellent. The water temperature is 61 degrees. The crappie are being caught on live minnows and jigs fished around brush anywhere from 12 to 22 feet of water. 

Lake Catherine: 

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that the winter drawdown is complete. Boaters and wade fishermen are advised to use caution when navigating the tailwater, because many rocks, trees and other hazards are exposed. Entergy has been generating around the clock, but the water temperature is holding at 58 degrees, which is high for this time of year. The mild weather will soon give way to colder temperatures and the water will become much cooler as winter approaches. White and hybrid bass fishing has been very good at times this past week. Crankbaits that run 3 to 5 feet in silver/black have accounted for stringers of fish during feeding periods. Tiny Torpedoes and Zara Pups in shad colors have worked well on breaking fish. White bass are running from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds and hybrids are from 2 to 4 pounds. Striper action is very limited with no top-water action observed and zero stripers hooked around the dam. Crappie also are chasing shad with some good fish caught on jigs and minnows fished under a bobber. Rainbow trout are scattered from the bridge to the dam, but a few fish have been caught on 1/16-ounce jigs and silver Super Dupers. More trout will be stocked in the next week so fishing will improve after Thanksgiving.

Lake Hinkle:  

Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is clear and a little lower than last week. Bream are slow. Crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and top-water lures. Catfishing is good to excellent on worms and chicken livers from the creek to the lake.

Lake Atkins:

Ken Vinson at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water is still falling. The surface temperature is 53 degrees and dropping daily with the weather. Fishing has been fairly good for crappie and bream. Bass picked up a little, but it’s still mostly small bass being caught. Catfishing was slow.

South Central Arkansas

Moro Bay: 

Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay said the park is open. The river is slowly going down (82.60 ft above sea level), but is 17.6 feet above normal. Some bank fishermen are out trying their luck for bream and bass. Duck hunters are out in droves.

Tri-County Lake:

Flooding has kept most anglers off the water.  

Ouachita River Oxbows: 

Flooding has kept most anglers off the water.

East Arkansas

Arkansas River at Pine Bluff:

The Tackle Box (870-534-1498) said the water is murky and high. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in the harbor. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on white bass jigs fished around the harbor. Catfishing is good on skipjack, worms and chicken livers.

White River: 

Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said bass fishing is fair on crankbaits, soft-plastic jerkbaits and tubes fished around the grass. No report on any other species.

Maddox Bay: 

Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is clear and at normal level. Catfishing is good on tightlined live bait. All other species are slow.

Island 40 Chute: 

Daily’s Boat Dock (870-739-3478) had no report.

Horseshoe Lake:

Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are fair on crickets and worms fished around stumps. Crappie are biting well on minnows and black/chartreuse jigs in 6 to 8 feet of water. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits fished around the lily pads. Catfishing is good on cut bait and shad.