Arkansas Wildlife Fishing Report
ON 09-13-2017
Sept. 13, 2017
Randy Zellers
Assistant Chief of Communications
Weekly Fishing Report
This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for Sept. 13, 2017. If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please email AGFCfishingreport@outlook.com with information on possible sources for reports about that lake or river. Reports are updated weekly, although some reports might be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed. Contact the reporter for the lake or stream you plan to fish for current news.
Central Arkansas
North Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas
Northeast Arkansas
Southeast Arkansas
Southwest Arkansas
South-Central Arkansas
West-Central Arkansas
East Arkansas
Arkansas River and White River levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk
For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt
For water-quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
The AGFC is treating alligator weed in Lake Conway using EPA-registered herbicides approved for use in aquatic systems. The AGFC strongly recommends that adjacent landowners not use lake water for irrigation of lawns or gardens through March 1, 2018. For more information please contact the AGFC Fisheries Office in Mayflower at (877)-470-3309.
(updated 9-13-2017) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets. Crappie are fair on medium-sized minnows. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on chicken livers, nightcrawlers, goldfish and small sunfish.
(updated 9-13-2017) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service said the Little Red continues to receive 2 to 4 hours of generation on weekdays and lesser amounts on weekends. We anticipate this generation schedule to continue unless we receive significant rainfall. Midges, soft hackles and sowbugs, along with wooly buggers, are working well for fly anglers. Pink Trout Magnets are recommended for spin fishing. Always check before heading to the Little Red River by calling the Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District water data system (501-362-5150) for Greers Ferry Dam water release information or check the Corps of Engineers website (swl-wc.usace.army.mil) for real-time water release and the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecasted generation schedule.
(updated 9-13-2017) Greg Seaton of littleredflyfishingtrips.com (501-690-9166) said the river remains low and clear. Fish are holding mostly at the top and bottom of shoals in the deeper water. Small pupae, nymphs and sow bugs seem to be the best fly choices. As of Tuesday morning, we have had very little rain and seemed to have missed the heavy rains from the hurricanes. Hopefully this will be the same for the rest of the week. Generation schedules remain the afternoon variety with one or two units running from 2 to 3 hours starting after 2 p.m. The projected generation is posted each day after 4 p.m. for the next day and Friday’s posting is for Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Current generation can be found by calling the dam (501-362-5150). Thanks to all who helped with the river clean-up on Saturday, Sept. 9. Please remember you can help by picking up litter you see while enjoying the river.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 460.25 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 462.04 feet msl Oct. 1-April 30; 463.04 feet msl May 1-June 1; 462.54 feet msl June 1-Sept. 30).
(updated 9-13-2017) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level is 2.28 feet below normal pool and falling. The surface water temperature has cooled off some and all species are eating pretty well. Crappie are suspended in 12 to 18 feet of water all over the lake and can be caught on jigs and minnows fished vertically. Bass fishing is getting very good shallow with a lot of new fish showing up. Spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and topwater baits have been producing in shallow water. Deeper fish can be caught on Texas-rigged worms and football head jigs crawled along the bottom. Bream are guarding fry again, and can be found from the shallows out to 26 feet. Try nightcrawlers, crickets, small crankbaits and in-line spinners. No report on walleye. Catfishing seems to get better every day all over the lake on a variety of baits fished in shallow water. The hybrids and white bass are on the verge of the best topwater action this lake has seen in the fall in a long time with the cooler water and good threadfin shad population, they are blowing up and going back down at the present ,but that will all soon change they will be coming up and staying up all days on some days. Try topwater baits, big in-line spinners, flies, spoons, swim baits and hair jigs and stay with the bait for the best action.
(updated 9-13-2017) Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) said fishing has been very slow, with very few anglers visiting the lake during the last six days.
The AGFC is treating alligator weed in Lake Overcup using EPA-registered herbicides approved for use in aquatic systems. The AGFC strongly recommends that adjacent landowners not use lake water for irrigation of lawns or gardens through March 1, 2018. For more information please contact the AGFC Fisheries Office in Mayflower at (877)-470-3309
(updated 9-06-2017) Johnny “Catfish” Banks at Overcup Bait Shop and R.V. Park (501-354-9007) said water level is still about a foot high. Clarity and color are good. Water surface temperature is at 76 degrees. Bass are still doing well. Bream are slow but anglers are still catching them. Catfish are doing well on jugs and pole fishing, but are a little slow on trotlines. But we have had a 29-pound blue and a 29-pound flathead brought in the last week. Crappie are starting to pick up. He says they are catching 10-14 a day around 10 to 13 inches long. They are finding them in the channels pooled with shad.
(updated 9-06-2017) Larry Walters at Bones Bait Shop (501-354-9900) said the water is clear and the surface temperature reading Wednesday morning was 78 degrees. Water level is normal. Anglers enjoyed a very nice week, Larry says, with good fishing. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting, with good reports coming in. Crappie are in 10-12 feet depth. Use minnows or jigs. Bass fishing is good, with crankbaits working best. Catfishing is fair. Use worms or chicken livers.
(updated 8-30-2017) Jolly Rogers Marina (501-868-5558) said black bass are biting on buzzbaits, drop-shot, jigs, crankbaits, wacky rig worms, spinnerbaits, and Sweet Beaver. Still 10-15 feet off the weeds by about 10 feet deep in the shallow water during dusk time and at dawn. You can also find them tailing just below the white bass chasing the shad, about 12-18 feet in the deep water. Helped by catching the Big Bass of 3.38 pounds, Cody Bryant and Garry Bryant won last Friday night’s tournament with a total of 8.04 pounds. The Kentucky bass bite is slow. Kentucky bass are being caught on hair jigs, spoons and minnows. They can found in the deep water mixed in with the black bass. White bass are slow. They are schooling at east end and some are in the Midwest portion. They are coming up for a shorter period of time and moving quickly with the schools. Use Rooster Tails, CC Spoons and deep-diving Bandits and Bombers. Crappie are good. Crappie are stacking up around channel and brush piles. They are being caught on crappie minnows and jigs (Tennessee Shad). Lots of 11- to 15-inch crappie are being caught 12-15 feet and 17-20 feet depths. Fish off channel or under water bridges. Bream are good and can be found on the brush piles but moving quickly. Lots of reports about redear on west end of lake. They are being caught on crickets, and live worms. Catfishing has been slow. The catfish are being caught in 15-25 feet of water but are moving into shallower water. Use stink bait, small bream and chicken livers.
(updated 8-30-2017) Lisa’s Bait Shop (501-778-6944) said bream have been biting fair on crickets and redworms. Catfish are biting slow and mainly at night on chicken livers, nightcrawlers and bait shrimp. Bass fishing has been slow as well. Customers report catching a few on minnows and Texas rigged lizards. Crappie are biting fair for a few that fish from right before daylight to a little after with pink and No. 4 minnows.
Bishop Park Ponds
(updated 8-30-2017) Lisa’s Bait Shop (501-778-6944) said catfish have been biting fair on chicken livers and nightcrawlers at times. Bream are hitting crickets and worms. Bass fishing has been fair with minnows and wacky rigged worms. Crappie haven’t been biting very well at Bishop Park. One customer reported catching two small ones on pink minnows this week.
Saline River Access in Benton
(updated 8-30-2017) Lisa’s Bait Shop (501-778-6944) said few reports this week from the river. Some have been catching a few catfish on lines baited with minnows and black salties. Bass fishing has been fair with minnows and small plastics. Crappie are biting slow and are in backwaters and coves when you do find a few. Bream are biting crickets and redworms. It’s still pretty fun to hook and old gar and try to land it if you want a good fight. Just cast a live minnow close enough for it to see and you’ll probably get a chance.
Lake Norrell
(updated 8-30-2017) Lisa’s Bait Shop (501-778-6944) said bream are still biting pretty well on crickets and redworms fished deep on tight lines. Bass fishing has been fair early in the mornings and at night with minnows, plastic worm and lizards and topwater baits. Catfish have been biting at night on minnows, nightcrawlers and chicken livers. Crappie fishing has been tough for most but some that know where to fish have caught a few this week on size 6 minnows.
(updated 8-30-2017) Lisa’s Bait Shop (501-778-6944) said catfish have been biting for some customers using minnows, chicken livers, nightcrawlers and Sonny’s dip bait. Bream fishing has been fair to good with crickets and redworms. Bass have been hitting early in the mornings on minnows, Texas and Carolina rigged plastics and topwater baits. Still hearing of a few nice crappie being caught on size 6 and size 4 minnows.
(updated 9-13-2017) Charley’s Hidden Harbor at Oppelo (501-354-8080) said the water is a little lower this week because of work on the No. 10 dam. A few more anglers have been on the water as well. Bass are biting well along the secondary drops away from grass lines on pearl-colored crankbaits. Catfishing is good on skipjack and worms fished on the upstream side of the jetties. White bass are chasing shad on the sandbars and jetties, so fishing a 3-inch Sassy Shad should catch a few of these hard-pulling fish. Bream are biting well on black Rooster Tails fished along riprap. Stripers are biting well below the locks on shad-colored crankbaits. No report on crappie.
(updated 8-30-2017) Professional angler Cody Kelley, owner of Best in Bass Guide Service (501-733-5282), reports that the fishing has been fair to good recently. As for bass, the current was really rolling there for a while and really pushed the fish back into backwaters close to the main river. As the flows slow, look back to the current break areas with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. If that doesn’t produce, run sand flats with a ¼-ounce Rat-L-Trap and buzzbait. With heavier flows comes better catfishing. Anchor above deep holes on the outside bends of the river and let the current “walk” your baits back into the front of the hole to present your bait. Cody says his favorite is fresh cut bait, but definitely try other options if you have confidence in them. If you find yourself without much flow, try drifting along the main channel with your baits hanging about 1 foot off the bottom. For bream, check out shallow backwater areas within 50 yards of the main channel. Right now it is tough to beat a tube of crickets and a slip cork.
(updated 9-13-2017) River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the water remains clear. Crappie are biting well. Black bass are good. Catfishing reports were good on worms and stink bait. No report on Bream.
(updated 9-13-2017) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) reported that the water was stained and in the high 70s. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are biting fairly well on green pumpkin-colored senkos. Catfishing is fair on worms and chicken livers. White bass are fair on shad-imitating crankbaits. Bream are fair on worms.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
(updated 9-13-2017) Hatchet Jack’s (501-758-4948) said catfishing is good on nightcrawlers and shad below Murray Lock and dam.
(updated 9-13-2017) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) reported that the water is stained to murky and the surface temperature is 75 to 78 degrees. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and topwater lures. Catfishing is fair on worms. White bass are fair on crankbaits and shad-imitations.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)
(updated 9-13-2017) Vince Miller from Fish ’N’ Stuff (501-834-5733) said the water is clear and at normal level. The surface water temperature is still getting up to 83 degrees during the day. Bream are fair on worms. Crappie are biting well along rocky points and jetties on tube jigs. Bass are slow, but a few have been caught on crankbaits and jigs fished along jetties near the mouths of backwater areas. Catfishing is fair on stinkbait and shad.
(updated 9-13-2017) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the current is at normal flow and the surface temperature is in the upper 70s. Bream are biting well on redworms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on worms.
(updated 9-13-2017) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) said the water is stained and the surface temperature is about 78 degrees in the mornnings. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and topwater lures such as the Whopper Plopper. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers. White bass are fair.
Clear Lake (off Arkansas River-Little Rock Pool)
(updated 9-13-2017) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is at normal level and the surface temperature is 78 to 80 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfishing is good on worms.
Peckerwood Lake
(updated 9-13-2017) Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is clear for Peckerwood and the water level is at normal elevation. Bream are biting well on crickets and worms. Crappie are fair on trolled minnow rigs. Bass are biting well on topwater lures in the mornings and spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms during the day. Catfishing is good.
NORTH ARKANSAS
White River
(updated 9-13-2017) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake is at 667 feet and should reach power pool next week, at which time generation from the dam should slow and the White River water level should decrease. The storms in Texas and Florida may impact the power grid so don’t put any money down on that prediction, just keep fishing with weighted line, added split shot and heavier sinkers until we see the drop. The rainbow bite has been very nice with good size trout, that are brightly colored and full of fight. Change up your Power Bait or egg pattern colors to keep their interest (move toward peach eggs, orange or sunrise). Green and white 1/8-ounce jigs worked mid-depth to just below the surface have been successful. The standard red/gold hammered spoons and gold Cleos are getting attention again.
(updated 9-13-2017) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is fairly clear and running high with 8 generators going around the clock. Trout fishing is fair by boat, and the high water makes it difficult for any other sort of fishing.
(updated 9-13-2017) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said last Friday that during the previous week, they had had no rain, unseasonably cool temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals dropped 3.8 feet to rest at 8.3 feet above seasonal power pool of 661 feet msl. This is 25.7 feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock rose 0.3 feet to rest at 0.1 feet below seasonal power pool and 14.1 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake dropped 0.9 feet to rest at 4.2 feet above seasonal power pool and 4.4 feet below the top of flood pool. On the White, there was no wadable water with heavier generation. Seasonal power pool has been reset for the lakes in the White River system. All of the lakes in the White River system are now below the top of flood pool. Anglers should expect a lot of generation with limited wadable water in the near future. At the current rate of drop, John predicts the lakes reaching power pool in three weeks. Hopper season continues. Many guides are banging the bank with grasshopper patterns. Add a nymph dropper (ruby midge) to increase takes. If the grasshopper is hit or sinks, set the hook. John’s favorite grasshopper pattern is a Western Pink Lady. On the White, the hot spot has been Wildcat Shoals. The hot flies were olive Woolly buggers (sizes 8, 10), Y2Ks (sizes 14, 12), prince nymphs (size 14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead sizes 16, 18), pheasant tails (size 14), ruby midges (size 18), root beer midges (size 18), pink and cerise San Juan worms (size 10), and sowbugs (size 16). Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective (John’s current favorite is a size 10 Y2K with a size 10 pheasant tail suspended below it). Use lots of lead and long leaders to get your flies down.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 666.46 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) K Dock Marina said The lake is continuing to drop about 4 to 5 inches per day. This has had a big impact on the number of fish being caught right now. Fish do not react well to extreme changes in water level. Water color and temp are great, just a slow bite for all species. Live bait working the best right now. Hope to get a better report from some of our anglers after this weekend.
Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock had no new report.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 559.44 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April 552.00 feet msl; April-September, 554.00 feet msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters says September begins the transition to fall on Norfork Lake. The first half of the month striper fishing will be good but the second half of the month fishing for stripers usually falls off until the weather turns colder and the water begins to cool. The first half of September, you still want to fish the points with long flats and river channels in waters that range from 70 to 100 feet deep. You will see the stripers on or very near the bottom. We use 4- and 5-ounce barrel weights with leaders and put the bait on the bottom then raise it a foot, so the stripers need very little movement to feed on the baits. Gizzard shad are the best baits because they will live longer than the threadfin shad. Some of the best points will be along the dam buoys, Long Point, the river channel along the dam, and Dam Cove. One or more of these points will hold fish in September once you find the fish they will usually be there for a long period of time. Striper fishing usually tails off in the second half of September because of the nature of Lake Norfork. Every year the lake warms up to 90 degrees and the oxygen level gets lower and lower and the thermocline continues to move deeper in the lake. Stripers require 6 parts per million of oxygen to stay active. By the middle of September that level of oxygen is gone down substantially and stripers become dormant and just lay on the bottom not wanting to eat or move to conserve energy. Once the weather cools and the lake start to cool down the oxygen level will start going up but will not return to normal until the lake turns over. The lake turnover is a process that begins at the head waters of Lake Norfork some 47 miles across the Missouri state line and moves down slowly to the dam. The dam area is the last place the lake will turn over since it’s the deepest part of the lake. One way to beat this is start moving your fishing up the lake toward shallower waters. By far this is the best area to consistently catch limits of stripers during the later part of the year. We will be fishing in waters no deeper than 35 feet. You will see lots of bait and stripers feeding heavily on this year’s hatch. The bass will still be in their summer pattern: early morning topwater lures, then jigs, worms and spinnerbaits are your best baits. There also is great night fishing throwing jigs, worms and black or red 3/8-oz. spinnerbaits. You can catch fish all over the main lake and creeks. As the water begins to cool the crappie will start moving up and start their fall feed. Spider rigging is the most effective technique to catch them. Brushy Creek and Big Creek, Bennett’s Bayou, Red Bank, Calamity Beach, and Pigeon Creek, will be your best choices.
(updated 9-06-2017) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the thermocline on Norfork Lake has been slowly dropping and currently is about 30 to maybe 35 feet down, and is holding most fish and bait species to this depth or shallower. If you plan to fish Norfork Lake take note of the thermocline level, as lots of fish will hang at this level. Striped bass is the only species that Lou is aware of, he says, that will go way below the thermocline to reach cold water. There have been some really nice spotted (Kentucky) bass caught over the last week. The bass are being found in two main areas; up in the flooded buckbrush and suspended over deep water close to structure. Lou says he went out bass fishing one morning this week and found some nice bass suspended down 10-20 feet in 60-100 feet of water. Bluff line points and the mid-lake bridge columns are great places to check out. He also went out Tuesday evening for a few hours. There are plenty of bass feeding on shad up in the flooded buck brush. Topwater baits, plastics and crankbaits are all catching nice fish. Live bait has also been doing very well in catching bass. Tuesday evening Lou found the white bass nursery. “Norfork Lake had a great white bass spawn this year, if what I saw this evening is any indication,” he said. At first the whites were in about 16 feet of water on the bottom, but as the sun was lowering in the sky the whites started busting all over the lake chasing and feeding on tiny shad. “Most of the whites that I found were small, but it was a blast catching one fish after another,” Lou said. He started out jigging a spoon on the bottom, but as the fish starting hitting the surface he switched to a Kastmaster. If this year is like prior years, the big whites will start to show up very soon, he said. Striped bass fishing has slowed, at least for him, Lou said. He has been striper fishing only about one day a week. He was limiting out each time, until his last trip out on Labor Day. He found a lot of fish down 80-90 feet on the bottom and some suspended in deeper water, but he only got one light bite on his threadfin shad in a 2-hour period. The boat traffic over the holiday weekend may have affected the bite. There have been a few stripers caught suspended down 30 feet over deep water in the dam area, as well as in the mid-lake area. Typically around mid-September the stripers in the dam area start to migrate north for cooler water. More and more stripers will show up in the mid-lake area, as well as up around the Missouri border. The upcoming cooler nights and days will help lower the water temperature, which will benefit all species of fish. Norfork Lake level is falling about 3-4 inches per day with one generator being run continuously during the day; the lake currently sits at 561.71 feet msl as of Tuesday. The surface water temperature Tuesday evening was 81.5 degrees. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves stained.
(updated 9-13-2017) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake fell 2.1 feet to rest at 5.2 feet above seasonal power pool of 555.75 feet msl and 19 feet below the top of flood pool. The is no wadable water and the water is stained. It fishes well one day and poorly the next. Navigate this stream with caution as things have changed a bit during recent flooding. There has been major gravel recruitment at the bottom of Mill Pond and the dock hole. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (sizes 18, 20, 22) like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (sizes 14, 16) like the Green Butt. Egg patterns have also been productive. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead-headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise size 10). The fishing is better in the morning. John’s favorite rig has been a cerise San Juan worm with a pheasant tail dropper (size 10). Dry Run Creek is stained but still fishing well. The hot flies have been sowbugs (size 14), Y2Ks (size 12) and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise size 10).
Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 9-13-2017) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are low and clear. With the warmer weather the smallmouths are more active. Berry’s favorite fly is a Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,124.85 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 1,121.00 msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said water is at normal levels and is clear. The surface water temperature is around 80 degrees. Bream remain fair on crickets. Crappie are slow, but a few anglers are having success slow-trolling minnows. Bass are biting well at night on spinnerbaits. During the day, switch to spoons, drop-shot rigs and topwater lures early in the morning. Catfish are biting well on live and prepared bait.
(updated 9-13-2017) Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) says the stripers are on the feed while still using summer areas for the most part, but some fish are beginning to move toward fall areas. They have been seeing some fish surfacing, so have your spoons, jigs or topwater plugs handy. Stripers are gorging on yearling shad and you may have noticed the little shad floating on the surface. Matching the hatch is key for getting more bites whether the fish you have found are feeding on the little shad, sunfish or minnows. Striper fishing will be good taken with live shad, minnows and bream fished on free lines and downlines from 10 feet down to about 45 feet. Also try trolling small umbrella rigs with white grubs or chartreuse or plugs like Rapala No. 14 husky jerks in black back or purple back colors or the 5-6-inch model of Smithwick Rogues in similar colors on downriggers or snap weights to get some depth and stagger your presentation. Night fishing with lights has also still been productive. Make sure you do not keep striper under 20 inches and not more than three stripers or hybrid or combination, walleye must be 18 inches long with a limit of four. There is no limit on white bass. Fish location is greatly influenced by lake level and current flow; current in the lake from generation will generally position fish on upstream or downstream edges of structure. Check the daily lake level and flow data link on Mike’s website.
Water surface temperatures are in the low 80s. On the mid and lower sections check out these hot spots: Point 1, Indian Creek, Dry Creek, Lost Bridge North, Point 3, Honey Creek, Lost Bridge South, Pine Log, Point 4, Big Clifty and Point 5. Check main lake structures, humps and secondary points in the area where the channel intersects. Walleye are in their summer mode and can be found from 20-30 feet deep depending on areas you fish. Three-way rigging Rapalas in natural colors for clear water or chartreuse/orange and clown colors in areas of stained water. Try Rapala Tail Dancers, Bagley Rumble B’s, Flicker shad, Bandit 300 Series and Arkie 350s in colors that include orange and chartreuse. Also try slow death rigs and spinner rigs on bottom bouncers in orange/chartreuse. Bink Pro Scale 1-ounce jigging spoons in white or white/chartreuse combo and a variety of jigs are also producing walleye.
(updated 9-06-2017) Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) said the trout bite has very good this week. The Army Corps of Engineers has been generating from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. lately. Most trout are being caught between Spider Creek and Parkers Bottom. Trout are biting on various ¼-ounce spoons and various PowerBaits fished with light terminal tackle. If you can find the right hole you can catch very nice fish in nice numbers. The water temperature in the area mentioned above has been between 54 and 58 degrees. Hybrids are being caught between Beaver town and Holiday Island pulling various Rapalas and Berkley hard baits in 6-10 feet of water. The weather has been great, so get out there and catch some fish.
(updated 9-13-2017) Beaver Dam Store reported that only one unit is running early in the morning until the evening. Anglers in boats have been catching their limits of trout while drifting PowerBait and waxworm combos. Some walleye have been caught as well using nightcrawlers in the tailwater. Fish the Bertrand and launch ramp areas just below the dam and also the Parker Bottoms area. When the water is flowing, use ¼-oz. spoons and Flicker Shad crankbaits. Good flies to try are pheasant tails, midges in blue dunn, black and olive, and hare’s ears.
War Eagle Creek
(updated 9-06-2017) Loy Lewis of War Eagle Creek Outfitting (479-530-3262) said smallmouth bass are biting soft plastics, spoons, crawdad crankbaits, and live minnows with clear bobber and crawdads caught from creek, as well as topwater poppers. Good fishing from AGFC’s Clifty Access to low-water bridge on Gar Hole Road. Float to good smallmouth bass fishing spot every half-mile and good time to do some wade fishing back up the creek!
(updated 9-13-2017) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is murky and the surface temperature is 78 to 80 degrees. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfishing is good on blood bait, worms, chicken livers, stink bait, and pretty much any other prepared bait. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms.
(updated 9-13-2017) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and at normal level. The surface water temperature is 80 degrees during the warmest part of the day. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows fished in 8 feet of water. Bass are biting well on topwater lures and soft-plastic worms. Catfishing is good on chicken livers and live bait.
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
(updated 9-06-2017) Ome Coleman at Lake Poinsett State Park reports getting a lot of phone calls asking if Lake Poinsett State Park will still be open due to the AGFC’s draining of the lake. “YES, we will be open as usual. State Parks are not the ones draining the lake. Arkansas Game & Fish are in charge of the lake. I will answer any questions I can. If I can’t, I will refer you to them,” Ome says. Now, for the fishing report: The lake is to the point that it is difficult to launch a boat. You may be able to get a small lightweight craft launched. There are some large catfish being caught as well as some very nice crappie. Ome expects that a lot of bass and bream are being caught, too. They are selling plenty of goldfish and minnows as well as worms, nightcrawlers and crickets. Happy fishing!
(updated 9-13-2017) Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is very clear and is at normal level. The surface temperature is 73 degrees. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets fished around brush piles near docks. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms and spinnerbaits fished in 10 feet of water. Catfishing is good on shad and nightcrawlers. No report on crappie.
(updated 9-06-2017) Mark Crawford with springriverfliesandguides.com (870-955-8300) said water levels are running at 300 cfs (350 avg.) and water clarity has been clear. With the river low and clear, we have had some excellent conditions for catching trout and smallmouth bass. A variety of Woolly Buggers and big nymphs have been working great. High-stick nymphing and stripping Woollies have been the hot techniques. Big white Woollies floated below an indicator has been successful for smallmouth.
(updated 9-13-2017) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said the Spring River is fishing well. This is a great place to wade fish, when they are running water on the White and Norfork rivers. Canoe season is on and there many boats on the river. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive Woolly Buggers with a bit of flash (size 10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (size 10) and Y2Ks (size 10).
(updated 9-13-2017) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is clear and 10 to 12 feet high. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass have been biting fairly well on spinnerbaits, soft-plastic worms and topwater lures in the mornings. Catfishing is fair on worms and whole shad. Walleye are fair.
SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
(updated 9-06-2017) Jennifer Albertson at Cane Creek State Park said bass are good and are biting on a variety of baits, primarily topwater lures. Bream are starting to slow down, but bream can still be caught on crickets. Crappie are just starting to pick up, but won’t hit hard until the weather cools down a bit more. Crappie are biting on shiners. No word on catfish, but they are out there if you can find them!
(updated 9-06-2017) Brandy Oliver at Lake Chicot State Park (870-265-9705) said catfish are biting at Lake Chicot on just about anything. Anglers are having luck with bass in areas with water running into or out of the lake. Spinnerbait, swimbait and crankbait have been equally effective.
(updated 8-30-2017) Angler Chris Van Duren at Lucky’s of Monticello said the city’s drawdown process has begun; the Monticello city council voted down the AGFC’s proposal to completely draw down the lake for repairs, but will draw it down partially for some work to be done to restore the habitat. Water is low right now, Chris informs. Largemouth bass can be found in shallow water and the bite is good. Use a plastic worm. White bass are schooling and will hit fair on shallow-running crankbaits. There were no reports on other species. The water is clear and the surface temperature was reading 83 degrees.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 258.77 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 259.20 msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake is near normal conservation pool t 259.5 feet msl. There is current of 3,118 CFS in Little River beginning fall drawdown according to the USACE. Water temps dropped slightly over the past week, and surface temperature Monday ranged near 73 degrees early to 80 degrees later under full sun (depending on location). Check lake level of Millwood Lake on Mike’s website helpful links page, or at the Army Corps of Engineers website for updated gate-release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels. Use caution in navigation on Millwood Lake. Clarity and visibility continues improving. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity and visibility ranged 6-15 inches. Little River’s visibility ranged 8-12 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow’s clarity ranged15-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.Cooler temperatures this week have again dropped the surface water temp and bass are schooling upriver again. Bass remain good on topwaters at dawn up to around 11 a.m. in the oxbows of Little River where creek channels dump into main river. Soft plastic fogs, buzzbaits, Stuttersteps, Baby Torpedoes, Heddon Dying Flutters, and Jitterbugs are working well. Soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads and topwater toads also are working around vegetation and lily pads. The best color Bass Assassins have been Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom, or Grey Ghost, and on the Rainbow Trout colors. Deep- and medium-diving crankbaits like the Bomber Fat Free Shad, remain working across underwater points in Little River; squarebill crankbaits continue working in creek channel swings (outer bends and deflecting off stumps) and where creek mouths and sloughs feed and dump into the oxbows. Rat-L-Trap/Echo 1.75 squarebills are still catching bass with the Gizzard Shad, Ghost Minnow, and Gold Shad being the best colors in the clearer water backwaters away from current over the past week. Nice size bass also continue biting on bulky 4″ salty tubes with black/blue tail or appleseed/chartreuse tail colors working over the past week. 10″ magnum Berkley worms are still working with best colors over the past week being black, black grape and blue fleck. White bass are back to early and mid-morning schooling activities with all the recent cloud cover and cooler daytime temps, away from river current in the oxbows. Clear baby torpedoes, Cordell crazy shads in chrome/black, Stuttersteps, Little Georges, Rocket Shads, Rooster Tails, and Rat-L-Traps in chrome or Millwood Magic are still working. Bomber medium diving crankbaits like the Fat Free Shads are also catching good numbers of Whites in the oxbows. Crappie continue improving near standing timber and planted brush in the backs of the oxbows from 12-16 feet deep on vertical jigging spoons, small paddle tail grubs, and Blakemore Roadrunners. Channel Cats are biting well on trot lines set along outer bends of the river in timber from 10-15 feet deep using Catfish Charlie, cottonseed cakes, hot dogs, and chicken livers. Yo-Yos using shiners and minnow are catching some nice cats in the oxbows underneath cypress tree limbs from 7-9 feet deep.
Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.
DeGray Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 399.80 feet msl (flood pool: 408.00 feet msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is in the mid-70s and the lake is clear throughout. Not much to report because very few are fishing due to the unsettled weather. Bass fishing is fair with only a few good catches reported. The fish are in the large shad schools early in the morning along the south side between the dam and Point 6. Look for “breaking” fish and throw topwater plugs and soft plastics such as Flukes and 3-inch swim baits. Some surface action was reported along the north side at the state park between Caddo Bend and the marina. There was also a little action occurring on the main lake points at mid-lake between Edgewood and Shouse Ford. Try medium-running crank baits worked across the points. Crappie fishing is fair on the main lake attractors between Caddo Drive and Shouse Ford. Look for brush in 18 to 25 feet of water and drop a 2 inch Kalin’s grub on a 1/16-ounce jig head. Work the lure just above the brush and completely around the attractor. Not all attractors hold fish, so just deep searching until fish are located. Early morning is best this time of year. Hybrids are scattered and due to the cooler water have pretty much vacated the depths of the deep thermocline. The best bet now is to look for schooling fish early in the morning. Best areas have been between Points 2 and 6. Also look around the islands across from the State Park Lodge. Throw most any small topwater plug over the school. When the fish go down, work a jigging spoon up through the deeper fish. No reports on bream or catfish.
(updated 9-06-2017) John Duncan of YoYoGuideService.com at Iron Mountain Marina said the lake is clear throughout. Water level is low at 400.04 feet msl as of Tuesday. Water temperature is in the low 80s. It looks like the fall bite is about here. Some reports of crappie being caught in some areas in around Lennox Marcus and Arlie Moore. Around deep brush piles, fish slow with minnows deep in brush. Drop-shot is good for the penetration of piles. Black bass are still on the points. Fishing Texas Rigs and early morning topwater action both are still working, but are slower. Use black Colorado spinnerbaits in darkness. Schooling fish have slowed some. Shouse Ford reported Tuesday nothing on the surface. What fish that are surfacing stay up only a brief time and are hard to get a bite on. Bream are slow now that the weather is changing. The weather this weekend should help us turn the curve to the fall bite. Be safe and watch out for others.
(updated 9-06-2017) Capt. Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips said it’s an early fall crappie season. The crappie are starting to move up on the brush piles. Minnows and jigs fished 10-15 feet deep will produce.
(updated 9-06-2017) Greeson Marine, dealer of the Arkansas born-and-bred Xpress all-welded aluminum fishing boat in Hot Springs, reports that as of Labor Day weekend the water was clear with 8 feet visibility in most sections. The water temp varies from 81.5 degrees near the southern dam to 84 degrees as you move northwest up the lake. Spotted bass are clinging to sloping rocks and boulder fields in 15 feet of water or less and readily taking shad swimbaits in the mornings. The dams themselves are a good place to start early. Largemouth bass have moved off the rocks on most points and have placed themselves in ambush positions on partially submerged shoals with submerged grass and brush piles near river and creek channels. Look for the 15-feet mark on your sonar near creeks and start marking brush piles. Piles can be scarce, so you can bet on fish stacked up on them when found. Large black, watermelon and pumpkinseed worms and tubes (Carolina rigged or Texas rigged) should yield good, hard strikes. Good luck out there!
(updated 9-13-2017) Phillip Kastner of Trader Bill’s said the hybrid bite picked up on topwater lures fished in open water last weekend with the cool weather.
Dierks Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 525.92 feet msl (flood pool: 526.00 feet msl).
(updated 8-30-2017) Angler Kerry Forga visited last weekend and gave us a report from Dierks. He and his wife had a great time on Dierks and camped at Blue Ridge camping area, which was perfect for kayak fishing the river. He notes that though he’s not a crappie fisherman, he’s trying to learn and caught 10 on Saturday with the average size about 12-14 –inches. Caught them all on a small crankbait. His wife was throwing a perch color while Kerry was throwing a white/black back. He says they probably caught 50 bass ranging 6-10-inches, with only a couple of keeper bass, between them. On Sunday, nothing would hit the crankbait so they switched to a Monk Minnow in Acid Rain color. They only caught a few “but WOW, what big ones they were,” he said. They spoke with a few guys camping who said they had been catching a few scattered using minnows but the fish had to be in 14 feet of water. The Forgas were upriver and seemed to catch the best in 8-10 feet and always near brushtops.
SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal
(updated 9-06-2017) Sportsman’s One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said bass are still biting on top water and soft plastics. Very few reports on bream, crappie and catfish. Water is still low, so be cautious when boating.
(updated 9-06-2017) Sportsman’s One Stop (870-863-7248) said the only report they’ve heard is a few bream being caught.
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Lake Atkins
(updated 9-13-2017) Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water is clear and at normal level. The surface water temperature is 81 degrees. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and topwater lures. Catfishing is fair on live bait.
Lake Catherine
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro.
(updated 9-06-2017) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 63 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace. The lake is now at normal summertime pool with Entergy scheduling 10-hour generation periods each day to help maintain lake levels. Boaters and anglers should use caution approaching the dam when the flow is at its highest peak. Fast currents and possible open floodgates are dangerous and keeping the proper distance from the area is vital for safety. Life jackets should be worn at all times. Rainbow trout fishing is extremely slow, which is the norm for this time of year. The bite is very slow and patience is key regardless of the techniques used. Live bait presentations are best presented under a bobber or just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater. Redworms, nightcrawlers, waxworms or mealworms are an excellent choice along with live minnows and crickets. Artificial lures are nonproductive as hundreds of thousands of threadfin shad have migrated into the area to spawn. Summer trout fishing requires stealth and patience as the fish are extremely wary and the bite lasts for only a few hours. White bass are in the tailrace and are being caught on live minnows tight-lined over deep water below the bridge. In periods of current flow, jerkbaits in a black/silver pattern have worked well over rock structure and sandbars. These fish are in and out of the tailrace most of the summer season. Stripers have migrated into the tailrace to feed on the shad migration. Fish in the 20–pound class have been observed feeding below the bridge in the late evening while the floodgates are open. Anglers should downsize their techniques to match the forage. Smaller Alabama rigs and jigs are much more effective now than earlier in the spring. Casting weightless soft plastics perfectly match the injured shad drawn through the open gate flow. Strong lines and rods are highly recommended as many of these large predator fish are in excess of 20 pounds and are ferocious fighters when hooked. Anyone navigating the Carpenter Dam tailrace is urged to be aware of the generation schedules and always follow all park and lake regulations.
(updated 9-06-2017) Charles Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-647-9945) said water temperature is in the mid-80s. Water clarity is good in the river with a few dingy creeks. Bass have been scattered and hard to catch with overabundance of bait. Go with frogs in the lily pads, buzzbaits on the outside of the grass line, Rat-L-Traps on points. Use scam shad in the shallows and over the top of the grass. Squarebill crankbaits around rock. White bass and stripers have been good on spinnerbaits, topwater pop baits, spoons and crankbaits. Crappie fishing has been excellent 6-10 feet deep using minnows and white jigs. Bream have been excellent around trees with mayflies, and around grassy rock using redworms, crickets and grasshoppers. Catfish have been fair off of steep drops just inside of river pockets. Use cut shad, skipjack or perch.
(updated 8-30-2017) Greeson Marine, home of the original, Arkansas-bred-and-built all-welded Xpress fishing boats, is reporting an upward climb in numbers of fish being taken in the last 10 days. Breaking fish are schooling in the mornings around small fingerling shad. The bass being caught (mainly spotted bass in the 2-pound-or-less range) are gorged with these small baitfish. Small Flukes, jerkbaits and spoons should put fish in the boat. Black bass are doing well also as of lately. Color and size patterns in worms and tubes that have produced all summer are still working well. Large ribbon-tail worms in black, watermelon seed and tequila sunrise and tubes in watermelon red and June bug are still on. Points and well-covered ambush points for easy prey are the go-to right now in 15 feet of water depth. As the water cools the fish will begin to pile up on rocky points and structure waiting for baitfish to come by. Start cleaning up your stick baits, folks. Good luck and good fishing.
Lake Nimrod
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 342.76 feet msl (full pool: 342.00 feet msl).
(updated 9-13-2017) Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-272-4025) said the water is dingy and at normal level. The surface water temperature is 78 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is slow; only a few fish are biting on minnows. Bass are fair on spinnerbiats and soft-plastic worms. One angler had a 18-pound 5-bass limit in a local tournament last Saturday. Catfishing is slow on live worms. White bass are fair.
(updated 9-06-2017) Good Ole Boys Trading Post (479-272-4710) says anglers have come back out and have found the water clear and now at a normal level. The bream bite is fair. Worms and crickets are both working. Crappie are fair on minnows. Anglers are using plastic worms to get a fair bite from bass. Catfishing reports were poor.
Lake Ouachita
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 569.90 feet msl (full pool: 578.00 feet msl).
(updated 8-30-2017) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out of state) said black bass are still slow and being caught with crankbaits fished near ledges and humps. Walleye are still slow and being caught on spoons or bottom bouncers on main lake humps and points near brush. Stripers are slow on live bait or big hair jigs. The eastern end of the lake is the best area for these fish. Bream are fair to good in water 20-25 feet deep on crickets and worms. No report on crappie. Catfish are still very good on live bait, stink bait and hot dogs with trotline or jugs. Try depths of 20-30 feet. Water temperature is ranging 80-84 degrees. Clarity is clear. Call the Mountain Harbor guides – Mike Wurm (501-622-7717), Chris Darby (870-867-7822) or Jerry Bean (501-282-6104) – for more information.
(updated 9-13-2017) Phillip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports noted on US97 that the water is in the upper 70s right now. The vegetation looks fantastic and most of the fish are still in the grass instead of out on the humps right now. With highs in the 80s and a lot of cloud cover that we’ve seen you could fish topwater for bass literally all day and Trader Bill’s is selling a lot of topwater baits right now. The crappie are responding to the cooler temperatures a little, and they’ll be moving shallower as the water cools.
(updated 8-30-2017) Greeson Marine, home of the original, Arkansas-bred-and-built all-welded Xpress fishing boats, is reporting an upward climb in numbers of fish being taken in the last 10 days. Breaking fish are schooling in the mornings around small fingerling shad. The bass being caught (mainly spotted bass in the 2-pound-or-less range) are gorged with these small baitfish. Small Flukes, jerkbaits and spoons should put fish in the boat. Black bass are doing well also as of lately. Color and size patterns in worms and tubes that have produced all summer are still working well. Large ribbon-tail worms in black, watermelon seed and tequila sunrise and tubes in watermelon red and June bug are still on. Points and well-covered ambush points for easy prey are the go-to right now in 15 feet of water depth. As the water cools the fish will begin to pile up on rocky points and structure waiting for baitfish to come by. Start cleaning up your stick baits, folks. Good luck and good fishing.
EAST ARKANSAS
(updated 9-13-2017) Professional guide Ronnie Tice of Horseshoe Lake Guide Service (901-687-6800) had no report.
(updated 9-06-2017) Natalie Faughn, ranger at Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040), said there has been little to report. Not too many anglers out that she has been able to catch up with and get a good report from. She hopes this cooler weather will bring them back out – and the fish along with it.
(updated 9-06-2017) Natalie Faughn, ranger at Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040), had no reports. There has not been much activity on the lake.
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Apr. 18, 2024
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