Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Fishing Report

October 22, 2026

Jim Harris

Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

Usually it’s only trout we’re hearing about being caught around Calico Rock on the White River, but the very low water of late has drawn in largemouth and smallmouth bass who want to get in on the feeding action. That’s resulted in some good largemouth being caught in that area, including this one by guide Jeff Wallace of J&J Trout Guides this past week. Thanks to Dave McCulley for sending us the photo.

Join the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation for the inaugural Legacy Lunker Awards Banquet at 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at the North Little Rock Event Center to celebrate the next era in trophy bass management in The Natural State! Click here to reserve your ticket now.

Reports are updated weekly, although some reports may be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed. Contact the reporter listed for the lake or stream you plan to fish for current news. 

Arkansas River and White River levels are available at: https://www.weather.gov/lzk/wxcntl4.htm
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: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/state/Arkansas/
Download the Fish Brain app and follow AGFC at: https://join.fishbrain.com/agfc-page

Quick links to regions:

• Central Arkansas
• North Arkansas
• Northwest Arkansas
• Northeast Arkansas
• Southeast Arkansas
• Southwest Arkansas
• South-Central Arkansas
• West-Central Arkansas
• East Arkansas

Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir (under renovation) and Nursery Pond

(updated 10-22-2026) AGFC staff in Mayflower note that while Lake Conway is drawn down for renovation, the Lake Conway Nursery Pond provides a nice fishing opportunity for area anglers, and as the weather begins to cool, it should provide a good fishing destination for families. The 70-acre pond has been stocked by the AGFC with mature bass, crappie, catfish and bream (as well as rainbow trout for the cold weather months).

According to AGFC Fisheries staff, there have definitely been times where it is getting a bunch of use and people are catching bream and smaller bass. 

Lake Conway renovation is proceeding on schedule. Click here for the latest news update.

Little Red River

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Greers Ferry Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website or by calling (501) 362-5150). Also check the Southwestern Power Administration website to see the forecast generation schedule.

NOTE: Trout limits for the Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam changed in early 2026. Anglers may keep two trout daily; trout 14 inches or longer must be released immediately. This rule is in effect until further notice.

(updated 10-22-2026) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) said, “Finally, fall has arrived here in Arkansas! After the excessive heat we dealt with all summer, it sure feels good to have some cooler weather. Daytime temperatures have been in the 70s and 80s, with nighttime lows in the 50s and 60s. With the cooler temperatures, power demand has dropped off, and that has meant a big change in the generation schedule on the Little Red River.
Over the last couple of weeks, the Southwestern Power Administration has been running a pretty consistent schedule, usually running two units for around two to four hours a day, generally starting somewhere around 5 or 6 in the evening. As always, generation schedules can change, so be sure to check the USACE Little Rock app before heading out to see what the current water releases are.

“With the current generation schedule, we’re seeing excellent wadeable water throughout the river. If I were fishing on foot, I’d start around JFK Park or Swinging Bridge access. Both areas receive plenty of stocking and can offer some great opportunities when the water conditions are right.

“For fishing from the boat, I’ve been spending most of my time fishing the deeper sections of the river, especially around the moss beds and anywhere there is steady current.
“Fall weather has really just arrived over the last couple of weeks, but the fish are still wanting that deeper water. That’s not to say you won’t find fish in the shoals, but with the decreased flows, I’ve been finding more fish in the deeper sections and in the plunge pools below the shoals.
“The fishing has been best early in the morning, when we’re still seeing some flow from the previous night’s generation. We’ve also been having some good late-afternoon and evening fishing. On those warm, sunny afternoons, small midges have been coming off up and down the river, and you’ll see fish rising and breaking the surface. The hot flies lately have been San Juan Worms, egg patterns and midge patterns.
“It’s a great time of year to be on the Little Red. The temperatures are finally comfortable, the river is in great shape, and the fall fishing is just getting started. Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather while we’ve got it! And if you’d like to learn how to fly fish or want to get out on the river with a guide, give me a call.”

Greers Ferry Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow report from Greers Ferry Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website. 

No reports.

Harris Brake Lake

(updated 10-15-2026) Bing Watkins at Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) said one angler has caught some nice largemouth bass. She estimated the bigger ones near 3-4 pounds. She hears that a floating jig is working best for them. The bite is picking up in the morning and then later in the evening. Another angler out early in the morning on a boat this week caught a few crappie that were about 11½ inches in length. He was in the “deeper” area of the lake, although the lake is still very low now.

The area saw some rain on Wednesday and after it concluded, that’s when a good bite started up again.

“You can see some bass moving around, chasing shad near the shoreline,” Bing said. “It’s still way too low. The local people say they haven’t seen the lake this low before.” She added that it is very stumpy, and while you’ll still be able to get a boat into the lake with no problem, she urges caution moving around the lake. Trolling motors would be best now.

Some baby bream are being caught now, she added, but with the low water, most of the activity is around the shoreline. Nobody has talked about catfish in over two weeks, she said.

For more updates, follow Harris Brake Lake Resort on its Facebook page.

Lake Overcup
No reports.

Brewer Lake

(update 10-15-2026) AGFC staff note that several people have been calling in recent weeks, asking about the launchability at Brewer Lake. Nick Feltz, supervisor in the Mayflower office, said, “You can definitely still launch from the south ramp, but the lake is really low and folks need to use extreme caution.”

Brewer Lake is a good getaway in the fall for crappie fishing as well as picking up some decent-sized largemouth bass. For crappie, focus on coves in the northern portion of the lake. Look for bass as temperatures fall around secondary points and isolated brush. Anglers may keep up to 10 largemouths, but only one of those may exceed 16 inches.

Lake Maumelle

(updated 10-22-2026) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reports that the front launch ramp and the back launch ramp were both temporarily closed due to the low water levels. Lake Maumelle is down 12.17 feet below normal pool. The surface water temperature is 71 degrees.

Arkansas River at Morrilton

For the real-time water flow at the Ormond Lock and Dam and Morrilton stage level, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website. 

Little Maumelle River

(update 10-15-2026) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the water is normal. The crappie have begun to bite again. They’ll bite at 3 feet on jigs — “probably can catch them on minnows, too,” Ray said, “but I’m only hearing about jigs.” Fish in 6 feet of water around the trees.
Black bass are still biting. Soft plastics and crankbaits are the best bets to catch them. They’re still biting in 2-3 feet of water.
One interesting idea Ray tossed out is for catfish anglers to try throwing noodles with persimmons on hooks under the persimmon trees, and you’ll catch all the catfish you want he said. Also, liver and worms, as well as hot dogs, will work. Folks are catching good-sized channel and blue cats now in the 3- to 5-pound range.

Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
For the real-time water flow at the Toad Suck Lock and Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website. 

Arkansas River (Little Rock Area Pools)

For the real-time water flow at the Murray Lock and Dam and David D. Terry Lock and Dam, as well as the Little Rock pool stage level, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Peckerwood Lake 

(updated 10-15-2026) Donna Mulherin at Herman’s Landing (501-626-6899) said crappie is the No. 1 target now on a lake that keeps dropping lower.

“It’s really low,” she said. Donna has lived around the lake since 1976 (her granddad Jess Herman started Herman’s Landing) and says this is the lowest she’s seen Peckerwood since probably 2015.

Anglers need to get their fishing in these next two weeks, as Peckerwood closes to fishing on Oct. 31 and serves as a waterfowl rest area through duck season.

Anglers are able to get out on the lake even at its low level, but it’s mostly johnboats, plastic boats and the like with trolling motors. Some have tried bigger boats with bigger motors but they aren’t running the big motors, she said. It’s plenty stumpy now.

But that’s just right for crappie fishing. They’ll bite jigs and minnows around those stumps. Some catfish are being caught, but it’s only accidental for the anglers who have their sights set on crappie.

“They’re fishing for nothing but crappie.”

White River

NOTE: Trout limits for the White River below Bull Shoals Dam were changed in February by the AGFC and effective until further notice. From the dam to the Norfork Access boat ramp, anglers may keep two rainbow trout daily; all trout 14 inches or longer must be released immediately. From the Norfork Access boat ramp to Arkansas Highway 58 (at Guion), anglers may keep two trout of any species; only one may be longer than 14 inches. Brook trout must be 14 inches or longer to keep; brown, cutthroat and tiger trout must be 24 inches or longer to keep.

Cotter Area
(updated 10-22-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “We have been treated to some mercurial weather this October, and with those changes in temperature come changes in water releases from Bull Shoals Dam: minimum flow during the morning hours, rising to three to four units (9,000 to 12,000 cfs) late in the day, due mostly to power demands with the colder weather. Bull Shoals Lake is 6 feet below power pool and still dropping.
“The brown bite has been less than terrific with the onset of the annual spawn, but we’re still seeing some action with sculpin. Be careful not to disturb the spawning beds (the redds) if you motor through those areas around Rim Shoals or on either side of the catch-and-release area.
“There’s been a whole lot of excitement regarding the average size of our rainbows. Every day we hear about numerous 17-inch rainbows measured and returned to the river to gain more girth and length. They’ve been feisty and paying most attention to orange baits. PowerBait orange eggs are the running favorite for two weeks, paired with a bead of shrimp or alone. Lures with orange bellies were favored, too. However, the jig anglers found most success with brown or brown/orange-colored jigs, one-sixteenth- or one-eighth-ounce, depending on water depth.
“This October has been spectacular for warm, shirtsleeve days, but the morning chill feels like autumn is finally here. We’ve been promised more sunshine and temperate days to continue for a while. Come visit Cotter; catch your share of rainbows and enjoy the beauty of our Natural State.”

Calico Rock Area
(updated 10-22-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “With cooler weather, we are seeing lower water conditions. The mornings have been chilly with afternoon temperatures in the mid- to upper 70s. Sunday through Tuesday the water levels were between 2-3 feet. Wednesday morning, we saw lower water in the morning with water rising midday and cresting around 4 feet. We continue to have success throwing quarter-ounce spoons, Rapala Countdowns CD5 in brown trout and rainbow trout colors, and Dynamic HD Trout in ghost brown. 

“Drift-fishing continues to work well with Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp. Neo Pink and Blue eggs seemed to work the best.
“The same lures we have been using for trout have also resulted in both smallmouth and largemouth bass being caught. The bass fishing this fall has been good with the bass moving into the river to feed during the low water.” 

Bull Shoals Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Bull Shoals Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

(updated 10-22-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302), delcolvinfishing.com, said Bull Shoals has been a little stingy with the fall transition. Tournament weights have been a little low lately. The water temperature is definitely dropping, with the temp at 71 degrees give or take (5 degrees less than last week). The lake level is 653 feet, almost 6 feet below pool level. The bite hasn’t changed much. It’s still junk fishing but starting to get better. The lake is turning over. Powerfishing has been slow; better have wind/clouds/rain/stain. There are definitely some fish up shallow. Look for shallow brushpiles, bushes, anything to flip a Beaver, jig or worm in the backs of the right creeks with any kind of flow. If it’s the right conditions, you will most likely notice bait fish. Try a toad, buzzbait or Plopper on shallow, windblown banks while covering water. 

The topwater has been hit or miss. A lot of shad have moved up toward the surface as they are moving back into the creeks. Try topwaters like a Spook or Pop-R-style bait if you find them busting. Those fish have been moving in schools and are moving fast! Take your favorite minnow or Jewel Shad Spoon or Tater Shad to look at them.
Now that the bait is moving, there’s bass activity in the shad. If the conditions are postfrontal, flat water, high pressure and bluebirds it will get really tough. I will slow down and drop-shot with a Robo in suspended schools. The half-ounce Jewel football jig in green pumpkin orange or PB&J is working. Try sitting off of deep points dragging the long points with Craw baits in brushpiles or timber tops on bluffs and bluff ends. Also check out the steeper banks in the creeks around shad.

“It’s that time of year to keep moving, hitting as many spots as possible. The bait is moving and so are the fish. Remember: Fish the Conditions!”
Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Fishing Report) or delcolvinfishing.com for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.

(updated 10-22-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) reports that fall transition is occurring on the lower end of the lake. Schools of fish seem to be breaking up into smaller, tighter packed pods and are roaming. Where they were today might not be where they are tomorrow. Follow the wind and start looking for the first holding sites in that direction. Some good fish are still being caught suspended 5 feet off the bottom in 35-45 feet of water along with a lot of undersized fish holding closer to the bottom. We noticed fish closer to the lower end of the lake seem to be a few feet deeper than the mid-lake areas. Fishing has been fair to good this past week. Schools of walleyes still have not been hard to find, but you need to work them over with different methods to get them to respond.

Fish are holding on flatter points with deep water on one side.
Look for fish on tips of long points as well as the sides that are close to the sharper drop-off.

Main lake and secondary points have been producing fish during the day. Fishing slowly this week has still been the key to picking up better-size fish. Fisher shallower in the early mornings and on cloudy days in 35-37 feet of water and deeper in 35-40 feet of water if there is little or no wind or cloud cover. Casting jigging spoons in the white, chrome or blue color spoons and jigging Rapalas in the blue and chrome or Helsinki color, half-ounce to three-quarter-ounce size, into 30 feet of water and working it back out into 40 feet has been working. Drop-shotting live crawlers around the offshore side of brushpiles in 32-37 feet is working.

Bottom-bouncing has slowed down. One-eight-ounce jig and half crawler or drop-shotting a live crawler is a better bet for catching walleye. 

If trolling, try shad-style and small banana-style baits like No. 7 Flicker Shads or No. 9 Flicker Minnow in natural colors trolled in 40-50 feet of water at speeds of 1.5 to 1.8 mph. That seems to be working best. 

(updated 10-22-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) reports that fishing for crappie has been productive on the main lake on timber and brushpiles mainly with live bait in 25-30 feet. Some days are definitely more productive than others. 

Norfork Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Norfork Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

No reports.

Norfork Tailwater

Note: On Feb. 1, 2026, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission changed trout limits for Norfork tailwater. Anglers in the Norfork tailwater may keep two rainbow trout daily; all trout 14 inches or longer must be released immediately.

Beaver Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Beaver Lake Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

(updated 10-22-2026) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake level is at 1,112.27 feet msl and is dropping around a half-foot per week. Water temperature is ranging in the upper 60s to low 70s. depending on where you are on the lake.
“This cooler weather will start to pay dividends in the coming weeks. All fish should wake up soon and the bite should get much better.
“Stripers are still good and located from Prairie Creek down to the dam. This will certainly change as water cools, and fish will start migration toward the south end of the lake .
“Crappie are fair and located in brush for the most part. Look at the 15- to 20-foot level.
“White bass starting to school up around Point 12 and Camp War Eagle. There are also schools of spotted bass mixed in.
“Walleye are pulling their disappearing act, as they do during the lake turnover. You can catch them, but you need to look shallow to deep, 10-40 feet, as the fish are hard to pattern.
“Catfish are still good on jugs and trotlines.
“Nice weather and beautiful scenery. Get out and enjoy! Good luck!”

Visit Jon’s Facebook page for the latest updates between weekly reports at FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR.

Beaver Tailwater

NOTE: The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission changed trout limits for the White River below Bull Shoals Dam, effective Feb. 1, 2026, due to significant loss of stocking population at two Arkansas hatcheries in 2025. Anglers may keep two trout daily; all trout 14 inches or longer must be released immediately. This rule is in effect until further notice.

(updated 10-22-2026) Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) says, “Water conditions on the Beaver tailwater remain low, and we could certainly use some much-needed rainfall. With limited water flow, anglers are having to work a little harder to locate fish. The key to success right now is to stay mobile, cover water and concentrate on the deeper holes where trout are holding.
“The good news is that the brown trout bite is beginning to pick up as we move further into fall. Early mornings and late evenings are providing some of the better opportunities, particularly for anglers targeting larger browns.
“Rainbow trout are still being caught, although the bite can be inconsistent. Pautzke Fire Bait, small spoons, jigs and other smaller presentations are worth trying. With the low, clear water, lighter line and longer casts can make a noticeable difference.

“Anglers should also experiment with different depths and retrieves. If fish aren’t cooperating in one location, don’t be afraid to move. Finding productive water is especially important under these conditions.
“Walleye remain another opportunity farther downstream toward Holiday Island. Focus on deeper areas and keep your presentations close to the bottom.”
Guide’s Tip: Fall can produce some excellent trout fishing on the Beaver Tailwaters. Pay close attention to changing water conditions, approach fishing areas quietly, and take advantage of the lower-light periods. As water temperatures continue to cool, expect brown trout activity to improve.
For additional information, bi-weekly Beaver tailwater and Beaver Lake fishing reports can be found on the Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service website.

Lake Charles

(updated 10-22-2026) Marsha Robinson at Lake Charles State Park (870-878-6595) says that fishing picked up this past week for all species, likely as a result of the falling temperatures. Surface water temperature on Monday morning was a nice 62.7 degrees. The lake is still very low, only about 4.5 feet, or 8 feet below normal pool. Though the lake is annually a source for the water pumped into the AGFC’s Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA and its greentree reservoirs, it has not recovered all year from last year’s lowering due to drought conditions.
Crappie were good, with anglers along the shoreline having best success using jigs and worms. Black bass were fair; try a soft plastic worm, or go with a Chatterbait. Two weeks ago, an angler hauled in a bass in the 5- to 6-pound range.
Catfish have been providing the most consistent bite of late, and that continued this past week. Results were good, with worms and stink bait working best for both shoreline anglers and those who were out on boats.

Bream results were poor. However, the full moon is coming up and that bite might pick up even with water temps falling.

Lake Poinsett

(updated 10-15-2026) Jonathan Wagner, superintendent at Lake Poinsett State Park, in his most recent report said, “Lake Poinsett has been slower fishing-wise, but the bream are still biting. No reports for crappie or bass. There have been some reports of catfish caught on lines set out overnight.
“The heat has definitely been a factor negatively impacting anglers as of late, but they are definitely still tossing out lines.
“The Lake Poinsett State Park visitor center is open 8 a.m. -5 p.m. daily for bait sales: minnows, nightcrawlers, redworms, waxworms, dip and dough baits, and more bait and tackle.”

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality earlier this week issued a warning for algae bloom on Lake Poinsett. The area of focus earlier this week was on the eastern side, and while the bloom is not considered dangerous, anglers are urged to use caution handling fish, while swimmers are urged to steer clear of the posted year.

Micah Tindall, an AGFC fisheries biologist in Jonesboro, said a small amount of surface algae was found during a routine inspection. ADEQ was notified and a follow-up inspection by ADEQ confirmed the algae bloom. The warning will stay in place until two all-clear inspections by ADEQ, and those inspections are made every 10-14 days.

Fishing is safe, and eating the fish from the lake is safe with some minor precautions. Clean your fish well with potable water and eat the fillet portion only. Boaters also should adhere to the Clean, Drain and Dry policy of the AGFC and to the rules on boat drain plugs.

Spring River

(updated 10-8-2026) Mark Crawford with springriverfliesandguides.com (870-955-8300) said water level is at 220 cfs (350 is average at the Spring River) and water clarity is clear. The river remains very low. Low and clear conditions can make for a good time with dry flies or nymphs. Plenty of bug hatches most mornings of caddis and mayflies. Hopper dropper can be good with egg or worm dropper. 

“The river is so low now, you’ve just got to find a deeper green pool to find the fish. Sight fishing is great right now with the low and clear clarity. On the tough days, the trout are usually biting on nymphs; a smaller nymph or a midge is the trick. Below a waterfall and in the deeper areas, a Woolly fished deep is the trick.
“Jim Hinkle Spring River Fish Hatchery is stocking really nice rainbows in the river, but with the super low-water conditions the trout are having trouble hiding from predators. A big osprey had a nice trout the other morning in its talons — the trout looked right at me for help as they flew by, but I could not help him. 

“The ‘canoe hatch’ is officially over. Fall fishing season is here. It has been very quiet and peaceful on the water. Hopefully rain arrives soon. We’ve had record low-water levels on the Spring River. We may have to put wheels on our boats. Easy wading with the low water, and the rocks are still very slick. Be safe out there. The Spring River is always nice and cold. Just be safe wading; those rocks are slick.” 

Crawford’s website includes regular updates on his blog along with videos and photos. Check it out.

White River

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time gauge level and flow from the White River stages at Batesville, Newport and Augusta and all other sites within the White River basin in Arkansas, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)

For the real-time water flow at the Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam and Maynard Lock and Dam, as well as the Pine Bluff pool stage level, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Cane Creek Lake

(updated 10-22-2026) Shelley Burr at Cane Creek State Park, (870-628-4714) reports that the lake is very low and overrun with lily pads. She said they only had two anglers out this week.
Cane Creek Lake is a 1,700-acre lake in Lincoln County that was built in 1986 and is owned and managed by the AGFC. It is stocked with bass, crappie, bream and catfish. The visitor center offers a pier. The lake has always had abundant floating and submerged aquatic vegetation. Increased focus recently on invasive aquatic species at the lake led to the discovery of the Cuban bulrush.
AGFC district staff also are working to manage other vegetation, such as American lotus, water lily, water shield and hydrilla, that have reached undesirable levels for anglers and biologists at Cane Creek Lake, AGFC staff report.

Lake Monticello
(updated 10-22-2026) This one-time great trophy bass destination when it first opened in the 1990s appears headed back to that designation again, based on what anglers have been catching in the past few months since regulations were eased on bass and crappie. Two bass over 10 pounds were pulled out during the spring, one qualifying for the AGFC’s Legacy Lunker program before the March 31 cutoff. And AGFC biologists say the lake is trending in the right direction with ample forage stocked after its renovation. Catch rates in spring sampling exceeded both the regional average and the 2025 numbers. The survey produced bass in the 6-pound range, but AGFC staff continue to track and value reports from local anglers who have documented catches of 8 pounds and larger.
The lake’s forage base is booming. The staff observed a high abundance of threadfin shad, redear sunfish and bluegill earlier this year, and that means more fuel for growth for the sport fish like bass and crappie.
The AGFC approved fishing regulations for 2026 regarding the harvest of sport fish on Lake Monticello. Anglers may keep five bass, but only one bass may be 16 inches or more in length. Anglers may harvest 15 crappie, but only seven crappie may be longer than 12 inches. All other fish creel limits follow state regulations for the species.

Lake Chicot
(updated 10-22-2026) Shaun Mercer at Lake Chicot State Park said the water temperature has cooled to 68-72 degrees and the crappie are starting to turn on. The key has been 8 feet of water. Anglers are catching them on Bobby Garland Baby Shad on a white jighead, and Mercer said he’s only seen people using jigs — no shiners. One angler came in with about 32 slab crappie after fishing all day through a slow bite. That morning they’d met a man who fished a few hours before daylight and wore the crappie out in 8 feet of water. “Anything that looks like a shad or a minnow, or anything white, seems to be what they want,” Mercer said.

Bass are still good on topwater. Watermelon seed plastic worms are working, and anglers throwing swimbaits with chartreuse skirts and white tails have had good luck.

Catfish are still biting well in 4-5 feet of water. If you can get your hands on shad, the big ones are hitting it right now. Anglers are catching them tight-lining, running yo-yos and on limblines, but the biggest fish are coming from the middle of the lake on pool noodles.

No bream reports this week.

The marina at Lake Chicot State Park, run by Keith O’Loghlin (870-265-5480), is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The marina will close for the fall and winter beginning Oct. 31.

Crappie shorter than 10 inches must be released immediately on Lake Chicot, Connerly Bayou downstream of Connerly Dam, and Ditch Bayou from Lake Chicot downstream to Ditch Bayou Dam. The crappie daily limit is 20.

White River/Arkansas River (Pool 2)/Trusten Holder WMA
(updated 10-22-2026) Webb’s Sporting Goods (870-946-0347) in DeWitt (1970 S. Whitehead Drive) said the White River, the waters in Trusten Holder WMA and surrounding backwaters offer fall fishing opportunities. For crappie, try jigs and minnows around brush and deeper structure. For bass, shad-colored crankbaits and soft plastics around channel edges will work best. Catfish will take to cut bait and worms in deeper holes and oxbows.
Last week, we noted that anglers were reporting good catfish catches in the deeper oxbows throughout the Dale Bumpers White River Refuge.

At Trusten Holder WMA, the bass and crappie fishing has been productive in the fishable backwaters and along channel edges. Crappie anglers are finding success with blue-and-black or red-and-black Texas-rigged worms. Shad-colored crankbaits were producing good results with the bass, especially along channel edges and in accessible backwaters.

In and around the White River at Clarendon, crappie anglers can try jigs and minnows around brush and deeper structure. Bass anglers have told us there are opportunities around shad concentrations, while catfish anglers can try the dependable cut bait and worms along those deeper holes and channel edges there.

Also, don’t forget about the areas around St. Charles that are worth scouting now. Darker-colored jigs seem to work around brush and channel edges for crappie there. Look at using a shad-colored crankbait or soft plastics near deeper drop-offs for bass.

“Come see us at Webb’s in DeWitt for your hunting, fishing and outdoor needs. Thanks!”

Wilson Lake
(updated 10-22-2026) Angler Shaun Mercer reported that Wilson Lake, between Portland and Montrose, is extremely low. “There’s not enough boat ramp to launch your boat,” he said. Anglers should not plan on launching until water levels come back up.

Millwood Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow report from Millwood Lake Dam, visit the Corps Little Rock office website.

(updated 10-22-2026) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Millwood Lake elevation as of Wednesday was nearly at normal pool and stable, 259.3 feet msl. Millwood Lake Dam was releasing about 700 cfs, and tailwater is near 225 feet and stable. Surface temps over the past week ranged from 71 degrees early to 78 degrees later in the day along Little River. Clarity along Little River continues clearing up with reduced river current. Little River clarity ranging 10-20 inches visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility in the oxbows is improved, ranging 18-35 inches in many locations

The Army Corps of Engineers has cleared a bank fishing area at Beards Lake, while a brand-new restroom/shower facility has recently been installed there.
Siefert offered these fishing specifics from the past week:
* With these cooler nights and early morning chilled air and cold fronts coming through recently, we are noting a lot more largemouth bass activity as they continue chasing threadfin shad. The biggest change in activity levels since last week are where the bass are forcing shad to the surface on primary and secondary points, as well as creek channel dumps into the oxbows. We are also seeing a lot more schooling activity on threadfin shad with the white bass this week up Little River near Cemetery Slough, Brown’s Slough (between McGuire Lake entrance along Little River) and Wilton Landing.
The best activity is at mid-morning. Creek bend sections of the creek channels continue holding fish on stumps from 5-12 feet depth. Bass reactions to a variety of topwater baits continue to improve up and throughout mid-morning, with good reactions on many topwater lures like the Heddon Dying Flutters in Coach Dog and chrome, while Cordell Crazy Shads in chrome/black back continue randomly bringing topwater explosions, along with Bass Assassin Shads in Houdini and Salt & Pepper silver phantom colors when the schooling activities move shallow and into remaining lily pad stands. Many of the bass are still roaming and pulling up onto the flats, running shad into lily pad stands, mostly randomly from 9 a.m. until noon. These bass will hit soft plastic frogs, Bass Assassin jerk baits and quarter-ounce Rat-L-Traps with a tail spinner in lily pad stands and emergent vegetation where you have flats from 4-8 feet deep dropping off into structure of 10-15 feet, where standing timber is broken off.
* White bass continue chasing shad around the oxbows from 5-9 feet of depth, schooling with the largemouths. Anglers are finding large schools of whites in McGuire oxbow, schooling with the largemouths near standing timber in creek mouths, near vertical structure, and in creek channel dumps into the oxbow near back of McGuire and in front of standing timber. Random schooling was taking place from daylight until around 10 a.m. to noon, with shad pods breaking as the whites were pushing them to the surface. 

Red Rooster Tails, H&H Spinnerbaits, Hammered Cordell Chrome Spoons with a white/smoke colored bucktail, Little George’s, Rocket Shads, quarter-ounce Tail Spinner Rat-L-Traps, Norman Little N and Speed N Crankbaits (in Millwood Magic, Holy Shad, EVOO and Olive Blue colors) and Little Cleo’s were all randomly catching fish over several days in McGuire.

* The crappie bite has been good for the past couple weeks, and best from early morning up till 10-11 a.m. on hair jigs, minnows and grubs from 10-15 feet of depth on standing timber. Monkey Milk and Firecracker have been good colors on jigs. Our friend and Millwood Lake Guide John Gathright has been having amazing catches with clients and had several mornings with 30-60 fish limits over the past few weeks. Contact Gathright on Facebook, or call us and we will get you his phone number. John lives on the lake and can schedule one or two clients at a time with John’s Guide Service.

* No update this week on catfish with the reduced current in Little River, and no update on bream.

For more details, visit the Millwood Lake Guide Service webpage.

DeGray Lake

For the most updated lake level at DeGray Lake, click here.

(updated 10-8-2026) Philip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoors in Little Rock and Hot Springs noted on the weekly “Wild Side Show” on KABZ-FM, 103.7 The Buzz on Tuesday how much below normal pool the “big” lakes are: DeGray is down 7 feet, Greers Ferry is down 5.3 feet, Greeson is 14.3 feet low, Ouachita is down 8.3 feet, and Lake Hamilton will have a 3-foot drawdown starting on Nov. 1, lasting until March 1. The surface temperature has fallen a little on the Hot Springs area lakes, as they’re about 80 degrees on average. The water color is still gin clear. “The topwater bite is incredible. All the lakes are on fire. Also, a buzzbait and Fluke bite are both very good. Ouachita and DeGray have some of the best moss crops they have ever had in a very long time, maybe ever. Big jig season is just around the corner.”

(updated 10-8-2025) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) has been fishing lakes Ouachita, DeGray and Hamilton. “We’ve done a few guided trips and scouted all three lakes. As usual we are seeing small pods of bass chasing shad and catching them casting spoons, swimbaits and trolling For the crappie fishermen, the crappie are in fall transition with the water starting to cool. Deeper brushpiles near the channels at the entrance of coves and smaller creek arms are holding some nice crappie. Fish 12-20 feet deep with the usual jigs or minnows at all three lakes.”

De Queen Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow report from De Queen Lake, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Dierks Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow report from Dierks Lake, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Lake Greeson Tailwater

For the most updated Narrows Dam generation schedule from SWEPCO, click here.

Lake Greeson

For the most updated lake level at Lake Greeson, click here.

White Oak Lake Area

No reports.

Lake Atkins

(updated 10-22-2026) Lucky Landing as a bait shop and restaurant is not open, but the AGFC’s access to Lake Atkins and fishing pier remain open to all anglers, according to the AGFC’s Frank Leone, supervisor of the Russellville district.

Lake Catherine Tailwater (Below Carpenter Dam)

For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro

(updated 10-22-2026) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below the dam is 64 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace. Entergy is currently running 10-hour generation periods starting in the late afternoon. However, with the fall season underway, this schedule will change soon. No generation schedule has been posted online for the last several weeks. 

The fall stocking of rainbow trout below Carpenter Dam is scheduled for Nov 30. Rainbow trout numbers are predicted to be down statewide, but not as dramatically as last year. Numbers will be reported as accurate information is posted from the AGFC. 

The only productive fishing below the dam now involves catching white bass and hybrid bass that remain in the area after the yearly spawn. Some topwater activity has been observed below the dam in the early morning as bass chase threadfin shad schools. Casting Alabama rigs has proven to be an effective technique to target these fish that will strike a lure that closely resembles a fleeing shad. Trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate shad against the current has taken numbers of bass in the late evening.
Excessive heat kept many anglers off the lake this summer and early fall, and shortened fish feeding times, which is a normal occurrence on Lake Catherine in the late summertime. Now that fall is underway, more fishermen can stay on the water and catches should improve somewhat.
This report will stay much the same until November when the first stocking of rainbow trout. Trout in the tailrace completely changes the dynamic of the area for the better.
Always remember to wear a life jacket when on the water and remember to follow all lake and park regulations. Trash cans are limited in the area, so pick up after yourself and be aware of rising lake levels when the turbines are running. 

Lake Dardanelle

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ outflow and gauge level reports from Dardanelle, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

No reports.

Lake Hamilton

(updated 10-8-2026) Philip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoors in Little Rock and Hot Springs noted on the weekly “Wild Side Show” on KABZ-FM, 103.7 The Buzz on Tuesday how much below normal pool the “big” lakes are: DeGray is down 7 feet, Greers Ferry is down 5.3 feet, Greeson is 14.3 feet low, Ouachita is down 8.3 feet, and Lake Hamilton will have a 3-foot drawdown starting on Nov. 1, lasting until March 1. The surface temperature has fallen a little on the Hot Springs area lakes, as they’re about 80 degrees on average. The water color is still gin clear. “The topwater bite is incredible. All the lakes are on fire. Also, a buzzbait and Fluke bite are both very good. Ouachita and DeGray have some of the best moss crops they have ever had in a very long time, maybe ever. Big jig season is just around the corner.”

(updated 10-8-2025) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) has been fishing lakes Ouachita, DeGray and Hamilton this week. “We’ve done a few guided trips and scouted all three lakes. As usual we are seeing small pods of bass chasing shad and catching them casting spoons, swimbaits and trolling For the crappie fishermen, the crappie are in fall transition with the water starting to cool. Deeper brushpiles near the channels at the entrance of coves and smaller creek arms are holding some nice crappie. Fish 12-20 feet deep with the usual jigs or minnows at all three lakes.”

Lake Nimrod

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow reports from Nimrod Lake, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

No reports.

Lake Ouachita

For the current lake level at Blakely Dam, click here.

(updated 10-22-2026) Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports that black bass are fair. Try a riser bait or Plopper-style lure for a fun topwater bite. Or drop-shot a finesse worm for spotted bass in the 15- to 30-foot range on points or brush.

Walleye are still slow. For best results in the 20-foot range, try a drop-shot rig or a Texas-rigged jig with a nightcrawler near brush or the outside edge of a moss line.

No reports on stripers, bream, crappie or catfish. 

Water temperature has taken a nice drop into the 68- to 72-degree range. Water clarity is clear. Lake level is still slowing dropping, with Thursday’s elevation at 568.99 feet msl. Call the Mountain Harbor fishing guides (Mike Wurm, 501-622-7717, or Chris Darby, 870-867-7822) for more information.

(updated 10-15-2025) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said crappie and bass are doing great on jigs and live bait. Target brushpiles in 20-30 feet of water. We are catching fish as shallow as 8 feet deep early and as deep as 18-24 feet deep as the sun gets higher.” 

(updated 10-8-2026) Philip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoors in Little Rock and Hot Springs noted on the weekly “Wild Side Show” on KABZ-FM, 103.7 The Buzz on Tuesday how much below normal pool the “big” lakes are: DeGray is down 7 feet, Greers Ferry is down 5.3 feet, Greeson is 14.3 feet low, Ouachita is down 8.3 feet, and Lake Hamilton will have a 3-foot drawdown starting on Nov. 1, lasting until March 1. The surface temperature has fallen a little on the Hot Springs area lakes, as they’re about 80 degrees on average. The water color is still gin clear. “The topwater bite is incredible. All the lakes are on fire. Also, a buzzbait and Fluke bite are both very good. Ouachita and DeGray have some of the best moss crops they have ever had in a very long time, maybe ever. Big jig season is just around the corner.”

Blue Mountain Lake

For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time lake level and outflow reports from Blue Mountain Lake, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

NOTE: Blue Mountain Lake is undergoing a two-phase drawdown proposed by the Army Corps of Engineers to improve aquatic and waterfowl habitat by exposing mudflats for seeding and for critical maintenance on the lake’s intake structure. Phase one began Sept. 2025, lowering the lake to its normal winter pool elevation of 384 feet. The second phase began May 1 with the lake further lowered to 374 feet through Nov. 1, 2026. During the drawdown, water activities will be limited, boat ramps may be affected, and areas around the lake will be seeded.

Japanese millet will be seeded on the mudflats during phase one to improve habitat for waterfowl and other aquatic species. Call 479-947-2372 for more information.

White River/Clarendon Area
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time gauge level and flow from Clarendon, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second.