(Updated 11-11-2015) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and about a foot low. Surface water temperature is 68 to 70 degrees. Bream are excellent on worms in brush about 4 feet deep just off the bank. Crappie are starting to come on, and are biting pink minnows and jigs in 4 to 8 feet of water around the Highway 89 bridge, Caney Creek and Gold Creek. Catfishing is excellent on cut shad and worms.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Daniel Zajac at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said crappie have been biting fairly well early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They are biting fairly well at midday with spells of the shutmouth syndrome. Jigs in speckled chartreuse, white/chartreuse and pearl white are doing well, as are minnows in 1 to 4 feet of water.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip ‘em All Guide Service said the Little Red continues to receive small amounts of generation during weekdays with no generation over the weekends. Streamers, midges, eggs and soft hackle patterns are working well for fly fishers. For Trout Magnet fishing, try candy cotton and hot pink-colored bodies on gold and chartreuse jig heads. With low water, remember to use small fluorocarbon tippet to increase your catch numbers. Always check before heading to the Little Red River by calling the Greers Ferry Lake Powerhouse recording or check the Corps of Engineers website for real time water release and the Southwest Power Administration forecasted generation schedule.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Greg Seaton with Little Red Fly Fishing Trips (501-690-9166) said the rain last Thursday night muddied the river below Sulphur Creek for about 3 miles on Friday. This water showed up at Mossy Shoal to Dripping Springs on Saturday. After Monday’s generation all should be OK. The brown trout are beginning to show up with reports of a few being caught over the weekend on the shoals. The rainbows continue to try to spawn with more of them on the shoals than browns. My clients caught a couple of rainbows over 20 inches over the weekend along with several other good fish. Small emergers, egg patterns and small woolly buggers are good choices in the shallow water. The generation schedule looks like it is changing to morning generation along with a couple of hours in the late afternoon. This is due to the colder weather and the demand changes. There still is no generation on the weekends. Check the proposed generation before planning your trip.
(Updated 11-11-2015) James Dillard at Tailwater Fishing Company (501-207-1770) said fishing has been excellent. Wading opportunities exist along the entire river all day because of low flows. The fishing has been best after water releases. Hot flies have been egg patterns, midges and sow bugs. Watch out for redds (spawning beds) as the brown trout are moving onto the shoals and handle each fish with care.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 458.38 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Tommy Cauley of
Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 3.64 feet below normal pool and falling. The surface temperature is in the mid-60s. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs if you can find the fish. They are moving some out in open water, suspended over brush piles and pole timber. Many larger fish are being caught. Bass fishing is good all over the lake with a lot of them following the shad up the creeks and rivers. Spotted bass and smallmouth are biting very well in the main lake on spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and topwater baits up shallow and on Carolina rigs and Alabama rigs a little deeper. The bream are still pretty shallow, biting fairly well on crickets, crawlers and small crankbaits. The deeper bream in 27 feet of water are biting well on nightcrawlers when you can find a group of them. No report on walleye. Catfish are biting well all over the lake on many different baits. Hybrid and white bass are gorging themselves on shad all over the lake. Some are shallow, and some are deep. Use your electronics to find concentrations of shad and use spoons, inline spinners, swimbaits and topwater lures. Alabama rigs have worked well on schooling hybrids as well.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Cody Smith of
www.fishgreersferry.com said water levels are 5 feet below top power pool and falling slightly with no significant rainfall. Water surface temperatures are still in the lower 70s lake-wide. Game fish are spread out from one foot of water to 30 feet. Look for fishing to improve greatly with water surface temperatures falling over the next couple weeks. White bass and hybrids are feeding on top most mornings in isolated locations. Once we see our surface temperatures get down in the mid 60s look for surfacing throughout the day rather than first and last light.said the water level currently is holding steady 4 feet below top of seasonal pool. Recent rains have helped stabilize the water level and cool temperatures to seasonal averages. A lot of fish that had been deeper in the water column and holding on to typical summer patterns have finally started to move. This in turn has spread our game fish out a bit more. Silver-sided minnows, bream and crawfish are the main types of forage here, concentrate on mimicking these and you should find a few fish.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is down a little and is pretty clear. Bream are fair. Crappie are beginning to bite in about 10 feet of water. Minnows and white jigs are the best bets right now. Bass are biting fairly well on shallow-running, shad-imitating crankbaits fished in 6 feet of water in the mornings and evenings. Catfishing is good on live bait throughout the day.
(Updated 10-21-2015) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting on minnows, Bobby Garland Baby Shads and 1.25-inch Itty Bit Swim’rs in BBQ chicken, Cajun cricket, blue ice and monkey milk colors. Catfishing is good on shad, minnows and worms. Bass are biting on buzzbaits, minnows and soft-plastic worms. White bass are biting on Cajun Spins, Johnson Silver Minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shads and Itty Bitty Swim’rs. Bream are fair on crickets and worms.
Overcup Landing had no report.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Jan Johnson at Brewer Lake Bait Shop (501-354-4108) sis closed for hunting season.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Charley's Hidden Harbor at Opello had no report.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water is 3.2 feet below the spillway. The surface water temperature is 65 degrees. Black bass are biting well on wacky-rigged worms, spinner baits, buzzbaits and jerkbaits in 10 feet of water or less. Spotted bass are excellent on crankbaits and jigs in 10 to 15 feet of water. White bass are excellent just west of Jolly Rogers Marina and east trolling with deep-diving Bandits and Bombers about 15 feet deep. They also are being caught on CC spoons, white jigs and Rooster Tails when schooling. Crappie are biting well in 15 to 25 feet of water around brush. On minnows and jigs. Bream are excellent on crickets and live worms in 15 to 20 feet of water around brush. Catfish are biting well in 10 to 15 feet of water on stink bait, small bream and chicken livers.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) had no new report.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) had no new report.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) had no new report.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) had no new report.
(Updated 11-11-2015) River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the water is clear and has dropped a foot in the last week to get to normal level. The surface water temperature has been about 66 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in 4 to 5 feet of water around brush. Crappie are biting well on minnows and blue/white or red/chartreuse jigs fished in 6 to 8 feet of water around the edges of the channel. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in 3 to 6 feet of water. Catfishing is good on chicken livers.
(Updated 10-28-2015) The folks at
Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said the water is stained to slightly muddy. Surface water temperature is in the high 60s to low 70s and the water level is rising from the rain. Bream have about stopped biting lately. Crappie are still slow as well. Bass are biting well in 3 to 6 feet of water lately. Catfishing is slow.
(Updated 11-11-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water has been clear and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well along the edges of the bank. Bass are biting well on crankbaits and soft-plastic creature baits fished near rock jetties. Catfishing is good on cut bait near the channel.
(Updated 11-11-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is clear and a little low. Bream are slow Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around old Christmas trees and other sunken brush. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits slow-rolled in deep water. Catfishing is slow.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Herman's Landing (870-241-3731) is closed from Oct. 31 through the end of duck season.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 657.55 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 659 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Bull Shoals Boat Dock said the water is mostly clear, and finding some dirtier water can help find the bite. As water temperatures cool, the fish will move up to the shallow water briefly to follow the shad. Anglers can catch fish anywhere from 22 to 2 feet deep from secondary points upstream to the creek ends. Bass are biting well on Zara Spooks, wake baits and buzzbaits. If it’s cloudy, the bite could last all day. On bluebird days, try moving to points with gravel and chunk rock once the sun is out. A 7/16-oz Jewel shaky head with a Zoom finesse worm or beaver-style bait or a ½-oz. swinging head jigs in brown or green has been doing well in 15 to 25 feet of water around submerged brush. A Keitech swimbait or smoke grub also has been working well in these areas.
(Updated 10-14-2015) K Dock Marina (417-334-2880) said the lake is about 7 feet away from being back to normal. We are looking forward to getting our launch ramp back for the fall. Shad have become very concentrated on the flats. Many anglers are catching good numbers of white bass near K Dock. Once the lake stops dropping 6 inches per day, the fall bite should be great for all species. The surface water temperature is 70 to 72 degrees, and the water clarity is clear. Black bass are biting well on a variety of baits. Topwater lures are working well in the morning. Spinnerbaits are producing on windy days. Jigs and crankbaits (particularly squarebills) are producing well around points and high rock bluffs, however zebra mussels have moved in at many areas and will tear up your line, so check it often. Many anglers have resorted to fishing with braid to save their line from being cut. Walleye are fair on bottom-bouncing night crawlers. Trolling crankbaits will improve once the lake stabilizes. Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are biting well on lipless crankbaits, Rooster Tails and small spinnerbaits. Follow the surfacing shad and you’ll find the fish.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is low and crystal clear with two generators running. Trout fishing is excellent on pink plastic worms, shrimp and flies.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam will close Nov. 1, 2015-Jan. 31, 2016, to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The state park will be seasonal catch-and-release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period. The White had much lower water generation this week with marginal wadable water. Fishing has improved with the lower water. The hot flies were olive woolly buggers (size 8-10), Y2Ks (size 12-14), prince nymphs (size 14), zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead, size 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 (my current favorite is a hot fluorescent pink or cerise San Juan worm with a black midge suspended below it).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 553.55 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 553.75 msl, April-September – 556.75 msl).
(Updated 11-4-2015) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said winter angling on Norfork Lake can be one of the most productive periods of striper fishing. From mid-December through February the stripers will stick close to the old river channels near the shad schools. The old river channels are the outlines of the Norfork Fork River and major creeks such as Big Creek and Bennett's Bayou before they were flooded and covered by the lake. Once the lake water gets colder, the shad will move into deeper water to find their comfort zone. Sometimes that is depths of 40 feet, other times I have seen shad hover at 80 feet. The stripers will stay with the shad schools the whole winter period. The two most productive methods to catch stripers are live bait and spoons. Small jigging spoons, either ½ or ¾ ounce, are the artificial bait of choice, although some specific swim baits can be productive also. Shiner minnows and threadfin shad are the preferred live bait. Shiners approved for use by Arkansas Game and Fish in Norfork Lake are available at most better Norfork Lake bait and tackle shops. Shad are not sold commercially. Shad used as bait in Norfork Lake must be caught in Norfork Lake by net. Wild bait from any other body of water is strictly prohibited by law. This is to prevent the introduction of foreign or invasive species of plants, animals, and water life into Norfork Lake. Good electronics will help you find the shad and stripers and keep you on them. Begin by looking at the old river channel between the U.S. Highway 62 Bridge and the Arkansas Highway 101 Bridge and move toward Howard’s Cove. Somewhere in this area you will find the shad and stripers. Float creek is one other area that will typically hold stripers. I run six downlines, each with 2-oz. weights and 5-foot leaders. I will run two additional lines with floats on the outside of the spread. These lines are set above the shad school. Stripers will come up through the shad column to take your bait. Always keep your live bait above the shad school. Threadfin shad are and will always be the most productive method to catch winter stripers. When fishing a spoon, match the size and color of your spoon to that of the bait fish. If the stripers are feeding on 1- and 2-inch shad, make sure your lure matches the size of the shad. Jig your spoon through the shad schools for the best success. Always be ready for that top water bite to erupt, too. Have a Super Spook Jr. tied on and at the ready for when this happens.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Lou Gabric of
Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the lake has stabilized and the surface water temperature is 66 to 68 degrees. The stripers, hybrids and white bass are schooling and following the baitfish. Go into the wind blown creeks and coves, especially if the wind has been blowing into the area for several days. Anglers have had good success for stripers, hybrids and white bass with the best bite at midday. The fish were halfway back in the creeks earlier in the week, but are moving to the mouths of creeks and deeper water. Vertically jigging a ¾-oz. spoon has been working well. Bass fishing has been good halfway back into creeks and coves, vertically jigging a spoon in 25-35 feet of water. Move slowly, keeping the spoon as vertical to the bottom as possible. A Jig and pig fished in 15-35 feet of water. The crappie have been hard to locate. Anglers have caught a few nice crappie in 50 feet of water hanging on the edges of shad schools near stripers. Some have been found on brush piles in 20 to 35 feet of water as well, but it’s been hit or miss. Bream fishing is very good on crickets fished around brush in 20 to 30 feet of water. Catfish are biting well on trotlines and jugs using live bluegills as bait. Coves and creeks are a great place to set up. I have also picked up the occasional catfish while vertical jigging with a spoon.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the Norfork has fished much better now that the lake level has dropped enough to prevent the leakage around the flood gate that was being repaired. It has had wadable water. The boat traffic has been reduced with better fishing conditions on the White River. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns (size 18-22) like ruby midges, root beer midges, zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead) and soft hackles (size 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). There have been reliable hatches of small midges (try a size 24 Adams parachute) and caddis (try a size 18 elk hair caddis). The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday. My favorite combination has been a cerise worm with a Sunday special dropper. There construction project at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery is complete. Dry Run Creek has seen less pressure with school back in session. It still fished 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).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable and stained. With the mild weather, the smallmouths are active. 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.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River and Crooked Creek are navigable and stained. With the mild weather, the smallmouths are active. 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.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,119.84 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said the annual Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs kids fishing event is right around the corner and volunteers with boats are still needed. Volunteers will take kids from the HOFNOD program out to go fishing on Nov. 17. Lunch will be provided. Please call Mike at 479-366-8664 or email him at beaversafari.com@hotmail.com for more information and to volunteer.
The water is in the low to mid-60s. Stripers are leaving their deep water summer haunts as the water is beginning to cool. Watch for surface action in pockets along the main lake, especially from Prarie Creek up to the junction of the White and War Eagle at Point 12! Fishing is good with live shad fished from the surface down to 25 feet deep. Also try trolling small umbrella rigs with white grubs or chartreuse grubs for stained water. Plugs trolled on flat lines or slightly weighted lines will work. Try using large, slender plugs like Rapala no. 14 Husky Jerks in black back or purple back colors and Smithwick Rogues in similar colors in 5-6 inch model. Striper are also being caught at night by casting main lake points with large surface lures like Redfins and Rapalas or large Rat-L-Traps. In the main lake, Indian Creek and point 3 are the hot spots, with stripers around main lake structure. But the mid- and upper section of the lake is really turning on. Ford and Cedar creeks, Coppermine, Ventris and Shaddox Hollow are all producing stripers as they make their way upstream. Prairie Creek, Coose Hollow and Hickory Creek also are seeing heavy concentrations of stripers right now. War Eagle, the White River and the junction of the two are all extremely hot right now as well. Most walleye have moved to the second drop and are being caught about 20-30 feet deep they can be caught using a variety of methods. Try three-way rigging Rapalas in natural colors for clear water or chartreuse/orange and clown colors in areas of stained water. Also try Shad Raps in natural colors and Rat-L Traps trolled at 1-2 mph. Bink pro scale 1-oz jigging spoons in white or white/chart combo are producing walleye.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clear and a little above normal level. The surface water temperature is right at 70 degrees during the warmest part of the day. Bream have slowed dramatically. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished around brush in 8 to 12 feet of water. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters in the mornings and on shaky head worms. Catfishing is slow on trotlines. Some schooling white bass have been caught on white Rooster Tails and chrome spoons.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Beaver Dam Store said the store is only open Thursday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during winter. The water release below Beaver Dam is still going on. Wade fishing is almost nonexistent, with boaters having the most productivity, drifting large egg patterns and streamers. Power Bait in all colors and nightcrawlers are working well at Houseman Access.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Austin Kennedy of Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service (479-640-8733) said water levels are within the normal range, which is consistent with this time of season and generation schedule. The trout have been highly active in the early morning hours, biting on various Power Baits using light terminal tackle. Pulling Rapalas is still getting the job done on some of the bigger ones in the warmer waters downstream from Houseman Access. A few walleye have been caught toward Beaver Town and Holiday Island in the 14-foot range. No significant white bass have been marked from Houseman to Beaver Town.said fishing has been slow due to the current generation schedule. The Army Corps of Engineers has been generating 24/7, so bank fishing for the most part is out of the question. You can find some spots at Parker Bottoms, between the ramps that might provide some relief from the moving water. If fishing from a boat, Rapalas and Little Cleos should do the trick.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said there hasn’t been much activity on the lake. The water level is a little below normal, and the water is getting clearer. Bass fishing was good before the rain on Thursday. Two anglers showed off some of their catch, 19 largemouth bass they'd caught on hand-made spinnerbaits in a pale green with some red, orange and silver in the skirt. They also used a finesse jig in similar colors to round out their catch. Several attempts to find the crappie with minnows, and jigs, as well as trolling, fell on shut mouths. A few redear were caught, with redworms being the best bait. No word on any catfish. The bait shop at Duck Camp will close for the season on Nov. 12.
(Updated on 11-11-2015) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is at normal level and is clear. Crappie are biting well on tube jigs fished in 9 to 10 feet of water or so. No one is talking much about specific colors. Bass are biting well on soft-plastic worms fished from the bank to 4 feet deep. No report on bream or catfish.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said boaters need to use extreme caution on the south end of the lake near the mouth of the river. There is a project to dredge the lake underway, and a steel cable has been stretched across the lake right at water level. Please use extreme caution while boating during this time. The water is clear and about 59 degrees. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in 5 feet of water. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished 6 feet deep. Bass are biting well around 2 feet deep near the rocks on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic lures. Catfishing is good on chicken livers and live shad or bluegill.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lake Poinsett State Park said catfishing is very good, with a recent stocking from AGFC helping things out. The catfish are in deep water. Crappie fishing also is good in about 20 feet of water near the middle of the lake near structure.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft-plastic worms. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. No report on catfish or crappie.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lake Frierson State Park had no report.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Mark Crawford with
Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running at 260 cfs and water clarity is clear. The trout are biting great with some very nice-sized trout being caught. The hot flies have been Y2K’s and woolly buggers. Hot pink Trout Magnets fished below a float and Rooster Tails are working great on spinning rods. The river is looking really good and the trout couldn’t be biting better.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is very high and clear. No report on the fishing in the river, but bass and crappie are biting well on trolled crankbaits in Greers Ferry Lake.
(Updated 11-4-2015) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Team said water temperatures are in the mid 60s and water visibility is around 1 to 1.5 feet. Black bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and chatterbaits in cloudy or windy weather. Small jigs and finesse worms are working fairly well in sunny weather. Bites are more frequent on the main channel, fishing predictable current breaks around jetties and wood cover, but the size is often lacking. The average size in Lake Langhofer is better, but the bites are harder to come by. Fishing hasn't been quite right in this pool all year after the heavy spring flooding, but you can still go out and have some fun by using smaller lures and covering water quickly.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Seth Boone at Cane Creek State Park in Star City said crappie and bass are still doing great in and around the beaver pond and on the north end of the lake. Bream have died down a bit. Catfish have moved to deeper water. For crappie, minnows seem to be working the best with a pale green jig coming in second. For bass, a topwater plug is great, as well as Rat-L-Traps.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lake Chicot State Park said catfish are biting well on yo-yos and limb lines baited with live and prepared baits. No report on any other species.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.91 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.20 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Mike Siefert at
Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake level is 10.4 inches above normal conservation pool and is falling. There is increased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 2,821 CFS as of Monday. Surface water temperature ranges from 59 to 65 degrees. Water clarity improved to 8-10 inches on the main lake with 6-10 inches of visibility in Little Rier and up to 30 inches of visibility in the oxbows. For bass fishing, the best bet continues to be Rat-L-traps and Echo square-billed crankbaits in Millwood magic, ghost minnow and gold. Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs are beginning to take some keeper bass in Texas craw, voodoo, or Okeechobee spice colors. Slow-rolling large War Eagle spinner baits in firetiger, peach slobber, or spot remover is working around dying or dead lily pads. Bass Assassin Shads are still working very well around remaining vegetation and lily pads. The best colors have been salt-and-pepper/silver phantom, gold pepper shiner, grey ghost and rainbow shad. Any of these colors are working around live vegetation and in back of live lily pad stands in 2-5 feet depths using light wire hook and bumping over the pads and falling with a pause in between pads and letting it settle slowly. Tailspinners, such as Spin Traps, Little Cleos, Little Georges, and Roostertails and Rocket Shads in chartreuse or white are still catching all species of bass. Chrome and blue Johnson jigging spoons are working on points with timber or stumps out of river current in breaks where huge schools of bass are following and chasing shad. Schools of white bass were found again out, and in front of the second entrance to Mud Lake and Horseshoe Lake up Little River. These schooling whites were very aggressive on crankbaits, chatterbaits and square-billed crankbaits fished 5 to 9 feet deep. Crappie disappeared with all the recent inflow of muddy water along Little River over their planted brush pile condos. Catfish improved again on trotlines along Little River with the increased current. Set the lines 9 to 15 feet deep at outer bends and creek mouths with flow into them. Chicken livers, hearts, gizzards and cut shad or buffalo are working.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 540.14 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl).
(Updated 10-28-2015) Gary Lammers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had no report this week.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 396.79 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
(Updated 10-28-2015) Local angler George Graves had no report.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Stacey Jackson at White Oak Lake State Park (870-685-2748) said bream are biting fairly well on crickets and worms. Catfishing is good using trotlines baited with live bait and using tight lines with worms and prepared catfish baits. No report on crappie or bass.
Tri-County Lake will be undergoing a 5-foot drawdown until late fall. This is being done to compact the silt which has been building in the lake, reduce some of the aquatic vegetation in the lake, make repairs on jetties which have deteriorated over the years and address the lake's stunted crappie and bream populations by forcing these smaller fish into areas where they are more susceptible to the lake's predator fish.
Local angler Jaret Rushing had no report.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Buddy Ham at Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said crappie are biting fairly well on jigs or shiners fished in treetops in the main river. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits around woody cover. Catfishing is good on live bait in the river. No report on bream.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Buddy Ham at Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said anglers are catching a few crappie at night under lanterns. Bass are still schooling and breaking the surface at different times of day. No report on bream or catfish.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no report.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 342.40 feet msl (full pool – 342 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Good Ole Boys Trading Post (479-272-4710) said the water is murky and rising again from the recent rain. A few anglers are catching some bass lately. Crappie are still running deep.
(Updated 10-21-2015) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are fair on minnows, Bobby Garland Baby Shads and 1.25-inch Itty Bit Swim’rs in deep water. The best colors are Cajun cricket, BBQ chicken, blue ice, monkey milk and penny back. Catfishing is good on shad, minnows and worms. Bream are fair on crickets and worms.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said the surface water temperature is in the upper 60s and lower 70s. The water clarity is good, with sporadic flow. Bass fishing has been excellent won buzzbaits, Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits on flats early in the morning and off the drops and around points in the afternoon. Striped bass have been very good on swim baits and bucktail jigs with white grubs off of jetties and below the dam. There has also been an occasional topwater bite on poppers. Crappie have been biting very well in the river and the creeks. Fish 5 to 10 feet deep in the river and 2 to 10 feet deep in the creeks with minnows and pink or black/chartreuse jigs. Catfish has been good on whole shad and skipjack.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 384.50 feet msl (full pool – 384 msl).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 568.46 feet msl (full pool – 578 msl).
(Updated 11-11-2015) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is 62-66 degrees and the clarity is good. Largemouth bass are still being caught on crankbaits, topwater baits and spy baits on points. Spotted bass are biting very well near brush on drop shot rigs baited with live crawfish or finesse worms. Walleye are fair on ¾-oz. CC spoons jigged vertically near deep cover. Stripers are biting well on live bait, hair jigs and topwater lures. Bream are slow, but a few can be caught on worms or grubs in brush 15 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are biting very well on minnows, small spoons and crappie jigs fished around brush in 20 to 30 feet of water. Catfishing is slow.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Tom Duke and Phillip Kastner with
Trader Bill's Outdoor Sports Fishing Report in Hot Springs said the fresh water that is coming in and cooler weather should help the fishing in the backs of the creeks lately. However, a lot of the water has been sucked up by the ground, and there is very little washing into the lake. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits in shad patterns should do very well for bass.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Tom Duke and Phillip Kastner with
Trader Bill's Outdoor Sports Fishing Report in Hot Springs said the water temperature is in the 60s. The drawdown is going on, and with a little fresh, off-colored water coming from the rain, the bass bite should really pick up. The fish on the lower end of the lake should be a little more cooperative, especially the crappie.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips said there hasn’t been much fishing activity on Lake Hamilton with the rains, but there have been random schools of bass breaking the surface around the main channel and Hot Springs Creek on the far eastern end of the lake.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service said water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 67 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace. Entergy has scheduled a minimum flow pattern which releases water every few days as needed to maintain lake levels. The annual winter drawdown begins for both lakes Hamilton and Catherine on Nov. 7 and ends Nov. 15. A 5-foot draw is planned with each lake refilled to summertime pool in early March 2016. Rainbow trout stocking begins in November with fish present in the tailrace the week of Thanksgiving. The trout are gone and very few shad are present to attract gamefish. However, white bass have been observed schooling below the bridge with fair numbers in the 2-pound range. Jerk baits and ¼-ounce white jigs are the baits of choice as these fish are chasing available shad and will attack an artificial lure that resembles an injured minnow. Hybrid and striper action is very slow below the dam with zero topwater action observed. Trout stocking in November will bring good numbers of hybrid and striped bass to the area to feed. C-10 Redfins and Super Spooks in rainbow trout colors will draw vicious strikes from these aggressive predators. A few catfish have been hooked in the 10-pound class at night below the bridge in the main channel using cut shad. The deepest water holds catfish most of the year with large numbers of these fish spawning in June. Goldfish and gizzard shad are excellent choices when targeting large catfish. As the drawdown approaches, a regular flow of water from the dam will bring shad close to the dam, which will help the fishing.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said the bass and bream have slowed with the cooler weather. The crappie also have not been very active in the last week. Friday, Nov. 13, Mississippi River State Park is hosting a campfire circle program at Bear Creek Lake. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. and will inform visitors of the history in the area specifically near the Mississippi River.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said the bream are slow, but the crappie have picked up. Crappie are biting live minnows and jigs (chartreuse being the best color) about 10 feet deep. Hybrid stripers have been schooling off and on.
(Updated 11-11-2015) Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is stained and very high. A few people are catching some crappie around the main channel in 2 to 4 feet of water on minnows, but overall the bite has been slow. Bass have been fair on topwaters, but there haven’t been many anglers on the water lately. No report on catfish or bream.
