(Updated 9-30-2015) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and is about 18 inches low. Crappie are excellent in the timber in 6 to 8 feet of water. Catfishing is excellent on worms and cut bait
Daniel Zajac at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) had no report.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip ‘em All Guide Service said the Little Red is receiving a few hours of afternoon generation, providing great opportunities for wading and drift fishing. Hot patterns for fly-anglers continue to be streamers, midges and soft hackles. For Trout Magnet fishing, red and candy cotton-colored bodies on gold and chartreuse jigheads are working well. 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 forecast generation schedule.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Greg Seaton with Little Red Fly Fishing Trips (501-690-9166) said fall is just around the corner and already feels that way on the river. The river is in great shape; clear and cool and the fish are biting. The last two days, my anglers have been catching a lot of good rainbows and several small browns along with some larger fish. The smaller browns seem to get active in the fall before the larger fish. This being said, over the last three days they have had a couple of browns over 20 inches on and landed a 17-inch brown. The river remains clear and generation is still about 4 hours, starting at 2 p.m. For some reason they generated morning and afternoon on Monday but that was an unexpected surprise. Since then we’re back to the same schedule.
(Updated 9-30-2015) James Dillard at Tailwater Fishing Company (501-207-1770) said fishing has been good. The Corps has been releasing water every afternoon and evening, providing good low-water fishing along the entire river. The hot flies have been San Juan worms and midges. Pink Trout Magnets have been working well also.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 459.53 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Tommy Cauley of
Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 2.33 feet below normal pool and is falling. The surface water temperature is cooling slowly. Catfish are biting well all over the lake, and can be expected to be good until December on cut bait and live bait. Bream are getting ready to spawn one more time as the moon is coming up, so for some decent action, fish shallow pockets with crickets and crawlers out to 15 feet of water. Bass fishing has improved, but the fish are scattered from 50 feet deep to right on the bank. Try drop shot rigs, Carolina rigs, jighead worms, small spinnerbaits and crankbaits for good action on smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass right now. No report on walleye. Crappie are biting fairly well around pole timber and brush in 15 to 45 feet of water around baitfish balls. Slow-trolling minnows and jigs is working fairly well. Hybrid and white bass are biting well, and if we get any rain we should see some tremendous schooling all over the lake. Fish can be caught best beneath the surface on spoons, in-line spinners, grubs and swim baits.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Cody Smith of
www.fishgreersferry.com said the lake is slightly below top power pool and is falling slowly with daily generation. Water surface temperatures are hovering in the upper 70s, a 7- or 8-degree swing from our high point of the year. Once surface temperatures fall another couple of degrees, look for a huge increase in surface feeding and longer feeding windows. Right now we are seeing some surfacing of white bass and hybrids every morning and late most evenings.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is clear and a little lower than normal. Bream are slow. Crappie are excellent in 4 to 5 feet of water on minnows fished about 50 yards out from the docks and 80 yards from the bank. Bass are slow. Catfishing is good to excellent on worms.
(Updated 9-15-2015) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are on minnows, Bobby Garland Baby Shads and 1.25-inch Itty Bit Swim’rs in deep water. Catfishing is good on frozen shad, minnows and worms. Bass are biting on buzzbaits and worms. White bass are biting on Cajun Spins, Johnson Silver Minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shad grubs. Bream are biting excellently on crickets and worms.
Overcup Landing had no report.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Jan Johnson at Brewer Lake Bait Shop (501-354-4108) said Conway Corporation reports the lake level at 325.9 msl (normal pool level is 330.0 msl). Crappie fishing is very good early in the mornings and late afternoons on live minnows, jigs and crankbaits fished 13 to 14 feet deep in 20 feet of water. Catfishing is fair at night using nightcrawlers, large minnows, shad and bream. Bass and bream are slow.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Charley's Hidden Harbor at Opello said flows have been up and down lately. Catfishing is good in 10 to 20 feet of water, drift fishing catalpa worms and shad. Largemouth bass are hit and miss with the flow. Blue and white jigs and green pumpkin worms fished on top of jetties have been the go-to lure. White bass are biting fairly well on pearl or shad-colored crankbaits near schooling shad. Bream are biting well around grass next to the riprap on black Rooster Tails and crickets in 3 to 5 feet of water. Stripers are biting well below the generators on live shad and bream in 6 to 10 feet of water.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water is 2 feet below the spillway and the water temperature is 88 degrees. Largemouth bass are biting well on wacky-rigged worms, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and jerk baits in 10 feet of water and shallower. Evening fishing has been best. Spotted bass are being caught on crankbaits and jigs in 10 to 15 feet of water. White bass are excellent on deep-diving Bandit and Bomber crankbaits trolled 15 feet deep just west and east of Jolly Rogers Marina. CC spoons, white jigs and Rooster Tails are working well when a school fires up. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished 15 to 20 feet deep around brush. Bream are excellent on crickets and live worms in 10 to 15 feet of water.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said some customers report catching catfish on chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Bream have been biting crickets and redworms. Bass fishing has been fair with minnows and Texas-rigged soft plastics. Some small crappie have been hitting fairly well on pink minnows.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said a few people are catching walleye on brooder minnows. Bass also are doing well on brooder minnows and green pumpkin-colored soft-plastic baits. Crappie are biting fairly well on no. 6 crappie minnows. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. Some river redhorse are being caught on redworms.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said crappie are slow on no. 6 crappie minnows. Bream have slowed, but anglers are still getting a few big ones fishing crickets deep. Catfish are biting well on chicken livers and chicken hearts. Bass have been hitting spinnerbaits and brooder minnows well.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lisa's Bait Shop in Benton (501-778-6944) said crappie have been biting well for some customers using no. 6 and no. 12 minnows. Bass fishing has been good with minnows, Texas-rigged plastics and crankbaits.
(Updated 9-15-2015) River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the water is very clear and about one foot high. The surface water temperature is cooling. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished around 2 feet deep near lily pads. Crappie are excellent on minnows fished 4 to 5 feet deep along the edges of channels. Bass are excellent on spinnerbaits and soft-plastics in water 3 feet deep and shallower. Catfishing is good on shiners and chicken livers.
(Updated 9-30-2015) The folks at
Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said the water is clear and low. The surface temperature is dropping into the low 80s. Bream are slow. Crappie are excellent on jigs fished in 10 to 15 feet of water. Bass are excellent on crankbaits fished around jetties and rocky points in 5 to 10 feet of water. Catfishing is slow.
(Updated 9-30-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is at normal level and is clear. Bass are biting excellently around jetties on soft-plastic worms and crankbaits fished 10 to 15 feet deep.
(Updated 9-30-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is low and fairly clear. No report on fishing conditions.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Herman's Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is dingy and the water level is very low, with many stumps showing out of the water. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting very well on white/silver and brown/chartreuse jigs fished around stumps in 3 feet of water near the channel. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits fished 4 to 5 feet deep in the channel. Catfishing is very good on hot dogs soaked in garlic and strawberry Kool-Aid.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 673.17 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 659 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) K Dock Marina (417-334-2880) said the lake is starting to drop around 4 inches per day. This will increase when work begins to repair Power Site Dam in early October. Surface temperatures are near 80 degrees. The water is still clear and high. Fishing has been getting better and should be excellent as the water continues to cool. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and football jigs on steep points. Buzzbaits and Spooks are working well in the early morning and evenings as well. Bass have been busting massive schools of shad, so keep a topwater ready for surface action. Walleye are fair to good on trolled blue/chrome crankbaits near the river channel. Bottom-bouncing nightcrawlers also is working well. Crappie are fair to slow. They are scattered and deep still.
(Updated 9-15-2015) Bull Shoals Boat Dock said fishing hasn’t changed much yet from the summer patterns, but it is close. The lake is starting to drop faster. It is projected to go 4 inches a day and the back to normal date is Nov. 12. The water temperature is still in the upper 70s on the surface with the thermocline around the 25 foot level or so.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is clear and six to eight generators are running. Many rainbow trout are being caught on drift rigs and small spoons. Brown trout fishing has been a bit slower this week.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the White River saw high levels of generation with no wadable water. On heavy generation, the best way to catch fish is to switch to longer leaders and heavier weight. On the White, the hot spot was the Wildcat Shoals. 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 an orange egg suspended below it).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 562.32 feet msl (normal conservation pool: September-April – 553.75 msl, April-September – 556.75 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters said stripers are still at the Norfork Lake dam in water depths ranging from 35 out to 190 feet. Early in the morning, before light, you can find them in 35 to 40 feet of water. As light begins to appear, they start moving deeper. Once the sun is up, they are roaming the waters along the dam. I have found them in Dam Cove, Long Point and the channel runs to the deeper water. You will find lots of fish, but few will bite. If you do not get them early you will have a long day. We are catching 1 to 3 stripers after light. This will change once the weather stays cooler. By week’s end the weather is expected to turn a lot colder with some rain that will change the pattern very quickly. Stripers are now feeding heavily in the evening near Calamity Beach. I have reports they are surfacing an hour before dark and are being caught on topwater lures and spoons. This tells me the lake has turned over up in the north end and the fish can be caught during the daylight hours.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lou Gabric of
Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the lake level is falling 2 to 4 inches per day. The surface water temperature has fallen to 78 degrees as of this morning. The main lake is fairly clear, with the creeks and coves being stained. Most species of fish are in 20 to 35 feet of water, but you can find the bigger stripers 90 feet down on the bottom. As usual, the deep fish are very lethargic and hard to catch. I have had the best luck finding stripers early in the morning, still dark, at depths of 25 to 35 feet. As the sun comes up the stripers disappear to the depths of the lake. Live bait is working the best, but I have jigged up a few of these fish over the last couple of weeks. The best area to find stripers is within a mile of the dam. Hybrids are scattered throughout the lake. I haven't found any huge schools lately, but both in the mornings and evenings I have found nice sized fish off of main lake points. Last week I was looking for whites in the Cranfield area and ran into some nice hybrids in the 7-pound range. White bass fishing has been good over the last couple of weeks. The best bite appears to be from mid-afternoon until the sun sets. There has been the nice top water when an acre of water just starts to boil and it has lasted up to an hour. Kastmasters and Zara Spooks have worked well. I have found topwater fish in Pigeon, Briar, Cranfield and in the Robinson area. Walleye fishing continues to be pretty good. I have been dragging a crawler harness in 23 to 35 feet of water. Concentrate on large flats as well as main lake points. Most of the fish are smaller than 18 inches, but with the numbers we are catching, I expect Norfork to be a go-to destination for walleye in the next year or two. Bass fishing is starting to get a little better. I have found nice schooling fish back in the major creeks off secondary points. Over the last couple of days I have started to mark a lot of bass suspended 10 to 20 feet down off of deep bluff lines. This morning I landed 12 bass between spots, largemouth and smallmouth off of a deep bluff line in 32 to 35 feet of water. Jigs and spoons will work, but crankbaits should start heating up soon. The big bluegills are also in the 25-foot range. I have caught many of the big thumpers while dragging my crawler harness, and they are very aggressive. Crappie are starting to move back to the brush, but the water temperature needs to cool a little more to make it a good bite. Jay Smith (Crappies Only Guide Service) took a couple of his relatives out a few weeks ago and they had a blast. They found the fish over 25 to 35 feet deep brush with the fish were suspended 20 feet down. Live minnows worked the best.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Guide Steve Olomon said the water level has been dropping steadily, but the lake is still about 8 feet higher than normal for this time of year. Surface water temperatures are in the upper 70s. Stripers are still 40 to 60 feet deep. Look in the bays and along the points within a few miles of the dam. With the days getting shorter and the weather cooling, stripers will start moving up shallow and spreading out in the lake. There are some bass chasing baitfish to the surface early in the mornings and just before dark. Look for some whites feeding on the surface, too. The night bite should get going in a few weeks.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said the Norfork has fished better now that the lake level has dropped enough to prevent the leakage around the flood gate that was being repaired. It has had the only wadable water and has been crowded at times. 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 beadheaded 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 grasshopper with a root beer or ruby midge dropper. There is a major construction project at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery. Youths can still Dry Run Creek for some excellent fishing. It has seen more pressure with school out. 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 9-30-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said the Buffalo National River are navigable. Smallmouths are fairly active. Try inline spinners, Rebel crawdad crankbaits, 4-inch finesse worms and tubes for good spin-fishing action. For fly-fishing, it’s tough to beat a Clouser minnow or crayfish pattern. 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 9-30-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service said Crooked Creek is navigable. Smallmouths are fairly active. Try inline spinners, Rebel crawdad crankbaits, 4-inch finesse worms and tubes for good spin-fishing action. For fly-fishing, it’s tough to beat a Clouser minnow or crayfish pattern. 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 1,125.15 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clearing up and the surface water temperature is in the mid-70s. Bream are fair to good on crickets. Crappie are biting fairly well on trolled crankbaits in 8 to 12 feet of water. Bass are very slow, but a few have been caught early in the day on jigs around the Big Clifty area and later in the day on drop-shotted finesse worms. Catfishing is fair on prepared baits.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said the annual HOFNOD striper fishing event will be held Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Mike still needs volunteers with boats to help take the kids fishing. Contact Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service to find out how you can help. The surface water temperature is in the 70s and striper activity is good. The fish are leaving their deep summer haunts as the water is beginning to cool. Watch for surface activity near main lake points, humps, ridges, rock piles, brush lines and ditches as the fish make their annual upriver migration in search for food. They will be making their way into the creek arms soon. Fish live shad from the surface down to 30 feet deep or trolling small umbrella rigs with white or chartreuse grubs. You can also troll crankbaits with flat lines or slightly weighted lines to get into a few with Rapala Husky Jerks and Smithwick Rogues. Stripers also are being caught at night by casting main lake points with large surface lures like Redfins and Rapalas or large Rat-L-Traps. Hot spots for stripers include points 1, 3, 5 and 6, Indian Creek near the Power Lines Rocky Branch at the bluff in front of the Marina, Ford Creek, Cedar Creek and Goat Island. Most walleye have moved to deeper drops and are being caught about 20-30 feet deep. The best methods to catch the walleye are three-way rigging Rapalas, trolling Rapala Shad Raps or Rat-L-Traps at 1-2mph or jigging Bink pro scale 1-oz. jigging spoons in white or white/chartreuse.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Beaver Dam Store said areas of the river are finally opening up for wade fishing now that water is drawing down. Conventional fisherman have been doing excellently on Power Bait in orange and white with wax worms. Fly-fishermen have been doing well on anything in the olive spectrum (midges, wooly buggers, etc.) while low water exists. In high water, fish Clousers and big streamers. Now that Labor Day has passed, crowds have diminished. There’s still a little too much water to get across at the turn-around, but fishing is possible below the dam, at campground "C", Parker Bottoms and upstream from Parker Bottoms on the gravel bars.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Austin Kennedy of Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service (479-640-8733) water levels and temperatures are normal for this time of year. The trout have been biting various Power Baits on light terminal tackle from Houseman Access to Parker Bottoms. Fly-anglers have reported midge-patterned flies have been doing good as well. One can also catch quite a few using wax worms with light tackle. From Houseman to Beaver, the white bass have been slow to bite, however we are still catching quite a few. Try pulling Rapala Countdowns and Shadow Raps.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said catfishing perked up last week, especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The catfish were very active near the bait shop area, with a father and son team, Karl and Monan Habighorst of Rogers landing a 4.71-lb. blue catfish on redworms. Another dock angler caught three blue catfish, about 2 1/2 pounds each. Another lost his favorite pole when it was jerked in the lake. Several bluegill were caught with crickets and redworms, fished 18 inches or so under a bobber. The trick is using the right size hook. Try using a no. 8 with crickets or a no. 10 if you’re using redworms. A husband and wife team broke the long-standing record for biggest crappie at the dock. Artenio Diaz caught a 151/2 inch crappie that weighed 1.56 pounds. Within an hour, his wife Betty, caught the all-time biggest crappie so far at this dock, her crappie was 16 inches long, and weighed in at 2.13 pounds. Both were using minnows a foot or so off the bottom in 19 feet of water. Ball anglers caught mostly smaller bass this week. Firetiger and chartreuse lipless or fat rattling crankbaits are working well. Tomato-colored 7-inch soft-plastic worms also worked well. White/chartreuse spinnerbaits and black buzzbaits worked fairly well in shallow water. The bait shop is closed on Monday and Tuesday this time of year.
(Updated on 9-15-2015) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is murky and at normal level. Bream are biting well on crickets fished in brush piles 2 to 4 feet deep. Bass are fair on topwater lures around the edges of the lake. Catfishing is good on worms and chicken livers. No report on crappie.
(Updated 9-23-2015) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is low and clear. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets with no certain pattern or bedding behavior left. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in 8 feet of water around the edges of channels. Bass are biting well on topwater lures and crankbaits. Catfishing is good on live bait and chicken liver all over the lake.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lake Poinsett State Park said the cooler weather has made fishing more enjoyable. There have been many anglers in the bait shop buying minnows, and we have heard some fair reports on crappie. Catfishing has been good for rod-and-reel anglers as well as those using jugs, trotlines and yo-yos. Crickets are still in demand for the bream. No one’s given any reports on bass fishing lately, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t biting.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and about a foot low. Bream are excellent on crickets fished in 7 to 10 feet of water around the dock. Crappie are starting to show up again, but are still only fair. Bass are fair. Catfishing is good on the flats using worms and chicken livers.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Lake Frierson State Park said water levels are slightly below normal pool, but recent rains may bring it back up. Channel catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and dip baits fished under a float at varying depths. Blue catfish are slow with a few caught on cut bait. Bass are fair with good periods early and late as the fish are still chasing shad. Minnow-imitating lures fished around and on top of schooling shad are producing some fish. Bream are still being caught on crickets and small worms all around the shoreline. The bigger fish are still a little further out and deeper. No report on saugeye or crappie. Cooling temperatures should get fish feeding and stir up the saugeye. Crankbaits and other minnow imitators should be more and more effective for saugeye and bass as the weather cools.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Mark Crawford with
Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are 270 cfs at the spring and water clarity is clear. Nymphs and Y2Ks have been producing well. Hot pink and white Trout Magnets have been working well.
(Updated 9-16-2015) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said the water on the Spring River is navigable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and Norfork Rivers. Be sure to wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff because 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 9-15-2015) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is clear and about 70 degrees from the high flow coming from the White River lakes. Crappie are fair on minnows in brush 2 to 3 feet deep. Bass are fair on crankbaits and watermelon/red or green pumpkin soft plastics in the mouths of creeks. Walleye are fair on a jig-and-minnow combination in the main river near the shoals in 8 to 15 feet of water. No report on catfish or bream.
(Updated 9-16-2015) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Team said water clarity is just under 1 foot in the main channel and just over 1 foot in Lake Langhofer. Water temperatures have started falling again with the return of cooler nights. Most areas are back down in the low 80s and falling. The main channel this weekend was barely moving. Black bass are biting well both on the main channel and in the backwater areas. Cooler weather has really helped boost their activity. Fish moving baits like buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the morning, and then switch to jigs during the middle of the day for a big bite.
(Updated 9-23-2015) Seth Boone at Cane Creek State Park in Star City said bass are biting very well on topwater baits and Rat-L-Traps early in the morning and around sunset. Locating crappie has been hit-and-miss, but if you find them they are biting well on minnows.
Lake Chicot State Park had no report.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.66 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.20 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Mike Siefert at
Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake is 2.5 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. There is only light current in Little River with the gates releasing 173 CFS as of Monday. Millwood State Park still remains closed until further notice from the recent high water flooding of the campground and damage. Surface temperatures range 80 to 85 degrees, depending on location. Water clarity improved to 15-25 inches of visibility away from current in the lake. Oxbows continue improving as well, with water clarity anywhere from 20 to 40 inches. Bass have been excellent the last few weeks. Most bass are the most aggressive at dawn around shallow vegetation at dawn on frogs, Bass Assassin Shads, buzz baits, Cordell Crazy Shads, and shallow jerk baits. Later in the heat of the afternoons, Largemouth bass are best on crankbaits, squarebills, and 5-7" worms around cover and cypress trees in 5-10 feet of water. Spotted Bass continue to congregate at creek mouths that dump into Little River. Spots are aggressive on smaller lizards and tubes with best colors over the past couple weeks being pumpkinseed/chartreuse, appleseed or green pumpkin/blue. Zoom trick worms, wacky rigged in watermelon-red flake, are working as well around isolated stumps, cypress trees and vegetation. Smithwick Rouges, straight tail, 5 to 6-inch worms like the Yum dingers, trick worms, and Salty Rat Tails continue taking nice bass this week. War Eagle spinnerbaits in Coleslaw, Spot Remover, and white/chartreuse continue taking a few random fish in vegetation and grass patches. Bouncing the spinnerbaits over pads and through grass and cover, then ripping it free near the edge with a slight pause and fall action, continues to be best presentation into deeper water nearby. White bass and hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and are schooled up in creek mouths dumping into Littler River. Whites continue being caught on red/white Roostertails, chartreuse/white Little Cleos, shad-colored Rocket Shads and Tennessee Shad and Citrus Shad deep-diving Bomber crankbaits in creek dumps and mouths of sloughs connecting with Little River. Crappie improved on planted brush over the past couple weeks now that the clarity is getting better and current reduced in Little River. Cotton Cordell smoke-colored paddletail grubs on light wire jig heads and Blakemore Roadrunners in white/chartreuse have been working in 9-15 feet of water over planted brush piles. Blue catfish and channel catfish continue biting well in Little River on trotlines baited with chicken livers, hearts and gizzards and blood bait set 10 to 17 feet deep, and on yo-yos baited with live shiners under cypress trees in back of the oxbows set 8 to 19 feet deep.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 540.23 feet msl (Flood pool – 548 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Gary Lammers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported surface temperature is 80 degrees. Water is clear throughout the lake. Schooling activity has been good in the mornings and late in the afternoons. Fish are hitting small CC spoons in chrome, 2-inch twister tail grubs and small topwater lures. White bass are hitting shad-colored crankbaits and small CC spoons. If you are not interested in chasing schooling fish, a few bass have been taken on Texas-rigged worms around brush piles in 12 to 18 feet of water and white spinnerbaits around rocky points and shallow brush. Spotted bass are beginning to stage on main lake points, and are hitting finesse worms in 15 to 20 feet of water. This is the time of year when water levels really begin to drop from decreased rainfall and power generation, so practice safe boating and be aware of shallow areas and obstacles just below the surface.
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As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 396.63 feet msl (flood pool – 408 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is in the low 80s and the lake is clear throughout. Bass fishing is good with quite a few nice catches reported. Some surface activity has been reported in the early morning. Almost any topwater lure will work if you get it in front of the fish. Later in the day, try medium-running crankbaits and lipless crankbaits in the major coves off secondary points. Texas- and Carolina-rigged worms in green pumpkin and red shad also are working well. Look for fish at midlake around Alpine Ridge and Yancey Creek. Also with the shad migrating toward the creeks, try Big Hill and Brushy creeks. Hybrid fishing is fair with fish showing in the shad schools in the Shouse Ford and Beaton Creek areas. Look for breaking fish and throw a Tiny Torpedo, Baby Zara Spook or a 3-inch swim bait. When the fish go down, fan cast a jigging spoon, and fish it up from the bottom. A few fish are still in the deep water off Deroche Ridge. These are bigger fish. Also look for schooling fish around Alpine Ridge. Lots of bream are biting on the full moon. Look for fish in most any cove with some cover. For bluegills, use a float and fish about 4 or 5 feet deep. For shellcrackers, tightline a split shot rig near the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water. Use worms for shellcrackers and crickets for bluegills. Catfishing is very good both by bottom fishing in the coves or with noodles in deep water at night. When cove fishing, look for one with standing timber in about 20 to 30 feet of water in the Iron Mountain and dam areas. Set the noodle baits around 20 feet deep. Best baits are hot dogs soaked in strawberry Kool Aid, chicken livers, nightcrawlers, cut shad or Catfish Charlie.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Stacey Jackson at White Oak Lake State Park (870-685-2748) said bass are biting fair at best, but a few can be caught late in the evening on flukes, spinnerbaits and brush hogs. Bream are biting fairly well on worms and crickets. Catfishing is good on trotlines baited with live bream and prepared catfish bait. Rod-and-reel fishing has been good for catfish as well. No report on crappie. The lower lake still has a daily catfish limit of 5, a daily bream limit of 50 and catch-and-release regulations for any other species.
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 9-23-2015) Buddy Ham at Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said bass are biting fairly well on spinnerbaits. Crappie are slow. Catfishing is fair. A few bream are being caught in the river.
(Updated 9-2-2015) Jaret Rushing said a few anglers have caught some nice bass on the Ouachita River by flipping jigs and plastics around fallen timber once the sun is up. The morning bit still is fairly good on buzzbaits and other reaction baits.
(Updated 9-23-2015) Buddy Ham at Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said bass, bream and catfish are all slow. A few crappie are being caught at night under a lantern, but that’s about it.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said there have been a few good bass caught lately with the cooler water. One was caught on a buzzbait in the early morning.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 342.33 feet msl (full pool – 342 msl).
(Updated 9-2-2015) Good Ole Boys Trading Post (479-272-4710) said the water is pretty clear and getting back to normal level. Bream are fair on crickets and worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs slow trolled around brush. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits fished near brush piles. Catfishing is good on shrimp in deep water.
(Updated 9-16-2015) Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are on minnows, Bobby Garland Baby Shads and 1.25-inch Itty Bit Swim’rs in deep water. Catfishing is good on frozen shad, minnows and worms. Bream are biting excellently on crickets and worms.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Chuck Morrison at Classic Catch Guide Service (479-774-9117) said surface water temperature is in the upper 70s to lower 80s. Water clarity is good upriver, gradually decreasing as you go downriver until you get to the State Park area, which has low visibility. Bass have been slow from dam to dam, but they can still be caught on buzzbaits and frogs early in the morning and late in the evening and on spinnerbaits and jigs with bamboozie craw around wood. Worms and crankbaits have been working well on sandbars and shell beds. Striped bass have been slow since the current slowed. Look for stripers around rocks and at the inlet of the nuclear plant, and fish spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and topwater poppers. Bream have been excellent lately. If you can find a cottonwood tree down in the river, it will be loaded with bream. Use crickets, worms, small jigs and flies. White bass are in the creeks. Use small white crankbaits, Pop-R's, tailspinners and small spoons. Catfish has been good just out of the river channel on points using live bream. No report on crappie.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 384.70 feet msl (full pool – 384 msl).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 568.85 feet msl (full pool – 578 msl).
(Updated 9-30-2015) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is clear and the surface water temperature is 76 to 80 degrees. Black bass are very good and being caught with topwater baits and spy baits on points near structure. Walleye are slow, but a few have been caught on ¾-oz. CC spoons jigged vertically near structure. Stripers are fair on live bait and hair jigs on main lake points and humps on the east end of the lake. Bream are very good on worms, grubs or crickets near brush in 15 to 25 feet of water. Crappie are biting well near brush on small spoons, minnows or crappie jigs fished 20 to 30 feet deep. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers or stink bait.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Darryl Morris at
Family Fishing Trips said bass are beginning to break the surface in the mornings in the White Oak Basin area. Be ready with Rooster Tails and topwater lures for the breaking fish, and have a spoon tied on to catch a few extra fish when the surface action subsides.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service said Entergy has gone to a minimum flow generation schedule below Carpenter Dam. Flow will occur every few days to maintain lake levels, but this plan is subject to change due to demands on the system. Water temperature has risen to 64 degrees below the dam with clear conditions in the tailrace. Rainbow trout fishing is over until mid-November when the water cools and the stocking program begins again. Large schools of threadfin shad are migrating into the tailrace from the main lake, which has attracted several fish species into the area to feed. Walleye have been caught on brightly colored jigs in the main channel. These fish are on the small size with the majority weighing just over a pound. Carolina rigs tipped with nightcrawlers or live minnows have also been effective in the late evening. A few white and black bass have been caught around the dam on Alabama rigs and spinnerbaits cast over rock structure. Very little surface action has been observed despite large numbers of shad in the area. Catfish are biting well below the bridge on cut bait fished under a jug or tightlined from a boat. As water temperature cools, numbers of game fish will move into the area to feed. Striper and hybrid action has been very slow, but this can change rapidly with the presence of baitfish. Catfish are still being caught below the bridge on cut-bait fished under a jug or tightlined from a boat.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said the bass are moving up and hitting crankbaits and topwater baits off points. Bream are staying on their beds and hitting popping bugs. Crappie are steady on jigs and minnows. Catfish are still hitting steady on stink bait and hot dogs. Mississippi River State Park is hosting a kayak tour at Bear Creek Lake on Saturday, October 31st. To sign up please call Mississippi River State Park at (870) 295-4040.
(Updated 9-30-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said bream are biting well on crickets and popping bugs. Crappie are slow, and the bass are coming up and hitting crankbaits. Catfish are slow. The water temperatures is steadily dropping. The annual Storm Creek Lake Cleanup will be hosted by the St. Francis National Forest and Mississippi River State Park on October 3.
(Updated 9-15-2015) Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said said the water is cool and a little high. Last week was excellent of fishing. Bream are biting well on crickets in 2 to 4 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on jigs fished in brush 2 to 4 feet deep. Bass are biting very well on crankbaits, topwater lures and soft-plastics fished close to the trees. White bass are hitting well in swift water. Catfishing is good in deeper holes near swift current on worms and stink bait.
