(Updated 10-28-2015) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is a little stained and is about a foot low. The surface water temperature is in the low 70s. Bream are slow, but a few have been caught around Caney Creek in 18 inches to 3 feet of water on crickets and worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs in 18 inches to 8 feet of water all over the creeks. Bass are biting well on buzzbaits and topwater lures like the Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg in 3 to 4 feet of water around the banks. Catfishing is excellent on cut bait, minnows 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 11-4-2015) 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, egg and soft hackle patterns are working well for fly-fishers. For Trout Magnet fishing, try candy cotton and sunrise-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 generation schedule.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Greg Seaton with Little Red Fly Fishing Trips (501-690-9166) said the river remains low and clear. Some brown movement is being seen, but no fish are on the shallow shoals. My clients caught 4 browns yesterday in pools where they hold before moving to the shoals. The largest was 18 inches. Rainbows are on some of the shoals trying to spawn. With no generation on the weekend and very little during the week, the river is extremely low and clear, so small flies and light tippet are the key to catching fish. The fish are taking size 18 and 20 emergers.
(Updated 11-4-2015) James Dillard at Tailwater Fishing Company (501-207-1770) said fishing has been excellent. We have had low flows and that is to be expected moving forward. The brown trout bite is slowly getting ramped up and it won't be too long until it's on fire. The hot flies have been sow bugs, midges, and egg patterns.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 457.95 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 462.04 msl).
(Updated 10-28-2015) Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the water level is 3.93 feet below normal pool and falling. The surface water temperature is around 56-58 degrees. Bass fishing is pretty good shallow and at mid depths around brush piles using a vertical presentation. Try spoons and drop shot rigs. Carolina rigs, small spinnerbaits and crankbaits also will work fairly well. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows out floating around in the guts of main lake pockets. They are just in the middle of nowhere, suspended 15-25 feet deep. The walleye bite is still not the best, but some can be caught while fishing for whites and hybrids. Bream are guarding fry up on shallow flats and banks and can be caught with small crank baits, crickets, grubs and crawlers. The hybrids and white bass are coming up in places all over the lake, but the best bet is to catch them on spoons, in-line spinners and small swim baits in 35-40 feet of water around shad.
(Updated 10-14-2015) 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.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is beginning to cool and the water clarity is at 2 feet of visibility. Redear sunfish are biting well on crickets fished near the bottom. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in off-white or shad colors around structure. White bass are biting very well on silver and gold lures. Largemouth bass are slow, with only a handful being caught. Catfishing is good on worms.
(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) River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets along the bank in 3 to 4 feet of water. Crappie are biting well on minnows in 6 to 7 feet of water along the channel. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and topwater lures in 4 to 5 feet of water along the banks.
(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 10-28-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is at normal level and is muddy. Very few people have been by the shop to give a report.
(Updated 10-28-2015) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is muddy and low. Very few people have been by the shop to give a report.
(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 658.20 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 659 msl).(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 10-14-2015) Bull Shoals Boat Dock said said surface water temperatures are in the 70s. The Army Corps of Engineers has been steadily running water. If you are fishing by the dam, be sure to fish the long points with gravel and chunk rock for smallmouth. Dragging a tube or shaky head, with a Zoom trick worm or UV worm in brown, watermelon or green pumpkin 20 to 27 feet deep. Fishing has been better up the lake and in the bigger creek arms. Fall is here and the shad are starting to migrate. Keitech swim baits fished super slow are working, as are Rite Bite ½-oz. PB and J jigs with a Net bait Paca Craw or Zoom Fat Albert or Creepy Crawler in green pumpkin will work as well. Look for points back in that flatten out in deeper water 20 to 26 feet deep. Anglers also are catching a few largemouths and spotted bass in the very backs of creeks on War Eagle spinnerbaits on windy days. For the walleye guys, bottom bouncers are starting to work on deep sides of main lake points. Use a 1 ½-oz. bouncer with a worm harness in 24-26 feet of water, and then run 30-32 feet.
(Updated 10-21-2015) Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is high with 6 generators running wide open. Trout fishing is excellent for boat anglers, especially those using guides who can concentrate on maneuvering the boat while the anglers fish. Pink trout worms have been the best lure for bait anglers after rainbow trout. Brown trout have been biting well on stick baits, and some large browns are really starting to show up lately.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said on the White, we had high levels of generation over the weekend and much lower water generation early this week with some wadable water. 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. 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 553.68 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 11-4-2015) Guide Steve Olomon had no report.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Berry Brothers Guide Service (870-453-2424) said there was no wadable water with generation around the clock. The Norfork has fished much better of late now that the lake level has dropped enough to prevent the leakage around the flood gate that was being repaired. The boat traffic has been very heavy. 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. The 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 11-4-2015) 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 11-4-2015) 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 1,120.27 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 1,120 msl).
(Updated 11-4-2015) 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. The lake turnover is beginning, and you will see debris floating off the bottom in your sonar. Fishing is good with live shad fished from the surface down to 30 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. One hot spot right now is Indian Creek around main lake structures and secondary points in the area. But the mid- and upper section of the lake is really turning on as well. Coppermine, Ventris, the Highway 12 Bridge, Prairie Creek, Coose Hollow and Blackburn Creek all are firing with stripers on main lake structure and secondary points in the creeks as stripers move up the creek arms. This week Beave Shores, Escapalia Hollow, Hickory Creek and War Eagle and the White River up from Point 12 all joined the hot spot list as well. Most walleye have moved to the second drop and are being caught about 10-20ft. 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 11-4-2015) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is clear and in the low 60s. The water level is almost back to normal. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well around cover on jigs and minnows. The bass are very active on topwater lures early in the morning. No report on catfish.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Beaver Dam Store said the store is only open Thursday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the winter. The water release is still going on. Wade fishing is non-existent. Boaters have been doing well drifting large egg patterns or stripping streamers in the current. Power Bait of any color and nightcrawlers have been working well at the 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 11-4-2015) Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said few anglers are fishing, and the bite is slow as well. Typically, a buzzbait is always good in the early and late hours of the day. Don't count out a floating frog, or a nice fat jig and frog. Use white spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms during the day for largemouths. Crappie are scattered. Minnows fished at 9-10 feet over brush piles will catch a couple, if they are biting at all. Sometimes a smaller minnow works best if they are picky. Redworms will be your best bait for sunfish. Use liver or stink bait for catfish. The bait shop at Duck Camp will close for the season on Nov. 12.
(Updated on 10-28-2015) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is at normal level and the clarity is fair. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are slow, but a few have been caught lately. Bass are fair. Catfish are fair.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and about 6 inches low. The surface water temperature is about 67 degrees. Bream are fair on worms and crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in 6 to 8 feet of water. The crappie are scattered all over the lake. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and soft-plastic worms down toward the dam. Catfishing is good on chicken liver and goldfish near the channel.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Lake Poinsett State Park said it was a very quiet weekend. The bait shop sold a few minnows and nightcrawlers, but no anglers have stopped on the way out to talk about their catch in the last week.
(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 11-4-2015) Lake Chicot State Park said the catfish are biting well. Bream were biting well before the most recent rain. No report on crappie or bass.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.89 feet msl (normal conservation pool – 259.20 msl).
(Updated 11-4-2015) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake level is little more than 10 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is increased current in Little River with the gates releasing 2,005 CFS as of Monday. Surface water temperature ranges from 63 to 69 degrees. Water clarity worsened with the storms, wind, and incoming rain to 4 to 8 inches. Little River above McGuire remains stained but improving. Oxbows are settling out and have clarity anywhere from 10 to 15 inches. Bass activity has been excellent the past few weeks, and bass remain very active on topwaters early and crankbaits later. Most bass are the most aggressive at dawn around shallow vegetation at dawn on frogs, Bass Assassin Shads, buzz baits, and shallow jerkbaits. Later in the day, Largemouth bass are best on crankbaits, squarebills, and bulky magnum 4-inch tubes around cover and cypress trees in 5-10 feet of water. Spotted bass, largemouths and white bass all continue congregating at creek mouths that dump into Little River, feeding on shad schools. Spots are aggressive on smaller Rat-L-Traps, lizards and tubes with best colors over the past couple weeks being chrome/blue for Traps, and pumpkinseed/chartreuse, appleseed, or green pumpkin/blue for lizards and tubes. Smithwick Rouges continue taking nice bass this week, as are solid body frogs, and 5 to 7-inch Bass Assassin Shads for the Largemouths. White bass returned upriver with the cool water. They have been schooling on topwater plugs like the Cordell Crazy Shads in chrome/black and Baby Torpedoes in clear. Rat-L-Traps, and Squarebill Echo 1.75 crankbaits for the past couple weeks are catching sub-surface schooling Whites for the past couple weeks. Crappie have just not been as aggressive w/ the cooler muddy water and current in Little River. Catfish are improving with the current increase. Trotlines using cut shad, buffalo, Catfish Charlie and homemade cheese dough with chicken liver are working on outer bends of Little River in 10-15 feet of water.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 538.72 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 395.90 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 10-14-2015) Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said some good largemouth have been caught lately in the mornings. Anglers are keeping it quiet about lures, but there have been some regular catches of good fish.
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 341.95 feet msl (full pool – 342 msl).
(Updated 10-21-2015) Good Ole Boys Trading Post (479-272-4710) said the water is very low. Three or four weeks ago, anglers were doing very well, but there haven’t been many anglers at the lake lately with the lower conditions. A little rain may help things.
(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 384.36 feet msl (full pool – 384 msl).
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 568.13 feet msl (full pool – 578 msl).
(Updated 11-4-2015) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is 64 to 68 degrees and the water is clearing. Largemouth bass are biting well on crankbaits, spy baits and topwater lures on points near major creek channels. Spotted bass are biting very well near brush on drop-shot rigs baited with finesse worms or live crayfish. Walleye are fair on ¾-oz. CC spoons jigged vertically around creek channel ledges. Stripers are fair to good on live bait and hair jigs. A few stripers are being found hitting topwater lures as well. Bream are fair on worms, grubs and crickets fished in brush 15 to 25 feet deep. Crappie are biting well on small spoons, minnows and crappie jigs in 20 to 30 feet of water. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers, cut bait and stinkbait.
(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 11-4-2015) 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 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. Lake Hamilton is drawing down next weekend, and it will be a great time to fish with crayfish patterns along newly exposed rocks for bass.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips had no report.
(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 11-4-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said bass are moving up and hitting crankbaits and topwater baits off of points. Bream have slowed down. Crappie are biting well on live minnows and jigs trolled slowly at 10 feet deep.
(Updated 11-4-2015) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) said bream are slow, but the crappie have picked up. Crappie are biting live minnows about 10 feet deep. The hybrid stripers have been schooling off and on. Chartreuse jigs have worked well on stripers near the top of the water.
(Updated 10-28-2015) Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream and crappie are slow. Bass are fair in the main channel on crankbaits. Catfishing is fair on stink bait fished close to the main river. A few people have caught a few bream and crappie in the back lakes, but other than that, the main channel has been where to find the few fish that will bite.
