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| Weekly Fishing Report Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Randy Zellers (501)223-6406, e-mail: mailto:rdzellers@agfc.state.ar.us |
| April 02, 2008 Edition |
| This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's fishing report for April 02. If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please call or e-mail us with information on possible sources for that lake or river. |
| Fishing Tip: When looking for fish that have moved shallow to spawn, a good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must. Whether you choose an amber colored lens or a gray lens, polarized sunglasses cut the glare from the water's surface, so that you can see the fish shallow enough to spawn. Blocking out the sides of your sunglasses with a wide-brimmed hat or your eyes also helps you find more fish by sight. Looking for more good fishing info? Tune in to My 42 in Little Rock to catch Larry Hurley and "Another Day of Fishing" starting April 6, at 9 a.m. |
| Arkansas River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Tuesday the Arkansas River stages are: Trimble Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 13): Headwater – 388.64 feet, Tailwater – 387.91 feet, Flow – 132,235 cubic feet per second Ozark Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 12): Headwater – 372.00 feet, Tailwater – 355.36 feet Dardanelle Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 10): Headwater – 337.78 feet, Tailwater – 3006.09 feet Ormond Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 9): Headwater – 286.99 feet, Tailwater – 286.20 feet, Flow – NO READING AVAILABLE Toad Suck Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 8): Headwater – 272.00 feet, Tailwater – 270.97 feet Murray Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 7): Headwater – 247.43 feet, Tailwater – 241.86 feet, Flow – 194,697 Terry Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 6): Headwater – 230.50 feet, Tailwater – 229.12 feet, Flow – NO READING AVAILABLE Sanders Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 4): Headwater – 196.35 feet, Tailwater – 195.98 feet Hardin Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam 3): Headwater – 184.40 feet, Tailwater – 183.39 feet Mills Dam (Dam 2): Headwater – 161.11 feet, Tailwater – 156.63 feet, Flow – 168,097 cubic feet per second White River Levels: According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as of Wednesday the White River stages are: 13 feet at Calico Rock (flood stage – 19 feet) 13.1 feet at Batesville (flood stage – 15 feet) 26 feet at Newport (flood stage – 26 feet) 33.1 feet at Augusta (flood stage – 26 feet) 25.6 feet at Georgetown (flood stage – 21 feet) 32.7 feet at Clarendon (flood stage – 26 feet) |
| Statewide Family and Community Fishing Report: Catfish will soon be available in selected ponds by the first week of April. To increase your fishing success, be sure to have good fishing line on your reel and try using liver, worms or stink bait. For more information on stockings, please call toll-free 1-866-540-FISH (3474). |
CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
| Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is high and all species are slow. Crappie are the best thing going on minnows and jigs. Daniel Zajac at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said excessive water slowed the crappie. A few are being picked up around 4 to 7 feet deep on black/chartreuse jigs or rosey red minnows near the flats. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits and lizards. Bream and redears are starting to show up in the shallows again. Catfishing is fair on trotlines. Little Red River:Lindsey's Resort (501-362-3139) said there has been little generation on the river lately. Fishing is still good on Rapalas, Buoyant Spoons, nightcrawlers, and Power Eggs. Jed Hollan at the Little Red Fly Shop said Greers Ferry Lake is 15 feet above the preferred maximum of 461.5 feet msl. It may be well into July before normal operations resume after the floodwaters recede. Fishing is fantastic with low water in the mornings at most shoals on the upper river. The aquatic insect activity along the world-famous Little Red River continues unabated. Dry flies that are proving to be effective include midge (size 22 or smaller in cream or black), elk hair caddis (sizes 14-16 tan or black), Adams (size 18-20) or American March brown (size 14). Below the surface, try a sowbug (sizes 14-16;UV tan, UV gray or peacock), zebra midge (size 16-22; red, black or chartreuse), San Juan worms (sizes 16-18 pink or red), pheasant tail (size 16), red butt (size 14-16), green butt (sizes 14-16) or woolly bugger (sizes 8-12 olive, brown or black). Greers Ferry: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 476.01 feet MSL. Shiloh Marina said the water is high and all fishing has been slow. Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said some bass are up on the bank and can be caught with a spinnerbait and a Right Bite Shaky Hooker. Some can be caught in deeper water on a Carolina rig and football head jig in 30 feet fished along the old brush lines. Flukes and tubes fished in the flooded briars are also catching some fish. Walleye are slow, but should be moving to rocky flats to feed soon. The white bass run is beginning, with some already upriver. A few crappie are being caught around brush with shiners. Harris Brake Lake:Coffee Creek Landing (501-889-2745) said the water is still very high. Fishing has been slow, but you can still catch some crappie on minnows and jigs. Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing (501-354-1470) said the water is muddy and high. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on worms. Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the lake is high and murky. Bream are fair on redworms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Brewer Lake:Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is high. Crappie are fair on jigs tipped with a minnow. Catfish are still biting decently on yo-yos baited with minnows. Lake Maumelle:Jolly Rogers Marina said the water is 1.7 feet above the spillway and rising. Largemouth bass are excellent in shallow water during the warmest parts of the day. Anglers are having the best luck in shallow coves on the north bank in 1 to 2 feet of water on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. White bass are in the creeks and are biting excellently. Road Runners, Rooster Tails and live shad are all working very well on the whites. Crappie are moving shallow and biting well on minnows and small jigs. Bream are fair on crickets fished on deeper ledges. Catfishing is fair. The cats are still deep, but are biting fairly well on prepared baits. Sunset Lake: Turbyfill's Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is high and muddy. Fishing is slow for all species. Saline River Access in Benton: Turbyfill's Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is high and muddy. Fishing is poor for all species. Arkansas River in Little Rock: Vince Miller from Fish 'N Stuff said the water is still very high and no anglers are on the water. Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait (501-868-3279) said the Arkansas River is running very fast and the Little Maumelle is low. No report. Clear Lake: McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is extremely muddy and high. All species are slow. Peckerwood Lake: Herman's Landing (870-241-3731) said the water is very high. Crappie are fair on yo-yos baited with minnows. Catfish are also fair on yo-yos with minnows. |
NORTH ARKANSAS |
| White River:John Berry of Berry Brothers Guides said flooding has receded from the upper White River and the Norfork. The Buffalo River and Crooked Creek are still high and off colored. The White River below these streams is stained and not fishing well. The upper river is fishing very well. Last weekend we had low water and the catch-and-release area below Bull Shoals Dam was red hot. There were several reports of large numbers of trout caught which included many trophy trout. The hot flies were black zebra midges, olive scuds and red and worm brown San Juan worms. There were some very productive midge hatches, which had trout feeding on the surface. The hot fly for this action was Dan's turkey tail emerger. Angler's White River Resort said the water is very muddy and high. Fishing is very slow. Mountain River Fly Shop said the white seriously has been fishing extremely well for the last 10 days. Generation levels all week have been under two full units, though the recording is saying 2, which allows some wading access. The runoff sediment is clearing and the fishing reports we have had have been amazing. Davy Wotton has been reporting 65 fish at Bull on his sow bugs on Wednesday and some great fishing at Rim Shoals earlier in the week. There have been a bunch of wade fishermen at the dam whacking fish on midges, woolly buggers and big sculpin patterns all week. The high water levels are coming sometime in April. Get in your fishing while you can. Bull Shoals Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 680.60 feet MSL. Lake Norfork: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 576.03 feet MSL. Cranfield Junction Bait and Tackle (870-492-5141) said the water is very high and dingy. There have been few anglers, but you can still catch some bass. 101 Grocery and Bait said the lake is still rising. Most of the lake is muddy, but there is clear water in the creek arms and some coves. Water temperatures range from the mid 40s to upper 50s. Fishing has been slow for all species, but a few nice stripers were weighed in lately. Norfork Tailwater:Mountain River Fly Shop said wading really isn't an option with two units running, but if you can fish from a boat it opens up some deep nymphing or streamer options. However if you have kids under 16, then we can report that Dry Run Creek is pretty much back to normal and fishing very well. Take some midges, sowbugs, and San Juan worms and a very large net. Your kids will thank you for years. |
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS |
| Beaver Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 1,130.13 feet MSL. JT's Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said bass fishing has been good. The best action has come on a white/chartreuse spinnerbait fished along and in the flooded brush and timber. Crappie fishing has been slow, but they should be making a move for shallow water soon with the warming water. Try a minnow under a float 2 feet down around flooded brush and timber in coves. White bass fishing has been good upstream from the Highway 45 Bridge. Most of the bites have been along the bank in shallow water near flooded brush on lures resembling a minnow. Stripers have been up the White River and can be caught by trolling live brood minnows fished under a float set 3 to 10 feet deep. Catfish have been biting well from the bank with cut shad and liver. Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is very high and murky. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits. Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water was muddy and few anglers are on the water. No report. Sugarloaf Lake: Midland Minimart (479-639-9467) said the water is muddy and high. Crappie are good on small minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well on bass minnows. |
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS |
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SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS |
| Lake Chicot: Bass Tracker Marine (870-265-5374) said the water is clear and high. Bream are biting well on wax worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows. Catfishing is good on nightcrawlers. Lake Monticello: Bass have moved shallow. Some bed fish are being caught, but there has been a lot of pressure on the lake and many fish are already extremely spooky. The water temperature has dropped to 60 degrees because of rain and high winds. |
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS |
| Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 262.39 feet MSL. Millwood Lake Guide Service said main lake and Little River surface temperature is 57 to 68 degrees. Water clarity is minimal because of all the runoff. Current is 27,020 cubic feet per second. Because of muddy, fast-moving inflow of all four rivers entering the lake, the fishing has been slower than normal. Bass are still prespawn and the water temperature is climbing, which should mean a move to the beds. Large 10-12 inch worms, and jigs are the ticket to catching some good bass. Be observant of floating debris, tree limbs, and broken vegetation in heavy current of Little River. Use extreme caution navigating on Millwood until normal pool returns. Many river buoys are clogged with vegetation mats, missing, or are forced out of the channel. Closed, or unusable USACE boat ramps on Millwood include: Cottenshed south, Beard's Bluff, White Cliffs, River Run East and River Run West. Yarborough and Jack's Isle boat ramps are open. Largemouths are staging and full eggs. Many males have been seen and caught in bedding areas, thinking of spawning. Several really fat females have been caught just slightly deeper than the males. The most consistent bite remains pitching and flipping Texas-rigged, Southern Pro Flipping or Fattbutt Tubes (with rattles) in black/red flake; black or chartreuse pepper lizards. Large ¾- or 1-oz. Rat-L-Traps in white, Sizzlin' Bream, Red Pepper, or Red Coach Dog colors are still taking a few keepers. If you can locate some slightly less muddy water, Bass Assassin Shads and toads are beginning to turn a few heads and draw some decent strikes. With all the muddy water and current, the white bass remained elusive again this week. The crappie bite is still slow, at best. The influx of fresh muddy water has tapered off their bite and prespawn movements another week or two. The good news is that the channel catfish bite remains consistent and steady with the current in Little River. Channel cats from 3-8 pounds each have been caught on cut bait or chicken livers fished from trotlines and yo-yo's along the river and in oxbows hung from cypress trees in about 10-12 feet of water. Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is extremely high. Fish have scattered out and fishing is slow for all species. Lake Erling: Steve's Marine (870-234-2222) said the water is high and murky. Fishing is slow for all species. White Oak Lake: White Oak Lake State Park said fishing is still excellent on both the upper and lower lakes. Limits of crappie, bream, and catfish are being caught on both artificial and live baits. Bass are biting well on spinnerbaits. Lake Greeson: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 550.22 feet MSL. Lakeside Grocery said the water is very high and all species are slow. Darryl Morris from Family Fishing Trips said the fishing is great, but the catching is a little slow right now. The water is heavily stained but slowly clearing. Water surface temperature was 55 degrees in the main lake. All species are slow. DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 408.07 feet MSL. DeGray One Stop (501-865-3511) said the water is still high. Bream are fair on worms and nightcrawlers. Crappie can be caught on minnows and jigs fished on the inside weed edge. Catfish are fair on trotlines and yo-yos. |
WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS |
| Lake Dardanelle: Murphy's Sporting Goods (479-229-3200) said the water is very high and muddy with a dangerous current. The Corps of Engineers urges everyone to stay off the water. Bill's Bait and Tackle (479-754-6354) said the water is still very high and swift. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around creek bends near the main channel. Stripers are fair on top-water lures. Bass are fair on shallow-running square-billed crankbaits fished around current breaks. Catfish are biting well below Ozark dam on shrimp, liver and punch bait. Blue Mountain Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at 419.89 feet MSL. CNC's End of the Line (479-947-2398) said the water is muddy and extremely high. No report because of flooding. Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart (479-667-5155) said the water is muddy and high. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and jigs fished in newly flooded backwaters and along current breaks. Catfishing is fair on minnows and worms. Lake Ouachita: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 581.07 feet MSL. Dave Lindhag of Striped Bass Adventures said Larry Hurley from Poorman's Guide Service said bass fishing is excellent. The fish are moving shallow and can be caught on trick worms, crankbais, jigs and Senkos. If you only visit the lake once a year, now's the time to do it. Stripers are fair and bream are slow. Crappie fishing is good. Lake Catherine: Shane Goodner, owner of Catch'em All Guide Service, reports that Entergy is continuing to run full load generation at Carpenter Dam in efforts to bring Lake Ouachita out of flood pool. This process will go on 24/7 until the lake returns to normal. Extremely strong currents mixed with muddy water have created hazardous boating conditions in the tailrace. Rainbow trout fishing is very slow as these fish despise muddy water and will not improve until the water clears. The crappie spawn is in full swing despite the conditions with good catches reported where fishermen find slower water protected by submerged islands and sand bars. Brightly colored jigs in 1/8 ounce sizes are producing large females in the 1- to 2-pound range. Minnows fished under a bobber are also working well in areas of clear water. The walleye run is almost over, but large females are still being caught in the main channels trolling crankbaits that imitate shad or crayfish. Striper activity has been slowed but as the water clears and the heavy generation subsides, these fish will feed heavily. Diamond Head Marina reported the water temperature is 54 degrees and the water is a little high. Fishing has been pretty good between Carpenter Dam and the marina. Crappie are biting well on silver spoons. Bass are biting fairly well along the banks in backwater cuts. Walleye are biting well on silver spoons. Stripers are excellent on yellow twister tails. Be sure to drop by the Crazy Yankee for a sandwich and the latest fishing information. Lake Hamilton: Larry Hurley from Poorman's Guide Service said bass are excellent on most spring baits, from lizards to worms. Crappie are fair, but are running a little on the small side. No report on stripers, but white bass are running up in the creeks and are hitting spoons. Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop (479-637-4719) said the water is murky and high. Fishing is poor. Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said the water is very high. No anglers have been out to give a report. |
EAST ARKANSAS |
| Arkansas River (Pine Bluff): The Tackle Box said the water is still high. Bream are fair on worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs. Bass fishing is good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfish are fair on cut bait. White River: Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said water is very high. No report. Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is still very high. A few brave souls have caught some fish in the newly flooded woods, but most sane folks are staying off the river until the water recedes. Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors (870-295-4240) said the water is high and clear. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished in laydowns and treetops. A few bass have been caught on soft-plastics. Catfishing is slow. Horseshoe Lake: Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is murky and high. Bream are fair around the piers on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on black/chartreuse jigs and trolling in deep water. Catfish are biting very well on worms, cut bait and nightcrawlers in the middle of the lake. |
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