Weekly Fishing Report

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Keith Stephens (501) 223-6342,
e-mail: kastephens@agfc.state.ar.us

This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's fishing report for April 21, 2004.

Fishing Tip: Bream fishing this time of year can be very productive if you know what to look for. Bream fan out a shallow depression in which to lay their eggs. Once the nest is fanned clean, the saucer-like depression appears as a light spot on an otherwise dark background. These beds are usually found in two to six feet of water over a firm bottom near stumps or logs.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS: Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said the redear have moved in closer to the banks as they get ready to spawn and are hitting black and silver Dynamax Tinsel.

Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said trout fishing is still good using wax worms with marshmallows or chartreuse or pink Power Eggs. Fly fishermen are using Sow Bugs, dry flies, Caddis and March Browns. Roostertails and spoons are also working well for those using artificial baits.

Greers Ferry: Shiloh Marina said crappie are almost through with their spawning. White bass are still in the river hitting small jigs. Hybrids are starting to move into the shallow flats. Bass are spawning and hitting floating worms and flukes. Walleye are moving back out to the deeper water and hitting crank baits and small jigs.

Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said bream fishing is good using crickets. Crappie are hitting minnows. A few bass are being caught using minnows.

Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said bream fishing is fair using crickets. Crappie are getting ready to spawn and fishing is fair using shiners or pink minnows. Bass are hitting motor oil colored worms.

Cadron Creek: Wooster Grocery said crappie are biting very well on minnows. Bream are hitting good on worms and crickets.

Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream are hitting very well on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is extremely good using minnows.

Brewer Lake: Wooster Grocery said bream are doing well on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is excellent using minnows.

Little Maumelle River: River Valley Bait said redear and bream are being caught on red worms, nightcrawlers and crickets. Crappie fishing is good with minnows, jigs and crickets. Bass are hitting good on spinner baits assorted jigs, crickets and minnows. Catfishing is good with your favorite bait.

Lake Cargile: Beeson's Grocery said fishing is still slow.

Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger's Marina said black bass are good right now. A lot of small black bass are being caught using crank baits such as Shad Raps, spinner baits, Rogues and dark-colored pig 'n jigs. Kentucky's are good and improving with some fish being caught in 10 to 15 feet of water, but most have moved into the shallow water. Small jigs and crank baits seem to be working best. White bass are good. Lots of females are being caught near the Highway 10 bridge and finishing their run into the creek. They continue to hit Rogues, Roostertails and Roadrunners. Catfish are fair and are moving into shallow water as the temperature warms and are hitting large minnows and prepared baits. Crappie are fair and improving. Some are being found in 15 to 20 feet of water around structures, while others are being found in shallow water on warm days. Minnows and assorted jigs are working well. Bream are good and can be found in deep water and hitting crickets.

Arkansas River: Charley's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the river flow is 30,000 cubic feet with the headwater from Lock #9 at 286.92 feet and the tailwater is at 267.04. Flows are starting to stabilize from the high 20,000 to low 30,000 range. The fish are moving into the shallows. Bass are under overhangs hitting buzz baits early and spinner baits later. White bass are around jetties late in the afternoon where there is sand banks showing next to shore and they are hitting the Heddon Sonar Flash. Catfish are in five to 15 feet of water in the late evening and are hitting whole shad. Crappie are on the down stream side of jetties up around Petit Jean River and near Copper's Gap ramp hitting yellow and red jigs tipped with minnows floated about five feet deep below a cork. Bream are in four to eight feet of water around rocks and are hitting crickets. Drum are hitting crawfish around the jetties.

Little Rock area lakes: Floyd Norfleet, Community Fisheries Biologist for the AGFC reports anglers having success catching recently stocked catfish at Boyle and Kiwanis Parks. Some anglers are using small pieces of hot dog for bait. Norfleet talked with Mike Chandler on the north side of the Arkansas River, who reports a few white bass and skipjacks are being taken at the hydroelectric plant. White bass are reportedly being caught around the I-430 bridge structure as well.

NORTH ARKANSAS:

White River: Gaston's White River Resort said trout are hitting wax worms, red worms and yellow and white Power Eggs tipped with white or pink glowworms. Buoyant spoons are also working well. Fly fishermen are having the best luck with pink jigs, Shad Flies, Sow Bugs and olive green Woolly Buggers.

North Fork River: Fly-fishing guide John Gulley said fly fishermen are catching trout on midges in olive and black and caddis flies in tan and green size 14-18. Spin fishermen are using Blue Fox spinner baits, Cleo's and Roostertails. Bait fishermen are using crawfish tails, worms, corn and Power Bait.

Bull Shoals Lake: Lead Hill Boat Dock said crappie can be found near the shoreline out to about 10 feet and are hitting crappie jigs. Bass are hitting Carolina-rigged plastic lizards. Catfish and walleye are slow.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said a few bream are being caught on crickets. Crappie are shallow and hitting live minnows and Bobby Garland's Baby Shad. Bass fishing is fair to good. Stripers are hitting stick baits after dark. Walleye fishing is spotty with a few being picked up trolling or with jerk baits.

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said crappie are being caught anywhere from two to eight feet deep using minnows, jigs (tubes or Maribou) and Roadrunners. Black bass are spawning and hitting soft plastic, Senkos, trick worms and super flukes. White bass fishing is good from Hickory Creek to the Highway 45 bridge using crawfish, Rapala Minnows, Lil'Fishes, jigs and Roadrunners.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said crappie fishing is fair with minnows or jigs. Bass are hitting crank baits and plastics. White bass are scattered. Bluegill are starting to bed and hitting crickets and worms.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said bream and redear are hitting worms. Crappie fishing is good using minnows or jigs. Bass fishing is fair with spinner baits, crank baits or soft plastics. A few catfish are being caught on chicken liver and shad.

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store says you know it's good when someone complains they couldn't keep the trout off their lure trying to catch white bass. Complaining about catching trout is a rarity around this part of the White River. The old saying "catching 'em on a bare hook" applies to white bass fishing these past few days. The river is hot, the lake is hot, Leatherwood Creek is hot, etc. etc. If you never ever catch a fish, then this is the time to get a fishing license and make yourself feel like a pro. Beaver's "White Bass" cove is teeming with fish, as is the river. Jigs, spinners and lipless crank baits are the best choices for freezer filling action. Stripers and hybrid bass are mixed in with the white bass, so bring a pole with a bit heavier line just in case. Walleye fishing on the King's has been slow according to reports from that area, but on the White, walleye fishing is hot. Jigs and minnows are taking the fish, as well as deep crank baits. Trout fishing is pretty good as well, with the hot spots being Parker's Bend and the boat ramp below Beaver Dam. Spinners, spoons and Rapalas are the best lures. Bait anglers reported pretty good action with nightcrawlers, corn and wax worms. Fly-fishing action is hot for white bass on chartreuse or white Woolly Buggers or Clouser's Minnows early switching to black woollies in the late afternoon. Trout flies working magic are Pheasant Tail Emergers in size 20-24, Olive Woolly Buggers and Olive Pheasant Tail Nymphs.

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the water temperature is 59 degrees and the river is very floatable. A goggleye are being caught. Small and largemouth bass are hitting Rebel Crawfish, Gitzits and plastic grubs.

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS

White River: Local fisherman Jeff Moore said the White river at Batesville is at 7.58 feet and steady. Trout fishing in the Guion area is good and the fish are very active. Trout are active on the surface and can be caught on small spoons and #78 Pointers, and medium-size Rapalas. The usual methods of drift and anchor fishing continues to work well. Baits such as Power Eggs, corn, and worms continue to be effective and produce limits of fish whether fished behind a spinner or just drifted on a hook. Bass fishing is very good from Guion to Lock #1 with largemouth and smallmouth both biting well. Small crawdad-colored crank baits, Gitzits in green pumpkin and Irish whiskey colors fished on the rocks along the main river are producing smallmouth. Most of the largemouth are being caught from the grass. Floating worms, Gitzits, Hula Grubs, finesse worms and Pop R's are all working. Bait fishing with minnows in the mouth of the creeks is equally effective. Crappie continue to bite well in the creeks and along the river. The fish are associated with cover like lay down trees and brush that is partially submerged. Minnows fished beneath a cork and small jigs are accounting for most of the crappie. Walleye and sauger fishing is fair with several fish being caught trolling medium and small crank baits such as Wiggle Warts and Model A Bombers in fire tiger and crawdad colors. Best areas are between Locks #2 and #3 and beneath Lock #1.

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said perch are hitting very well on minnows and crickets. Crappie fishing is very good using minnows or jigs. A few bass are being caught but no large ones.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said trout fishing is good using Power Bait and marshmallows.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Enterprise: Fred's Sport Shop said bream fishing is good with worms or crickets. A few small crappie are being caught. Bass fishing is good. Catfish are hitting cut bait and minnows.

Lake Chicot: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are hitting minnows or jigs. Bass fishing is good using top water baits. Catfishing is good with worms or large minnows.

Grand Lake: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said crappie fishing is very good in the shallow water with either minnows or jigs.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service reports water temperatures between 63 and 70 degrees with water clarity slightly stained. Largemouth bass in the four to eight pound range continue to bite well. The best baits are spring bream (green/orange) Rat-L-Traps, Bass Assassins, lizards in black/blue shades and brush hogs in cranberry or blackberry. Pockets along the north and south Hickory Creeks, yielded some nice bass in the four to six pound class on Rat-L-Traps. Gitzits in pumpkin/chartreuse or black/blue, Bass Assassins in gizzard shad or threadfin shad colors, and dark colored lizards/soft plastic salamanders continue to incite the best bite. Shallow cypress trees in three-foot depths close to deep water, in wind-protected coves and pockets off the main lake, or up river, continue to be the most consistent pattern for the last couple weeks. Water temperatures have increased another three degrees. The main part of the lake is clearing from recent muddy and high wind conditions. Little River and her oxbows have very good water clarity at two to six feet of visibility. Blue cats are biting cut baits on trotlines, in 9 to 10 foot deep sections of the river. Outside bends of the river are holding the best blues. The crappie bite continues to improve. With water temperatures and clarity drastically improving, some crappie continue spawning and have been caught relatively shallow close to cypress trees out from Okay Landing on live shiners, tiny spinner baits, and jigs. Spotted gar continue to be observed in very shallow water as well. Big females were seen extremely shallow, making for excellent bowfishing opportunities.

Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said the bream are beginning to bed and are hitting crickets. Crappie fishing is fair. Bass are hitting Zoom Lizards in watermelon with flake. Catfishing is good with cold worms or on yoyos with minnows.

Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said bream are starting to be caught on the beds with crickets. Crappie fishing is fair. Bass are hitting watermelon flake Zoom Lizards. Catfish are hitting cold worms or yoyos baited with minnows.

White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said bream fishing is very good with crickets. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs. Bass fishing is slow. Catfish are fair on chicken liver.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel/Bait Shop said the lake is dropping. Bream fishing is good. Bass fishing is fair. Striper fishing is good. Catfishing is good.

DeGray Lake: DeGray One Stop and Marine said the lake level is steady and the temperatures are ranging in the high 60s during daylight hours. Bream are starting to move to shallow water and are hitting crickets and small jigs. Crappie are going onto the beds in shallow water from the central part of the lake to the southern part and hitting minnows and jigs. The crappie have already spawned and come off the beds on the north end of the lake around Point Cedar and Shouse Ford. Bass are moving to the beds from Yancey and Big Hill Creek to the south end of the lake and are hitting spinner baits, shallow running crank baits, such as Zara Spooks, buzz baits and top water baits. Stripers and hybrid bass can be found around the creek channels on the main and central parts of the lake to the northern part and can be caught on live and artificial baits in 18 to 28 feet of water. Catfish are being caught on noodles and jugs with bream or large bass minnows in the deeper water. Trotlining for catfish is just beginning.

Little Missouri River: Local fly-fishing guide Jeff Guerin said the Low Water Shoals is a good spot to try an A&W. Under the bridge itself has also been a good spot. There have been a couple of fish working the back end of the pool there in the shade. The Catch and Release Area has been a good spot for a Griffith's Gnat. You'll get lots of looks and several nice resident fish in that last ray of daylight. Some really nice 13-inch fish have been caught in that area. As it gets closer to dark, the March Browns start to hover in numbers and the fish will go nuts for a brief period.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said bream fishing is good using mill worms or crickets. Crappie fishing is excellent from six inches to 10 feet deep using minnows, jigs or wax worms. Black bass are hitting black and blue jigs, white Gitzits and tube baits. White bass are spawning and hitting minnows, white grubs and Roostertails. Catfishing is good using nightcrawlers, stink bait and shad.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said bream are starting to bed and fishing is good using crickets. Crappie fishing is fair in the backwaters with minnows or jigs. Bass are hitting spinner baits and jigs. Catfishing is good using shad or large minnows.

Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the largemouth bass are being caught on floating worms Carolina rigged lizards, jerk baits and flukes in the backs of pockets and on secondary points fairly shallow. Spinner baits have been working well in stained water up the river channels. Walleye are doing very good with most reports of fish being caught on Rogues and jerk baits over large moss flats and humps six to 15 feet deep. Stripers are very good on gray hair jigs, silver spoons and live bait. Top water action is picking up rapidly as the fish are moving back towards the main lake. Main lake points near the river channels and major creek channels are the best locations. Bream fishing is fair 10 to 25 feet deep with crickets and worms. Crappie fishing is still excellent over brush piles and moss flats using white, silver, Tennessee shad and lemon meringue colored feather jigs, two inch grubs and minnows. Try the main lake points and large moss flats five to 15 feet deep. Catfishing is fair using nightcrawlers, stink bait and live minnows.

Lake Catherine: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said trout are hitting a waxworm and marshmallow combination, Power Bait and salmon egg clusters with the best action during periods of power generation. Try a Kastmaster or Roostertail as well. Some crappie are on the beds along the north shorelines and are going for small shiners, while others are still holding off brush in the main channel. These fish are also going for small shiners. Bass are starting to bed and can be found in shallow water. These fish are going for floating worms and lizards. White bass are found directly below the dam and are hitting small spoons and Roostertails. Bream are still deep and going for crickets and red worms fished six to 10 feet deep.

Lake Hamilton: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said bass are beginning to hit the spawn beds and are going for floating lizards and small spinner baits slow rolled over the beds. Crappie are moving shallow and can be found along the shorelines. Small shiners fished a foot or so deep are working well. Catfish are becoming active and hitting large shiners and cut shad. Some walleye are being taken at the mouth of Skully Creek basin using silver spoons jigged on the bottom. Bream are hitting crickets and red worms fished around deep structure.

Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said bream fishing is fair. Crappie fishing is good using mostly minnows with a few being caught on jigs. Bass fishing is good. Catfishing is fair.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said bream fishing is very good in the cove at Lucky Landing using worms or crickets. Crappie are hitting jigs. Bass fishing is good with lizards or four-inch plastic worms. Catfishing is good on the bottom nightcrawlers.

Lake Wilhelmina: Rocky Store said crappie are biting minnows at six to eight feet. Bream are hitting crickets. A few nice catfish are being caught in the coves on nightcrawlers and chicken liver.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS

Felsenthal: Benson's Grocery and Bait said bream fishing is really getting good using crickets. Crappie fishing is still good using shiners. Bass are hitting spinner baits. Catfishing is good.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the water is muddy. Bream, crappie and bass fishing are fair. A few catfish are being caught on trotlines.

Midway Lake: Ed's Boat Camp said a few small bream are being caught. Bass fishing is excellent using top water baits and tubes. Catfishing is good using minnows.

Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said bream are bedding and hitting good on red worms, crickets and artificial lures. Crappie fishing is good using minnows and jigs. Catfishing is good using worms or cut bait on jugs.

Mississippi River: Arkansas Outdoors said a few catfish are being caught on trotlines with stink bait or cut bait.

Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said a few catfish are being caught on trotlines baited with stink bait or cut bait.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fishermen Clyde Gregory said bream fishing is slow with a few being caught on worms or crickets. Crappie fishing is good around the piers, cypress trees and lily pads in the shallow water using minnows or red and white jigs. Bass fishing is very good around the cypress trees with white spinner baits. Catfish are doing real well on stink bait and cut bait.

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