hunter338

I am fixing to head home for a week to Arkansas to visit and do a Lot of fishing.
I would like to know what the fishing is like before I go. I love to Smallmouth fish.

Is the water high or low?
What is everyone catching fish with?
clear or merky?

Thank you .
hunter338

p.s- I will be fishing up around Stone County.

wesleykey

Arkansas Reports from Anglers

July 7, 2004

Fishing Tip: In slop, thick lily pads, bulrushes or timber, ordinary weedless jigs still hang up because the nylon bristles don't shield the hook point from the sides. A quick adjustment makes the weed guards work better. Flare the bristles across the point and heat them with a lighter or match. Be careful not to melt them. The nylon will set and stay in position.
Central Arkansas

Lake Conway: Bates Field and Stream said bream fishing is very good with wax worms, crickets and Tiny Mites on and off the bank. A few crappie are being caught in the middle of the lake around stick-ups and stumps on yoyos baited with minnows. Bass fishing is fair with white or chartreuse spinner baits, plastics or buzz baits. Bass are starting to school. Catfishing is fair on trotlines baited with minnows or bream.
Little Red River: Lindsey's Rainbow Resort said the river level is down in the morning and up in the afternoon. Trout fishing is great on wax worms with marshmallows or Power Bait.
Greers Ferry Lake: Shiloh Marina said hybrids are still schooling and are hitting large spoons and spinner baits. Walleye and smallmouth are being picked up trolling with Rattling Rogues, jigs or minnows.
Harris Brake Lake: Coffee Creek Landing said the lake is clear and the lake level is dropping. Bream are excellent on crickets. Crappie haven't been biting much. Catfishing is good on trotlines.
Lake Overcup: Lakeview Landing said the lake is a little high. The bream fishing is pretty good on crickets. Crappie fishing is good, mostly on minnows, but some fish have been caught with crickets. Bass are pretty good on small, white artificial jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with minnows.
Brewer Lake: No report this week.
Cadron Creek: No report this week.
Big Piney Creek: No report this week.
Beaverfork Lake: Wooster Grocery said fishing is slow because the lake level is too high.
Toad Suck Lock and Dam: Bates Field and Stream said the water level is up a little. Bass fishing is good in spots where fish are schooling on the edge of the jetties. Try using black with red glitter Gitzits, buzz baits or top water baits. Catfish can be found close to the shoreline.
Little Maumelle River: No report this week.
Lake Cargile: No report this week.
Lake Maumelle: Jolly Roger's Marina said black bass activity is fair to good from the weeds to 20 feet deep using crank baits such as Shad Raps early, worms and jigs during the day and plastic Zoom worms and lizards and spinner baits after dark. Kentucky bass fishing has improved some using small jigs and worms 10 to 20 feet deep around structure. White bass fishing is still good in front of the marina, across and behind Big Island and east towards the dam from sunrise to about 8 a.m. and from 6 p.m. until dark on black-and-white H & H spinners, CC Spoons and Near Nuthin's right on the surface. Catfishing is good using large minnows and prepared baits in the deeper water. Bream fishing is excellent with crickets. Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said the lake is muddy and high. The bream are fair on red worms and crickets fished two to five feet deep near the bank or over brush piles. Crappie are poor on minnows and jigs fished shallow over brush piles. Bass are fair on topwater baits fished over rocky points. Some bass are schooling in open water. Catfish are fair on worms and shad. The high lake level is allowing snaggers to do well on catfish also.
Arkansas River: Charley's Hidden Harbor near Oppelo said the river flow from Lock #9 is 11,200 cubic feet per second, which is down from the July 4th weekend, and it is still dropping, but should be good for the coming weekend. Headwater is at 285.40, and the tailwater is at 279.80. The river has been high with only a few fishermen on it. Black bass fishing was good in the backwaters using top water baits early under brush overhangs. Kentucky bass are at the same locations. Use fire-tiger Hawg Traps. Catfish have been strong using worms behind the jetties near the creek. Bream are hot near the banks under overhangs using crickets. White bass are strong near the ends of the jetties close to the bank on the backside. Use pearl or white Hawg Traps. Crappie are good in the flooded overhangs on live minnows.
Lake Barnett: No report this week.
Caney Creek: No report this week.
Gold Creek: No report this week.
Arkansas River (Little Rock area): Hatchet Jack's Sport Shop said the river is muddy and high. Bream fishing is fair three to six feet deep on worms fished over brush piles. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are fair on plastic worms and topwater baits over rocky points. Catfish are fair on worms and stink bait.
Big Maumelle River: No report this week.
Burns Park Area: No report this week.
Murray Lock and Dam: No report this week.
Pickthorne Lake: Hatchet Jacks Sport Shop said the lake is muddy and high. Bream are fair three feet deep using crickets and worms fished over brush piles. Bass are fair on topwater baits early in the morning.
North Arkansas
White River: Gaston's White River Resort said the water is clear, but it has been high for the last week. Trout fishing is excellent using Power Bait and African red worms. Float fishing has been a popular method. McLellan's Fly Shop said Bull Shoals has been running anywhere from two to eight units most days, usually closer to eight. That much water is difficult to fish. However, if you can find the lower water from the two to five unit releases and drift with it all day, you can still have some productive high-water fishing.
North Fork River: Fly-fishing guide John Gulley said the water is low until 9 a.m. On low water, fly-fishermen are using black Woolly Buggers, black or olive Midge Pupa or brown San Juan Worms. On high water, fly-fishermen are using different egg patterns and large red and pink San Juan Worms. Spin fisherman are using small jigs on low water and any color countdown Rapalas on high water. Bait fishermen are using nightcrawlers, corn, Power Bait and crawdad tails. McLellan's Fly Shop said Norfork has been running one to two units from early morning to late evening on most days, providing little wade fishing but plenty of high-water fly-fishing. Try fishing large nymph-fishing rigs (large foam indicators, BB-AAA size split shot, long leaders, larger nymph patterns) tight to the bank, or especially on overcast days, try throwing large streamers (like the Zoo Cougar or T and A Bunker-Rainbow) on heavy sink-tip lines. Throwing streamers in high water is a great way to hook trophy trout.
Bull Shoals Lake: Lead Hill Boat Dock said the lake level is normal. Bream are good in two to 10 feet of water on worms fished over stumps and near the bank. Crappie are good 20 to 25 feet deep on minnows. Bass are fair early in the morning and late in the evening. Use spinner baits and topwater baits over rocky points to catch bass. Catfish are fair on limb lines and trotlines.
Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said bream fishing is good on crickets. Crappie are pretty good 11 to 20 feet deep over brush piles using mostly minnows but some can be caught on Bobby Garland's Crappie Split-Tail. Bass fishing is good on a red flake Larew Worm, a Gary Yamamoto Craw, Larew's Salt Craws or jigs. At night, try using a single spinner for bass. Stripers are good trolling a single blue or white roadrunner or on live shad in the lower lake area toward the dam. Catfish are good on trotlines and jugs. Walleye are pretty good on spoons, nightcrawler harnesses or trolling cranks.
Crooked Creek: No report this week.
Lower Buffalo River: No report this week.
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the water is dirty on the river end and the lake level is high. Bream are fair using worms and crickets fished over brush piles. Crappie fishing is fair on minnows over brush piles. Bass are fair spinner baits, topwater baits and plastic worms. During the day, bass fishermen are using light-colored plastic worms, and at night, they are using dark-colored plastic worms. White bass are being caught under floater lights at night. Catfish are good on goldfish, trotlines and limb lines.
Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is dirty but appears to be clearing up fast. The lake level is normal. Bream are fair on crickets in up to ten feet deep in open water. Crappie are poor. Bass are fair on spinner baits and buzz baits. Bass fishing is better in the morning. Catfish are fair on crickets.
Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the water is clearing up, but it is still murky. Bream fishing is excellent using worms and crickets fished two to four feet deep over brush piles. Crappie are poor on minnows and jigs fished five feet deep. Bass are good in shallow water using buzz baits, crank baits and soft plastic worms over brush piles and rocky points. Catfish are fair on worms and chicken liver fished on the bottom.
Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said striper fishing on Beaver Lake continues to be good around the 30-foot depth on live shad or extra-large minnows. Most reports are around the Point 4, 5, and 6 area. Smallmouth fishing reports are good on nightcrawlers or crayfish-imitating plastics. Bream anglers are doing well with crickets or worms about 12 feet deep around submerged timber. Catfishing just keeps on getting better; chicken livers, minnows or worms are working well. Remember to tie off trotlines with 100 percent cotton and attend them frequently to prevent someone else from having your catch for dinner. McLellan's Fly Shop said Beaver has been running one to two units during most of the daylight hours, providing few wade-fishing opportunities. However, with one unit running, high-water fishing has been productive. Try fishing large nymph-fishing rigs (large foam indicators, BB-AAA size split shot, long leaders, larger nymph patterns) tight to the bank or especially on overcast days, try throwing large streamers (like the Zoo Cougar or T and A Bunker-Rainbow) on heavy sink-tip lines.
Kings River: No report this week.

Northeast Arkansas
White River: No report this week.
Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is muddy, but at a normal level. Bream fishing is fair at four to six feet deep on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs fished over stumps. Bass are poor. Catfish are fair on worms and stink bait.
Black River: Powhatan Landing said the river is muddy and at a normal level. Bream are fair, fished four to five feet deep on jigs. Bass are poor with only smaller fish being reported. Catfish are fair on worms, stink bait and chicken liver.
Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river is clear and at a normal level. Trout fishing is good on Power Bait and Roostertails. Smallmouth bass and rock bass are good using small live minnows and Rebel crawdad cranks.

Strawberry River: No report this week.

Current River: No report this week.

Lake Ashbaugh: Lake Ashbaugh Bait Shop said the lake clarity is fair and the lake level is normal. Bream are fair one to two feet deep using crickets over brush piles. Bass are excellent two feet deep on small spinner baits, minnows and topwater baits. Catfish are excellent on worms, crickets, stink bait and chicken liver.
Southeast Arkansas
Lake Enterprise: Fred's Sport Shop said the water is clear and at a normal level. Bream fishing is good using worms and crickets up to two feet deep over brush piles, over rocky points or near the bank. Crappie fishing is poor. Fishermen are mainly catching small crappie. Catfish are good on live bait. Some people just float the water and the catfish hit the bait.
Lake Chicot: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said catfish are biting well.
Grand Lake: No report this week.
Mississippi River: Koenig's Bass Tracker Marine said the water clarity is fair and the river is high. However, the river level has started to fall. The current is too strong for bream, crappie and bass. Catfish are excellent on shad and live bait.
Lake Wilson: No report this week.
Bayou Bartholomew: No report this week.
Grampus Lake: No report this week.
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature is between 77 and 83 degrees, and the lake is five inches above normal. The water is stained and falling. Largemouth bass, in the two to five pound class, are fair to good on black buzz baits, small crank baits, Hawg Assassins, and five inch Bass Assassin Shads in chartreuse-pepper shad, new penny, watermelon or baby bass colors. Shallow running crank baits in shad patterns and Rat-L-Traps in gold have been catching good bass in the last couple weeks. Topwater rats in black or pearl belly are still catching decent bass in the lily pads, coontail moss and hydrilla along the river. Hawg Assassins in black/red flake, watermelon/chartreuse tail or black and blue are still producing keeper size bass on the bases of cypress trees and around stumps in shallow water. Southern Pro Fatbutt Gitzits in black/blue or pumpkinseed and 10 inch power worms in blue fleck or black are still catching good fish upriver, out of the current. Visibility and clarity are currently improving and are approximately three to four inches on the main lake or the Little River. Little River's clarity is improving daily. The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake and Clear Lake still have much better water clarity (estimated approximately 3 to 6 feet visibility in places). The current in Little River has diminished with the reduction in gate discharge. Debris in Little River has begun settling out, and the river condition is improving daily. Channel cats are biting chicken blood bait and cut shad in the river channel on trotlines. White bass are trying to school up; they are hitting chrome/black Rat-L-Traps, Pencil Poppers or Pop-R's in chrome or white or Cordell Crazy shads in chrome/black in Horseshoe Lake oxbow up the Little River. The schooling activities were extremely random and not lasting more than a few minutes at a time.
Lake Columbia: Steve's Marine said some bream are being picked up on worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair using minnows and jigs. Some bass are still schooling. Catfishing is good on stink bait, live bait and worms.
Lake Erling: Steve's Marine said some bream are being caught on worms and crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Some bass are still schooling and can be caught at night on buzz baits and big spinner baits. Catfish are good on stink bait, live bait, and worms.
White Oak Lake: Charlie's One Stop said the lake is clear, but high due to the rain. Bream are good on crickets. Crappie are excellent about four feet deep on minnows and jigs. Catfishing is excellent on worms, stink bait and chicken liver.
Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait Shop said fishing is poor due to the high lake level and dirty water.
DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said the lake is dirty and high because of the rain. However, bream are excellent 12 feet deep over rocky points using crickets.
Little Missouri River: Local fly-fishing guide Jeff Guerin said to try a Griffith's fly slowly worked down to the feeding fish in the Flat. The Wall Hole is a good spot for a Long Creek.

West-Central Arkansas
Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake clarity varies throughout the lake, and the lake level is high. Bream are good in four to five feet of water over brush piles using crickets. Bass are fair on the drops using crank baits or plastic worms. Stripers and hybrids are schooling.
Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is muddy and high. Bream, crappie and bass are in the smaller ponds and lakes. Bream are fair on worms and crickets over brush piles. Catfish are being caught on the river using worms, stink bait and minnows.
Lake Ouachita: Mountain Harbor Resort said the water temperature is between 78 and 82 degrees, and the water is clearing up. The lake level is at 577.06. Largemouth bass are good and are still being caught on topwater spooks, Zara pups and Boy Howdies. These fish are schooling and can also be caught with Roostertails or spoons. Night fishing is still good; use black spinner baits and bloodline, tequila or red-bug worms. Try main lake points for best results. Walleye are fair with reports of these fish still being caught over or near large moss flats and humps. Deep diving rouges and live bait have been the most effective. Try water depths from 15 to 30 feet. Stripers are fair on topwater C-10 red-fins, Zara Spooks and Boy Howdies. Gray hair jigs and silver spoons are working well. Live bait has been the most effective. These fish are still located around main points and rock bluffs near or in the river channels. All areas of the main lake are still getting good reports. Bream are still excellent on crickets and worms. Try water depths of eight to 20 feet of water. Crappie are slowing and being caught over brush piles and moss flats using feather jigs, 2" grubs and minnows. Try main lake points and large moss flats 12 to 20 feet deep. The best colors are still white, silver and Tennessee shad. Catfish are very good and being caught with nightcrawlers, stink bait, hot dogs and live minnows. Jug lines and trotlines are the most productive for these fish; however, rod and reel fishing has been very good.
Lake Catherine: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said trout are going for Power Bait, nightcrawlers and red worms. Trolling with tiny shad-like lures is working well during periods of power generation. Stripers are being found around Carpenter Dam Bridge. While the timing is unpredictable, stripers and hybrids are actively feeding on shad at the storm water discharge. Bass are schooling early each morning off points and in the main channel around the sand bar. These breaking fish are going for topwater lures and buzz baits. Later in the day, spinner baits, flukes and Carolina rigged lizards and worms are working. Bream are deep and hitting crickets and worms. Catfish are hitting chicken blood, cut shrimp and nightcrawlers.
Lake Hamilton: Dozhier's Bait Shop and Rainbow Landing said bass are hitting lizards, worms and spinner baits with most of the action along steep shorelines. Buzz baits and top water baits are starting to produce some action and some breaking fish are being reported in Hot Springs Creek and out from the fish hatchery. Bream are being found deep with some good action around the Highway 7 bridges using crickets. Catfish are going for cut shrimp, stink baits and large shiners fished three to five feet deep. Crappie are somewhat slow, with most of the action in deep water, 12 to 15 feet, using small shiners and chicken feather jigs.
Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake clarity is fair and the lake level is normal. Bream are good two to four feet deep on worms and crickets around the bank. Crappie are poor. Bass are fair two to four feet deep on spinner baits and plastic worms around the bank. Catfish are fair on worms and catfish bait on the bottom.
Lake Hinkle: Bill's Bait Shop said the lake is clear but high. Bream are good two to four feet deep on crickets near the bank. Crappie are fair seven to eight feet deep using minnows over brush piles. Bass are excellent on crank baits, plastic worms and minnows. Some bass are schooling. Catfish are good on various baits.
Lake Wilhelmina: No report this week.
Lake Nimrod: No report this week.
Big Piney Creek: No report this week.
Illinois Bayou: No report this week.
Fouche La Fave River: No report this week.
Ouachita River (above Lake Ouachita): No report this week.

South-Central Arkansas
Felsenthal: Benson's Grocery and Bait said the lake is muddy and high. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on worms and chicken liver.
East Arkansas
Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake clarity is fair. The bream are good three to four feet deep on crickets over brush piles. Crappie are fair in three to four feet of water using minnows and jigs. Only small crappie are being reported. Bass are fair on crank baits and buzz baits. Catfish are good on worms and stink bait.
Midway Lake: Ed's Boat Camp said the lake is clear and at a normal level. Bream are excellent on crickets over brush piles and stumps. Try fishing for bream at shallow water levels. Bass are excellent on topwater baits. Catfish are good on worms and minnows.
Bear Creek Lake: Arkansas Outdoors said the lake clarity is fair. Bream are good 12 feet deep on worms and crickets. Crappie are good in 12 to 13 feet of water. Bass are fair 13 feet deep on spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfish are good on worms and cut bait.
Long Lake: No report this week.
Larkin Lake: No report this week.
Council Lake: No report this week.
Johnson Lake: No report this week.
McNelty Lake: No report this week.
Old Town Lake: No report this week.
White Hall: No report this week.
Square Hole: No report this week.
Mississippi River: No report this week.
Lower St. Francis River: Arkansas Outdoors said the river is high and muddy. Catfish are fair on worms and stink baits.
Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said bream are slow but can be caught in four to six feet of water using crickets around the edge of the lily pads. Crappie are good 10 to 12 feet deep on minnows or black-and-chartreuse jigs fished around the piers and in the lily pads. Bass are good on buzz baits in the lily pads and around the cypress trees. Catfish are really good on nightcrawlers and cut bait around the cypress trees.
Cow Bayou: No report this week.
Piney Creek Area: No report this week.