Arkansas Fishing Report

NOTICE: AGFC employees and contractors will be conducting herbicide applications to Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir and Lake Overcup June 5-9. Contractors will complete the application of the EPA-approved aquatic herbicides by June 9. The treatment causes no harm to wildlife, people or aquatic life, but water irrigated from the lake can harm gardens, flowerbeds and lawns if used on neighboring lands. By federal law these herbicides have up to a 120-day irrigation restriction after application. The AGFC asks adjacent landowners to not irrigate for lawns or gardens with water from these lakes until October. Multiple applications per year are necessary for effective control of alligatorweed, and being unable to irrigate during this time is another unfortunate effect of this nonnative invasive aquatic plant species. With controlling it, alligatorweed can infest lakes, restricting access to boathouses, boat ramps and fishing locations, and choke out native vegetation and fish populations. For more information, call the AGFC Fisheries Office in Mayflower at 833-338-3636.

(updated 6-1-2023) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said bream are biting on redworms, crickets and waxworms. Catfish are biting, too; try shad, skipjack, dip bait and nightcrawlers. Those two species are producing well at this time. Black bass have slowed but are still biting. The catches seem mostly to be coming on black/blue Baby Brush Hogs, when they’re biting. A few crappie are being caught on jigs, but the overall crappie bite has slowed some. Everything is good about the water now, they report, with the usual Lake Conway stain to the clarity.

The Army Corps of Engineers reported the outflow at Greers Ferry Dam to be 20 cfs (turbine) as of noon Thursday, with one 12-hour discharge Wednesday average 6,200 cfs. The tailwater was down at 266.74 feet as of 2 p.m. Thursday. Greers Ferry Lake is at normal conservation pool. Check with the Army Corps of Engineers website for real-time release data or by calling (501) 362-5150). Also check the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecast generation schedule.

(updated 6-1-2023) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service (501-250-0730) said, "It looks like we might be getting a break from 24-hour generation that we have experienced the last few weeks. Hopefully we will settle into a more fishing friendly water release pattern.

"If you plan to fish the Trout Magnet, consider using pink, cotton candy and white-colored bodies on chartreuse jigheads. For fly-fishing, consider weighted San Juan Worms, egg patterns, Caddis imitations and Streamers."

(updated 6-1-2023) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips/Little Red River Fly Guides (501-507-3688) said Greers Ferry Lake is at summer pool. "It looks like we will be seeing reduced flows from the Southwestern Power Administration. Let's see what happens with the generation schedule and if they start a consistent pattern.

(updated 6-1-2023) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level now at Greers Ferry Lake is at 462.55 feet msl, just 0.01 feet above normal pool for this time of year (462.54 feet msl). Greers Ferry is in the shape as most lakes around the country: All species are scattered and about two weeks behind regular schedules, in between spawning and post-spawn. With that said, crappie are eating live bait, jigs,and crankbaits in 10-40 feet of water, according to how you like to present your bait. Stay around bait fish. Walleye are eating, when you find them, on crawlers and crankbaits in 10-25 feet. Catfish are scattered from 10-60 feet eating lots of stuff on lines and rod and reels. Bream are eating and preparing for a big spawn on this full moon – crickets, crawlers and inline spinners are working super shallow out to 25 feet.

Hybrid bass and white bass are chewing well, roaming, as they have not gotten set up to stay yet on offshore stuff where you can really work on them good day in and day out yet. It's coming, but for now stay with the bait and the fish will be close roaming. Use spoons, inline spinners, topwater plugs, swim baits and Alabama rigs.

Black bass are like the rest, roaming and not locked in offshore stuff just yet. Alabama rigs, topwater baits, Texas-rigged worms, football head rigs and crankbaits and spinnerbaits all are working. Stay around the bait shad, bream, etc. on the shoreline out to 40 feet and suspended over deep water.

(updated 6-1-2023) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said the largemouth bass and spotted bass are moving out onto main lake points. Throw a shaky head or a crankbait for best success.

Crappie have moved about halfway into the back of the creeks and are sitting in the tops of brush. They were biting Leland Lures Eye-hole Jig.

(updated 6-1-2023) Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) says bream and catfish have been really biting. "There are a lot of them around," they report. Crickets and worms are the way to catch the bream. Also, both species have hit their spawning seasons at Harris Brake, so this weekend should be a good one, along with a full moon for the bream. Some anglers have been catching black bass, mostly on bass minnows.

One angler earlier this week, fishing right by the dock, hauled in a 5.6-pound catfish. Small bream and nightcrawlers are the baits mostly being used for cats.

Crappie have moved out to the deeper end of the lake, according to several anglers. There have been fewer reports of catches.

(updated 6-1-2023) Lacey Williams at Lakeview Landing on Arkansas Highway 95 (501-252-1437) said, "The bream are biting good! Use crickets! We caught a mess of ’em a few days ago. We were out in the tree lines and around some old posts. Also I got confirmation (Thursday) that they are coming up to the banks, also. If you know their secret hideouts from last year, I would try there first. Shouldn't be hard to get you enough for supper."

Lacey reports that the crappie are deep. Try using pink minnows, crappie minnows or white/black/red jigs. Go about 10 feet down into the stumps and underwater brush. You may only get one or two from that area. But keep moving around. You can catch them with patience. Same for bank fishing. Catfish are coming up into the shallows. Try using bass minnows just a foot or two deep. Bass are biting on spinners and wacky worms. The bite is good early in the morning and about an hour before sunset.

The lake water level is lowering, and the water isn't murky like it has been. "It's going to be a great weekend for fishing."

(updated 6-1-2023) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) says the fishing was great over the weekend and through Wednesday or this week, but anglers were saying Thursday morning that things had slowed down. Water temperature has reached into the low 80s. For the week, largemouth bass have ranged from good to fair. Reports of the bass being found on points around 10 feet deep. They have also been caught shallow. Try using crankbaits, flukes, wacky rigs or buzzbaits. Their black bass cousins, the spotted bass (Kentucky bass), were great over the weekend and the beginning this week before slowing back down. Some reports had them being found near 10 feet and off rocky points. Crankbaits are suggested. In WestRock's Tuesday night weekly black bass tournament this week, Matt Hedrick and Brandon Crain caught 14.39 pounds on a five-bass stringer to win, and the top three finishers were at or over 12.4 pounds. Out of 26 boats, 19 caught limits. Robert and Tracy White hauled in the Big Bass of 4.35 pounds.

White bass provided no reports this week. Crappie, though, were good. Reports of crappie hanging in the brush around 18 feet of water. Try using white Bobby Garland Jigs, or minnows. Bream are fair, but the full moon is coming up this weekend. Reports of the bream starting to move up to bed, if they haven't already. Also, reports of anglers catching bream from the shoreline. Worms or crickets are best. A few catfish are being caught.

(updated 6-1-2023) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said whites and hybrids are running east end of the lake. You can catch them on Rooster Tail or a spoon.

(updated 6-1-2023) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the fishing is about the same as it's been for a couple of weeks. Black bass have been doing real well, while the bream are still bedded. Crappie are done with their spawn and have gone back to deeper water.

Bass are being caught in 1-2 feet of water, up shallow. Anglers are fishing with spinnerbaits and worms, and one angler reported catching them this week on Chatterbait. They seem to be on the tail end of spawning, Ray said.

Bream will bite crickets and redworms. Catfish are being caught on trotlines baited with shiners. No reports on crappie or on white bass, Ray said. The water is normal level and clear. He estimates the water temperature is in the high 70s.

On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Murray Lock and Dam was 14,085 cfs. The elevation is 249.15 feet msl. The stage in the Little Rock pool was steady at 7.25 feet (flood stage is 23 feet). Flow at the Terry Lock and Dam was 13,543 cfs.

(updated 6-1-2023) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) reports that bass are on the main river jetties on crankbaits and topwater. They have heard there are crappie being caught around Willow Beach.

(updated 6-1-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, "Summer break is officially here; time to replace the digital devices in the hands of your kids with rods and reels. We've had a great week on the river catching trout with spoons, spinners, jigs, stick baits and PowerBait, so it's been easy to keep them occupied."

The White River is flowing fairly fast as Bull Shoals Dam is continuing to release three or more generators, 9,000 to 13,000 cfs. It's not uncommon with round-the-clock releases to find the rainbow bite has slowed, but it's also not uncommon to observe the quality of the catch has improved. Carry some extra split shot, egg weights or bass-casting sinkers to ensure your baits get near the bottom, then prepare for some action because the trout are healthy and fighting.

Trout are constantly swimming against the current, which means they need to refuel often, which explains why the bite is usually so rapid on the White River. They're smart, too, and look for places to get out of the flow for some rest now and again. Look for rocks, or other structure – that's easy in our river because the water is so crystal clear – and place your bait downstream near the hidey-hole. Some added flash might cause a quicker response. "We've had some fun replacing the hook on a gold Blue Fox Spinner with a feathered treble hook, or adding that flashy feather to the tail end of a Rapala Countdown."

(updated 6-1-2023) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the last few days the river is averaging 7.5-8.5 feet with clear water. Both Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes are slightly above their desired power pool levels. "With the expected power generation schedule for both lakes, I expect they should slowly reach the desired levels without generating extra water. Once they reach the power pool levels, expect the river level to drop and the fishing to improve."

With the slightly higher water levels, fishing was steady throughout the week and the holiday weekend. Silver inline spinners with orange eggs and shrimp worked best. The river levels were a little high for lures to be very effective. The lures that worked best were the Rapala Shad Raps in shad coloring, which dive deeper.

There was one trout stocking this week at the Calico Rock boat ramp with 1,100 rainbow trout from the Norfork Hatchery and another 1,100 rainbows were stocked just upriver at the Chessmond Ferry boat ramp.

(updated 6-1-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service at Cotter said that during the past week they had no rain, warm temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell 3.9 feet to rest at 0.1 foot above power pool of 662 feet msl. This is 32 feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake fell 0.3 foot to rest at power pool and 14 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 1.7 feet to rest at 2.8 feet above power pool or 5.8 feet below the top of flood pool. The White has had no wadable water and higher flows. Norfork Lake rose 0.2 foot to rest at 0.4 foot above power pool of 556.75 feet msl and 22.8 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable water every day. "All of the lakes are at or near power pool. We can expect lower flows in the coming days," he said.

John added, "The Caddis hatch is on the wane. This is our best hatch of the year. We have seen some small hatches in the late afternoon. Before the hatch, fish a Caddis Pupa like the Sunday Special in size 16. When you see takes on the top but see no insects, switch to a Caddis Emerger like my Green Butt in size 15. When you observe trout taking insects from the top of the water, switch to Elk Hair Caddis size 16.

"On the White, the hot spot has been Rim Shoals. We have had higher flows that have fished poorly. The hot flies were Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper Johns, pink and cerise San Juan Worms, gold ribbed hare's ears and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. My favorite has been a cerise San Juan Worm with a girdle bug dropper (size 8) or an orange egg dropper."

Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

John said, "Last week I had a two-day guided fishing trip, on Tuesday and Thursday. I had two clients, Nick and John, retired guys that are about my age. We fished the first day at Rim Shoals. In the morning we had low flows around 6,000 cfs, or the rough equivalent of two full generators. I already had a couple of rods rigged with cerise San Juan Worms and orange eggs. We had the place to ourselves and did well, around 20 trout. The water came up at 1 p.m. and the fishing slowed. We caught a few more trout, but not that many. We did manage to catch an 18-inch rainbow, our biggest trout.

"On Thursday, we considered wading the Norfork on low water or boating below Bull Shoals Dam on high water. We decided that an eight-hour day of wading might be a little too challenging, so we opted to fish the catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam with the goal of handing a trophy trout. I always catch fewer but larger fish there.

"We noted that the water was much higher than it had been on Tuesday. They were running over 18,000 cfs, or the rough equivalent of 5½ full generators. We fished the same rigs but with much longer leaders in order to reach the bottom in the higher water. We noted that there was a lot more river traffic than at Rim Shoals."

(updated 6-1-2023) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said Wednesday that lake level Wednesday was at 663 feet msl, or about 4 feet high. He adds, though, that Bull Shoals hasn't been this low this time of year in quite some time. Water temperature is about 75 degrees. Algae blooms seem to be diminishing. Looks like a thermocline is starting to form in that 20-foot range. The sunfish bluegills are spawning on flats. Most fish seem to be schooled up and moving out over deeper water and suspending in 10-25 feet.

"I’m spending lots of time graphing, checking summer spots, points, drops and ledges. Most fish still seem to be looking up, making dragging bottom baits slow. Most of the dirty water is in the larger creeks, while there is high visibility around the main lake, especially the dam area."

For several weeks now, Del has been recommending that anglers fish Bull Shoals like two separate lakes, depending on the conditions. If you find dirty creeks cloudy days when it's warm, windy and with rainwater, you should be powerfishing a square-bill crankbait, Chatterbait, spinnerbait or a Rat-L-Trap-style lure. Try on the last couple of swing banks or in or around the bluegill spawning flats, pockets, bushes – cover water. Fish runoff if available. There's a big Texas-rigged redworm bite in some of the brush piles.

For sunny, flat, stain conditions try points slow-dragging a tube or Jewel half-ounce Special Ops football jig in green pumpkin orange, or use perch colors in the 10-20 feet range. For sunny, clear water use natural colors in small profile baits. Look at ledges; keep your boat as far away as castable.

Start early with a topwater, and as that slows try a 2.8 or 3.3 McMinnow. Once the sun gets up drop-shot a Robo Worm. The shad are broken up high in the water column mostly over deep water. It's that time of year: topwater, topwater, topwater. Get up early and fish a wake shad, Spook, Lucky Craft Gunfish, a Pop-R or Spook Jr. topwater. Also try a Flutter Spoon early in the morning, or all day if it's cloudy, especially with the warmer temperature now. Each day is different, so fish the conditions.

(updated 6-1-2023) Steven "Scuba Steve" Street at Blackburn's Resort said the lake level was 557.18 feet msl and had dropped 1 inch in the previous 24 hours as of 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Corps of Engineers has started generating a little more, and the White River at Newport is 12.24 feet. They are regulating to 12 feet at Newport and letting a lot of water out of Bull Shoals and both lakes are approaching the top of their power pools.

"It is getting very dry here and we need some rain badly and may get some later this week," he said. The surface water temperature was 80 degrees and the water is clearing after the churning of the holiday weekend. The summer thermocline has formed at 17 feet and it is very pronounced. Several fish are at or around this depth. The water is very cold at 20 feet. Walleye, crappie, bass and bluegill are at or around this depth, and if you find brush there at that depth, there will be a lot of fish near. Spoons and plastic worms are working well. Stripers are going deeper and deeper with the rising water temperature, and the topwater bite has diminished to mostly bass early and late. It is spooning time and stripers are about 50-60 feet down in 90 feet of water. Trollers are catching a few fish but are traveling a lot of miles and burning a lot of gas to catch them.

(updated 6-1-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake rose 0.2 foot to rest at 0.4 foot above power pool of 556.75 feet msl and 22.8 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork Tailwater has had wadable water every day. "All of the lakes are at or near power pool. We can expect lower flows in the coming days," he said.

The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead-head nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended eighteen inches below a brightly colored San Juan Worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). My favorite rig has been a cerise San Juan Worms and a ruby midge. The fishing is better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.

Dry Run Creek has fished a bit better. Weekends can get quite crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs, various colored San Juan Worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise) and white mop flies. Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Carry a large net, as most fish are lost at the net.

(updated 6-1-2023) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are fishing better. With warmer temperatures, the smallmouths are more active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. 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.

NOTICE: AGFC employees and contractors will be conducting herbicide applications to Lake Atkins and to the Cabin Creek arm of Lake Dardanelle June 5-9. Contractors will complete the application of the EPA-approved aquatic herbicides by June 9. The treatment causes no harm to wildlife, people or aquatic life, but water irrigated from the lake can harm gardens, flowerbeds and lawns if used on neighboring lands. By federal law these herbicides have up to a 120-day irrigation restriction after application. The AGFC asks adjacent landowners to not irrigate for lawns or gardens with water from these lakes until October. Multiple applications per year are necessary for effective control of alligatorweed, and being unable to irrigate during this time is another unfortunate effect of this nonnative invasive aquatic plant species. With controlling it, alligatorweed can infest lakes, restricting access to boathouses, boat ramps and fishign locations, and choke out native vegetation and fish populations. For more information, call the AGFC Fisheries Office in Russellville at 833-356-0879.

(updated 6-1-2023) Donald Ramirez at Lucky Landing (479-264-0851) said the AGFC was fertilizing the lake again this week. He had no reports from this week. Last week, black bass were being caught on the lower end of the lake. Anglers were using all kinds of spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and Whopper Plopper. The bass were still bedding up in the cove at that area. Also, folks were catching fish in the bream beds. Bream were spawning. Redworms and nightcrawlers are the best baits.

Crappie were in the brushpiles. Anglers were catching a few, not many, but the catches were around 13- to 14-inches. Crappie minnows were the go-to now.

Some catfish were being caught on cut shad, bass minnows, black salties or goldfish baited to jugs, limb lines and yo-yos.

(updated 6-1-2023) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below the dam is 56 degrees with slightly stained conditions in the tailrace. Finally the tailrace has stable conditions for the first time this year, enabling the public to fish and boat safely on Lake Catherine. Big numbers of fish have relocated downstream due to the flooding that ruined over three months of the trout season but are currently migrating upstream to feed and establish territory in the nutrient-rich tailrace. Fishing below a hydroelectric dam poses many problems dictated by Mother Nature for boaters and fishermen.

The rainbow trout bite has been slowed by the unfishable conditions, but fish have been caught with quality being the main attraction now instead of numbers. Currently, Entergy has planned running the generators below Carpenter Dam for two hours each day through Friday, June 2. This schedule will allow a few hours each day for anglers to bypass fishing in the heavy flows and effectively target the many fish species that are now present in the tailrace. The following techniques will give anglers a chance at catching numbers of rainbow trout, walleye, crappie, bream and white bass that have received little fishing pressure this season:

Fly-fishermen are now handicapped to some degree with the lake now at summertime pool, but can still access areas that hold feeding fish. Trout key in on the shad kill this time of year as good numbers of threadfin shad in Lake Hamilton are drawn through the turbines and scattered throughout the tailrace area. Thousands of shad have migrated into the tailrace to spawn, creating a perfect environment for area fish to feed on baitfish. Flies that imitate injured shad will draw immediate strikes from hungry rainbows. Micro jigs in white or black casted with a strike indicator will produce strikes in current or slack water. Egg patterns in white or yellow, used in the same manner, can be productive when the action slows down. Spin-fishermen using PowerBait in yellow or white and lures such as a Super Duper and Little Cleo in silver are proven trout-catching baits in many conditions. Crankbaits that resemble fleeing crayfish will also catch trout that are searching for prey. Live bait fishermen can use waxworms or mealworms fished just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater, or earthworms and nightcrawlers in the same manner, to target larger trout.

The walleye spawn has ended, but many fish will remain the tailrace to rest and feed up from the rigors of reproduction. Trolling shallow-running crankbaits against the current is an excellent method of covering water and locating feeding fish. The crappie spawn is nearing an end, but these fish can be caught with live minnows and jigs fished in current breaks around sandbars and rock structure. Crappie shy away from heavy current and thrive in protected areas out of the main flow. White bass are migrating into the area this month in huge numbers to spawn and their presence rounds out a multispecies opportunity for angling. Bream are present in big numbers preparing to spawn and are being caught on nightcrawlers and redworms fished under a bobber or a few feet off the bottom around rock structure.

As of Thursday afternoon, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's flow at Dardanelle Lock and Dam as 10,868 cfs. Elevation was 337.77 feet msl and the tailwater was at 285.70 feet msl. (Top navigation pool is 338.2 and bottom pool is 336.0.) The stage was on a nearly 1-foot drop since Wednesday to 5.51 feet as of Thursday afternoon (flood stage is 32 feet).

(updated 6-1-2023) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said crappie fishing is great. They are starting to move toward deeper brush piles because the lake level is dropping slightly and water temperature is going up. "We have caught crappie 8 feet deep to 22 feet deep on brush piles in 16-32 feet of water. So, yes, they are scattered. Start shallower early in the morning and work your way deeper as the sun gets higher. The brush piles are also loaded with bream/sunfish. Friends have informed me they are doing well on the spotted bass early in the morning near points and humps. They are using topwater baits early and suspending soft plastics later. Right now the key, no matter the species you’re after, is to start fishing at first light because the bite is over by late morning."

(updated 6-1-2023) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) said black bass are still good. Topwater baits are still working in multiple applications; shallow frog fishing or deeper, open water Spook/Boy Howdy fishing. Swim jigs and shaky head worms are producing some quality sacks, too. Walleye are being caught on jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. Try main river/lake channel points for these fish, near brush, in the 18- to 22-foot range.

Stripers are still excellent. These fish are being caught in the central portions of the lake and can be caught on live bait, trolling crankbaits and Alabama rigs. Or, try throwing a topwater C-10 Redfin early and late.

Bream are excellent. Try a cricket or worm near brush in the 8-20 depth range for a quality bite. Crappie are very good and being caught on small jigs or minnows. Try brush and structure 15-20 feet deep. Catfish are still very good on rod and reel with crawlers or stink bait. Jugs and trotlines with live or cut bait are working well, too.

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