March 10, 2022
Jim Harris Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine
This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for March 10, 2022. If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please email jim.harris@agfc.ar.gov with information on possible sources for reports about that lake or river. Reports are updated weekly, although some reports might be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed. Contact the reporter for the lake or stream you plan to fish for current news. Note: msl = mean sea level; cfs = cubic feet per second. All Corps of Engineers lake and river readings were taken at 11 a.m. the day of publication (March 10).
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Arkansas River and White River levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk
For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt
For water-quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality
TOP AND LEFT: Tom Kelly of Mountain Home is shown with some of his crappie catch last week fishing out of Blackburn's Resort and Boat Rental on Norfork Lake. Tom was fishing with a Bobby Garland Jig in 25 feet of water about 5 feet down. Photo provided by Steven Street. Check out more from Norfork Lake with reports from Steven Street and Lou Gabric below.
Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir
(updated 3-10-2022) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) reported that the lake has its normal Lake Conway stain and water is back to normal level. No surface temperature was reported. Bream remain active with another good bite this week. Use redworms or crickets. Crappie are good using small or medium minnows as well as jigs (including hair-tie jigs). Black bass are good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, 7- to 10-inch curly tail worms, swimbaits, buzzbaits and anything else that resembles a shad or baitfish. Catfish are good using stink bait, dough bait or nightcrawlers.
Little Red River
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the outflow at Greers Ferry Dam to be 5,418 cfs (both turbine and spillway). The tailwater is 275.58 feet msl.
(updated 3-10-2022) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service (501-230-0730) said, “We are currently receiving round-the-clock generation creating high water conditions on all sections of the river. If you plan to fish the Trout Magnet in high water, consider using extra weight and focus on eddies and close to banks. For fly-fishing, consider pattern weighted San Juan worms, mop flies and streamers.”
Always check before heading to the Little Red River by calling the Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District water data system (501-362-5150) for Greers Ferry Dam water release information or check the Corps of Engineers website (swl-wc.usace.army.mil) for real-time water release and the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecasted generation schedule.
(updated 3-10-2022) Mike Winkler, who operates Little Red River Guide Service (501-690-9166, 501-507-3688), said the Army Corp of Engineers are currently running water over the floodgates on the Little Red River. The lake level is 1 foot over power pool. And dropping.
Fly-fishing under an indicator with pink or white San Juan worms has been producing. Set your depths between 6-12 feet deep, depending on where you are fishing on the river. Throwing streamers with a sink line against the bank has also been productive.
Greers Ferry Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 463.12 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 462.04 feet msl, top flood elevation 487.0 msl).
(updated 3-10-2022) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said Thursday that the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 463.15 feet msl, which is 1.11 feet above normal pool of 462.04 feet msl and trying to come up more but is being kept in check with generation. “Catching is a new ball game every day with this up-and-down weather as fish are on the move and, like us, have to change according to conditions, so just keep an open mind until you re-find them and proceed, just stay around bait,” Tommy says.
More and more, crappie are floating up in the water column every day. New fish can be found all over. Use minnows, jigs and crankbaits from 15-40 feet.
Walleye: Some are idling, some are traveling, some are still in deep water. Crawlers, small and big crankbaits, and minnows are working in a lot of places.
Bream are better each day on crickets and crawlers at super shallow out to 40 feet. Catfish are eating around shad, and a lot of things are working all over the lake and rivers. Black bass are chewing on Wiggle Warts, Rock Crawlers, thin-sided crankbaits, traps, drop-shot rigs, Carolina rigs and Alabama rigs all over the lake and rivers. It’s a great time to catch big fish, super shallow out to 60 feet.
Hybrid and white bass are roaming, eating and roaming some more. Spoons, inline spinners and hair jigs are working if you’ve got bait fish close, shallow to 80 feet.
(updated 3-10-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said bass are good on Rock Crawlers in depth between 9-14 feet and on a drop-shot.
Harris Brake Lake
(updated 3-10-2022) Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) says the water is muddy and low. Bream have begun biting, and the bite this past week was good. Use redworms or crickets. Crappie are fair in the early mornings. Anglers are using minnows or jigs (Bobby Garland brand in Shiny Hiney color). Black bass are still around the shoreline and biting well. Use the typical bass lures. No reports of catfish.
Lake Overcup
(updated 3-10-2022) Johnny “Catfish” Banks at Overcup Bait Shop and R.V. Park (501-354-9007) said the water level is up about 8 inches and clarity is murky. Surface temperature is around 58 degrees. Bream haven’t started biting yet, but should soon. Bass are off and on lately. Catfish are starting to bite a little. Crappie were starting to bite on minnows with yo-yos at night. “The weather was great, but now it's changing again. We are ready for things to level out,” he said. “Come see me at Overcup Bait Shop off Arkansas Highway 9.”
Brewer Lake
(update 3-10-2022) David Hall at Dad’s Bait Shop (501-289-2210) reports that the lake is a little muddy but is at normal level. Bream are good on redworms and crickets. Crappie are good and being caught in 10-12 feet depth. Minnows and jigs are always a good call, but anglers are also catching them on yo-yos and trolling on spider rigs around the underwater brushpiles. Black bass are good on live bait. Catfish are also good on live bait.
Dad’s is a 24/7 self-serve bait shop.
Lake Maumelle
(updated 3-10-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said black bass are good in 15-25 feet of water on Alabama rigs and drop-shot.
(updated 3-3-2022) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) said the water temperature is in the low 50s. The lake is still low (1-2 feet) so be cautious. The largemouth bass bite is good. Some reports of the bass being found inside the grass 4-12 feet early in the morning and going deep after the sun comes out (scattered at all depths). Alabama rigs are working great with swimbaits. Kentucky bass (spots) are fair. Some reports of them being found near drop offs around 16-20 feet and off rocky banks and other reports of them being found on brushpiles. Try using a Texas rig on brush or jigs. Brad Sherrill and Scotty Smith caught an amazing 5-pound stringer of black bass totaling 28.84 on Sunday at the Central Arkansas Bass League tournament. Their catch included the Big Bass of 7.3 pounds. They were fishing deep with Alabama rigs. Sounds like the big bass are on.
No reports on white bass, but that should be just around the corner. Try using swimbaits. Crappie are fair. Reports this week of the crappie being found in the channels around 20 feet deep. They’re chasing shad, so if you find the shad they’re there. Try using jigs or minnows. No reports on bream or catfish this week. If you seek bream, throw worms. Catfish should take to chicken liver, worms and crayfish.
Arkansas River at Morrilton
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Ormond Lock and Dam was 29,884 cfs with a pool elevation of 286.40 feet msl. The stage is at 11.17 feet. Flow further upriver at Dardanelle Lock and Dam was 30,050 cfs.
Little Maumelle River
(updated 3-10-2022) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the river is clear and at a normal level. White bass are starting to be caught in good numbers. Bream are good. They are being caught on the bottom, 8-10 feet, on redworms or crickets. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Black bass are being found in shallow water and the bite is good. Use a crankbait or Chatterbait. No reports still on catfish.
Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Toad Suck Lock and Dam was 34,092 cfs with a pool elevation of 265.31 feet msl.
Arkansas River (Little Rock Area Pools)
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Murray Lock and Dam was 41,234 cfs, and the stream gauge stage was at 7.79 feet. Pool elevation is 249.07 feet msl. Flow at the Terry Lock and Dam was 42,890 cfs with a pool elevation of 231.11.
(updated 3-10-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said bass are good off the ends of jetties in 6-12 feet depth on medium-diving crankbaits.
(updated 3-3-2022) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) said white bass are good on the river on white grubs and Rooster Tails. Crappie are still deep and biting there on minnows and jigs. Catfish have been reported fair below the Murray and Terry locks and dams.
(updated 2-24-2022) Hatchet Jack’s Sports Shop at Crystal Hill (501-758-4958) said crappie are good on the river in the sloughs on minnows and jigs.
Clear Lake (off Arkansas River-Little Rock Pool)
(updated 2-24-2022) McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is normal and muddy with the weather, and not much fishing activity is going on. Before this latest temperature drop, anglers had been catching some good-sized crappie on minnows.
Peckerwood Lake
(update 2-24-2022) Donna Mulherin at Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said that scheduled maintenance is still ongoing on the spillway. The water is a little dingy and the level is low (a few stumps are showing). The only fishing reports to come her way were for crappie. Results were good on minnows and jigs.
White River
(updated 3-10-2022) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Spring break on the White River near Cotter means lots of young anglers coming to the area, and there's nothing better than seeing a family enjoying the great outdoors – fishing for, catching, and releasing boatloads of trout in the beauty of The Natural State. There will be more traffic on the river than we've gotten used to over the slower winter months. “Mid-March kicks off the fishing season here in the Ozarks and adds a lot of energy and excitement to the air.
“The lake has been falling slowly to 658.93 feet msl as we continue to see high water levels in the tailwater of the White River watershed, often between three to six units (9,000-18,000 cfs). Releases of that level require anglers to get creative, to try some things they might not have tried before. Learn to dangle a jig; the white Marabou has worked great this past week. Add weight to your line, add a bright-colored orange bead several inches above the hook, or try a new, extra-flashy lure (silver and blue work well right now). Bait fishermen have relied on sculpin minnows for most of the brown catches. Some of the guides prefer palm-sized (think big) sculpins; most are just as successful drifting the more available smaller bait at mid-depth or deeper in the holes. “The changing water and weather offer fun challenges – you won't get bored fishing the Cotter waters of the White. Be prepared for low to very low temperatures in the morning and, more often than not, sun-warmed afternoons. Mostly, be prepared for creating great memories and enjoying Southern hospitality at its best.”
(updated 3-10-2022) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, "Again, the weather has kept the river conditions high, combined with generation from both Bull Shoals and Norfork dams. Drift-fishing with Power Eggs and shrimp or corn continues to work best. With this higher water, try fishing the gravel bars where the fish have moved up to feed."
(updated 3-10-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said that during the past week they had about three quarters of an inch of rain in Cotter, frigid temperatures and heavy winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose 0.3 foot to the power pool of 659 feet msl. This is 36 feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake 0.4 foot to rest at 0.5 foot above power pool and 15.5 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake fell 0.1 foot to reach power pool or 9.6 feet below the top of flood pool. The White has had no wadable water. Norfork Lake fell 0.1 foot to rest at 0.4 foot above power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 25.8 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork tailwater has had no wadable water.
There has been a shad kill on the White River at Bull Shoals Dam and on the Norfork Tailwater at Norfork Dam. This is a natural phenomenon that occurs occasionally during cold weather and high generation. Use white flies like Marabou Jigs or mop flies.
Streamer season fishing is upon us. Now that the brown trout spawn is over, they are moving back to their regular locations. It is a good time to target them. Fishing is best with heavy generation. Bang the bank with big streamers on sink tip lines. White is John’s current favorite color.
The hot spot on the White has been the catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam. After opening day, there have been some big browns caught. 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. Try an orange egg with a size 18 purple zebra midge.
John also said, “The most unique aspect of fly-fishing is the casting. If done properly it is a beautiful thing. It is different from any other form of casting in that you are casting the fly line and the fly goes along for the ride. In spin casting or bait casting you are casting the lure not the line. It is a bit more challenging to cast a fly rod and some of us are better than others. You can learn enough to catch fish in a few minutes but it can take years to master the cast.
“To that end, my old fishing buddy Ron McQuay has put together a fly-casting contest, The Cotter Casting Challenge. It is to be held on Saturday April 9, in Cotter’s Big Spring Park Baseball field at 1 p.m. There is a $5 fee (proceeds will be donated to an access/river project in Cotter) and the competition is open to the public. There are three categories: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Register on the Trout Unlimited website, whiterivertu.com, by March 30. The event is put together by volunteers from White River Trout Unlimited, The North Arkansas Fly Fishers and the city of Cotter.
The competition is divided into two categories: accuracy and distance. For the accuracy casts there will be five stations, and for the distance casting there will be two stations. You can use your own rod for the accuracy casts. A rod or rods will be furnished for the distance casts.
“The first accuracy station is for a basic overhead cast of 20-50 feet. The target will be a ring. You must start with the fly in your hand and line on reel. You cannot let the fly touch the ground, unless it is at a target. You get unlimited false casts and go through the targets twice. The second station is basically the same but done with a roll cast.
The next station is the Over/Under/Through, which is a ring target 24-36 inches from the ground to the bottom of the ring. This is at a distance of 30 feet. You have to cast over, then through and finally under the ring and hit a target. You will get two tries for each cast.
“The next station is for a curve cast at a target at a distance of 40 feet. The target will be behind a tree. You will get two tries from each side. The final accuracy station is a back cast at 30 feet to a target. You can use the back cast only and you get two tries.
The distance casting is a bit simpler. There are no targets. The first station is a single rod everyone uses. You get a maximum warm up of five casts. You get three casts to achieve your best distance.
“The final station is the Distance Cast Combo. There is no warm up with the rods and you get the best distance from three casts per rod. The first rod is a bamboo with standard matching line. The second rod is a fiberglass rod with a 2-weight over-lined fly line. The last rod is a carbon rod with a 2-weight underlined fly line.
“If this sounds like something you would be interested in, please sign up.”
Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lake’s elevation at 658.90 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 695.00 feet msl). Total outflow from the dam is 15,964 cfs. The reported lake elevation at Table Rock Lake was 915.34 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 915.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 931.0 feet msl).
(updated 3-10-2022) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said he did not have anything new to add to his report this week. The lake level is still about 659 feet msl and the temperature is 48 and rising. Bass fishing has been fair. Generation has been moving the shad around. The deep bite continues to dissipate. If you are going to look for the deep ones, graph to look for shad and look for loons. Active diving loons will trigger feeding. Damiki on a Moon Eye and Rapala jigging Rap. As more fish move up and leave the shad, crawfish are on the menu. Try dragging a jig, shaky head or Ned rig in 10-20 feet around secondary points. Over the next couple of weeks, key in on areas outside of regular spawning areas. Jerkbait has started catching a few on points and bluff ends in shallower water around brushpiles, and a little wind helps. As the temps rise, fish are seeing red. Rock Crawlers, Wiggle Warts on steeper ledge transitions, and cover water.
Visit Del’s YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.
Norfork Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lake’s elevation at 554.00 feet msl (normal conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet msl; April-Sept. 555.75 feet msl; top flood elevation 580.0 feet msl). Total outflow from Norfork Dam is 6,220 cfs.
(updated 3-10-2022) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the bite continues to be good for most species in the lake, especially striped bass, largemouth bass and crappie. “It really surprised me that after the lake temperature dropped about 3 degrees it didn’t affect the feeding habits of the fish. What the drop in water temperature did was to make the bait move to other areas of the lake, but not necessarily far away from where they were. The fish will follow the bait.
“Striped bass fishing continues to be strong. Yes, you will need to do some searching, but if you find some bait, I just about guarantee you will find striped bass nearby. The best areas to find these fish have been back in major creeks, deep flats and (Wednesday) I found them in the old river channel in the main lake area. In the creeks, they have been on or very close to the banks first thing in the morning. After the sun gets over the tree line, they seem to concentrate more in the creek channel. Their depth will depend on the depth of the bait. The deeper flats have started to hold more bait in the 40- to 50-foot range. The fish again relate to the depth of the bait. I have found that the stripers seem to be on the flats late morning. The bait that I found today was in the old river channel, which in this area was roughly 70 feet deep. The bait was 20-40 deep and varied. The fish were at the same depths. The striped bass that I found today were in large schools that appeared to be feeding. My bait of choice for the shallower fish, say from the shoreline out to 30 feet down, has been casting a Kastmaster blade-style bait. I do replace the hook with a feathered treble hook. I think that gives it a closer resemblance to an injured live shad, especially if you work it in a twitching motion. I reel back to the boat very slowly, letting it sink more as it is being retrieved. For deeper fish, I have been vertical-jigging with a spoon or a small 3-inch plastic jig with a three-eighth-ounce jighead.”
Crappie fishing has also continued to be very good. Of course, crappie is like most species that go through a feeding cycle. If you find them and they are not feeding, you will need to wait them out until they get energetic again or move to the next brushpile. Small spoons or small crappie jigs and, of course, live minnows are all working very well. The best brush has been in 20-25 feet of water and the fish will be on the tops to buried within the brush. You will just need to keep working different depths until you find that magic area.
“I have not done a lot of bass fishing lately, but they do appear to be going shallow. Crankbait, Wiggle Warts, soft plastics and Alabama rigs have all produced some nice fish. As the water temperature continues to rise back in the creeks the fish head back to the warmer water. (Wednesday) I fished a brushpile to see if crappie were there. No crappie, but the brushpile was inhabited by some nice-sized largemouth bass. They loved my Tater Baits Electric Monkey crappie jig. The bass were buried inside of the brush towards the bottom. I can’t believe I could pull these beasts out of the brush with 4-pound test.”
Norfork Lake surface water temperature is rising very slowly after the 3-degree drop from last weekend’s storms. The lake temperature was 48-52 degrees Wednesday morning. The lake level has been stable with a slight drop with intermittent power generation and currently sits at 554.05 feet msl. The lake is clear to stained, depending on where you are at in the lake. “If our current forecast holds true, we have another deep freeze arriving Friday afternoon. I guess I will be out seeing where the bait moved to next Sunday.
“I post almost daily on Facebook. If you want more frequent information please visit and like Hummingbird Hideaway Resort’s Facebook page. Happy Fishing and enjoy Norfork Lake.”
(updated 3-10-2022) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at Blackburn’s Resort says the lake level is 554.12 feet msl and has dropped 1.2 inches in the last 24 hours with generation about three-quarters of the time. The White River at Newport is at 21.74 feet, indicating they are trying hard to drop the area lakes and all of them are at or near their power pools. The surface water temperature was between 49-50 degrees Tuesday, depending on where you were, and had dropped 2 degrees from the day before. The water clarity also changed, as the main lake channel was much more stained but the shore was still clear. Both the creeks and main lake had the same temperature, as the creeks have dropped faster with the colder weather. “Our ambient highs have only been in the 30s and low 40s recently. It is sunny and nice (Wednesday) but a very cold front is moving in on Friday with warmer weather on Sunday.
“The storm on Sunday night brought a lot of lightning and over an inch of rain in this area but no damage. Damage was reported in Sharp County. Fishing slowed after the cold front but was better (Tuesday). I caught one small striper accidently in about 10 feet of water fishing for bass, four crappie, two bass, two big bluegill and a couple of warmouth in about 2 hours of fishing. When the warmouth go to the bank it is usually a sign that spring is almost here.
“Crappie, bass and small stripers are the best bite now and the night bite for stripers should start next week. The cold fronts just keep coming through, messing up fishing but not stopping it.”
For a daily fishing report and lake condition go to www.blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve's Blog.
Norfork Tailwater
(updated 3-10-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake fell 0.1 foot to rest at 0.4 foot above power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 25.8 feet below the top of flood pool. There has been no wadable water on the Norfork tailwater and it fished well some days and poorly on others. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Grasshoppers have produced fish, particularly when used in conjunction with a small nymph dropper (try a size 20 black zebra midge). 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). The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off at midday.
Dry Run Creek has fished particularly well. School is back in session and now is a great time to fish it, particularly during the week. Weekends can get a bit crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs and various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise). Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Carry a large net, as most fish are lost at the net.
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.
Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 3-10-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are still navigable. With colder temperatures, the smallmouths are not 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.
Beaver Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,120.26 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 1,120.43 feet msl; top flood elevation is 1,130.0 feet msl). Total outflow from Beaver Dam is 3,896 cfs.
(updated 3-10-2022) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake is holding steady at normal pool. “Biggest change was water temps dropping a bit. We are in an up-and-down cycle on weather, which is making the bite follow suit. Stripers are very hard to pattern right now. None of us guides seem to be able to put a consistent bite together. That will all change soon. As the water warms the fish will migrate towards the river arms to spawn. Then we should get a good spring bite going.”
Crappie have been good in brush around 10-20 feet deep “but I caught fish last week in 2 feet of water. So, the point is, do not be afraid to hit shallow stickups even with low water temps. My biggest crappie last week have been shallow.
“The walleye spawn is starting and walleye have been caught from Point 12 up to Camp War Eagle and up to the Arkansas Highway 45 bridge all the way to Lake Sequoyah Dam. Trolling cranks and fishing swimbaits both have put fish in the boat. Small white bass are moving into normal spawning shoals, so it will not be long before the main run begins. Good luck and stay safe!”
Visit Jon’s Facebook page for latest updates, FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR.
(updated 3-3-2022) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) reported Thursday morning that Beaver Lake is dingy at their locale and the water level is high. Bream are good on redworms and crickets. Crappie are excellent; use minnows or small crappie jigs, as well as grubs. Black bass are good on jerkbaits, jigs and spoons. Catfish reports have been fair.
Beaver Tailwater
(updated 3-10-2022) Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) said fishing has been hit and miss this week. With the different weather systems moving in, some days have been hot and others not so much. The trout have been biting well on light terminal tackle fished with various PowerBait. Quarter-ounce spoons have done well on the overcast days. Most trout are being caught between Spider Creek and Parker Bottoms. The walleye bite has been hot as well. Most are being caught jigging live minnows or pulling Flicker Shads. Try hitting the deep areas of the river when looking for these fish. “Looks like we’ve got more snow headed our way, along with rain. So get out there and catch some fish!”
Visit Austin’s fishing Facebook Page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service) for fishing videos and tips on the tailwater.
Lake Fayetteville
(updated 3-10-2022) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the lake is stained and at a normal level. Surface water temperature is 50 degrees. Anglers are starting to catch a few bream on redworms and crickets. The crappie bite remains good; use minnows or jigs. Black bass have moved into shallow water now and are biting crankbaits and worms. No reports on catfish.
Lake Sequoyah
(updated 3-10-2022) Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) says that fishing has been slow this week. The lake is a little stained but is at a normal level. No surface temperature was recorded. Crappie were fair using minnows or jigs. Best fishing still is happening off the old bridge. Black bass were spotty here and there with fair results for anglers. No baits were suggested. No reports on bream or catfish.
Lake Charles
(updated 3-10-2022) Shelly Jeffrey at Lake Charles State Park (870-878-6595) said that she heard a few reports of small bream and crappie as well as catfish being caught off the shoreline. The lake hosted a bass tournament over the weekend but she received no reports. Bream were fair and were biting worms, crickets and jigs. Crappie were fair on jigs and worms. Catfish were good; blood bait and stink bait were the baits of choice. The lake is its usual murky with a morning surface water temperature reading of 54.8 degrees on Sunday. The water is high.
Lake Poinsett
(updated 3-10-2022) Lake Poinsett is in the process of refilling, but is rainfall dependent. The fishing now is predominantly catch-and-release for bream. They seem to be biting on crickets and worms.
The gate at the dam at Lake Poinsett was closed in late 2020 following the completion of a three-year renovation project, and the lake began to refill. The lake has been undergoing an extensive renovation with a new water control structure, more than 10,000 linear feet of shoreline work, more than 100 habitat structures placed on the lakebed, and nearly 100 trees anchored for fish habitat.
Other forage species that were stocked last year include fathead minnows, golden shiners and threadfin shad. They have been added in huge numbers to the lake to build up the food supply for the predators, which will be stocked this year.
Crown Lake
(updated 3-10-2022) Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said anglers are back at it and they’ve had success. Crappie fishing is good using minnows, jigs and jerkbaits. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. No reports on catfish or bream. The lake is murky and the surface temperature is 48 degrees. Water level is normal.
Spring River
(updated 3-3-2022) Mark Crawford with springriverfliesandguides.com (870-955-8300) said water levels have been running at 490 cfs on Tuesday; that is up about a foot above average flow (350 cfs). Ice and rain last week has the river up and clarity has been poor. The area needs to dry up for a while.
"We are still catching fish with the White Lightning being the hot fly this week. Y2Ks, olive and brown Woollies have also worked well on other days. It does take extra work to get the fly down. Plenty of blue-wing olives are hatching, but we need better clarity for nymphs."
For spin-fishing, gold and silver spoons or spinners are best in off-clarity water.
“Be very careful wading with the river up. The river is slick on good days, so be safe and go slow. Wading staffs are a must lately.
“Stocking should ramp up in March getting ready for the springtime anglers. In April all of the campgrounds will open for the season. That gives us all many more places to fish.”
Visit Mark’s blog at springriverfliesandguides.com/blog for the latest updates.
(updated 3-10-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said the water level on the Spring River is fishable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and North Fork rivers. Canoe season is over and the canoes are mostly gone. Fish the upper river at the Lassiter Access to avoid them or fish Dam 3 late in the afternoon, after they have left the area. Wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff – there is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive Woolly Buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.
White River
The Army Corps of Engineers reported Thursday that the White River stage at Batesville was falling at 10.49 feet, about 4.5 feet below the flood stage of 15.0 feet. The Newport stage stayed up at 21.81 feet, or more than 5 feet below the flood stage of 26.0 feet. The stage at Augusta is steady at 31.30 feet, which is about 5.3 feet above the flood stage of 26.00 feet.
(updated 3-3-2022) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) in Batesville reported that anglers are catching a few walleye. That’s the only species reported.
Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam at Pine Bluff was 41,256 cfs. The pool elevation is 195.87 feet msl and the stage at Pine Bluff is 31.20 feet (flood stage is 42 feet). Further upriver at the C.D. Maynard Lock and Dam near Redfield, the flow was 37,629 cfs. The pool elevation is 212.98 feet msl.
(updated 3-10-2022) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new reports.
Cane Creek Lake
(updated 3-3-2022) Jeff Shell, the superintendent at Cane Creek State Park, said Cane Creek Lake water temperatures are running in the mid-50s and should be expected to rise. Water clarity is about 1 foot. Crappie are in a prespawn pattern. “We have continued to receive reports that Electric Chicken pattern jigs are producing results,” Shell said.
Bass remain in a winter pattern and your best chance is fishing suspended structure. No reports on catfish. “Historically for this time of year they can be found fishing in the lake’s deeper areas on trotlines,” he said.
Lake Monticello
(updated 3-10-2022) Dam repair work has been completed by the city of Monticello’s contractor, while the AGFC has been rebuilding the lake bottom and areas near where the shoreline will be for fish habitat when the lake is refilled, which will mostly be done by rainfall collection. The gates on the dam are closed and the lake refilling is underway, but it is rainfall dependent. Many artificial fish habitat structures have been created and put in place, and the AGFC has pumped several of the small ponds and has added rotenone to those areas for the elimination of unwanted species (i.e. grass carp, yellow bass), before the refilling of the lake began.
Millwood Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 259.62 feet msl (normal pool: 259.20 feet msl; top flood elevation is 287.0 feet msl). Total outflow at the dam is 5,906 cfs.
(updated 3-10-2022) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said that as of Wednesday, Millwood Lake was 5 inches above normal conservation pool, at 259.6 feet msl and falling. The clarity was good to fair stain in a few areas. Millwood Lake tailwater elevation was near 232 feet msl with gate discharge at the dam around 6,000 cfs in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website linked above, or at the Army Corps of Engineers website, along with updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels. Watch for random floaters and broken timber during any navigation on Little River and Millwood Lake.
Surface temps were stable this week, ranging 54-58 degrees, depending on location and the day. “We expect that surface temp to drop this weekend if the current forecast models hold out, with sleet and snow in the forecast this weekend! Lots of Little River buoy markers along the main lake channel may have moved with recent gate changes at the Millwood Dam and high wind. Use caution in navigation on main lake river channels where river buoys may be out of channel from recent high winds.”
Current along Little River was stained this week with discharge release at the dam, and river clarity ranged 4-8 inches visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility of the oxbows were 10-20 inches, depending on location. Further up Little River near White Cliffs and Wilton Landing has heavier stain conditions.
The Millwood State Park Marina has reopened for boat rentals, camping supplies/food, fishing baits/lures, no-ethanol gasoline and boat docking. Minnows are back in stock this week. The Millwood State Park IS OPEN for camping, and the State Park Office can be reached at 870-898-2800 for availability or additional information. Corps campgrounds are open for camping. Current status, information and reservations may be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or the Millwood Tri-Lakes office at (870) 898-3343.
As for the fishing specifics, Mike said:
* The largemouth bass continued to improve this week with the warmer conditions, depending on location. Prime activity and cycles have been best at midday and the afternoon. Numerous male bass continue to be found roaming flats from 2-6 feet deep where bedding areas exist, searching out new bedding sites. As of this week, these roaming largemouths have been eager to strike on Trick Worms, Senkos, salty rat tails, Chatterbaits and Bass Assassin Shads.
“The shallow-cruising male largemouth bass we found roaming bedding areas this week were around 2.5-3 pounds, and fairly spooky in the clearer water areas. They continue moving in and out of 2-6 feet deep flats with stumps and grass present near creek channel drops from 4-9 feet deep, near vertical structure. We have coaxed a few to hit a Chatterbait, a Brazalo Spinnerbait in Spot Remover or chartreuse/white, or a black and blue salty rat tail and Bass Assassins over the past few days.”
Warmer days with bright skies continue to be best daily conditions. The best locations are near vertical structure and deeper drops with 3-8 feet deep flats in close proximity. Over the past week, bass were fair on swim jigs with thumper-tail trailers, Chatterbaits, jigs and heavy thumping 1-Knocker Rat-L-Traps deep in the creek channel outside bends near stumps and standing timber.
Square-bill crankbaits, Chatterbaits and Brazalo Spinnerbaits will randomly connect with the shallow-roaming bass. Bill Lewis MR-6, Echo 1.75 and SB-57 crankbaits in Sneaky Shad, Tennessee Shad, Millwood Magic and Rayburn Red Craw will draw a few random reactions. Anywhere a creek channel runs into the deeper creek bends or vertical structure and drops into the oxbows, where stumps and creek mouths drop, have held some decent-sized bass over the past week.
Cordell or Kastmaster Spoons are finding vertical suspended bass from 10-15 feet on ledges or deep creek outside bends with stumps present.
Real Deal Custom Jigs caught a few largemouths up Little River in McGuire oxbow last week around 3-3.5 pounds. Best colors were Texas Craw, black/blue/purple, or pumpkinseed/chartreuse with a Gene Larew Hog Craw as a trailer.
* The white bass continue roaming and staging all along Little River, and have been heavily schooled up at various creek dumps into Little River for several weeks now. A few nice-sized schools of whites were found from White Cliffs campground all the way up to U.S. Highway 71 bridge and where the Cossatot River intersects and dumps into Little River. Hammered Cordell Chrome Spoons with a red bucktail, Rocket Shads, Fat Free Shads in Tennessee Shad and Citrus Shad, half-ounce Rat-L-Traps, Bill Lewis MR-6 Crankbaits, and Spin Traps in chrome/blue, Millwood Magic, Tennessee Shad and Threadfin Shad colors all have been working over the past several weeks.
“We continue searching for the large schools over the past week but have not yet found the whites all the way up Little River near Patterson Shoals yet. We think the river is not warm enough yet for their spawning run, but it’s getting close. We were seeing surface temps in Little River today of 54-55 degrees, and this is really close to what water temps we have found in years past for the white bass spawn to really fire up. Most years, from 55-60 degrees is the magic number that the whites will be ganged up in huge schools at Wilton on U.S. Highway 71 and at the dump of Cossatot River into Little River. We have not yet observed the large schools that far up yet for their annual spawning run, but warm days next week could be the key to that firing up!”
* Crappie began to improve last week with the warmer temperatures, and they were stacked up in planted brushpiles from 8-13 feet deep. A few nice 2.5-pound crappie have been hitting jigs and minnows over the last week. “Our Crappie Gurus should have an update for us on Thursday of this week as well.” Check the guide service’s website for any updates.
* Catfish have been fair some days, great on other days with the increase of river current. Best on limblines over the past week set from 8-12 feet deep, biting good with redworms, cut buffalo, chicken hearts and livers. Yo-yos and limblines have been improving for cats from 4-8 pounds over the past few weeks.
Lake Columbia
No reports.
Lake Erling
(updated 3-10-2022) Lake Erling Guide Service (870-904-8546) reports that the lake is fairly clear and it’s still about 5 feet below normal level. Crappie are good. Use minnows or jigs. Catfish continue to be excellent on any kind of bait. Catches have been in the 2- to 7-pound range.
Lake Greeson Tailwater
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.
Lake Greeson
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at Narrows Dam was 538.20 feet msl (full pool: 548.00 feet msl).
DeGray Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 402.11 feet msl (full pool: 408.00 feet msl).
(updated 3-10-2022) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said the crappie are starting to move out of the deep water channels and into staging area brushpiles. Live bait and jigs work well fished 8-14 feet deep. On warm, sunny days the crappie will move up shallower into the warmer water and suspend over the same staging brushpiles. Stay back and pitch a jig or minnow under a cork over the brushpile. Fish 3-6 feet deep. Darryl says the water temp on his last trip was 52 degrees. White bass and hybrids are feeding at first light in the primary creek arms. If they won’t eat a spoon, troll crankbaits. Watch for the white birds and loons to help you locate the baitfish and the feeding whites and hybrids.
(updated 2-24-2022) Angler Charles Abernathy said, “I’ve been out to DeGray a few times over the last couple of weeks. Last week, I found myself up in shallower water just looking around. I found crappie roaming around in the middle of a popular spawning pocket and was able to catch one as shallow as 6 feet. It’s early yet for that magical time of year, but their eggs are getting plump. It’s on their mind. The weather had been pretty fair and the surface temperature was around 50 degrees, so with those conditions it’s not uncommon to catch them in shallow water. This time of year, you can’t go wrong cruising the deeper main channels as well as in the middle of popular shallower spawning pockets. You also can’t go wrong picking a major creek channel and side scanning it looking for schools as well as just roamers.
“I spent Monday morning of this week in a major creek channel and went down it until it started narrowing down. It was full of eating-size crappie. They were on shallow brush as well as just cruising around. There were also tons of hybrids there, too, which sometimes makes it hard to focus just on the crappie. It was also full of bait. By midday we had a pretty good mess of crappie as well as a mixed bag. Most of them were caught on a Mr. Crappie Slab Slanger in Monkey Milk paired with an orange head worked slow, slow, slow. The water was a little dirty, too, but that is what they seemed to want.
“If you haven’t done so already, you really need to get a map of the lake. I use Navionics, and they do have a free viewer online. I’m always looking for new places on the map, even on my home lake DeGray. If you see something of interest, take some time to check it out. Any amount of pre-study that you do at home will just help you get more familiar with the lake and help you identify deep to shallow water transitions that they are starting to make. Also, keep a lookout for those diving ducks, as I call them. If you see them in deeper water or in a main channel you know bait is close by. If bait is close by, so will the schools of fish be. I also always try to set some time aside just for scanning around from the console.
“The water is down a bunch on this lake. Be careful out there. When traveling, I’m following channels on my map and paying very close attention to hidden humps from map contours that aren’t necessarily marked as hazards since the levels are so low.
“I appreciate you all reaching out and giving me feedback you provide. It makes my day for you to call me out at the ramp or on the water. I know it’s been a while since I’ve given a report. I appreciate your patience. As always, feel free to ping me at c.abernathy32@gmail.com for more info. I have a YouTube channel where I share some fishing content and have already posted this last trip from this week (a little creek channel action). Be safe … I look forward to seeing you on the water.”
De Queen Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 437.35 feet msl (full pool: 437.00 feet msl).
Dierks Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 526.30 feet msl (full pool: 526.00 feet msl).
White Oak Lake Area
(update 2-24-2022) Curtis Willingham at River Rat Bait in Camden (870-231-3831) said crappie were doing well last weekend at White Oak on minnows and jigs.
Lake Atkins
(updated 3-10-2022) Donald Ramirez at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) said that the lake is clear and the level is high. No temperature was recorded. Crappie are fair on minnows and Bobby Garland Jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. No reports on bream or catfish.
Lake Catherine (Below Carpenter Dam)
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro
(updated 3-10-2022) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below the dam is 46 degrees with stained conditions in the tailrace. Entergy has begun the refilling of lakes Hamilton and Catherine. This process was originally slated to begin on March 1. Each lake will be refilled at 6 inches per day until returned to the normal summertime pool. Barring complications, both lakes will be completed by March 15. The Carpenter Dam tailrace remains very dangerous to navigate with numerous underway obstructions partially hidden just under the water surface. Wade fisherman and boaters alike must use extreme caution when attempting to use the area. Flow from the dam hides many of the shallow water dangers so boating becomes increasingly more treacherous as anglers approach the dam from the Arkansas Highway 128 bridge. Extremely slick rock structure all over the tailrace further complicates matters.
Rainbow trout are everywhere in the Carpenter Dam tailrace and thriving in the nutrient-rich waters of Lake Catherine. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will stock an additional 9,700 rainbow trout in March. It is important to remember that while trout numbers are in the many thousands, the bite can be unpredictable and always subject to rapid change due to weather and lake conditions. A very good bite pattern can disappear in a matter of hours, so anglers should be aware of this potential problem and have an alternative plan of action. Bank fishermen should stick to basic patterns of live bait such as waxworms or mealworms fished just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater. Nightcrawlers will also work when cut into 2-inch sections presented in the same manner. PowerBait can save a fishing trip due to the fact that this presentation is designed to capitalize on a trout's inborn instinct to feed on fish eggs. Fly-fishermen casting egg patterns in white or yellow under a strike indicator have caught and released decent numbers of rainbow trout in the tailrace where current is present. Micro-jigs and Woolly Buggers have taken trout over 14 inches, although there has been a huge influx of smaller trout. The San Juan worm in hot pink has accounted for nice catches of trout, especially when the fish are in a slower bite pattern.
White bass have been observed breaking in the early morning hours chasing threadfin shad below the bridge. Casting spinnerbaits and jigs in one-eighth-ounce weights has been the best presentation to catch these fish. Hybrid bass often school alongside white bass and can be caught on the same techniques. Trolling shallow-running crankbaits against the current has been productive catching white bass and hybrids, as well as walleye in the 2-pound class. Walleye thrive in the tailrace in the summer and early winter months as these fish prefer colder water temperatures than other area game fish. The walleye spawn below Carpenter Dam is now in full swing with smaller males being caught in the 1½-pound range. Some larger females have also been taken in the 3- to 4-pound class.
The best action has taken place during times of generation. Sleet and snow melt had heavily stained many areas of Lake Catherine, creating very difficult fishing conditions. Entergy will be generating below all area dams to control the lake levels, so caution on waterways must be used during this time.
Finally, it cannot be stressed enough that anglers will experience dramatic changes in bite patterns as cold fronts move in and out of our area. Temperatures can change as much as 30 degrees or more in less than a day. Rapid temperature change shuts down many fish species until consistent weather resumes. Rising and stained water spells the death sentence for quality rainbow trout fishing. Trout despise muddy conditions and often refuse to feed for days and sometimes weeks. Always wear a life jacket when on the water and continue to follow park rules and regulations. The daily possession limit for rainbow trout is five fish per person. Don't make the mistake of attempting to keep more than the legal limit of any fish species from Arkansas waters. Always have your fishing license up-to-date and be ready to cooperate with our game officials when asked.
Lake Dardanelle
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s flow at Dardanelle Lock and Dam as 30,050 cfs. Elevation was 337.79 feet msl, with the tailwater at 287.61 feet msl. (Top navigation pool is 338.2 and bottom pool is 336.0.) The stage is falling at 7.33 feet (flood stage is 32 feet).
No reports.
Lake Hamilton
No reports.
Lake Nimrod
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 346.12 feet msl (normal pool: 342.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 373.0 feet msl).
(updated 3-10-2022) Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-272-4025) said Thursday morning that the clarity is “good” and the surface water temperature is up to 50 degrees. The lake is up by 1 foot over normal pool. Bream are fair. They are scattered and not betting, and redworms and crickets will catch them. Crappie are fair and moving up in depth. Minnows and jigs will work. Black bass are good. They are being found up shallow now, and they’re favoring spinnerbaits and jigs. Catfishing is poor.
(updated 3-10-2022) Masterbaiters Bait and Tackle (501-209-6538) on Arkansas Highway 7 outside Hot Springs Village says Nimrod has been hot under the dam on minnows for crappie, as well as up the river. Bass are being caught on Rat-L-Traps, while crappie are about 14 feet on the edge of the channel. “Good luck from Masterbaiters Bait and Tackle, and don't forget to take the kids fishing.”
Lake Ouachita
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at Blakely Dam was 572.40 feet msl (full pool: 578.00 feet msl).
(updated 3-3-2022) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out of state) said black bass are fair to good. Try a lipless crankbait or jerkbait over main lake points for these fish. Walleye are moving up the river channels to spawn. A swim jig or Shad Rap should work to find and catch these fish. Stripers are good and should be staging to make their runs up the river channels. Live bait or trolling an Alabama rig should be the best options for catching these fish. Crappie are good on small jigs or minnows. Try brushpiles in the 18-30 foot depth range. No reports on catfish or bream. Water temperature is ranging 48-52 degrees. The clarity is clearing. Lake level is at 572.36 feet msl. Call the Mountain Harbor fishing guides (Mike Wurm, 501-622-7717, or Chris Darby, 870-867-7822) for more information.
(updated 3-10-2022) Masterbaiters Bait and Tackle (501-209-6538) on Arkansas Highway 7 outside Hot Springs Village reports that they are still getting good numbers of walleye on crankbaits and nightcrawlers from 40 feet in the trees to rocky points in 20-25 feet. Also look in the grass; also getting some mixed in with the white bass on jigging spoons
(updated 3-3-2022) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said that like at DeGray Lake, the crappie at Lake Ouachita are slowly moving up out of the deep water channels. Warm nights will work in the anglers’ favor. The white and hybrid bass are following the food up the creek arms. Casting spoons or trolling crankbaits and A-rigs have produced.
Blue Mountain Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 387.45 feet msl (full pool: 384.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 419.0 feet msl).
White River/Clarendon Area
The Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday reported the Clarendon gauge was up again from last week to 27.82 feet, almost 2 feet above the flood stage of 26.00 feet.
Cook’s Lake
(updated 3-10-2022) Wil Hafner, facility manager at Potlatch Cooks Lake Nature Center (870-241-3373), said that with continuous high water, the situation at Cook’s Lake remains the same and they are unable to open at this time. “We are looking forward to the water getting right and lines getting tight!,” Hafner said.
Cook’s Lake is a 2-mile long oxbow off of the White River, nestled in the heart of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge near Casscoe in Arkansas County. This fertile oxbow receives very little fishing pressure due to being used only for education purposes and youth and mobility-impaired fishing. The scenic lake is full of slab crappie, giant bluegills, largemouth bass, and catfish of all species. Under current guidelines, Cook’s Lake will be open to fishing during normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., water level pending. Cook’s Lake is open to fishing for youths under 16 or mobility-impaired anglers and up to two helpers (who may also fish). Fish from the 140-foot mobility-impaired accessible dock or launch a boat. To comply with current guidelines, please call ahead at least a day in advance to register to fish. Before launching, please check in at the Conservation Education Center, and report back before leaving. For information or unscheduled closures, call the center at 870-241-3373.
Horseshoe Lake
(updated 3-10-2022) Kent Williams of Oxbow Guide Service (870-278-7978) said that with the recent rains and windy weather, he hasn’t been on the water in a few days. Here is his latest report:
“Late last week the crappie had moved up in the water column and we caught fish as shallow as 4 feet deep. There were still fish holding in the 12-foot range as well. With the recent cooler weather, fish should still be in deeper water suspended in the 12- to 15-foot range. Jigs and minnows alike will work. For spider rigging, move slow – .3-.5 should do the trick.
“With another major front approaching for the weekend, fish should stay put for at least another week to 10 days. No reports on bream, bass or catfish.”
Bear Creek Lake/Storm Creek Lake
(updated 3-10-2022) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) had no new reports.