Arkansas Fishing Report

By The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS White Oak Lake

(Updated 5-2-2018) White Oak Lake State Park (870-6852748) had no report.

Felsenthal

(Updated 5-2-2018) Sportsman’s One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said water is still extremely high, and not many reports are coming in. A few bream being caught, they hear.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS Lake Columbia

(Updated 5-2-2018) Sportsman’s One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) said they were getting good reports on bass, bream and crappie. Bass are being caught on buzzbaits early in the morning.

Millwood Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.67 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 259.20 msl).

(Updated 5-2-2018) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said lake level Monday had almost returned to normal, and was about 6 inches above normal conservation pool and falling (as of Monday) at 259.7 feet msl; there is current of about 3,000 cfs in Little River according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The tailwater as of Monday was about 229 feet msl. Water temps continued improving over the past week. Surface temps as of Monday were ranging near 62 degrees early to 67 degrees later under full sun, depending on location. Be sure and check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website’s Helpful Links page, or at the Army Corps of Engineers website for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels and conditions.

USACE has completed clean up on most Millwood Lake Campgrounds, and a most all are now open. Most all boat ramps, are now open including Millwood State Park. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for broken or floating timber.

Clarity and visibility are improved over the past week, but remain stained in places, especially upriver. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity and visibility is moderate stain, ranging about 10-18 inches.

Little River's visibility ranges 10-15 inches with heavy to moderate stain, depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity ranges 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location.

Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

Mike says largemouth bass continue in varying degrees of the spawn all over Millwood Lake.

Upriver largemouths have a few stragglers left that are finishing their spawn, and a few areas on the southern half of the main lake remain prespawn or on beds.

Largemouth bass have been excellent over the past few weeks with the continually warming ambient conditions, from around 3 pound each up to around 10 pounds each. Several bass tournaments over the past few weeks on Millwood have given up numerous largemouths at weigh-ins from 7 pounds to over 11 pounds each.

Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, Sweet Beavers, Trick Worms and Bass Assassin Shads on a light wire hook, and Rat-LTraps all continue working well. Black and June Bug soft plastic frogs are working in new lily pad stands.

War Eagle Spinnerbaits in white/chartreuse or Firetiger colors, thrown near flooded bushes, buckbrush and vegetation, continue working well for good bass in the 3-7 pound class.

Most of these bass continue roaming in and out of bedding areas, cruising in 4-9 feet of depth.

Buzzbaits are beginning to draw good reactions from post-spawn largemouths, as well as Ken Pops, Pop-Rs and Spit’n' Images and StutterSteps around vegetation and new lily pads. Shallow-running squarebill crankbaits and Echo 1.75s, deflecting and banging them into and off stumps from 3-5 feet deep, continue taking a few post-spawn bass around 15- to 19-inches in length.

Best color of cranks in the oxbows, like the Echo 1.75 squarebills, over the past week or so have been the Bold Bluegill, Millwood Magic and Ghost. Rat-L-Traps in Toledo Gold and Millwood Magic continue to get reactions from 15-18-inch bass in creek channels leading in and out of spawning flats.

No reports on white bass this past week. Crappie continue to be caught and are biting well around cypress trees in the oxbows up Little River away from current.

Crappie were reacting very aggressively to jigs and minnows over the past few weeks near base of cypress trees from 1-3 feet deep.

Catfish remain very good on trotlines using almost any cut bait like shad, buffalo, punch baits, and chicken livers and hearts were taking a few 5-8 pound channel cats in current along Little River from 10-12 feet of depth. Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)

Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.

Lake Greeson

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 547.80 feet msl ( full pool: 548.00 feet msl).

(Updated 5-2-2018) Jason Lenderman with JL Guide Service (870-490-0804) said the lake level has risen some and is now just over full pool.

Water temps are in the mid-60s with a little color throughout the lake. Jason says he believes a lot of the fish have spawned but can still be caught shallow due to the high water.

The secondary spawn should take be taking place with the full moon over the weekend. Right now, most of the bass are on secondary points leading into and out of spawning pockets.

They can be caught using Carolina rigged lizards, YUM Christie Critters or YUM Christie Craws in any of the natural colors like green pumpkin or watermelon magic. Shaky head worms in the same colors are working well, also. We have caught several lately wacky-rigging a YUM Dinger in watermelon candy and green pumpkin in spawning pockets around cover.

Windy days are good for Booyah spinnerbaits or Smithwick Rogues in windy pockets and points. Super Spook Jr’s are starting to see some action on main lake points.

Night fishing has been good around the full moon using Booyah spinnerbaits. Crappie are great and can be caught in 10-15 foot brush with Kalin’s Grubs or minnows.

DeGray Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 408.02 feet msl (flood pool: 408.00 feet msl).

(Updated 5-2-2018) Capt. Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips said crappie are finally moving in to spawn in greater numbers than before.

Water temp is 65. Catch the staging females 8-10 feet deep on brush piles. Males are on the beds making and protecting the future catch.

Spotted bass are roaming the coves and shoreline chasing threadfin shad. Best bet is casting jigs and inline spinners.

(Updated 5-2-2018) Local angler George Graves said surface water temperature is in the upper 60s and the lake is clear in the lower end and has some color above Point 14.

Bass fishing is only fair with quite a few fish reported, but most are small. Look for fish in the secondary coves and up shallow.

The spawn is almost over so most fish will be postspawn. Best pattern has been either medium-running crankbaits or spinnerbaits worked from the shoreline brush out to about 10 feet deep.

Look for some schooling action because the shad are starting to school with spawning approaching. During the heat of the day, throw a Texas-rigged worm or lizard across the secondary points.

Red shad and green pumpkin are pretty much standby colors. Crappie fishing remains hit and miss with mostly miss. The fish are still scattered along the shoreline brush even though the spawn is winding down.

May is usually a great month for these fish because they return to the attractors and are hungry from the rituals of spawning. Look for attractors at about 20 feet and drop a 2-inch Kalin's Grub on a 1/16-ounce jighead to just above the thickest part of the brush. Try Tennessee Shad in clear water and black/ chartreuse when the water is discolored. Look for attractors between Edgewood and Shouse Ford.

Hybrid fishing is slow with very little schooling activity. In fact, hybrids have been slow most all winter and spring. Some are blaming the reduced stockings on the lower catch rate. In fact, the stockings have been cut in half from about six per acre to three. Quite a few white bass are showing between Shouse Ford and Point Cedar.

(Updated 5-2-2018) John Duncan of YoYoGuideService. com at Iron Mountain Marina said, “Man, am I glad to see the weather is better.”

Water is stabilizing at 407.27 feet mls. Water temperature is 63-66 in upper river areas. Black bass fishing is good. Reports of good catches in the buckbrush all over the lake.

Four-inch lizards fished in buckbrush are producing well. Lots of Kentuckies in the buckbrush, too. Floating worms are producing well all over the lake, also. The time is right to get on these bass. Crappie reports are improving daily.

Male white crappie up to 14-inches were being caught in three feet of water Monday.

The cold weather may have generated a second round of spawning; hope so. Fishing minnows about 30 inches deep in the buck brush is a winner. Jigs are also producing well. Fish early and late to reduce sunlight in shallow fishing areas. If it’s cloudy, you are blessed.

I have been using the Redneck Rubber Paddletail Jig bodies. Pink head with chartreuse and black body. It seems to help eliminate smaller fish. Some hybrid action on spoons fishing slow-rolling off the bottom.

They seem to be more in the upper river areas still from Shouse Ford up. Lots of trotlining going on, but no reports.

De Queen Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 438.21 feet msl (flood pool: 437.00 feet msl).

Dierks Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.71 feet msl (flood pool: 526.00 feet msl).

EAST ARKANSAS Horseshoe Lake

(Updated 5-2-2018) Professional guide Ronnie Tice of Horseshoe Lake Guide Service (901-687-6800) had no report.

Bear Creek Lake

(Updated 4-25-2018) Natalie Faughn, ranger at Mississippi River State Park (870295-4040), said Bear Creek saw some pretty active fishermen this past weekend.

Crappie were biting live bait off the shoreline and right around the fishing pier. Bream were jumping on jigs around the southern-most coves of the lake, and activity was high Monday evening.

The boat ramp is still closed, but don’t forget Mississippi River State Park is renting flat-bottom boats for

use during the closure. Call for details.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS Cane Creek Lake

(Updated 5-2-2018) Park Interpreter Austin Davidson at Cane Creek State Park said that with the weather warming up, bream are getting aggressive in Cane Creek.

Multiple reports have come in of bream biting on both crickets and worms. Fish near stumps or submerged vegetation and wait for a bite.

Bass are biting hollow frogs and topwaters during the hottest part of the day and cranks fished just under the surface during other parts of the day.

Soft plastics Texas-rigged and drug across the bottom

from the bank should wake up bass hiding in structure in the shallows.

Catfish are biting aggressively on strong-smelling baits. Fish at about 10 foot at night with chicken liver or old bacon mixed with garlic.

Lake Chicot

(Updated 5-2-2018) Brandy Oliver at Lake Chicot State Park (870-265-9705) said that with the beautiful weather this weekend, the park was full of families fishing. Most guests reported good luck catching catfish, especially on nightcrawlers and crickets.

The catfish seemed to be biting the best near the shoreline. Those fishing for crappie or bass weren’t as lucky, with very few reports of successful

trips.

A few people reported catching bream, especially on crickets.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS Lake Hamilton

(Updated 5-2-2018) Capt. Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips said crappie are finally moving in to spawn in greater numbers than before.

Water temp is 65. Catch the staging females 8-10 feet deep on brush piles. Males are on the beds making and protecting the future catch.

Spotted bass are roaming the coves and shoreline chasing threadfin shad like MS13 gang members.

Casting jigs and inline spinners work great.