Fishing report
Lake Ouachita: Todd Gadberry, Mountain Harbor Resort, said black bass are excellent and being caught with floating worms, Carolina-rigged lizards and jerkbaits, especially along secondary points and pockets
5-10 feet deep. Walleye are still good on small crankbaits and green soft plastics on main lake and secondary points. Stripers are still excellent on Alabama rigs and topwater C-10 Redfins, especially in the west end of the lake. Bream are fair to good 15-25 feet deep on crickets and worms. Crappie are excellent on minnows or crappie jigs around 8-12 feet deep near brush. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait 15-20 feet deep.
Lake conditions: 60-65 degrees, stained, 573.08 feet msl (full pool 578 feet msl).
Lake Catherine: Shane Goodner, Catch ’em All Guide Service, said thousands of rainbow trout are thriving in the nutrient-rich water from the dam to the bridge. Fly fishermen are handicapped somewhat with the lake at normal levels but still able to access areas with good numbers of trout and record limits with micro-jigs in black or white coloring using a strike indicator. Olive-colored Woolly Buggers and black midges have taken trout in the 15-inch class. Egg patterns in yellow or white often will entice fish that refuse other offerings. Bank fishermen have fared well using live bait such as waxworms and mealworms, red worms, crickets and small live minnows. Spin fishermen have taken the largest trout caught in the last several weeks with Super Dupers and Rooster Tails in white or silver coloring, lures that imitate a dying shad and often attract larger rainbows that feed on bait fish drawn through the turbines from Lake Hamilton.
Walleye spawn is in full swing with males and females present from the bridge to the shoal areas, larger females migrating into the area and ready to spawn and protect nests. They can be found by trolling shallow-running crankbaits in the main channel during periods of generation. Carolina rigs tipped with live minnows or nightcrawlers will work well in current or slackwater with most catches from 3 to 5 pounds.
Crappie are taking live minnows and small jigs from the bridge to the dam. Lake conditions: 53 degrees, clear in tailrace, normal summertime pool.
DeGray Lake: Local angler George Graves said bass fishing is fair during the species’ spawning period with a lot of fish in flooded brush and shoreline cover with the lake level high. Try shallow-running crankbaits, both lipped and lipless, or spinnerbaits in white/chartreuse coloring. Try a floating worm thrown right into the cover, preferably in pink or white and between Point 15 and Cox Creek. Crappie have slowed with most now spawning around flooded shoreline cover. Prepare to cover a lot of water, using a 2-inch Kalin’s grub on a 16th-ounce jighead in Tennessee shad and black/ chartreuse coloring. With the deep-water bite pretty much over, look between Point 14 and Shouse Ford. No reports on hybrids, probably still far up river in their false spawn. Lake conditions: middle 60s, clear, 408.07 feet msl (full pool 408 feet msl).