Fishing report

Reminder: Arkansas’ free fishing weekend will run from noon today through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. No angler will need a fishing license or trout permit to fish anywhere in Arkansas.

Lake Ouachita

Todd Gadberry, Mountain Harbor Resort harbor master, said black bass are good. Top waters and jig-head worms are producing good stringers.

Walleye are good. Jerk baits and small spinners tipped with a crawler are working best right now.

Stripers are very good. These fish are being caught on live bait on the central part of the lake.

Bream are still excellent with crickets or worms in 5-15 feet of water.

Crappie are good. Try a small jig or minnow near brush in 15-25 feet of water.

Catfish are still very good and being caught with trot lines and jugs. Cut bait and live bait are working best.

The water ranges from 74-79 degrees, and the lake is clearing at 578.54 msl.

DeGray Lake

John Duncan, of yoyoguideservice.com, at Iron Mountain Marina said bream are on the beds but wrapping up. Look on rocky points and back of pockets for the beds.

White bass and hybrids have not shown much surface action lately with all the water activity and boating. Crankbaits trolled show some success.

Black bass are slow, as expected. Everything from topwaters, spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and drop-shot rigs being worked.

Crappie are still in the brushpiles around the mid-teens. Minnows with slip sinkers and drop-shot rigs will work now. Fish just above the thermocline or on the top of piles if they are suspended above the piles.

The water is in the low 80s, and the lake is at 407.68 msl.

Lake Catherine

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, said that with the heavy rains in the area, all area dams continue to run very heavy generation and open flood gates to eliminate the excess waters. Several inches of rain fell in a 24hour period on Monday and prompted Entergy to open three flood gates at Carpenter Dam to prepare the area for flash flooding. A heavy flow schedule will continue until Lake Ouachita is brought back down below flood levels, but this process should not take many more days with a dry week forecast ahead.

Conditions remain dangerous with extremely fast flows and muddy water the norm. Boaters and wade fishermen are urged to remain off the Carpenter Dam tailrace until water levels stabilize. Conditions should improve enough in the next week for individuals to safely navigate the tailrace.