Arkansas Fishing Report

(Updated 3-18-2020) Curtis Willingham of River Rat Bait (870231-3831) said White Oak Upper and Lower are murky.

The surface temperature is 58 degrees as of Tuesday afternoon, with water that is a little high.

Crappie are good. They are in 6-8 feet depth and biting minnows and jigs.

No bream, black bass or catfish were reported.

Felsenthal

(Updated 3-18-2020) Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) had no reports.

SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS Lake Columbia

(Updated 3-18-2020) Sportsman's One Stop in El Dorado (870-863-7248) had no report.

Millwood Lake

As of Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 262.7 feet msl (normal pool: 259.20 feet msl).

(Updated 3-18-2020) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said that as of Monday, Millwood Lake is back on a rapid rise from conservation pool level with recent thunderstorms, up 3.5 feet above normal conservation pool, near 262.7 feet msl; the discharge around 11,000 cfs in Little River according Army Corps of Engineers.

The tailwater below the dam and gates as of Monday is around 242 feet msl with discharge. Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service's website linked above, or at the Corps of Engineers website, for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels, especially during high flow river conditions.

Continue to use extreme caution in Little River navigation this week where logs and floaters may be present this week.

Surface temps as of Monday ranged 50-60 degrees. Clarity in the oxbows with the recent 3.5-foot rise is still good.

Little River stain is more prevalent this week, muddy in locations near Cossatot inflow and Wilton, with increase of current, and with random broken timber and debris.

•Largemouth bass: With Millwood Lake back on a rapid rise above normal pool, increased current in Little River and increased stain, largemouth bass females continue staging on structure and drops near spawning flats, and occasionally pulling up shallow to feed near vertical structure.

Male largemouths continue roaming in areas of 5-8 feet depth creeks, and bedding flats on warm afternoons, near vertical structure.

Heavy 3/4-ounce One-knocker Rat-L-Traps, Brazalo Chatterbaits, and Spinnerbaits continue working over the past few weeks, and Echo 1.75 square-bills and Bill Lewis SB-57 MDJ crankbaits are getting decent responses over the past couple weeks from these active roaming bass.

Anywhere a creek channel is close by to the deeper creek bends or vertical structure and drops into the oxbows, where stumps and creek mouths drop, have held some decent-size bass over the past several weeks and they were moving shallow on afternoons, best responses from the heat of the afternoon (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

The largemouths were much more reliable in the oxbows of McGuire and Horseshoe Lakes where the water clarity was drastically better, water temps were warmer, and calm/no river current present.

The best responses from bass we are seeing hitting on Rat-LTraps are on the Red Chrome, Toledo Gold, Ozark Craw, and Red Rayburn Craw.

Baby Brush Hogs & lizards continue taking some decent 15-18-inch male largemouth bass roaming flats in the clearer water sections of the oxbows, away from river current.

With the water temps continuing into the mid-50s the males are active and females continue staging. Where you find shallow 5-8-foot depth flats with stumps can find a few decent 2-3 pound male bass roaming on warm afternoons, if near to a quick creek bend drop into 8-12 feet structure.

More bedmaking activities are being currently observed now. South Hickory Golf Course pockets continue warming up, and are seeing pre-spawn male bass run in and out near stumps and vegetation, as well.

We continue to see good reactions from 2-3 pound males over the past couple weeks, pitching lizards and Baby Brush Hogs, Pit Bosses and Beavers around cypress trees, flooded buckbrush, bushes and back of pockets seeing a rapid lake pool rise.

An occasional pre-spawn female largemouth will randomly hit if you're in the zone.

Best reaction colors of chatterbaits and spinnerbaits we continue using lately have been the Millwood Mayhem Bream, Spot Remover, or Arkansas River Shad. Best depth zones we are targeting are cypress tree knees from 6-10 feet, with 12-15 feet of depth nearby.

We have been seeing the male bass roaming the flats through the dead lily pad stems from 2-4 pounds each, moving in shallow 3-5 feet deep bedding areas.

The larger females are staging further out depth zones, near points or creek channel bends and vertical structure drops where broken timber and stumps are present.

Also, 6-8 inch lizards in black neon, blackberry, California 420, and watermelon magic have been picking up some cruising bass near stumps, on drops into 10-foot structure.

Trick worms, trick sticks, and twitch worms in watermelon candy, black/blue, blue ice, and blue/ purple ice, continue working over the past several days in 5-8 feet depths on stumps and cypress tree knees.

Bass Assassin Shads in Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom, or Pumpkinseed, by dead-sticking on stumps and cypress knees using an extremely-light wire hook, caught a few nice male and female bass roaming in and out of flats to and from the creek channels.

Several nice-size pre-spawn female Largemouth were hitting jigs using Texas Craw, Millwood Mayhem Bream, and Black/blue, using a black frog plastic trailer, upriver, over the last week.

•White bass: As we have been telling everyone for several weeks, the whites continue their annual spawning migration along Little River and mouths of the oxbows and creek dumps, and running, up Little River.

It continues this week also, in much the same areas as last week, but the muddy, sudden inflow of rain and runoff, has hampered their aggressive nature.

We continue seeing huge schools of white bass on our electronics upriver between McGuire Oxbow Lake and Patterson Shoals area, and last week, catching some of the largest white bass I have ever seen caught on Millwood, many numbers exceeding 3-3.25 pounds each.

The sudden inflow of heavy rain and runoff and muddy water, has temporarily slowed the rapid-fire bite we were getting last week.

Trolling along upper Little River will still pick up White Bass from the schools still present if you do not have electronics to find the school.

Heavy thumping 3/4- and oneounce Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic, chrome, or Splatterback colors, cranked very slow and deep behind primary or secondary points caught some decent, 2-3 pound whites over the past month from 9-16 feet deep.

A chrome 3/4-ounce Cordell hammered spoon with a red/ white hair bucktail vertical jigging behind primary points near the bottom where stumps were located on the backside of points, were connecting with a few nice sized 2-3 pound whites over the past several weeks.

Swimming jigs with a heavy thumping tail swimbait trailer picked up a few White Bass in 10-14 feet swimming and dropping the bait.

Deep running Fat Free Shad cranks in Tennessee Shad or Citrus Shad, H&H Spinnerbaits, red/ white Rooster-Tails, Little Cleos, Little Georges, War Eagle Underspins and swimbaits, all have been catching white bass over the past two weeks.

With the increase of warm water temps into the mid-50s, the white bass spawning run up Little River near Patterson Shoals for annual migration continues. The white bass spawning run is in gear now.

•Spotted bass (Kentucky bass): No reports.

•Crappie: Minnows and jigs were working last week near standing timber and creek channels in the clearer sections of the oxbows and golf course pockets, from 8-12 feet deep.

•Catfish: Cats continue biting consistent over the past few weeks with the increased current along Little River.

Channel Cats and Blues remain good on Punch Bait and cut baits, over the last week on trot lines from 8-14 feet of depth in current.

Lake Greeson Tailwater

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

Lake Greeson

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 544.60 feet msl (normal pool: 548.00 feet msl).

(Updated 3-18-2020) Capt. Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said similar conditions are evident here and at DeGray, and that despite the rising and stained-to-muddy water the female crappie and spotted bass are stacking up on the staging brushpiles, 6-8 feet deep, and the males are between there and the shoreline looking for the right conditions.

As soon as the water warms back up, they'll be spawning.

(Updated 3-18-2020) Jason Lenderman of JL Guide Service (870-490-0804) said the lake level is 547.19 feet msl, or 0.81 feet below full pool of 548 feet, which is up almost 3 feet from last week.

Water temps have warmed up to the mid-50s and the upper portion of the lake has some color. The temps were actually higher midweek last week until we got all the cool rain.

Fishing is really starting to get good. Bass are trying to move from the winter depths to the spring spawn.

Right now, if you find the shad you will find the bass. Bandit 200 Crankbaits in crawdad colors are working on rocky points and flats really well. Booyah Hard Knockers in red or gold are also working well in these areas. Bass can also be caught on Booyah and War Eagle jigs.

Black/blue and green pumpkin colors work best depending on water clarity. Suspending Super Rogues and Super Rogue Jr's are also working very well on windy points. Chrome/Blue and Clown colors are working well. Crappie have been good lately.

They can be caught in brush 15-25 feet deep on minnows and Bobby Garland Jigs.

DeGray Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 406.11 feet msl (normal pool: 408.00 feet msl).

(Updated 3-18-2020) Capt. Darryl Morris at Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) said that despite the rising and stained-to-muddy water the female crappie and spotted bass are stacking up on the staging brushpiles, 6-8 feet deep, and the males are between there and the shoreline looking for the right conditions.

As soon as the water warms back up, they'll be spawning.

(Updated 3-18-2020) John Duncan of yoyoguideservice.com at Iron Mountain Marina said, “Well, I guess the water level is the big story here. Water is receding daily. Water color is murky at best.

“The water temperature is running in the mid-50s. The lake level is at 412.37 feet msl and dropping. White bass and some hybrids are being caught in area around Cox Creek.

“Trolling shad-colored crankbaits, Alabama rigs and spoons produce in certain areas. Use your electronics to locate schools of bait fish and predator fish. No black bass report this week.”

John adds that crappie fishing is slow. The best report is around the Shouse Ford area. The fish are near the bank around cover.

Usually around 6' deep. The bite is slow but should improve soon. Jigs are the best. Bobby Garland Tennessee Shad and Baby Bass are good colors.

EAST ARKANSAS Horseshoe Lake

(Updated 3-18-2020) Professional fishing guide Ronnie Tice (901687-6800) said the lake is muddy and high. The temperature is running 50 degrees in the main lake and four degrees in the canals.

Ronnie said he and his clients only caught one good fish lately shooting the canals.

Ronnie also said he informed clients not to go to Horseshoe for a while until lake conditions are better.

Bear Creek Lake/ Storm Creek Lake

(Updated 3-18-2020) Natalie Faughn, assistant superintendent at Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040), says activity has been hit or miss this week on both Bear Creek and Storm Creek lakes.

“Most of our anglers are fishing with minnows and are trying to attract crappie, but we are also having some souls attempt to find the bass that are hiding.”

She adds, “As of now, Mississippi River State Park and all of its facilities are open to the public. We are temporarily suspending all public interpretive programming, but our campgrounds and day-use areas remain open.”

Any changes during this ever-involving situation, she says, will be listed here, and patrons of the park can call the phone number listed above.

WEST-CENTRAL ARKANSAS Lake Catherine

For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro

(Updated 2-26-2020) Steve Donahou at Lake Catherine State Park had no report.

Lake Catherine (Below Carpenter Dam)

For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro

(Updated 3-18-2020) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch'em All Guide Service, reports that both lakes Hamilton and Catherine have been refilled to their normal summertime levels.

Heavy rain beginning Wednesday and continuing through Thursday of this week could possibly force Lake Ouachita to rise back into the flood pool.

Should this scenario occur, Entergy will schedule very heavy generation below all area dams to rid the system of excess water.

Open flood gates will most likely accompany this heavy flow. All boaters and anglers alike should use extreme caution if attempting to navigate the Carpenter Dam tailrace.

Two to three more inches of rainfall could hit certain areas and will create a treacherous situation in our area lakes. It could take several weeks for the affected areas to return to normal.

Thousands of trout are present and thriving in Lake Catherine.

When lake conditions stabilize, fishermen can begin to catch limits of trout using redworms or nightcrawlers under a bobber or fished just off the bottom.

Worm presentations are often overlooked and will consistently produce results when other baits fail. Other live baits such as wax and meal worms will also perform well used in the same manner. Live minnows tend to catch larger trout that search for bigger prey.

PowerBait and Trout Magnets in basic colors are two of the best methods of catching rainbow trout known to man and should never be forgotten by anglers who are serious about catching fish.

Fly-fishermen that cast San Juan worms or micro-jigs in black or white under strike indicators can expect a solid bite.

Egg patterns in white or yellow will also work very well in slack or current flow. Woolly Buggers have to be included in the best-of fly patterns and should be present in every fly angler's tackle.

The middle of March should be the beginning of good trout fishing on Lake Catherine.

The walleye spawn is on in the tailrace with fish spotted in the shallows at dawn and dusk.

Trolling shallow-running crankbaits against the current will draw strikes from hungry walleye guarding their beds. Carolina-rigs tipped with live minnows or nightcrawlers is a proven technique in current or slack water.

Vertical-jigging spoons in deeper water is often a forgotten method of catching walleye and will outperform many other efforts. Trout will be king for the next few months, but the crappie spawn is due to begin in the next several weeks.

Anyone navigating the Carpenter Dam tailrace must always wear a life jacket and should be aware of the generation schedules.

Lake Hamilton

(Updated 3-18-2020) Greeson Marine, hometown dealer of the Arkansas-born-and-bred X-press all-aluminum, all-welded fishing boats in Hot Springs, reports Lake Hamilton's water levels are back to normal pool with water clarity fair and visibility of up to 3-4 feet.

Lake temps are fluctuating rapidly in either direction. The median temperature seem to be around 55 degrees.

With the onset of semi-heavy rains and old nighttime temps, most fish species have reverted to the early pre-spawn locations.

Bass have pulled back and gone into the creek channels at 15-25 feet and can be caught on Damiki rigs, spoons, drop-shot rigs and Ned rigs. With the stained water, consider switching colors to blacks and dark blues.

Think outside the norm a little bit and try switching up normal plastics with tubes, crawdads, chigger craws and, of course, Finesse Jigs in black and blue with craw-type trailers. If the weather warms up this week, then jerkbaits and black or white chatterbaits and spinnerbaits should start to produce again.

Crappie have made the transition to spawn and are no longer centrally located over deep brush. Try searching for brushpiles or standing timber in 20 feet or less with minnows and pink or purple jigs.

Lake Nimrod

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 343.69 feet msl (normal pool: 342.00 feet msl).

(Updated 3-18-2020) Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-2724025) said the lake clarity is fair with a surface water temperature ranging 58-61 degrees.

Water level is high but, they report that as for overall fishing, “couldn't ask for better for now.”

Bream are good on redworms and crickets. Crappie are good. They are biting at 6 feet depth on minnows and jigs.

Specifically, black/chartreuse jigs are taking the most crappie. The males are toward the shoreline. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits.

Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, beaver liver, redworms and shad.

Lake Ouachita

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 576.76 feet msl (normal pool: 578.00 feet msl).

(Updated 3-18-2020) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-8322276 out of state) reports that black bass are good.

Jerkbaits, crawfish colored crankbaits and Carolina rigs are starting to produce good stringers. Walleye are picking up.

Shad-colored crankbaits fished on river points are a good starting point for these fish. Stripers are good.

These fish are being caught on Alabama rigs, hair jigs or jerkbaits on the west end of the lake. No reports on bream. Crappie are fair. Try a small jig or minnow near brush in 15-25 feet of water. No reports on catfish.

The water temperature is up to 54-56 degrees. Water clarity is clearing. Lake level Tuesday evening was 576.78 feet msl.

Call the Mountain Harbor fishing guides (Mike Wurm, 501-6227717, or Chris Darby, 870-8677822 for more information.

Blue Mountain Lake

As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation was 384.69 feet msl (normal pool: 384.00 feet msl).

No reports.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir

(Updated 3-18-2020) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the lake is at its normal (stained) clarity.

Water level jumped up some; it's high as of Tuesday. Bream are good on redworms and crickets. Crappie are good. Try bass minnows or hand-tied jigs for best results. Black bass are good. Anglers are using an assortment of baits to catch them: spinnerbaits, plastic worms, swimbaits, worms, chatterbaits and frogs. Catfishing is good, too. Stink bait is a good method now, along with nightcrawlers, goldfish, and setting up trotlines with minnows.