Fishing Highlight of the Week: Gurdon Lake in Clark County is currently undergoing repairs to the spillway. It will be drawn down until repairs are complete. Now’s a great time to get out and look for brush piles and other fish-holding cover to concentrate on once the water rises.

Arkansas 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

Family and Community Fishing Ponds: Trout have been stocked across the state and will be easy to catch throughout the holiday season. Worms, small crappie jigs and spinners all work well, as does Berkley Power Bait. Click http://www.agfc.com/fishing/Pages/Fi...ogramsFCF.aspx for a list of program ponds.

Central Arkansas
North Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas Northeast Arkansas
Southeast Arkansas
Southwest Arkansas West-Central Arkansas
South-Central Arkansas
East Arkansas

Central Arkansas


Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir

Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are biting well on crickets and redworms. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs fished 8 to 10 feet deep in Wilhelmina Cove in the back of Gold Creek and at Twin Bridges. Bass are fair on shad-colored spinnerbaits. Catfishing is excellent on yo-yos around Green’s Lake.

Dan at Gold Creek Landing (501-607-0590) said crappie are still biting well on jigs or minnows. Bream are biting well on redworms fished just off the bottom. Catfishing is good on yo-yos baited with minnows and nightcrawlers. No report on bass.

Little Red River

Lindsey’s Resort (501-302-3139) ) said the water is clear and at normal level with two generators running occasionally. When the water is high, use a spinner across the current. When the water is low, switch to a large nightcrawler fished on the bottom. Fishing has been good in both high and low water.


Greers Ferry

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 461.36 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool - 461 MSL).

Tommy Cauley of Fish Finder Guide Service said the lake level is falling. The surface temperature is 46-49 degrees and rising. The expected warm rain should really put the river walleye on the move and a lot of males should start showing up soon. Try hair jigs, jigs with minnows and crankbaits. The hybrids and white bass continue to be good all over the lake. Try the Claw (Alabama rig), spoons, hair jigs and in-line spinners. No report on catfish. Crappie are still good around brush piles and in the pole timber. Jigs, jigs with minnows and small spoons fished vertically are catching the most fish.

Cody S. Smith of www.fishgreersferry.com had no new report.

Harris Brake Lake

Harris Brake Lakeside Resort (501-889-2745) said the water is stained and high. Bream and crappie are slow. Bass are biting well on crawdad- and minnow-colored crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Whiskers Sporting Goods in Perryville (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting on the east and south sides before sunup and at sundown. Minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shad in white and salt/pepper and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles are working well. Catfish are good on minnows and worms in shallow water and deep boat runs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits and Rooster Tails. Bream are slow.

Lake Overcup

Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is about a foot high and murky on the upper end. The dam side is fairly clear. Crappie have been biting around the docks and brush piles against the dam, they are hitting no. 6 minnows and white Crappie Stingers and white/chartreuse and pink/white tube jigs. Bream are fair around brush piles. Bass and catfish are slow.

Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are slow but moving around. Minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shads in black/sliver/white with an orange jig head are picking up a couple of fish at sunup and sundown.


Brewer Lake

Overcup Landing (501-354-9007) said the water is a little high and clear. The crappie are hitting white Crappie Stingers and blue/white tube jigs over the brush piles and old bridges. The bream are fair on redworms. The bass and catfish are slow.

Lake Maumelle

Jolly Roger’s Marina said the water is 3 inches above the spillway and the water temperature is around 48 degrees. Largemouth bass are about 20 feet deep and are biting fairly well on jigs and grubs. Spotted bass are biting well on Rooster Tails and jig head grubs in 20 feet of water. White bass are slow; they’ve been spotted in the main channel from Jims Island west. Fish shad-colored grubs or spoons where you find gulls and loons concentrating. Crappie are biting well on small jigs and grubs and on small pink minnows in 20 to 25 feet of water on the edges of channels. Bream and catfish are slow.

Lake Valencia

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report.

Sunset Lake

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is clear and at normal level. All species are slow.


Saline River Access in Benton

Turbyfill’s Outdoor Sports (501-315-3061) said the water is clear and at normal level. Walleye are fair on live bait in deeper holes of the river. Bass are excellent on red Rebel Crawdad crankbaits and on black/blue jigs fished around deep holes. Crappie are fair on popsicle-colored 2-inch grubs. Bream and catfish are slow.

Arkansas River at Morrilton

Charley’s Hidden Harbor at Opello had no report.

Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report.

Arkansas River (Little Rock Pool)

Vince Miller from Fish ’N Stuff said the river has been under a small craft advisory. Boating on the main channel is not recommended.

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water below Terry Lock and Dam is stained and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows in the backwater. Bass are slow. Catfishing is fair on cut shad.

Clear Lake

McSwain Sports Center (501-945-2471) said the water is stained and at normal level. Bream are fair on crickets. Crappie are biting well on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Bass are fair on black/blue jigs. Catfishing is fair on nightcrawlers..

Peckerwood Lake

Herman’s Landing (870-241-3731) said the landing is closed until February.

Lake Pickthorne

Hatchet Jack’s Sport Shop (501-758-4958) had no report.

North Arkansas


White River

Sportsman’s White River Resort (870-453-2424) said the water is high and clear, with six to eight generators running. Trout fishing is very good for spin-fishermen. Fly-fishing is limited. Rooster Tails, Lil’ Cleos and floating trout worms are working well on rainbow trout. Brown trout are biting well on Original Rapalas, Rattling Rogues and white jigs.

Randy Oliver at www.randyoliverguide.com (901-832-1903) said generation has been high the last week and the fishing has been hot. Drift fishing using Power Bait in yellow and pink/white fished in the deeper channels has worked better this week than lures.

Guide Davy Wotton said unseasonably warm weather has been most welcome, and fish have been active most of the day. Generations have been a little erratic with days of very high water to lower generations and shut down, therefore you will have to pay attention for the best zones to fish, be it wade or boat fishing. Brown trout fishing continues to be exceptional with many days of double-digit numbers and fish well over 20 inches. Both rivers are well stocked with rainbows as well. The best options will be drift-fishing combinations of sow bugs, white tail black and red midges, prism worms and hares ear during low water. During high water, switch to combinations of eggs, San Juan worms, larger sizes of sow bugs, scuds and white tail midges. Streamer fishing may be good one day and gone another. The Bull Shoals Dam area opens Feb 1. If there are low water levels then, midges, sowbugs and soft hackles will be the order of the day, if we see generations then most of the above will work..

Jim Brentlinger at Linger’s Guide Service and Fishing Lodge(870-499-5185) said daily generation has cleared out the muddy water. The water is still off-colored, which is excellent for the larger brown trout. Black/gold/white Countdown Rapalas in no. 7 or 9 and blue/silver/orange Rattling Rogues will do the job. Fish the deeper banks and make a lot of casts.

Buffalo River

Just Fishing Guides said the water is at a good level but cold due to lower air temperatures. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 40's, right at the point where fishing (catching) gets tough for smallmouth. Make sure you are fishing the deep holes and shallower waters on warm sunny days. With the cold temperatures concentrate on places you know there are springs or seeps. Fish slow and deep with soft plastics or crawdad pattern flies.

Crooked Creek

Just Fishing Guides said the water is at a good level but cold due to lower air temperatures. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 40's, right at the point where fishing (catching) gets tough for smallmouth. Make sure you are fishing the deep holes and shallower waters on warm sunny days. With the cold temperatures concentrate on places you know there are springs or seeps. Fish slow and deep with soft plastics or crawdad pattern flies.

Bull Shoals Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 654.31 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool - 654 MSL).

Mike Worley’s Guide Service said water temperature is still holding at 47-50 degrees. Bass and walleye are biting in shallow water on chunk rock main lake points. Best baits are grubs or swimbaits fished on Alabama rigs or suspending stick baits. There is a deep water bite for bass suspended under schools of shad in 80 to 100 feet of water with most of the fish in the 40- to 60-foot range with grubs, drop shot rigs or jigging spoons. Crappie are still holding over brush piles and submerged timber at 15 to 30 feet deep.

Bull Shoals Tailwater

Just Fishing Guides said generation has been around the clock, varying between two to six units (5,000-20,000 cfs). Nymphing and streamers are two of the more productive presentations. Seasonal flies include scuds, sow bugs, blue wing olives, micro-caddis, midges, worm, egg and sculpin patterns. Now is the time to get out your big streamers and the 8 weight rods to pick up some big browns.


Lake Norfork

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 522.11 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool: Sept.-April - 552 MSL, April-Sept. - 554 MSL).

Blackburn Resort said the lake level is stable, but there’s been some good generation. Bass and crappie are biting well on minnows, spoons and grubs halfway back in creeks. There’s been some top-water action during the day in deep water for white bass and hybrids. The fish are mostly part way back in the deeper creeks outside brush during the day and shallower in the evening.

101 Grocery and Bait said bluegill are biting well on worms fished 20 feet deep along bluffs. Crappie are fair. Stripers are fair on live bait. Bass fishing is good.

STR Outfitters said the warm weather has continued to keep the shad shallow (50 feet or less). The stripers have never gone into their full winter pattern. There are reports of major topwater periods mid-day around the 6A area. Look for the bait and you will see stripers. They are feeding on very small shad, so keep your baits on the small side.

Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said the black bass and crappie bite has been outstanding. A white 3-inch Berkley paddle tail grub (similar to a swimming minnow), on a ¼-oz, chartreuse jig head cast toward the shore line and slowly cranked back to the boat has worked fairly well. Striper fishing has been another story. It appears they have moved out to the main lake in deep water chasing shad.

Guide Steve Olomon said the water temperature is in the upper 40s. Look for fish along the bluffs and on the end of the bluffs. Throw a suspending jerk bait, jig or grub on a ¼-oz. jig head. If you mark fish 30-50 feet deep, drop a jigging spoon. Keep an eye on your graph for balls of bait and fish will be close by. Check the coves, too. If there is some wind blowing, throw a crankbait or a spinnerbait along the banks with the wind on them.

Randy Oliver at www.randyoliverguide.com (901-832-1903) had no new report

Norfork Tailwater

Randy Oliver at www.randyoliverguide.com (901-832-1903) said low generation and low fishing pressure have the fish scattered and holding in the deep holes above the catch-and-release to the shoals below the dam.

Just Fishing Guides said generation has been usually all but 6-8 hours per day with flows from 3,500-8,000 cfs. Periods of low water late night to very early morning each day for wade fishers. Tan scuds have been hot lately. Small streamers without bead or cone heads producing a slower fall are working well also. Sow bugs, midges, worm and egg patterns should be in your arsenal as well.

Northwest Arkansas


Beaver Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,120.39 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool - 1,120 MSL).

Bailey’s Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) had no report.

JT’s Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) ) said bass have been biting well on slow-cranked, crawdad-colored Wiggle Wart crankbaits along chunk rock banks. Bass have also been biting hula grubs or jigs with a craw trailer around docks or timber along sloping chunk rock banks. Afternoons have been best. Crappie fishing has been very good from late morning until the afternoon. Fish have been suspending just below the surface in 15 feet of water above brush piles and along pole timber closer to deeper water. A black/chartreuse or pink/white 2-inch swim bait fished under a cork 4 to 8 feet deep has worked well. If the fish are a bit deeper, try a slow retrieved curly tail grub. Blue Springs, Hickory Creek, Friendship Creek and Monte-NE have all been good areas to fish. White bass continue to roam main lake flats and points. They can be picked off by slow trolling a Bandit crankbait. Point 12, Monte-NE and Prairie Creek have all been good. Catfishing has been best at Hickory Creek and the 412 bridge access. Liver or worms have worked best.

Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the water is muddy and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 8 to 12 feet of water. Bass are fair on Alabama-rigged swimbaits and on crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Beaver Tailwater

Just Fishing Guides said there has been very little low water for wade fishing. Generation has been at least 18 hours per day with flows to 8,000 cfs. Some days they are spiking twice per day. The water has been off color, but the fishing has been consistently good. A variety of flies are working, including size 12-16 Humpback Scud, BH Simple Sow, BH Flashback Pheasant Tail and size 8-12 Zebra Midge (grey, black, olive and red), Wooly Bugger, Sparrow, .56'er and Zonker. Egg and San Juan worm patterns are also working on the high water.

Lake Elmdale

Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said fishing on Lake Elmdale has been slow, largely due to strong winds. Green hula grubs, fished slowly in deep water have been productive at times. Jigging spoons fished vertically over schools of fish in the graph will work as well. A black/blue jig fished around 16 to 20 feet deep on the east side of the old roadbed are taking a few fish.


Kings River

Just Fishing Guides said the water is at a good level but cold due to lower air temperatures. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper 40's, right at the point where fishing (catching) gets tough for smallmouth. Make sure you are fishing the deep holes and shallower waters on warm sunny days. With the cold temperatures concentrate on places you know there are springs or seeps. Fish slow and deep with soft plastics or crawdad pattern flies.

Lake Fayetteville

Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said the water is murky and at normal level. The windy, cool weather has kept most anglers off the water; no report.

Lake Sequoyah

Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said the water is clear and at normal level. The surface temperature is 45 degrees. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in 2 to 5 feet of water. Bass are biting well on jigs, crankbaits and soft-plastics. Catfishing is fair on minnows.

Northeast Arkansas


Lake Charles

Lake Charles State Park had no report.

Lake Poinsett

Lake Poinsett State Park had no report.

Crown Lake

Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the water is clear and at normal level. No report on the fishing.

Lake Frierson

Lake Frierson State Park said the muddy is murky and high. Saugeye are biting fairly well on crankbaits. A possible state-record saugeye was caught on Jan. 30. The fish has been submitted and is waiting for verification.

Spring River

Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running at 390 cfs and water clarity is clear. The Spring River has been fishing excellent if you know where to find the trout. Walking a little extra distance to get away from pressured areas can really make the difference. Float trips have been producing high numbers and we often catch all three kinds of trout that are in the river – brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroats. The hottest fly this time of year is the Y2K. I prefer to use either a mayfly emerger or a caddis emerger. The warm weather has been producing excellent hatches during the day. Trout Magnets in tan, red and hot pink are hot.

Southeast Arkansas


Lake Chicot
Local angler Jessie James (870-355-7800) said the water temperature is 50 to 54 degrees. Catfish are being caught on cut bait in the deep holes all over the lake. Bream are being caught on crickets around brush piles and docks. Crappie are fair on live minnows around brush piles. Bass are fair. Reaction baits, such as Bionic Custom Baits spinnerbaits, ReactionStrike Alabama rigs and Jerkey J swim baits are working well along deeper ledges.

Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.com had no report.

Lake Chicot State Park had no report.

Cane Creek Lake

Cane Creek State Park had no report.

Lake Monticello

Fishing guide Greg Gulledge (870-723-3928) of MonticelloBigBass.com said the surface temperature is in the low 50s and is on the rise. There are still relatively low numbers of boats on the lake, and the fishing is slow for the most part. On the warmer days, there are some fish to be caught around shallow points leading into the spawning areas. These can be caught on soft plastics, jerk baits and crankbaits.

Southwest Arkansas


Millwood Lake


Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said the lake level rose dramatically above normal conservation pool and is expected to continue through the week. Surface temperatures rose slightly, ranging 50 to 55 degrees. The lake level as of Monday was 261.64 msl. Discharge rate was increased to 26,969 cfs. Water clarity is 1 to 2 inches of visibility in the river. River Run East facilities are still undergoing maintenance and upgrades, and as such, still closed until mid-July 2012. Paraloma Park is closed for the winter. All other ramps and USACE parks are open. The best bass bite over the past week, has been pitching jigs, worms, tubes, rattle baits, and soft plastics to stumps, grass, lily pads, and wood laydowns behind points and cuts of the river, in the swirling eddies and current breaks. Some bass started moving to spawning areas on warmer days. Best lures are still Gene Larew Hog Craws in black or black/blue, Yum Woolly Bugs and Zoom Brush Hogs in black/blue and blackberry. Magnum Tubes are also working around stumps, cypress trees and knees. Slow rolling a War Eagle spinnerbaits around any remaining vegetation and lily pad stems is working as well. Rat-L-Traps in Toledo Gold, White Zombie, or Red Shad continue catching some bass. The key to the Rat-L-Trap bite is slowing down the retrieve to a crawl and deflecting off stumps in flats 5 feet deep, close to 8- to 12-foot drop offs. Bomber crankbaits in Tennessee shad, citrus shad or white are catching a few largemouths back in the oxbows away from muddy current. The white bass have gone deep in the river channel, and all but disappeared with the recent influx of muddy water and increased current. Crappie are scattered and slow. Catfish are excellent on trotlines, yo-yos and tight lines near the river, baited with cut shad and chicken livers and set in 12 to 16 feet of water.


Lake Columbia

Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) had no report.

Lake Erling

Steve’s Outdoor Sports (870-234-2222) had no report.

Lake Greeson

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 546.26 MSL (Flood pool - 548 MSL).

Lakeside Grocery and Bait (870-398-5304) said the water is murky and high. Fishing is slow for all species.

For more information on crappie fishing at Lake Greeson, visit Jerry Blake’s website, www.actionfishingtrips.com/tripreports.htm.

Lake Greeson Tailwater (Little Missouri River)

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

Cossatot River

Cossatot River State Park had no report.

DeGray Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 407.58 feet MSL (Flood pool - 408 MSL).

Local angler George Graves said water temperature is in the high 40s. The water is clear to Caddo Drive, slightly stained up to point 15 and heavily stained on up to Cox Creek. Bass fishing is fair with the fish moving up a little shallower. Look for fish on main lake points and on the north side of the lake. Also any point with the warm wind blowing into it is best. Look for fish from 10 to 20 feet deep. Best lures have been deep-running crankbaits in shad patterns and paddletail flukes in white or albino. Also a Texas- or Carolina-rigged worm or jig with trailer is productive. Use green pumpkin or red shad on the worms and most any dark color for the jig and trailer. Best areas have been between Edgewood and Cox Creek. A heavy jigging spoon in chartreuse or white is still doing well on the ledges of Big Hill Creek at depths or 25 to 28 feet. Crappie fishing is starting to improve with the warm weather. The fish are still on the deep main lake attractors at 25 to 30 feet deep. Use a Tennessee shad Kalin's 2-inch grub on a 1/16-ounce chartreuse jig head very slowly just above the thickest part of the brush. The best attractors are between Arlie Moore and Point Cedar. The Shouse Ford area is hard to beat in the winter. Also try Big Hill Creek where there are some very good brush piles. Hybrid fishing is very good on the big flat just west of Goat Island. The fish are in small schools suspended about 15 feet down in 35 feet of water. Use the sonar to locate the schools and slow troll with the trolling motor multiple 3-inch twister tail grubs in white or chartreuse.
West-Central Arkansas


Lake Nimrod

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 350.43 feet MSL.

Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said crappie are biting below the dam and in open water and below Fourche River on minnows and Bobby Garland Baby Shad in white and salt/pepper and PowerBait Crappie Nibbles. Bream are slow.

Lake Bailey (Petit Jean Mountain)

Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said bream are slow on crickets and worms. Catfish are slow on worms.

Fourche La Fave River

Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) said the river is stained and high. Crappie are biting on minnows and worms in run off areas. Catfish are biting on stink bait and livers in the river. Other species are slow.

Lake Hinkle

Bill’s Bait Shop (479-637-7419) said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are slow. Crappie are biting well on minnows in deep water. Bass are fair on minnows. Catfishing is slow.

Lake Dardanelle

Regina Olson at Spadra Marina said crappie have slowed recently. Fishermen report that they are still able to catch crappie, but are having a hard time meeting their limit. Pumpkin seed and natural cricket have been the popular jig colors. Several bass fishermen are hitting the water again. Most are using pearl swimbaits and green pumpkin or black/blue chigger craws. Catfish are doing very well on shad (whole if possible) and nightcrawlers.

Charlie Morrison of Classic Catch Guide Service said Monday was the best day of bass fishing he’s had in a long while. He reports catching more than 100 bass as soon as the water temperature hit 53 degrees. They were biting on anything slow, particularly a suspending silver/black crankbait, watermelon seed Senkos, black/blue jigs and crazy leg chigger craws. Hopefully it wasn’t just a one-day thing.

Blue Mountain Lake

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 396.84feet MSL.

Lake Ouachita

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 578.15 MSL (Flood pool - 578 MSL).

Larry Hurley from Poorman’s Guide Service said bass fishing is good with a jig and pig in dark colors, fished around wood near small points in creeks. Stripers are biting well in creeks above the standing timber on spinnerbaits.

Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports said the lake temperature is in the 50s. The lake level is above full pool. The water color is stained to clear. There is some good moss growing on the northeast side of the lake about 8 to 10 feet below the surface and scattered along the banks of Blakley's, Rabbit, and Cedar Fourche. Try a jig and a crank-bait over the moss. Also an Alabama rig can catch good fish off points and ledges. Crappie are in 10 to 15 feet of water over brush or moss.

Mountain Harbor Resort said the water is 48 to 52 degrees and stained. Largemouth bass are still very good on watermelon or black/blue jigs. Alabama rigs are producing a lot of quality fish 15 to 30 feet deep with shad-colored swimbaits attached. Walleye are fair and are being caught on bottom bouncer jigs, spoons and deep-diving crankbaits trolled 25 to 35 feet deep around brush. Stripers are good and being caught with live bait and trolled hair jigs or crankbaits in 18 to 25 feet of water. Crappie are fair near and over brush in 12 to 20 feet of water on minnows and crappie grubs. Catfish are fair and being caught on cut bait and live bait on jug lines and trotlines fished 20-30 feet deep.


Lake Hamilton

Trader Bill’s Outdoor Sports said the lake temperature is in the 50s and cooling. The water color is stained to clear. The lake is 5 feet down from full pool for the winter drawdown. The Alabama rig has taken over most tournament weigh-ins. Put your boat over 60 feet of water and fish over 20 to 50 feet deep on deep points and ledge banks. A jig at the mouth of creeks is also working well. Crappie are in 8 to 12 feet of water and biting well on shad-colored jigs.

For a daily fishing report from Darryl Morris, visit Family Fishing Trips.

Lake Catherine

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

Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, said water temperature below Carpenter Dam has fallen to 45 degrees with round-the-clock generation. Moss growth is still very low. Rainbow trout fishing is excellent below the dam. Bank fishermen are using wax worms or redworms with a marshmallow floater, PowerBait in yellow or orange or whole kernel corn fished under a bobber or just off the bottom. Spin fishermen casting 1/16 ounce jigs in smoke or white, Super Dupers, Little Cleos, Rooster Tails and Mepps spinners have taken good numbers of fish where the current is slower. Boaters trolling small crankbaits below the bridge always seem to catch the largest rainbow trout. Fly fishermen are able to wade to areas that hold numbers of trout and are having success casting micro-jigs in black or white, woolly buggers, San Juan worms and egg patterns. White bass are in and out of the tailrace with few caught this week. Walleye fishing really hits its stride in mid-February. Large stripers are still being caught in the main channel below the bridge. Activity has fallen off a bit, but Alabama rigs continue to hook good stripers as large as 25 pounds.

Lake Atkins

Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no report.

South-Central Arkansas


White Oak Lake

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will commence a renovation project on Lower White Oak Lake in January 2012. The lake is currently being drained.

Moro Bay

Moro Bay State Park at the junction of the Ouachita River, Raymond Lake and Moro Bay had no report.

Ouachita River Oxbows

Jaret Rushing said the Ouachita River Oxbows are running a little high and muddy. No report on the fishing.

Tri-County Lake

Jaret Rushing had no report.

East Arkansas


Bear Creek Lake

Mississippi River State Park said the water is a normal level and clear. Bream are picking up on live worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows fished around docks and trees. Bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits around trees and on points. Catfishing is slow on cut bait.


Storm Creek Lake

Mississippi River State Park said the water is at normal level and murky. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in 8 to 12 feet of water. Bream are slow. Bass are slow to fair on crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.

White River

Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said the water is high and muddy. No report on the fishing.

Maddox Bay

Maddox Bay Landing (870-462-8317) said the water is high and clear. Bream are biting well. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs in 2 to 3 feet of water. Bass are biting well on crankbaits. Catfishing is slow.

Horseshoe Lake

Local angler Clyde Gregory said the water is clear and at normal level. Bream are biting well on wax worms. Crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs fished around deep piers. Bass are biting well on white spinnerbaits fished around lily pads. Catfishing is good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.