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Arkansas Fishing
Reports
Posted 04/15/2004
Little
Red River
Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout
fishing is good using wax worms with
marshmallows or chartreuse Power Eggs.
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White River
Report by Ripple Outfitters
Fishing has been good to excellent depending mostly on
the condition of the river.
Trout fishing in the Guion area
continues to be good. The better trout are being caught on artificial baits such as
Countdown Rapala, blue and silver Rogue, spoons, such as, Little Cleo's in the 1/4 ounce
gold, and Rooster Tail inline spinners. Anchor fishing and drift fishing both continue to
be the most effective way to catch a limit of fish. Anchor fishing with corn, Power Eggs,
and worms is working well. Drift fishing with spinners with silver or gold blades tipped
with corn, Power Eggs, Salmon eggs, corn, or worms are catching fish too.
Bass fishing from Guion to Batesville is steadily picking up on a daily
basis. The secret to catching fish, at this time, is the rise and fall of the river. The
fish want to move into the creeks and do when the river is rising or steady but are moving
back to the river when the river begins to fall. Spinner baits and finesse worms fished on
the grass and logs on the main river on the fall have been the best choice and Gitzits and
small jigs with plastic trailers and spinner baits have worked with a rise or steady pool
in the creeks.
Crappie fishing has been pretty good
in the last few days with good numbers being caught. Small minnows fished 18 to 24 inches
beneath a bobber in the brush and logjams in the creeks have been the ticket.
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Greers Ferry
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 462.5
Temperature:
Outflow: 306 cfs. Level: 1.25 feet low
Walleye good
using crank baits and small jigs in deep water
Kentucky Bass No Report
Smallmouth Bass fair using grubs in 20
feet of water
Whites Bass good in the river using
small jigs
Largemouth Bass are spawning and hitting
on floating worms and flukes
Crappie good using
minnows or chartreuse or white jigs in the timber (They are almost down with the spawn)
Channel Catfish No Report
Spotted Bass No Report
Bream No Report
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Beaver
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 1121.4
Temperature: 58
Outflow: 776 cfs. Level: 4.61 feet low
Crappie excellent using minnows and jigs
Stripers No Report
Largemouth Bass good using crank baits and rogues
White Bass good using live crawfish
Catfish No Report
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Beaver
Tailwater
Report by Ripple Outfitters
No Report
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Kings River
Temperature: 55
Report by Ripple
Outfitters
No Report
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BULL
SHOALS
updated 04/15/04
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 657.0
Temperature:
Outflow: 3068 cfs Level: 3.44 feet low
Lake
Map
Fishing Report by: Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock
"Braggin Board"
FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-FISHING-
We never did have the shad kill this winter. The water temperature never got below 45
degrees too much. It usually has to get in the lower 40's before the shad start to die.
LARGEMOUTH BASS- As usual, most of the largemouth are shallow in 10 foot
of water or less. I have seen a couple of 5-6 lb. fish listed on the tournament sheets
over the last couple of months. So, Bull Shoals has started to make it back from the LMBV
virus that took its toll on this lake.
SPOTTED KENTUCKY BASS- These are in their usual deeper pattern then the
largemouth bass, mostly on the channel swings and brush piles back in the creeks.
SMALLMOUTH BASS- I have seen three 4 lb. fish caught and released here at
the marina this week. These are on the gravel flats and pre- spawn banks.
WALLEYE- NOT MUCH BEING REPORTED YET EXCEPT WAY UP THE LAKE
WHITE BASS- NOT MUCH ACTIVITY YET, SHOULD START SOON
CRAPPIE- NOT MUCH BEING CAUGHT YET OR BEING REPORTED
CATFISH- The trot liners did well over the winter. Not much going on yet.
Report by Wilderness Trail
The top ranked walleye pro anglers will be in Bull Shoals this June for
the PWT tournament. You can fish with them to learn more about where and how to catch Bull
Shoals walleye. The PWT is a Pro-Am.
Call 218-824-2542 for information or pick up an entry form at Wilderness Trail
April 12, 2004
A little rain, a little sun and a cold front over the weekend rounds out the week of
weather for the first part of spring. The lake level stayed about the same this week but
we still need 4 to 5 more feet for a good spawn. We are at 653.00, with normal pool being
654.23, which leave us 1 ½ feet below normal. The lake temperature jumped this week into
the mid 50’s (56 to 57 degrees) and in the back of some creeks we can find 60 degree
water. The cold front will probably drop the temperatures a degree or two but the outlook
is for warm weather at the end of the week so we should rebound by next weekend. Walleye
are in full spawn and there are a few bass that are already on beds, the next few weeks
the lake will be in full spawn cycle. Crappie are biting well in the upper part of the
lake around brush piles that they are staging on before they spawn. Crappie jigs, minnows
and Bobby Garland’s swimming minnow are the baits of choice. White Bass are in the
backs of the creeks, they are not running as yet but you can catch a few early in the
morning and the last two hours before dark on small silver spoons, Rapala Countdowns and
roadrunners.
Largemouth bass are staging on secondary points out in front of
spawning grounds. As mentioned, there are a few largemouth on beds, but the full spawn is
about a week or so away. Mojo and Carolina rigs are triggering a lot of strikes using
lizards, brush hogs and centipedes. The largemouth that are coming in the shallows can be
caught on Sinko’s, Flukes and spinnerbaits.
Smallmouth bass have left their spawning staging areas and moved onto
their spawning ledges on the main lake and in the creek arms. Stump field flats are
another favorite spawning area for smallies but the fish that spawn on the flats
won’t move into them until the water temperature is around 60 degrees. Fish the
ledges with Spider Jigs, tubes, brush hogs and Zoom Fish Doctors. The smallies will hit
the baits as they fall off the ledges.
Kentucky bass also have spawning on their mind and are staging on
chunk rock secondary points in the main lake deeper cuts and coves and deep chunk rock
cuts in the creeks. They will spawn on and around big rocks in the back of the pockets.
Best baits at this time are spinnerbaits, tube baits, Spider Jigs and Sinko’s.
Walleye are in full spawn in the mid and lower lake areas. In the
upper Theodosia arm and above Lead Hill the walleye spawn is all but over and the good
bite will turn on sometime this week. Split shot rig with a nightcrawlers, Suspending
Rogues, Wiggle Warts and chartreuse grubs will trigger lots of walleye as the bite turns
on. In the mid and lower lake, fish Rogues, Shad Raps, Rat’L Traps or any other
triggering type bait early in the morning and from sunset until around 9 p.m. to catch a
few males. These walleye will be on their post spawn bite by next weekend, so let the fun
begin.
The PWT still has a few amateur spots left for their June tournament. This is an
excellent opportunity to learn about the walleye fishing on Bull Shoals Lake. Under the
Pro-Am format amateurs get to ride with them to their spots, fish with their tackle and
weigh the walleye they catch together under the boat-weight format. For more information
contact Wilderness Trail.
Trout fishing on the White River has been best on Berkley Power Eggs
in yellow and white and Big Boy salmon eggs. Countdowns, Buoyant spoons, Little Cleos and
Rooster Tails have also been working when there is some generation. The fly fishermen have
been doing well on olive Woolly Buggers, midges, pheasant tail and San Juan worms. Browns
are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Shad Raps, Flat Fish and nightcrawlers.
Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for
another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the
writing of this report. For more information call Rick or Sue Culver at Wilderness Trail
at 870-445-2703, e-mail us at wtrail@bullshoals.net
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Millwood
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 259.20
Temperature: 62 - 68 and muddy
Outflow: 2342 cfs. Level: 0.25 feet
high
Please use extreme caution in the
river.
Report by: Millwood Lake Guide Service
}><(((º> Millwood Lake Fishing Report 4/12/04 <º)))><{
Millwood Lake Guide Service reports water temps 62-68º, clarity stained.
Several nice bass were caught and released this
past week between 7-11 pounds each, and many are still on beds on Millwood. Largemouth
bass in the 4-8 pound
range continue to bite well, best on best on spring-bream (green/orange) Rat-L-Traps, Bass
Assassins, lizards in black/blue shades and brush hogs. Pockets at
the Millwood State Park yielded some nice bass still in a pre-spawn mode over the last
week in excess of 6-7 pounds each.
Gitzits in black/red flake or pumpkin/chart, Smithwick Rouges in gold shiner colors, Bass
Assassins in gizzard shad or threadfin shad colors, and dark
colored lizards / soft plastic salamanders continue to incite the best bite. Shallow
cypress trees in the 2-3 foot depths close to deep water, in
wind-protected coves and pockets off the main lake, or up river, continue to be the most
consistent pattern for the last couple weeks. Water temps have increased
another 2-3º. Main lake still rather muddy from high winds, but is beginning to
clear somewhat. Little River and her oxbows have very good water clarity at 2-6
feet visibility.
Blue Cats are biting cut shad, and chicken livers on trot lines, in 12-14
feet deep sections of the river. Outside bends of the river are holding the
best blues.
Crappie bite continues to improve. With water temperatures and clarity
drastically improving, some Crappie continue spawning and have been caught
relatively shallow close to cypress trees out from Okay Landing on live shiners, tiny
spinner baits, and jigs.
Spotted gar continue to be observed very shallow, as well. Big females
were observed extremely shallow, continuing to make excellent bowfishing
opportunities. This week we continued to observe very large gar, up to 10-12 pounds, up
very shallow (less than 2 feet in depth).
}><(((º> Lake Fishing Conditions <º)))><{
Currently for those people fishing below the spillway, as of Monday, April 12, the USCE
reports slight increase in discharge from last week, and is approx.
993 CFS at the dam with the potential for a gate increase later on Monday. There are
3 gates open this week, two gates are at 1 foot each and one gate is
at one-half foot. Open gates are # 1, 7, and 12. The lake level has risen slightly since
last report, last week, and is approximately 5 to 6 inches above
normal pool elevation, at 259.67 feet and rising. The flow at the dam, and the current in
the river, is slightly increased this week. Water clarity in the
river and oxbows is again much improved over last week. Main lake which was very muddy
last week from high winds out of the east is improving clarity at
2-4 inches. The clarity is approx. 8-10 inches in the river, depending on location. Oxbows
along Little River such as Horseshoe, McGuire and Mud Lake, do
have better water clarity some areas noted at 5 or 6 feet visibility. Water temperatures
range approx. 62/64ºF early to 69ºF later in the day, depending on
area of the lake, wind and sunlight penetrations.
Recently, from high winds and rising water, there are many river buoys missing in long
sections, where previously they had recently been replaced. Use
caution during low light conditions in the river turns, where there are several buoys
missing between Yarborough Landing and White Cliffs Landing. We thank
the USACE, for their continued efforts to make Millwood a safe place to fish and hunt,
while navigating the river. They do a tremendous job fighting nature
and the rise and fall of the river, by continually replacing buoys the high winds and
current move out. We spoke with the USACE last week, and they are
diligently working to replace the missing buoys as soon as possible.
The sections with the most missing buoys are:
1. Bee Lake to Paraloma Trail area
2. Snake Creek to Pugh Slough
3. Pugh Slough to Jacks Isle
4. Horseshoe to Mud Lake
Use caution in low light conditions, watch for floaters and debris in Little River. Don't
forget, be safe, and respect the other guy's right to use the
lake too. Release those big bass to spawn and fight again, and take home those little
16"ers to fry up! Use caution in low light conditions, and wear your
Life Preserver! If you fall in the lake, this time of year, hypothermia can set in, in as
little as 4 minutes! Your life preserver can potentially be your
only hope to survive, so PUT IT ON!
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Norfork
Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 552.0
Temperature:
Release Rate: 1703 cfs. Level: 0.02 feet
high
Lake
Map
Report by: Ripple Outfitters
No Report
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Norfork Tailwater
Report by Ripple Outfitters
No Report
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This page was updated Thursday, April 17, 2008
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