Catfish No Report

Crappie No Report

Stripers No Report

Largemouth Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

WALLEYE SEMINAR WITH ERIC OLSON (FLW WALLEYE TOURING PRO)
Tuesday December 6th - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Lunch included)
$15.00 per person (no need to prepay but pre-registration is a must)
Location to be announced later (depends on number of people wishing to attend)
E-mail (wtrail@bullshoals.net) or call 870-445-2703 to make your reservation ASAP

We have had another gorgeous week of weather with some light rain and sunshine with mild winds. The leaves are falling and the fall weather is just around the corner. Lake temperature is 63 to 64 degrees in the lower and mid-lake areas and 60 to 61 degrees in the upper lake above Lead Hill. The little rain we had didn’t affect the lake level, we are at 646.25, 8 feet below normal pool, which is the same as last week. The lake might be low but it is stable. The thermocline is gone and there is a wide area from the surface to 50 feet down where the temperature is about the same. This allows the game fish to go anywhere they wish, so look for areas where there are bait fish and you will have some success. 

Crappie are in the 15 to 20 foot range around the brush piles and along the bluff walls. Slip bobbers with crappie minnows are working the best fished on a chartreuse of white jig head. White Bass have moved to the back of the creeks in 50 to 55 feet of water with some of the shad. We have not seen any top water action as of yet but the spoon bite can be exciting when you find a school.

Largemouth bass are still roaming in the lower and mid-lake areas but they are on the banks up in the upper lake areas. Spinner baits and crankbaits are working around Tucker Hollow and in the upper part of the Theodosia arm. The rest of the lake is slow but we are finding a few largemouth on wind blown points and blow downs or brush piles, spinner baits and crankbaits are so-so, but Spider Jigs, football jigs and trick worms will get you a few strikes. 

Smallmouth bass just won’t move to the banks, they are staying out in 35 to 45 feet of water hugging the bottom. Channel swings and points are the holding areas. Carolina rigs, football jigs and Spider Jigs are the best baits at this time, except in the upper lake area where the Smallmouth are closer to the banks and anglers are catching aggressive smallies on spinner baits, crankbaits and Zara Spooks. 

Kentucky bass are traveling with the shad, pushing them into pockets and cuts. Spoons and drop shot rigs are still your #1 technique to catch Kentuckys, but another technique that is working well throughout the lake is the football jig under the shad pulled along the bottom in 40 to 45 feet of water. Keep your eyes open for the fall top water frenzy feeding, which should take off any time now.

Walleye have been somewhat active this week but they are scattered and pinpointing where they are depth-wise is almost impossible. Crawler harnesses and leech harnesses are working in 30 to 38 feet of water along pea rock banks and around main lake points on flats. Casting Shad Raps, Wiggle Warts and DD14’s along chunk rock banks in the creeks in producing small walleye in the 18 to 20" range. Long liners are pulling lead core with Hot’N Tots, Shad Raps, and Glass Shad 34 to 38 feet down over 40 to 45 feet of water and they are catching a few quality in the 4 to 8 pound range each day.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, pink and Sunrise. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Super Dupers, and Rooster Tails are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on olive Woolly Bugger, olive scud, Zebra Midges and Serendipity flies. The Brown trout are being caught on, Flat Fish, nightcrawlers and Rogues.

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.

Water temps: 63º - 70º ; 0.72 inches above normal, & Discharge = 172CFS.

Largemouth (Black) Bass up to 4 & 5 pounds are good on buzz baits, and War Eagle spinner baits in firecracker or smoke-mouse colors along Little River (tip: try replacing the factory willow leaf blades with gold Indiana Hildebrant blades for a little different thump & something they aren't seeing everyday!!). 1/4 to 3/4oz Rat-L-Traps; Bagley or Norman cranks in white; chrome/blue and various shad patterns are taking some schooling black and Kentucky Bass up to 2-4 pounds. The mid-depth runner cranks are taking a few of the larger bass just under the 2 pound schoolers. Zoom Horney Toads and Bass Assassin Shads are taking some fair keeper size 3-5 pound black bass in the dying lily pad stems and hydrilla and in pockets in backs of creeks.

Carolina Rigs have improved this week along Little River. Best soft plastics on Carolina rigs in the last couple weeks are the Bass Assassin 3" or 5" Shads, or 6" chartreuse-pumpkin lizard. Yearling bass remain excellent and size up to 2.5 lbs each, are still schooling up Little River between White Cliffs and AR Hwy 71 bridge. Baby Torpedoes, Johnson spoons, Rat-L-Traps and Dying Flutters are catching the scholars from surface to 5 feet deep the last few weeks. A great time to take kids fishing is when they can catch bass, and that time is now!!

White bass are still randomly schooling in Little River above and below Hwy 71 bridge along Little River where the creeks dump, and continue hitting 1/4 to 1/2 oz Rat-L-Traps in chrome, Rocket Shads, Little George's and Rooster Tails. These are catching the whites where you see baitfish flicking the surface of the river in huge schools. Work in these baitfish schools and all around the edges of the bait schools you see on the surface or depth finder.

Kentuckys (Spotted Bass) are good up to 2-1/2 pounds and occasionally schooling with the white bass or yearling black bass, along the river on the smaller spinner baits, live shiners, and rocket shads around creek dumps into Little River. Best areas in Little River are between White Cliffs and McGuire Lake.

Crappie are fair to good, and suspended approx 6-8 feet deep along Little River in front of Mud Lake, in Hurricane Creek, and McGuire Lake. Best on jigs, and shiners, in contact with planted brush piles and tops. The best bite is the mid-mornings. This will probably shift mid-week, for the depth and time for best bite, if the strong cold front forecasted pushes through the lake this week.

Channel Catfish No report for  this week.

}><(((º> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions Report <º)))><{

Water clarity which had improved last week, worsened this week due to extremely high winds, in Little River and is approx 3-5". Clarity on the main lake much worse as well, approx 1-5". North eastern sector of the lake around OK Landing, is heavy stain. Saline River water muddy, and no current. Discharge at the dam is 171CFS with one gate open 0.4 feet. Cossatot and Little River current is slow. Several river marker buoys are missing or out of place due to recent high wind. Use caution in low light navigations.

The upriver oxbows on Little River, still have much better water visibility, estimated at approx 3-5 feet in places. Water temperatures have decreased in the last week and range approx 63ºF early to 70ºF later in the day, depending on area of the lake and wind and sun. This will most likely dip-mid week if the strong northern cold front pushes through as forecasted.

Use EXTREME caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, and SLOW DOWN! Careful watch for floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD is a requirement!!

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, wear your Life Preserver and SUNSCREEN! If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive.