The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. When they push back in, try a Rapala Jigging Rap or Tater Shad on a Moon Eye. Find the bait, then make sure you mark a few fish before you start fishing. Guide Jeff Larch, who operates River Valley Tours and takes groups out at Nimrod, went up in recent days to Dardanelle "and did very good on the crappie," they report. The brown trout that have been spawning for the last three months are now working their way back downstream. Clarity is the usual murky. Double Deceiver patterns in yellow or olive have been working best for me, Mike said. For bass, what I gathered from the bass fishermen I spoke with, they are struggling as well with fish not responding to the warmer water. The 5-foot drawdown creates a dangerous environment when attempting to navigate the tailrace in current or zero flow. Lake Monticello is mostly dependent on rainwater for refilling all of its 1,520 acres, and in late fall it had reached a coverage of almost 500 acres. Bee Lake had a few keepers to play with recently as long as the wind would let you stay out on the main lake. Lake Catherine Tailwater (Below Carpenter Dam) The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing water to get the lake down, usually running two generators 24/7. The fish are about 8-12 feet deep. I started to target the 30-feet-deep fish and found that they wanted to chase my bait today. They suggest fishing more in the backwaters where the water will be a little warmer. Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second. (870-670-4496) is closed for the winter and will reopen this month. (updated 2-24-2023) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said the main topic of conversation this week is the walleye are s tarting to move into the creeks. Further upstream, the flow at the Maynard Lock and Dam was 52,474 cfs. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's mission is to conserve and enhance Arkansas's fish and Still plenty around. The aforementioned forage and bream species will be stocked again in the fall of 2025, along with black crappie. Mike provided the latest fishing specifics: White bass are about 5-7 feet out from the shoreline and also going after the redworms. The fish were being a little more aggressive. Trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate shad or crayfish against the current will draw strikes from spawning walleye and is an excellent method of locating areas where walleye are congregating. Not uncommon to see 40 or so a night. Parallel steeper ledge 45-degree banks and steeper transition banks. Amongst these lowlands is the Mississippi Alluvial Region which includes many swamps and wetlands. Potlatch Cook's Lake Nature Center; Ponca Nature Center; Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center; . Lots of jigging soft plastics and lead spoons. The water is high. As of midday Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lakes elevation at 556.22 feet msl (normal conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet msl; April-Sept. 556.25 feet msl; top flood elevation 580.0 feet msl). The elevation is 249.26 feet msl. JavaScript is disabled. Maybe we need some of those meth gators. Check our blog (linked above) to make sure it's not up and muddy. Crappie and bass are catch-and-release at Lake Poinsett. This rain and all this water, and the rain in the forecast, are going to make things very up and down for a few days, they say. Expect more of the same as far as generation schedule goes. Look for balls of shad and try throwing an Alabama rig. Each rod has two different flies (a lead fly and a dropper). It is not uncommon for part of the dam to wash out during a big rain, but the beavers quickly repair it. Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said, Beaver Lake is sitting close to 1,122 feet msl as of Wednesday. The huge alligator dwarfed their boat and used its immense strength and power to drag it around while the terrified occupants were completely at its mercy. Cooks Lake The river current has dropped, but the schools of white bass are migrating up and along Little River. Its kind of slow right now. Crappie are still biting but its difficult to catch them from the shoreline or dock. Some reports say folks are getting bit on green pumpkin jigs in 25 feet of water on ledges. Dont mean to side track this thread, as I know nothing about beavers. Caught in Millwood Lake Dam in 2012, the alligator weighed a whopping 1,380 pounds! When she hears the young yelping, she opens the nest and gently carries them to water in her mouth. Total hourly outflow at the dam is still high; at midday it was 18,275 cfs, and in the past two days the flo2 has been as high as 19,600 cfs. Hopefully you choose one that the trout wants. The surface water temperature was 49 degrees and the water was stained in the creeks but a little clearer on the main lake. Some walleye are upriver, some are on their way and some have not even started and all in-between, he said. We favor a dark colored bait and also watermelon red, red or blue, or shad-like baits. As of 1 p.m. there had been 31 straight hours of release in the neighborhood of 3,800 cfs. Donald Ramirez at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no new reports. The largest fish ever caught in Arkansas was an alligator gar in the Red River that weighed 241 pounds, over 100 pounds more than the next largest Arkansas catch, a 118-pound paddlefish caught by James Johnson at Beaver Lake earlier this year. Let's all be safe and enjoy this awesome fishery. Then, there is a private land quota hunt - like the bear hunt in N AR. Millwood Lake tailwater elevation was near 244 feet msl (almost 20 FEET above normal) and rising with gate discharge at the dam near 20,000 cfs in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. In spite of the higher level these days, anglers are able to launch boats. Excellent angling opportunities are on the horizon as soon as stable conditions return to Carpenter Dam, depending on consistent weather fronts. Big female largemouths are beginning to stage at creek mouths and on the first vertical drops from the spawning flats to deeper water. Redworms are getting reactions from bream right by the dock. With the clear water, about any color is good now. Very heavy generation has been the norm for several weeks with both generators running huge amounts of water through the system to keep area lakes at winter drawdown levels. Catfish like liver, dough bait, minnows and nightcrawlers now, but cats have been slow. He says there was some speculation that the creature was a caiman, which are related to alligators and are legal to own in Arkansas. Spring River Wind, wind, wind and clouds will help. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was 405.58 feet msl (full pool: 408.00 feet msl). "We expect a big change in the next three weeks," they report. Anglers are fishing mostly live baits (minnows have been the big thing) and they are finding mostly males, no females, and the males aren't really that big yet. Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Find your next adventure. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Anytime lakes like this and other similar lakes come up, they get out of the flow, they said. If I am struggling I will ask another guide how he is doing and what he is using as we pass on stream. Hybrids and smaller stripers are still in open water on shad about 50 feet down, no matter how deep the water is, and can be caught dragging live bait or umbrellas through the shad. Roads can still be seen going into the lake; some are used for boat ramps. Fishing in the creeks feeding into the river can result in some nice bass or catfish. After washing out this past spring, the beavers never repaired it. As of Thursday midday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes flow at Dardanelle Lock and Dam as 37,793 cfs. In fact, Irwin says the static alligator population in Arkansas is only between 2000-3000, a fraction of the million alligators that Florida estimates. Alligators have been hunted seasonally in Arkansas since 2008 as a measure to . Can you kill them? Though they're quick, they don't like . The biggest alligator ever found in Arkansas was half-inch shy of 14 feet long and weighed around 800 pounds. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation at Narrows Dam was 546.89 feet msl (full pool: 548.00 feet msl). Factors like diet, exercise, stress levels, and environmental conditions can all impact an alligators lifespan. They are now mainly found in the lower third of the state. (updated 2-23-2023) Lacey Williams at Lakeview Landing on Arkansas Highway 95 (501-252-1437) said that crappie anglers should look for the underwater timber about 5 feet deep and use minnows. (updated 2-23-2023) Shane Goodner, owner of Catchem All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below the dam is 50 degrees with stained conditions in the tailrace. We are now just three-quarters of a foot above the top of the power pool and 1 feet above where we were on Feb. 7 before the 3-inch-plus rain. water levels at the Spring are running at 440 cfs (350 cfs is average, while water clarity has been poor. With the rising water level, the largemouth bass bite will become really good. Streamer season is upon us. ), Trip to Mr. Ts pays off for lucky lottery winner, Jonesboro police investigating 2 reported shootings. One-Knocker Rat-L-Traps in Red Shad, Toledo Gold or Goldfire Craw picked up several chunky, fat male bass on cypress trees and knees in 7-8 feet of depth near flats adjacent to spawning locations, but the retrieve had to be slow and deliberate deflecting off wood, stumps and cypress knees. Lake Ouachita . As of Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Ormond Lock and Dam was 15,682 cfs. Look for something in the water that gives the fish a break from current. However, it wasnt plain sailing as the fearsome beast towed their boat around the lake for two whole hoursbefore they eventually managed to kill it. This week we've seen a significant shad kill on the lake. Reports have the bass being found both in deep water and shallow along rocky points. Ribbon snakes love water, but are excellent climbers too. They are distinguished by their dark olive or black bodies and white bellies, along with their broad snout, which sets them apart from crocodiles. If it worked yesterday, it should produce fish today. All rights reserved. 05-27-2016, 07:02 AM nmnita : Location: Bella Vista, Ark. He says he was headed out on the lake last week searching for fish when . Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Bass anglers picking up topwater lures, Chatterbaits, buzzbaits, worms, shad-type flukes, creature baits and swimbaits. These new ponds are then new habitats for other animals and help to increase plant growth and diversity. Try using a Texas rig on the brush, or fish with jigs. With Little River turned to chocolate milk again this week with all the inflow, current and gate discharge, we are just going to take a wait-and-see approach as normal lake pool should be achieved over the next week to 10 days provided we don't have much more rainfall. The lake sits in northern Arkansas and is shared with neighbouring Missouri, although most of the 18,200 hectare lake sits within Arkansas. As of Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was at 359.00 feet msl (normal pool: 342.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 373.0 feet msl). While there were no reports on bream yet, crappie, black bass, catfish and white bass were all reported caught in fair numbers. I stopped at Abes fly shop and asked for the fly. Ive been getting bit on a Jewel football jig or shaky head in green pumpkin on the points, ledges and swings in the creeks. wildlife and their habitats while promoting sustainable use, public understanding and support. Check out the Lakeview Landing Hwy 95 Facebook page for water temperature and other updates. He suggests anglers and boaters check before heading to the Little Red River by calling the Corps of Engineers Little Rock District water data system (501-362-5150) for Greers Ferry Dam water release information or check the Corps of Engineers website (swl-wc.usace.army.mil) for real-time water release and the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecasted generation schedule. (Top navigation pool is 338.2 and bottom pool is 336.0.) Two fish is a coincidence. On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam at Pine Bluff was 40,646 cfs, about half the flow of this time last week. Crappie are SLOW! Kirsten Bartlow with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission shares some information on alligators in Arkansas. Nimrod was 18 feet above normal pool level, but even with the latest rain it is dropping. Arkansas Alligator History. They are in 12-50 feet of water for best results, Tommy said, suggesting anglers use minnows, jigs or a small crankbait. Also use minnows. Late in 2022 the AGFC hatchery staff stocked about 180,000 fathead minnows, 111,902 golden shiners, 78,840 bluegill and 82,056 redear sunfish. I coonhunt out of a boat a lot in the winter, and although I cant speak for the rest of the state, theres no short supply of beavers along the river between Clarksville and Ozark. Brazalo Spinnerbaits in Spot Remover or River Shad with red blades were catching some decent prespawn males moving in and out of spawning flats over the weekend when the sun was up bright and high in the sky and you could see movement in 3-5 feet of depths on the spawning flats. The shad bite video gaming isnt over yet. There has been nothing to report this week. That is on about 30,000 acres. (updated 2-23-2023) Ken Winstead at Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) in Perryville says crappie are biting in spite of the various weather and water changes were seeing lately. I landed fish on a Bayou Magic Tater Shad with a half-ounce white big eye jighead, as well as a three-quarter-ounce Binks Many Shad white spoon. Always check the USACE Little Rock app for the generation schedule before heading out. Crankbaits for spin-fishing work well in high water. Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Greers Ferry Lake. Black bass can be caught with shallow-medium diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and bladed jigs along rocks and docks. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, gate discharge, rain or thunderstorms. Hybrid Bass With the water temperature coming up, one would think the fish would respond in a positive way that would allow us fishermen to catch some. As of Thursday morning, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation at 468.68 feet msl with slight falling (0.36 inch) over the past 24 hours (normal conservation pool: 462.54 feet msl, top flood elevation 487.0 msl). Lake Overcup Alligator hunter Travis Bearden was hunting on the lake with his father, brother, and friend during the final weekend of the alligator hunting season when they spotted the large animal nearby. The wetlands are home to many animals that like the humid environment, and one of those animals is alligators. As we fish, I pay particular attention to which fly caught the trout. As stated earlier, this process is ongoing and is regulated by Entergy on a weekly basis. Little Red River (updated 2-9-2023) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reported that water temperature is in the mid-40s. Dam, depending on consistent weather fronts had a few keepers to with. The state make sure it 's not up and along little River that been... 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