Arkansas Fishing Reports

Posted 12/21/2000

[ Beaver | Beaver Tailwaters | Bull Shoals (East) | Greers Ferry | Little Red River | Millwood | Norfork |


Due to the Weather Conditions the fishing reports will be coming in slow.

Little Red River

Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout The brown trout are spawning. Fly fishing is good on sow bugs and brown parachute Adams flies. Bait  fishermen are using waxworms with marshmallows and nightcrawlers.

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Greers Ferry

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 461.0 Temperature:  Outflow: 1278 cfs. Level: 6.10 feet low

Walleye use Roostertails.

Smallmouth Bass are hitting on worms and minnows

Hybrid Bass are hitting on Rogues and similar lures.

Largemouth Bass  fair on topwater lures

Crappie are fair on small minnows in 20 feet of water

Channel Catfish No Report

Spotted Bass No Report

Bream No Report

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Beaver

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 1121.4 Temperature:  Outflow: 1370 cfs. Level: 9.00 feet low

Striped Bass fair up in the river arms on live shad, big jigs and spoons 

Largemouth Bass are fair on soft plastic lures

Crappie are hitting on minnows and jigs in the brush

Catfish are hitting on live bait and on trotlines

White Bass are moving on the upper end and hitting on live shad and topwater lures

Bream fair on crickets and worms

 

Beaver Tailwaters

Trout good on micro jigs, Colorado spoons, Super Dupers and small rapalas. Fly fishermen are using soft hackles, and san Juan worms.

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BULL SHOALS (EAST)

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 654.00  Temperature: 42 Outflow: 7488 cfs Level: 8.00 feet low

Lake Map

Report by Wilderness Trail

December 18, 2000
This will be the last fishing report for this year.  We will start up again the first week of February and bring everyone up to date on lake level, lake temperature and fish movement.  Wilderness Trail would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all our customers and friends that we have been able to serve this year.  We wish you all a Happy Holiday.

For the first time in seven years, we are in a deep freeze.  Temperatures have been in the 20's and 30's with wind chills in the minus zones.  We have 4 to 5 inches of snow mixed with ice which has shut down all the ramps to the lake and even the roads to the marinas.  It looks like it is going to be a hard winter.  Lake level is at 646.80, seven and a half feet below normal pool and the lake temperature dropped drastically from 52 to 42 degrees.  The game fish are now in their winter homes, standing trees in 50 to 60 feet of water, deep cliff walls, channel swings and creek channel drop offs.

Largemouth bass will be in deep water around standing trees or over the drop offs in the deeper creeks.  If you can get out on the lake to get to them, your best baits will be spoons and 3/4 to 1 oz. jigs.

Smallmouth bass don't hide as deep and can be found in 35 to 50 feet of water along the cliff walls and chunk rock channel swings.  Tube baits and grubs work the best during the winter months.

Kentuckys school up on the main lake points in 40 to 60 feet of water.   Spooning will trigger the majority of the fish until spring.

Walleye also move out of the creeks to the main lake during the winter.  Their wintering grounds are in deeper water than the bass, 60 to 80 feet.   They suspend in the top of the sunken forest in the main lake.  Best baits are shiners on ball jigs or nightcrawlers.

Trout on the White River were on a good bite this week for those anglers that made it out.  Inline spinners and Little Cleo's worked the best.   Rainbows were more active than the Browns.  Fly fishermen had some success with egg patterns in fluorescent yellow and pink colors.

Here is a maintenance tip while you are waiting for the thaw to come; clean up your rods and reels.  Take an oil rag and clean the blank and eyes on your rod.  A Q-tip will work great on the eyes.  Most reels have heavy grease in them which needs to be replaced in the winter with a light grease.  With the cold temperatures your casting will become smoother if you change.

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 [email protected] or check out our web site at www.wildernesstrail.com

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Millwood

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 259.2 Temperature:  Outflow: 8273 cfs. Level: 0.20 feet high

Largemouth Bass fair on crankbaits and plastic worms

Crappie good on minnows on the lower part of the lake

Catfish fair on minnows and worms especially on the trotlines

Bream fair on crickets and worms

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Norfork

Lake Elevation at Normal Pool: 552.0 Temperature: 52 Release Rate: 1754 cfs. Level: 7.50 feet low

Lake Map

Report By Professional Guide  Garry Sperry

Lake Level: 546 feet
Water Temperature: Main lake 52 degrees
General Conditions: Day temps in the 40's, night temps in low 30's, high 20's.
Changes Since Previous Report: Some changes in striper location, few other changes.

Bass are scattered everywhere. Use crank baits in shad or crawfish colors on 45 degree rocky banks. There is now some scattered topwater action in backs of creeks on spinner baits around brush. Use white, or white & chartreuse with #4 willow leaf blades.

White bass are on creek flats 20-25 ft. deep. Scattered topwater all day. Best lures 1/4 oz.  rooster tails or 1/8 oz. roadrunners. Best colors, white, silver or white  with pink head on roadrunner, Also try 1/2 oz. jigging spoons, silver, or silver and chartreuse are the best colors. Swedish Pimple or Rapala  jigging minnow also very good.

Stripers are mid-lake and in creek arms. There's some topwater in mornings and late evenings. During the day stripers are 20-24 ft. deep. Best topwater lures are Rogues or Redfins. Blue and silver, or silver are the best colors. Use live shad or large shiners during the day. Fish 20 ft. deep. Trolling umbrella lures works well, blue and white, or use white Roadrunners. Best spots are Robinson Island, Float Creek, Bennetts Bayou, and around Blue Lady Dock.

Crappie are on deep brush piles about 3 to 7 ft. deep. Tube jigs work best. On sunny days   use pink &   white, or yellow & white. On cloudy days use blue & white, or red & chartreuse.  Minnows work well with slip bobber. VERY IMPORTANT--The lake is very clear right now so stay off the brush piles with your boat or you'll spook the crappie!

Walleye are on long flats along drop-offs. Slow troll Hot-n-Tots or Sparkle Tails 8 to 10 feet deep. Worm Harness OK but not the best. Best colors, Chartreuse, pink or yellow. Troll slow!

Catfish are being caught on trot lines 6 to 30 ft. deep. Cut shad and small sunfish work best.

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This page was last updated Friday, January 05, 2001

 

 

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