The big question of the week is, "How cold is it?" Running a close second is, "When will the trout be here?"
Rainbow trout will stocked late next week for winter fishing at Lake Atalanta in Rogers, Lake Springdale, Murphy Park Lake in Springdale and Lake Bentonville.
Melissa Jones, cold-water program coordinator for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission said she didn't know which day the lakes will be stocked, but they should be ready for trout fishermen by Nov 22.
Lake Atalanta will get an initial stocking of about 2,500 trout. Murphy Park and Lake Springdale will receive 750 and Lake Bentonville will get 500 trout. Each lake will be restocked monthly through February.
The average size fish is 11 inches, but tackle-testing lunkers will be stocked periodically, Jones said. The daily limit is five trout of any size. State fishing license regulations apply.
A new twist this year is that some trout will have a tag that lets the angler enter a prize drawing. The drawing is in February and Jones said it isn't known yet what the prizes will be.
Urban lakes across Arkansas are stocked each November for winter trout fishing.
"The goal is to get people out and enjoying the great fishing resources we have," Jones said. "In Northwest Arkansas, it's an extremely popular program."
There's another fine trout fishing opportunity across the state line at Roaring River State Park northeast of Seligman, Mo. Catch and release fly fishing season opens on Friday. Anglers may catch and release trout from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Monday through mid February.
The Missouri Department of Conservation stocks the Roaring River trout stream with rainbow trout for catch-and-release anglers. More trout are added periodically through the catch and release season. The department stocks a fair amount of lunkers to 5 pounds or better during catch and release time.
It's fly fishing only, but marabou jigs qualify as flies at Roaring River. Fly rods or spin-cast rods may be used, as long as a conventional fishing fly or marabou jig is on the end of the line. Anglers need a Missouri fishing license and annual trout permit. Daily tags aren't sold during catch and release season.
Winter is a great time to fish at the trout park. Conditions aren't crowded, as they can be during summer. Anglers regularly have an entire pool of the stream to themselves.
All kinds of flies work, including San Juan worms, midges, scuds, woolly buggers and dry flies. Small flies usually work best.
A hard-fighting rainbow trout on the line goes a long way in warming cold fingers on a chilly autumn day.
Outdoors on 11/13/2014