State Fishing Report

Frank Saksa, a fishing guide on the White River, admires a brown trout he caught in this file photo.
Frank Saksa, a fishing guide on the White River, admires a brown trout he caught in this file photo.

CENTRAL;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

BREWER;Good;Poor;Fair;Good

BISHOP PARK PONDS;Good;Good;Good;Good

CLEAR;Good;Fair;—;Excellent

CONWAY;Good;Good;Good;Good

GREERS FERRY;Good;Poor;—;Good

HARRIS BRAKE;Fair;Poor;Fair;Good

MAUMELLE;Good;Poor;—;Good

NORRELL;Good;Fair;Fair;Good

OVERCUP;Fair;Poor;Fair;Poor

LAKE PECKERWOOD;Excellent;Poor;Good;Excellent

PICKTHORNE;—;—;—;—

SALINE RIVER (BENTON);Good;Fair;Good;—

SUNSET;Good;Fair;Good;Excellent

VALENCIA;—;—;Fair;—

WILLASTEIN;Good;—;Fair;—

WINONA;Fair;—;Good;Fair

ARKANSAS RIVER (CADRON);—;—;—;—

ARKANSAS RIVER (LITTLE ROCK)Excellent;Fair;Fair;Excellent

ARKANSAS RIVER (MAUMELLE POOL);—;—;Good;Fair

ARKANSAS RIVER (MORRILTON);—;—;—;—

LITTLE MAUMELLE RIVER;Good;Poor;Fair;Good

LITTLE RED RIVER (GREERS FERRY TAILWATER) The river is high and fast. These conditions are not good for fishing and potentially hazardous for boating. Use long leaders and weight for fly fishing and Trout Magnet fishing. Streamers are effective near the shore, as are San Juan worms, micro jigs, and March brown patterns. Pheasant tails, sowbugs and streamers are effective in normal water conditions. Hot pink, cotton candy and white bodies on chartreuse jigheads are recommended for Trout Magnet spin fishing.

NORTH;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

BULL SHOALS;—;—;—;—

NORFORK;Good;—;—;Good

WHITE RIVER

Big brown trout are biting sculpins and small flies just beneath the surface. Water is high in the morning, drops to minimum flow level for a few hours, and rises up to four or five hydropower units during the evening and overnight. Fishing is best on falling water at midday, and later on shrimp and a peach colored egg.

NORFORK TAILWATER The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like ruby, root beer and zebra midges. Black or red with silver wire and silver bead are best. Soft hackles like the green butt are working well, too. Egg patterns also have been productive. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small Y2K suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm. Best colors are hot fluorescent pink or cerise. The fishing is better in the morning.

SOUTH-CENTRAL;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

FELSENTHAL;—;—;—;—

WHITE OAK;—;—;—;—

NORTHWEST;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

BEAVER;Good;Poor;Poor;Good

BEAVER TAILWATER Fishing from a boat is ideal in flowing water. Trout will hit 1/4-ounce jigs in various colors, PowerBaits fished under light terminal tackle and stickbaits.

FAYETTEVILLE;Good;Poor;Poor;Good

FORT SMITH;Poor;—;—;Poor

SEQUOYAH;Poor;Poor;Poor;Fair

NORTHEAST;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

CHARLES;Fair;—;—;—

CROWN;Good;Fair;—;Good

SPRING RIVER Trout are biting white and olive nymphs and wooly buggers.

SOUTHWEST BASS BREAM CATFISH CRAPPIE

COLUMBIA;—;—;—;—

MILLWOOD;Excellent;—;Good;Good

GREESON;Good;Good;Fair;Excellent

WEST-CENTRAL BASS BREAM CATFISH CRAPPIE

ATKINS;Good;Poor;Poor;Good

BAILEY;—;—;—;—

CATHERINE;Fair;Good;Fair;Good

DARDANELLE;Good;—;—;—

DEGRAY;Excellent;—;—;Good

HAMILTON;Good;—;—;Good

NIMROD;Excellent;Fair;Good;Excellent

OUACHITA;Excellent;Fair;—;Good

LAKE HAMILTON TAILWATER Rainbow trout will bite PowerBait, waxworms and mealworms, nightcrawlers and corn presented under a bobber or fished just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater. Shoreline anglers can catch fish this way in slack water. In fast water, spin fishermen can catch trout with white or brown Rooster Tails or black/silver Rapalas. Trolling shallow running crankbaits against the current will also produce results in the early morning or late evening. Crappie can be caught close to the bank near the dam with live minnows under a bobber or tightlined from a boat, or with small jigs in gray or white.

SOUTHEAST;BASS;BREAM;CATFISH;CRAPPIE

ARKANSAS RIVER (PINE BLUFF POOL);—;—;—;—

ARKANSAS RIVER (POOL 2);—;—;—;—

BEAR CREEK;—;—;—;—

CANE CREEK;Good;—;Good;Fair

CHICOT;Excellent;Excellent;Excellent;Excellent

MONTICELLO;Good;—;—;—

STORM CREEK;—;—;—;—

NOTE For more detailed information on baits and lures, go to: agfc.state.ar.us/fishing/fishingreport.htm

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