Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Fishing Report

Dec. 15, 2022

Jim Harris

Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine

Reports are updated weekly, although some reports may be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed. Contact the reporter for current news for the lake or stream you plan to fish.

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TOP: Frank Williams landed some nice smallmouth bass while fishing with guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake recently. Del recommends that anglers check out Bull Shoals now with plenty of clothing because, while the air temperature can be chilly, the water temps are just right and the fishing is very good for most species. Water rose about 2 feet on Bull Shoals over the past week with the storm fronts that passed through the state, and other similar lakes saw similar rises in water level.

Quick links to regions:

Central Arkansas

North Arkansas

Northwest Arkansas

Northeast Arkansas

Southeast Arkansas

Southwest Arkansas

South-Central Arkansas

West-Central Arkansas

East Arkansas

Arkansas River and White River levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk

For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt

For water-quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality

Download the Fish Brain app and follow AGFC at: https://join.fishbrain.com/agfc-page

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Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir

(updated 12-16-2022) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said crappie “are still going really good” in the creeks, namely Caney and Gold, and up in the cove. Anglers have been catching a little bit of crappie around the Highway 89, which is normally a hot spot too, but faster running water through the bridge this week has slowed the bite there some. Palarm Creek has been decent for crappie anglers as well. Minnows and jigs are always dependable for crappie. A couple of anglers who had been fishing for crappie also picked up some bream on redworms and crickets. Bass are still slow. The ones catching any are using small jigs, and Bates has been selling a black jig mostly. 
Catfish are doing really well on nightcrawlers, goldfish shad, skipjack and chicken liver. Where the 89 bridge might have slowed on crappie, the increased current there with water moving out of the dam has picked up the crappie bite. You could even note anglers under the bridge during the rain earlier this week catching catfish off the bank. There is also lot of baitfish under the bridge as well and a spot for anglers to look if they need to collect some bait. The dam two days ago had three gates open moving water out of the lake. The level is not quite back to normal but it’s not the “bad low” it was a few weeks back from the drought, Bates reports. The clarity is the usual Lake Conway murky stain.

(updated 12-15-2022) Hatchet Jack’s Sports Shop in Crystal Hill off I-40 (501-758-4958) said it’s all dependent on the weather. Crappie are great one day and not biting the next. Try minnows when you go. One angler reported catching a limit and culling 17-18 nice slabs out of that, then the next time out he only caught two good-sized crappie.

(updated 12-1-2022) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) in Little Rock said anglers “are catching the heck out of crappie on Caney Creek and Gold Creek.” Regular minnows, pink minnows and the regular red and white tube jigs are working, as well as a hot lure that’s out, the ATX Wicked Shad. Try the color Dory.

Little Red River
The Army Corps of Engineers reports the outflow at Greers Ferry Dam to be 20 cfs (turbine) as of noon Thursday. Generation reached 2,814 cfs between 8-9 a.m. Greers Ferry Lake is 5.2 feet below normal conservation pool. Check with the Army Corps of Engineers website for real-time release data or by calling (501) 362-5150). Also check the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecast generation schedule.

(updated 12-15-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Southwestern Power Administration hasn’t been running much water for power needs, but there are still a lot of wading opportunities that the AGFC provides: Libby Shoals, Swinging Bridge, Cow Shoals and JFK Park access.
Anglers are mostly catching the trout on 1/16th-ounce Rooster Tails or 1/8th-ounce Little Cleo’s. They’ve also been catching them on Power Eggs in pink or chartreuse. Be mindful of the barbless or single hook restrictions on some of the wade areas.
Check out Fish ’N Stuff for its storewide sale through Dec. 21, where products in fishery to archery are 10-20 percent off.

(updated 12-15-2022) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service (501-250-0730) said, “We fish everyone a Merry Christmas! Still experiencing low water conditions on the Little Red. Water release/generation is sporadic with multiple days of zero water release. This pattern makes it challenging for boaters, but provides wading opportunities on all sections of the river. “We are currently in spawning season for our brown trout, so be careful when wading to not step on the spawning beds that are made in loose gravel on shoals. Always check generation schedule and be aware of unexpected water release. Midges, egg patterns, small pheasant tails and soft hackles are recommended for fly-fishing. For Trout Magnet fishing, we recommend pink, white and cotton candy-colored bodies on chartreuse or gold jigheads. 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.

(updated 12-15-2022) Mike Winkler of Little River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) said the Southwestern Power Administration has not been running much water of lately. It’s been usually up to five days straight or more without any generation.
“I’ve been launching the boat at Lobo Landing access of late. I have not targeted the shoals or done any wade fishing at the popular wade-friendly access points on the Little Red River.
“The best bite has been in the deep water around moss beds. With SWPA not running water, I’ve been fishing egg patterns and San Juan worms and throwing them near the moss beds – wait a second or two, if no bite then recast a few feet away. They are hitting it softly, so set on anything that looks like a bite.
“The streamer bite has been decent. Try stripping crackleback emergers or small streamer patterns.”

Greers Ferry Lake
As of Thursday morning, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 456.80 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 462.54 feet msl, top flood elevation 487.0 msl).

(updated 12-15-2022) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 456.73 feet msl. It has come up real slowly from more than 8 feet low to now 5.31 feet below normal pool of 462.04 feet for this time of year. Power needs have been low, so they have not been generating any at all.
Lake turnover has diminished overall, but we do have a slight stain in some places. Everything is healthy and fish are eating well. Crappie are being caught all over from 5-40 feet on a variety of baits. A lot of walleye are being caught in around and under other species chewing on spit up shad, but do try spoons, jighead minnows or deep-diving crankbaits on prespawn places all over lake as well. Black bass are eating Wiggle Warts, jerkbaits, football head rigs and spinnerbaits, from super shallow out to 60 feet. Hybrid and white bass are eating spoons, inline spinners, hair jigs, swimbaits, etc. in 25-60 feet all over lake and rivers; stay around the shad. No report on bream.
“If you are on the water, be safe and remember to wear your life vest, and also I want to thank everyone for following the report every week. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

(updated 12-15-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said the bass are biting Alabama rigs and jerkbaits, as well as Rock Crawler crankbaits or Wiggle Warts. Also use a ¾-ounce or ½-ounce football head jig. For good colors of football head jgs, use PB&J or green-pumpkin orange.
If anglers are using crankbaits, they are catching bass in 8-10 feet or water. On the A-rigs and jerks, those are suspended in about 20 feet or water.
For crappie, anglers are catching them up in Choctaw and Middle Fork and they’ve been either drop-shotting live minnows or catching them on gray or silver hair jigs in 1/16th ounce.

Harris Brake Lake
(updated 12-15-2022) Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) reports that a lot of crappie anglers are beating the sun up and catching loads of nice crappie. The overall crappie fishing is “pretty good,” they say, and while it slows as the sun comes up, you’ll still catch a few. Most of the catches have been on minnows or on jigs in Monkey Milk or Shiny Hiney color, with orange jigheads working nicely (use 1/16th- or 1/32th-ounce sizes). The crappie anglers are only having to fish about 2-3 feet depth for success, and this is from the shoreline or their dock. One angler pulled in a crappie fishing off the dock that was 15.5 inches in length and weighed 2.2 pounds. Most of the sizes are in the 11 to 12-inch length range.
Some anglers ventured into Crappie Cove on the other side of the lake from the resort and caught some largemouths, about 2-pounders, on Baby Brush Hogs in watermelon red and watermelon seed colors.
White bass are very active now. Anglers are using a worm in black or purple. Some of the white bass are in the 3-pound range.
Catfish reports are few and far between. Anglers are catching a couple of bream at a time.
The water level is starting to come back up after being down for a couple of weeks (Harris Brake Lake helps provide water for the neighboring greentree reservoir during waterfowl hunting season). The clarity is clear enough that you can still see a bunch of shad below the surface and even some crappie chasing the shad, they say.

Lake Overcup
(updated 12-19-2022) Lacey Williams at Lakeview Landing on Arkansas Highway 95 (501-242-1437) said, “I feel the need to let the people now how good the crappie been biting out here on Lakeview Landing. The water temps are cooling off and they seem to enjoy it. You can catch them deep or shallow, although the bigger ones most likely will be deeper. The water level has risen a lot with the recent rain, bringing the lake back up to around normal. It has not been this high in a long time. The guys are using a wide variety of baits and all seem to be working. Monkey Milk, white, green/black are popular on the dock and of course the minnows are working. A little slower on the bite but worth the wait. The pink rosy minnows are getting more bites than the regular size 6, but all seem to be doing well.
“We have had a lot of overnighters saying the fishing is better at 3 a.m. than at 6 a.m. These reports all come from the dock and shoreline fishermen and women. I have not been able to get a boat report in about a week, but will try again soon. Expect to catch around 10 with at least one-third or better being keeper-size. Good for supper!. This has been steady every day!”

(updated 12-1-2022) Johnny “Catfish” Banks at Overcup Bait Shop and R.V. Park (501-354-9007) off Arkansas Highway 9 said there was nothing new to report. “
It seems like nobody is getting out at this point.” The water level is about a foot low. Clarity is murky. No surface temperature reading was available.

Brewer Lake
(update 12-15-2022) David Hall at Dad’s Bait Shop (501-289-2210), a 24/7 self-serve bait shop at the lake, said the water level is about a foot above normal level but the lake is still accessible despite all the rain they’ve seen lately. The temperature, while not specific, “is down from normal temperature.” Crappie are biting at 6 feet over underwater brushpiles. “They like the live bait, the minnows, more than anything,” David said. David’s shop offers minnows as well as worms round-the-clock on the honor system, along with snacks and drinks in a cooler. You pay through a designated slot. “It’s old school,” he said.
He says catfish are still on the bottom, it seems. Jugs will attract them with goldfish being the key there. Stink bait will work for the cats if fishing on the bottom.
Bass are biting at daybreak and sunset, in the shallows. Use anything white or shad-like, such as spinnerbaits and “things of that nature,” he said.
You can also still pick up a bream on the shoreline fishing with redworms.
“Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and we’re the only bait shop that’s going to be open 24/7 during the holidays,” David adds.

Lake Maumelle
(updated 12-15-2022) Hatchet Jack’s Sports Shop at Crystal Hill (501-758-4958) reports all fishing is hit and miss now because of the low water (10-foot drawdown ordered by CAW).

(updated 12-8-2022) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reports that water is down 6 feet. Crappie fishing is good at 8-20 feet. Bass are chasing shad and are scattered. You find a bite anywhere from 6-8 feet. Use Chatterbait or spinnerbaits. Find the birds, find the fish.
“We have lots of pelicans out here for the past week! Loons, ducks … all kinds of migrating birds,” they report.

(updated 12-1-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said the water is getting really low. The boat ramps are getting “iffy.” They’ve been catching a lot of bass around rock piles and rock points with a football head jig. Crappie are moving into the channel right now; the bite is starting to pick up well. They have had be best success throwing a Bobby Garland Monkey Milk jig with a Joker.

Arkansas River at Morrilton
As of Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Ormond Lock and Dam was 42,491 cfs. The stage at Morrilton is up from last week 13.72 feet (flood stage is 30 feet), but that was after a drop of 2.5 feet in the past 24 hours. Flow further upriver at Dardanelle Lock and Dam the flow was 48,237 cfs.

Little Maumelle River
(updated 12-15-2022) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) says the water is a little bit on the murky side and normal. The river is not running muddy and should be fine in a day or so, he says. Fishing seems to have seemed to slow down, but that was more to do with all the rainy days up until Thursday. Crappie fishing is about the same after the weather cleared out.
Anglers lately are finding the crappie at 7-9 feet deep biting on jigs and minnows. Kentucky bass (or spotted bass) are biting well up in the creeks on crankbaits. Catfish are still biting on liver with good reports. No reports on bream.

Arkansas River (Maumelle Pool)
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Toad Suck Lock and Dam was 67,720 cfs. The elevation is 264.56 feet msl.

Arkansas River (Little Rock Area Pools)
On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Murray Lock and Dam was 80,366 cfs, though it had been 95,000 cfs earlier in the morning. The elevation is 248.83 feet msl. The stage in the Little Rock pool was at 8.56 feet (flood stage is 25 feet). Flow at the Terry Lock and Dam was 101,011 cfs.

(updated 12-15-2022) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) says there hasn’t been much of reports coming from the river because of the recent weather, but at this time of year anglers will be mostly fishing for crappie. They suggest getting behind the jetties and inside some of the jetty cuts off the main river. Fishing will be best around 10-15 feet depth. The baits that work now are chartreuse and white or chartreuse and orange bodies (tubes, fork tails or straight tails are typically favored by anglers) on 1/32nd-ounce or 1/16th-ounce jighead.
The water level is anywhere from normal to maybe a little high with all the recent rain. The clarity is stained and muddying up. The Corps of Engineers is running more water now, with flow Thursday between 70,000-80,000 cfs. If it gets back down to around 40,000 cfs Friday (which is likely, based on the flows in the pools upriver), the crappie fishing conditions should be perfect. One rule of thumb among many anglers is that 40,000 or so cfs is best for crappie, while 70,000 cfs or so suits bass anglers.

(updated 12-15-2022) Hatchet Jack’s Sports Shop in Crystal Hill off I-40 (501-758-4958) said up until this last front passing through the catfish anglers had been doing really well at both Murray and Terry dams using skipjack and shad.
White bass have been running pretty well recently. Anything that looks white that can imitate a shad is the way to go. Some of the fun stuff anglers can try are the larger Sabiki rigs, or white curly tail grubs. When searching out white bass, check the river flow, follow the birds, follow the fish.
Crappie began their fall move at the beginning of the month. In the backwater they were biting at 2-3 feet depth. Use minnows. “The other night, smaller minnows were not getting the bite but bigger were.” Try a size 5-6 crappie minnow or a size 10-12 bass minnow.

(updated 12-1-2022) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) said crappie are being caught in the backwater in about 6-8 feet depth on pink minnows, particularly around White Oak Bayou and Willow Beach. Anglers are catching catfish below both the Murray and Terry dams on skipjack. Not much is happening with bream. Anglers are catching a few white bas below the dams on Rooster Tails and white Rat-L-Traps.

Clear Lake (off Arkansas River-Little Rock Pool)
(updated 12-1-2022) Zimmerman’s Exxon (501-944-2527) said that Clear Lake has been real good on crappie lately. Try pink minnows and fish them at 4-5 feet depth for the best response.

Peckerwood Lake
The lake is closed to fishing until February while it serves as a rest area for migrating waterfowl through waterfowl season. Call 870-626-6899 for more information.

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White River
(updated 12-8-2022) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake is now more than 4 feet below its desired elevation for the season, sitting at 654.75 feet msl. Releases from Bull Shoals Dam have been relatively judicious, between 2-4 units during some portion of each day, then dropping to minimum flow during the night and early morning hours, based predominantly on power demand. Anglers have had an easier time navigating to the deeper holes, yet bank fishing hasn’t been negatively impacted to any great degree.
The best way to stay on top of the changing water levels is to use the Army Corps of Engineers website or the water levels page on the Cotter Trout Dock website. Instructions are included to help make sense of some of the numbers.
“December turns our thoughts to Christmas and gift-giving. Add White River trout fishing to your wish list with a visit to the Arkansas Ozarks. These slower winter months (December through mid-February) are just the time to “own” the river; angler traffic is down and fish count is up. Plenty of rainbows and browns are willing to leave the comfort of their favorite hidey-holes when tempted with the right bait:
“Silver and silver/blue hammered spoons or spinners (especially the Vibrax Blue Foxes), floating Rapalas with orange bellies (the brook trout, BTR F5 is good), and white or ginger-colored jigs.
“The browns are spawning, so you need to be creative in what you throw and how you throw it. Sculpins will still attract a brown trout but it might take more patience than usual. The rainbows are eating up the sculpins, too, so upsize your bait to attract the browns. The weatherman promises very mild daytime temperatures for the next week, so pick up your rod and reel, get outside, and come join us on the river. We find lots of reasons for giving thanks for the greatest Gift of all! Merry Christmas!”

(updated 12-15-2022) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the rain over the last week has kept the water dingy at best and muddy at worst. Depths have ranged from less than 5 feet to over 7 feet. Needless to say, the fishing has been tough. During the muddy conditions, moving into the mouths of the creeks and using corn works best. As the water cleared some, drift-fishing with silver inline spinners with brightly colored Power Eggs and shrimp has worked best. With the higher and dirty water conditions, artificial lures have not worked well. With no more rain predicted for the next week expect to see clearer water by this weekend.
“This will be our last report for 2022. We wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May your 2023 be better than 2022.”

(updated 12-15-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service said that during the past week, they had rainfall that combined for 2 inches in Cotter, cool temperatures and moderate winds. The lake level at Bull Shoals rose 1.6 feet to rest at 2.5 feet below power pool of 659 feet msl. This is 38.5 feet below the top of flood pool. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose 2.1 feet to rest at 2.5 feet below power pool and 17.9 feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose 2 feet to rest at 2.5 feet below power pool or 12.7 feet below the top of flood pool. The White has had wadable water and moderate flows during periods of peak power demand. Norfork Lake rose 1.4 feet to rest at 0.1 foot below power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 26.3 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork has had some wadable water.
All of the lakes in the White River system are now below power pool. With the current lake levels, expect lower flows and more wadable water. However, with the cold temperatures, also expect heavy generation during peak power demand.
The catch-and-release section below Bull Shoals Dam is closed until Jan. 31 to accommodate the brown trout spawn. The State Park will be seasonal catch-and-release for the same period. All brown trout must be immediately released. In addition, night fishing is prohibited in this area during this period.
“On the White, the hot spot has been the Bull Shoals State Park. We have had some lower flows that have been fished well. The hot flies were Y2Ks, prince nymphs, zebra midges (black with silver wire and silver bead or red with silver wire and silver bead), pheasant tails, copper Johns, pink and cerise San Juan worms, gold ribbed hare’s ears and sowbugs. Double-fly nymph rigs have been very effective. My favorite has been a cerise San Juan worm with an orange egg dropper on the higher water and a pheasant tail nymph size 14 with a ruby midge dropper size 18 on the lower water.”
Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.
John also said, “It seems that I am always writing about boating etiquette. I do this because it needs to be done and no one else is doing it. I spend quite a bit of time in a boat guiding and fishing and I am able to make observations. I know of no book on boating etiquette but I strongly feel that Miss Manners is missing the boat.
“In the past, most of my writing has been about ramp etiquette or how to act when you are loading or unloading your boat into the river. This is a time when all river users are in close proximity to each other, and a little etiquette can go a long way. Today I want to write about when we are passing other boats on stream. This is another time when boaters come in contact with others.
“When you are passing a boat that has anglers actively fishing, you should pass on the side opposite of the side on which they are fishing so you do not interfere with their angling. I always ask my clients to fish from the same side so that I can watch what both are doing. It also means that they can keep an eye on each other and as a result they do not tangle their tackle in the other angler’s as often. If they are fishing from both sides, pass that boat as far from them as possible.
“When you and another boat are making the same drift, do not begin your drift below (downstream) from the other boat. This is called low holing and is frowned upon. In essence, what you are doing is prefishing the other boat’s drift. I have seen some pretty serious arguments over this. Instead, begin your drift above or upstream of the other boat.
“When passing another boat that has anglers actively fishing, do so slowly and do not push a wake over the other boat. This is a huge problem for those anglers with the big jet motors. These motors produce a much larger wake than the conventional propeller-driven motors. This larger wake impairs the comfort and safety of other anglers. I also believe that it adds to bank erosion. Some anglers think that by roaring down the other side of the river they will not put a wake on other anglers. That does not work.
“Finally, let me mention noise. The jet boats are incredibly loud. I live four blocks from the White and I can hear them roaring down the river. Slow it down! When I am fishing I like solitude and quiet. I have also noticed that several anglers have radios in their boat. The only sound that I want to hear on the river is my fly reel screaming due to the run of a big trout. That is music to my ears.
“Keep these suggestions in mind and I think we could all have a better place to fish.”

Bull Shoals Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lake’s elevation at 656.98 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 695.00 feet msl). Flow on Thursday midday was 2,199 cfs, and tailwater elevation was 452.26 feet. The reported lake elevation at Table Rock Lake was 910.48 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 914.15 feet msl; top flood elevation is 931.0 feet msl).

(updated 12-15-2022) Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said Wednesday that the lake level had risen to 656, or about 2 feet below normal pool. The lake came up 2 feet with recent rainwater, while the surface water temperature was 54 degrees. The air temps are variable from 30s to the high 40s on the lake, so bundle up but get out because the fishing is good.
For the bank beaters there are plenty of fish on the shoreline if there’s wind and clouds. Del says he’s covering water where the wind hits square on the shore, aiming for a point chunk or ledge rock. He advises staying close to deeper water. A Spro Crawler, Wiggle Wart, Red Craw and a Stone Cold are recommended for the fishing in the clear water. If it’s stained, try a shad square bill, a spinnerbait or white Chatterbait. “You’ll have keep moving to find ‘em,” he said, “but when you do there’s usually a few close.”
There are always fish to be caught on a jig. If it’s flat water and sunny, focus on points with brush or ledges in 25-35 feet depth. The winter patterns are working offshore. Shad are still spread out. Target bigger bait balls and shad becomes the structure. If you’re fishing the creeks hollers start in 70 feet and look till 40 feet. Every day every creek will be different. Graph time pays off this time of year. Use a single 2.8 white swimbait or jerkbait or flutter spoon around those high swimming shad balls. If they are being finicky, hang a Tater Shad over the side. If you’re among schooling fish, use a Jewel Scope or a spin jigging Rap. Use the Jewel Scuba Spoon for those bottom dwellers.
He says lots of different species are showing up out there in the middle. Each day is different so fish the conditions. Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.

Norfork Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lake’s elevation at 554.10 feet msl (normal conservation pool: Sept.-April, 553.75 feet msl; April-Sept. 556.25 feet msl; top flood elevation 580.0 feet msl). Flow below the dam Thursday midday was 1,904 cfs.

(updated 12-15-2022) Steven “Scuba Steve” Street at Blackburn’s Resort said the lake level was 554.16 feet msl by midday Wednesday with 1.6 inches of rain Tuesday night and this morning, and it is still raining as of this write-up. It is up 4.5 inches in the last 24 hours with one generator running about half the time. The White River at Newport is 12.61 feet and rising. The creeks ran hard Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and the water is brown where they enter the lake. The ground is saturated and the drought is over. The main lake is still clear and you can see your lure down about 6 feet. The surface water temperature is still hovering just under 56 degrees.
Open water anglers are dragging umbrellas through schools of shad catching a few white bass and small stripers. There are some bass mixed in with them. “I am fishing brushpiles on the main lake during the day with a jigging spoon or jig picking up a few crappie and Kentucky bass and switching to a 3-inch grub in the evening just around main lake points partway back in windblown creeks. Fishing is just fair with the best bite being at sunrise and just before dark.”
For a daily fishing report and lake condition go to www.blackburnsresort.com and click on Scuba Steve’s Blog.

(updated 12-1-2022) Lou Gabric at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort said Wednesday, “I went to a different part of the lake this morning and had a great time. I found lots of white bass, four keeper-size largemouth and two monster cats (a flathead and a blue) on a large flat. This is why I really enjoy vertical-jigging on flats in the fall; you never know what you are going to catch. At one time or another and sometimes in the same trip, I have caught every species in Norfork Lake fishing this method at this time of year.
Chad Bleeker took a photo of photo holding the two cats and he said, “Hold them out a little.” I think I was holding close to 50 pounds of fish and it was all I could do to just hold them up! The fish were in roughly 40 feet of water and absolutely stacked. I was vertical-jigging a three-quarter-ounce white with chartreuse back Binks Spoon. It was a cold, breezy morning, but once I started catching fish I warmed up in a hurry.”
The water temp was around 56-57 degrees and the lake level is 552.32 feet msl. The lake is still slightly stained. “Happy fishing and see you on the lake.”
Lou posts nearly daily on his Facebook page with photos and where the fish are biting and what’s biting. Check it out.

Norfork Tailwater
(updated 12-15-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Norfork Lake rose 1.4 feet to rest at 0.1 foot below power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 26.3 feet below the top of flood pool. The Norfork has had some wadable water.
All of the lakes in the White River system are now below power pool. With the current lake levels, expect lower flows and more wadable water. However, with the cold temperatures, also expect heavy generation during peak power demand.
There has been less wadable water on the Norfork. The most productive flies have been small midge patterns like zebra midges (black or red with silver wire and silver bead). Double fly nymph rigs have been very effective. Try a small bead headed nymph (zebra midge, copper John or pheasant tail) suspended 18 inches below a brightly colored San Juan worm (hot fluorescent pink or cerise). John says his favorite rig has been a pheasant tail nymph size 14 and a ruby midge size 18. The fishing is much better in the morning and late afternoon and tapers off midday.
Dry Run Creek has fished poorly. School is back in session and the creek is not as busy. Weekends can get a quite crowded. The hot flies have been sowbugs, various colored San Juan worms (worm brown, red, hot fluorescent pink and cerise) and white mop flies. Small orange or peach eggs have been very effective. Be sure and carry a large net, as most fish are lost at the net.
Remember that the White and North Fork rivers and Dry Run Creek are infected with didymo, an invasive alga. Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. Many manufacturers are now making rubber soled wading boots that are easier to clean and are not as likely to harbor didymo.

Buffalo National River/Crooked Creek
(updated 12-15-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River are fishing poorly. They are a bit off-color. With colder temperatures, the smallmouths are much less active. The most effective fly has been a tan and brown Clouser minnow. Carefully check the water level before entering Crooked Creek or the Buffalo River. There are no dams on these streams. They both have large drainages and are prone to flooding during and following any rain event. The water can rise very quickly.

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Beaver Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 1,118.34 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 1,121.43 feet msl; top flood elevation is 1,130.0 feet msl). The release at the dam Thursday morning reached 3,891 cfs over about three hours, then dropping to 20 at midday. The Corps released a brief 3,394 flow Wednesday at 8 a.m.

(updated 12-15-2022) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-253-3474) reported Beaver Lake is on the rise. The lake has risen 2 feet in the last two weeks. It now is around 4 feet below normal pool levels. Biggest change was the influx of dirtier water moving from the river arms to around Hickory Creek. A fair amount of debris is now in the water with the rise, so keep eyes open when running boats.
Fishing is fair to good. Stripers are participating and can be caught from the water intake down to Rocky Branch. The mudline has pushed stripers back north a bit from the Point 12 area. “Trolling live bait is working and I have heard reports of trolled umbrellas working also,” he said.
Crappie are in and tight to brush and pole timber in the same areas. Minnows and jigs are working. A couple of walleye have been caught trolling cranks on flats in 25 feet of water. “I believe once the water clears a bit the stripers will head back south towards Point 12. Bass have been good with A-rigs pitched on points. I am sure if you targeted catfish they should be good in the river arms with the muddy water coming in. B
“Be safe and good luck out there!”
Visit Jon’s Facebook page for latest updates, FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR.

(updated 12-15-2022) Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said fishing has been “kind of spotty up here lately,” they report, with the various weather patterns keeping a lot of people off the lake. “Crappie fishing has been pretty good for the guys fighting it and getting out,” they say.
The lake level has come up, and crappie anglers with LiveScope have been landing quite a few crappie around brush. The fish are in winter pattern and hanging close to brush while biting in 10-14 feet depth, mostly on jigs and minnows.
Black bass fishing has been fair – “good for some but mostly fair for the majority of us.” The lake has been host to a few winter series-type fishing tournaments with good weights being recorded, they say. Crankbaits and Alabama rigs are the go-to baits for the bass angler these days, while jigs have worked OK and spinnerbaits will get response. The safe bet, though, is to stick with the cranks and A-rigs.
They’ve heard nothing on bluegill or white bass. As for stripers, you’ll have good striper fishing (assuming 3 stripers is a good day for you) up in the river arms.
Also, some catfish anglers are trying to land a few with live bait on rod-and-reel, but not real reports have come back.

Beaver Tailwater
(updated 12-15-2022) Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) said, “With this latest shot of arctic air this week, that should turn on the bite in the tailwater. Not saying that the tailwater has not been producing, because it has been. The issue has been the very low water levels and the limited places to fish from a boat. However, if you are able to get a boat in the water, keep to the deeper pockets. Most of our fish have been caught using Pautzke Fire Eggs and Fire Worms, with the fall bite. Using light terminal tackle, fish the eggs on bottom and, if able, drift the worms.
“Most of our fish have been caught near Houseman Access this week. If you’re still searching for the walleye, Beaver town is the place to be, even up to Holiday Island. Using many methods, the best has been jigging soft plastics and live minnows. Look for these fish in 10-15 feet of water.
“Like always, for additional information, please follow my Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service) for day-to-day updates. Stay warm, and catch some fish!”

Lake Fayetteville
(updated 12-15-2022) Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) had no report. Fishing has been slow of late with just a handful of regulars on the water. The facility will be closed Dec. 23-Jan. 14.

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Lake Charles
(updated 12-15-2022) Shelly Jeffrey at Lake Charles State Park (870-878-6595) said largemouth bass suddenly became active again, with a fair bite enjoyed by lake anglers. Fly-rods were catching them. Other than bass, she heard no other reports. She notes that while the holidays are approaching, the best “moon” times for fishing will fall Dec. 20-26. The lake is low, as water from Lake Charles has been used to help flood the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA next door. The water clarity is the usual murky, and the water temperature this week is 52.7 degrees.

Lake Poinsett
(updated 12-15-2022) Seth Boone, the superintendent at Lake Poinsett State Park, reported had nothing new to report from Lake Poinsett. Remember that bass and crappie are catch-and-release only as the lake’s sport fish build back up after Poinsett’s renovation work. Bream and catfish also abound.

Crown Lake
Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) is closed for the winter and will reopen in February. They are taking reservations on their answering machine for spring.

Spring River
(updated 12-1-2022) Mark Crawford with springriverfliesandguides.com (870-955-8300) said water levels have been at 300 cfs (350 cfs is average), and water clarity has been clear. The river has been low and clear for a while now. With the low and clear conditions, the trout can be very picky on the nice sunny days. Slowing the presentation down with a Hopper Dropper has worked well the last few weeks. A Y2K below the Hopper about 2-3 feet has been really hot. With White Lightning as a dropper can get you more bass plus trout. “We are getting hits on the Hopper and that is always a blast! On streamer days minnow patterns have worked best.”
“In the evenings, caddis hatches can offer dry fly action with elk hair caddis. Blue-wing olives are hatching most mornings with a little sun light. When seeing a good hatch on the river, I also watch for the baitfish feeding on the bugs. When that happens the trout can key in on the baitfish that are feeding on the bugs. There are a lot of baitfish in Spring River!”
Catching a few bass on lead-eye Woollies and small streamers. Got to work it slow or do a popper dropper with a white lightning as the dropper. This setup works really well during cold winter months when the bite slows down with the bass.
With low water conditions the wading has been easier, but always be careful, the river bottom of the Spring River is very slick and this is no time to go swimming!
Check out Mark’s blog for latest fishing conditions at springriverfliesandguides.com.

(updated 12-15-2022) John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said the water level on the Spring River is fishable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and North Fork rivers. Canoe season is over. Wear cleated boots and carry a wading staff. There is a lot of bedrock that can get very slick. The hot flies have been olive Woolly Buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks.

White River
The Army Corps of Engineers reported Thursday that the White River stage at Batesville was steady at 9.80, 5 feet below the flood stage of 15.0 feet. The Newport stage jumped more than 10 feet from this time last week to 15.22 feet (flood stage was 26.00 feet), with a 2.28-foot rise since Wednesday noon. The stage at Augusta was also up more than 10 feet from this time last week, sitting at 25.83, just below the flood stage of 26.00 feet, and 3.57 feet higher than at midday Wednesday.

(updated 12-15-2022) Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) in Batesville had no reports.

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Arkansas River (Pine Bluff Pool)
On Friday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam at Pine Bluff was 100,394 cfs. The stage at Pine Bluff is steady at 32.03 feet (flood stage is 42 feet). Further upstream, the flow at the Maynard Lock and Dam was 99,436 cfs.

(updated 12-15-2022) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new report from the river.

Lake Monticello
(updated 12-15-2022) After a two-year project of rebuilding the lake habitat by the AGFC while the city of Monticello had the dam rebuilt, the water in Lake Monticello now covers about 470 acres. The acreage of water in Lake Monticello’s lakebed has only increased about 20 acres since May as a result of minimal rainfall. The water in Lake Monticello covers about 1,520 acres when it is at full pool. When the lake was first flooded, it took about five years for Lake Monticello to reach full pool, with two drought years during this period.
Fisheries District 5 staff in Monticello worked with AGFC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hatchery staff to stock about 180,000 fathead minnows, 111,902 golden shiners, 78,840 bluegill and 82,056 redear sunfish into Lake Monticello during the month of October. The fish were placed in a hog trough on a trailer pulled by a UTV. The fish were then transported about 220 yards from the boat ramp to the water’s edge, where they were stocked. It took quite a few trips to stock all of the fish that were on the hatchery truck.
The AGFC plans on stocking threadfin shad this fall. Florida largemouth bass will be stocked during the summer of 2025. The aforementioned forage and bream species will be stocked again in the fall of 2025, along with black crappie.

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Millwood Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 260.64 feet msl (normal pool: 259.20 feet msl; top flood elevation is 287.0 feet msl). Total outflow at the dam at midday was 12,879 cfs, the high of the past several days.

(updated 12-15-2022) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Wednesday they have had limited runs on the lake this week due to weather events and high river flow conditions that have muddied up Millwood lake-wide. “We have visited with few folks at the spillway, and with high discharge rate, there were a lot of logs, trees, grass mats and wide debris fields when we were out, so we have just put it back on the trailer, being so muddy and messed up from all the recent high wind and thunderstorms this week.”
Mike urges caution for boaters launching from at Yarborough Ramp on east side of the ramp due to broken concrete. The concrete underwater on the easternmost side of the ramp, furthest from the concrete pier, has been broken for quite some time and boaters are backing their trailers off the end of the broken concrete. There is a huge slab of broken concrete someone dragged up on the bank with a tractor that Little River County has neglected to repair.
On Tuesday, the lake was 13 inches above normal pool and rising. Clarity went south over this past week along Little River and oxbows due to recent thunderstorms. Millwood Lake tailwater elevation was near 236 feet msl with gate discharge at the dam near 9,700 CFS in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers (up over 12,000 cfs on Thursday). Check the most recent lake level on the guide service’s website linked above, or the Army Corps of Engineers website, for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels. Watch for random floaters and broken timber during any navigation.
Surface temps were stable this week, ranging in 50-55 degrees depending on location and the time of day. Clarity along Little River worsened this week further up Little River with river clarity ranging 2-3 inches visibility depending on location. Clarity of oxbows was normal stain, visibility ranged 5-10 inches depending on location. Further up Little River near White Cliffs and Wilton Landing has heavier stain conditions. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, gate discharge, rain or thunderstorms.
Mike offered these fishing specifics he’s noted over the past few weeks:
* The largemouth and spotted bass have finished up their schooling and surface-breaking activities over the past couple weeks. They were excellent for many weeks prior and were actively chasing shad over the past few weeks with aggressive feeding in Little River and the oxbows. With the recent thunderstorms, increase in lake pool, and muddy current flow conditions, the river population has all but shut down on the surface breaking activity. Flats next to deep creeks and secondary points with lily pad stands, which were clear, and a good target area a week ago, now have muddied up and most of the remaining living lily pads are all but gone. A few chunky 2- to 3-pound bass were the most aggressive at midday into late afternoon over the past couple of weeks, and those fish we are finding randomly in deeper creek channels still focused on following the threadfin shad to the backs of the creeks. The best bass activity shifted to later, hitting square-bill cranks, shad imitation custom painted Bent Pole Little John Cranks, Bandit Splatterback Cranks, Millwood Magic Rat-L-Traps and chrome/blue back SpinTraps finessing through the pads. The best water clarity and bass reaction has left the river and moved to the back of the oxbows where the clarity is somewhat better.
Shad are moving deeper into creek channels in search of warmer surface water temperatures, and the largemouth and Kentucky bass are following these large groups and shad schools. Several groups and different age classes of largemouths continue to follow schools of shad into the backs of creeks almost all day. Horseshoe and McGuire oxbows along Little River had the best water clarity and the most aggressive largemouth and Kentucky (spotted) Bass over the past week. Bass activity and action in the flats at White Cliffs nearly shut down with the muddy current along Little River. In the back of McGuire oxbow last week, we were throwing a custom painted, shad-colored Little John Crank and a Bill Lewis SB-57 or MR-6 crankbait in Millwood Magic and Tennessee Shad, picking up a few random bites.
* The white bass continue to follow the Shad as well. We did find a few large schools of white bass over the past couple weeks along Little River in the current above White Cliffs, about 2 miles before getting to the mouth of McGuire Lake. Those white bass were in large number, ranging 2-3 pounds, and were biting well on Cordell Hammered Spoons, Bomber Tennessee Shad Crankbaits, Heddon Sonar Metal Blades and Rocket Shads. The spoons, Sonar Blades and Rocket Shads seemed to work better by vertical-jigging in the school, letting the blade/spoon drop into the depth zone BELOW the school, then ripping it up and letting it fall back into the school.
The river was muddy and had fair amount of current, but the schools were very obvious on your electronics and are migrating up and along Little River. Many different schools continue roaming Little River (and the oxbows of Horseshoe and McGuire) and have been caught for several weeks on Millwood Magic SpinTraps (Tailspinners) and Magnum ¾-ounce Mag Traps, vertical-jigging spoons, and custom painted Little John Crankbaits, Bomber Fat Free Guppys and Bandit 200 Crankbaits along Little River. Tail Spinner Trap Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic, chrome/black back and chrome/blue back caught some 2-3 pound whites in McGuire over the past month.
* Crappie continue to be slow and random with no consistent bites last couple weeks when the water clarity lake-wide went muddy from recent thunderstorms, along Little River and visibility worsened when they opened the gates up to heavy flow this week.
* No report on bream.
* The catfish bite has been fairly good this week with the increase of current along Little River. We visited with a couple catfish anglers up Little River over the past couple weeks who were running trotlines and having good responses from blues and channel cats using King’s Punch Bait and catalpa worms set 12-15 feet deep across the Little River. With the increase of discharge at the Millwood Dam and the tailwater elevation up over 10 feet from last week at the spillway, we visited with numerous fishermen snagging and fishing at the spillway last week having good success with various species of catfish, along with snagging a few drum, gar and buffalo fishing from the rocks along the west side of the spillway. We saw numerous folks fishing along the west side of the spillway again this week and having good results.

Lake Columbia
(update 12-1-2022) Curtis Willingham at River Rat Bait in Camden (870-251-3831) reports that anglers passing through on the way to nearby Lake Columbia say crappie are doing well here. Use minnows or jigs.

Lake Erling
NOTICE: The American Gamebird Research Education and Development Foundation, under recommendation from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, is conducting a 5-foot drawdown of Lake Erling in Lafayette County to combat the spread of giant salvinia, a highly invasive aquatic plant species not native to the United States. Giant salvinia, a free-floating South American plant that has become a major threat to fisheries in the southern U.S., was first spotted on a small portion of Lake Erling in 2018. Since that time the AGFC and AGRED, the lake’s owner, have worked together to monitor and minimize potential spread of the invasive species through information campaigns. With the recent detection of the plant at nearby Mercer Bayou and the spread of the plant within Erling, AGRED worked with the AGFC to determine a plan that would help combat the aquatic nuisance species. The drawdown will remain in effect until March 1, 2023, at which time the 7,000-acre lake will be allowed to refill.

(updated 12-15-2022) Lake Erling Guide Service (870-904-8546) reported that with lots of rain this past week, the lake came up about a foot. “But it hasn’t affected the bite on the crappie,” Buddy Barnhart said. And despite 7-10 mph wind on the lake Thursday morning, “everybody caught limits,” he reported. Anglers are using silver shiners and hand-tied jigs. The hand-tied jigs have silver or gray color, something that resembles a shad, and that seems to do better than anything else, he said.
Anglers are still catching a lot of catfish anywhere on the lake. Blues and channel cats in good sizes have been caught recently.
Nobody reports on bass.

Lake Greeson Tailwater
Visit www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com for a daily update on fishing conditions.

Lake Greeson
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at Narrows Dam was 543.21 feet msl (full pool: 548.00 feet msl).

DeGray Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 402.61 feet msl (full pool: 408.00 feet msl).

De Queen Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 439.00 feet msl (full pool: 437.00 feet msl).

Dierks Lake
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 530.43 feet msl (full pool: 526.00 feet msl).

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White Oak Lake Area
(update 12-15-2022) Curtis Willingham at River Rat Bait in Camden (870-231-3831) had no reports.

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Lake Atkins
(updated 12-15-2022) Donald Ramirez at Lucky Landing (479-641-7615) had no new reports.

Lake Catherine Tailwater (Below Carpenter Dam)
For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit www.entergy.com/hydro

(updated 12-15-2022) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service, reports that water temperature below the dam is 49 degrees with stained conditions in the tailrace. Heavy rains have muddied both lakes Hamilton and Catherine in the past several days causing Entergy to run heavy generation at all area dams to maintain the winter drawdown levels. Mid-November marked the return of the fall trout stocking program, which has created a solid fishing environment for the public on Lake Catherine. The first stocking of rainbow trout of 1,400 fish is now in the lake. Trout are widely scattered from the bridge to the dam and being caught in the shoals by fly-fishermen casting micro-jigs in black and white under a strike indicator. Trout key in on the shad kill this time of year as freezing temperatures stun threadfin shad in Lake Hamilton and these baitfish are drawn through the turbines and scattered throughout the tailrace area. Flies that imitate injured shad will draw immediate strikes from hungry rainbows. Spin-fishermen using PowerBaits and lures that represent fleeing crayfish will also catch trout that are searching for prey. The next stocking was to take place sometime during December with upward of 3,000 fish. Normally it takes several days for the trout to become familiar with the new surroundings and settle into a regular feeding pattern. The influx of healthy rainbow trout to the lake rejuvenates the tailrace to an earlier scenario of quality fishing.
The annual lake drawdown for both Hamilton and Catherine is now complete with each lake drawn down 5 feet. Refilling will begin somewhere between March 1-8 with the process completed by March 15. The bite now is very slow for rainbow trout due to the weekly cold fronts moving in and out of the area. Dramatic drops in temperature greatly affect the trout bite in a negative way. It can take days for a regular bite pattern to resume after a big drop in temperature so anglers need to be aware.
A 5-foot drawdown on Lake Catherine creates dangerous conditions for wade fisherman and boaters alike, so caution is advised when navigating the tailrace area. Entergy will schedule daily generation from Carpenter Dam each week and the public is advised to read the Entergy Hydro website news for updates on lake conditions. Remember to always wear a life jacket when on the water and follow all lake and park regulations when visiting the Carpenter Dam use area.

Lake Dardanelle
As of Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s flow at Dardanelle Lock and Dam as 48,237 cfs. Elevation was 337.66 feet msl and the tailwater was at 289.07 feet msl. (Top navigation pool is 338.2 and bottom pool is 336.0.) The stage is at 8.63 feet (flood stage is 32 feet).

Lake Nimrod
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was at 347.37 feet msl (normal pool: 342.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 373.0 feet msl).

(updated 12-15-2022) Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-272-4025) said that the crappie were doing real well. “They’re catching them just about everywhere up the river,” they report. The lake level was around 343-344 feet but the Corps of Engineers had “turned the water on” and were draining the lake a little bit. The bite was excellent, with anglers catching several limits, until the most recent rain and cold weather, but they report that the diehard anglers were still out there even this Friday morning. Crappie will bite at about 8 feet depth on minnows mostly, but anglers are also fishing with the Bobby Garland Baby Shad with speckle in it and in chartreuse color. Both their chartreuse and white Baby Shad have sold out at the shop due to their popularity. Also try Arkansas Shad and Tennessee Shad colors, anything with gray and/or green/chartreuse in it. 
Anglers also reported a lot of bream bites while fishing for crappie “and if I had crickets, they said they could have caught several bream.” Black bass are biting on Carolina rigs.

Lake Ouachita
As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at Blakely Dam was up about 2 feet from last week to 572.72 feet msl (full pool: 578.00 feet msl).

(updated 12-15-2022) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) said black bass are very good. Alabama rig or a PB&J jig should get some good results. These fish have been moderately shallow; 10-15 feet staged on brush. No report on walleye. Stripers are still very good. Bama rig or live bait on main lake points or creek channel mouths on the rivers should be the best spot to find these. Try the south fork of the river near Point 16. No reports on bream or catfish. Crappie are very good on small jigs or minnows. Try brush 20-35 feet deep. Water temperature on Thursday was ranging 48-52 degrees. Water clarity is stained. Lake level is 572.73 feet msl. Call the Mountain Harbor fishing guides (Mike Wurm, 501-622-7717, or Chris Darby, 870-867-7822) for more information.

Blue Mountain Lake
As of Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 386.85 feet msl (full pool: 387.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 419.0 feet msl).
No reports.

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White River/Clarendon Area
The Army Corps of Engineers on Thursday reported the Clarendon gauge on the rise (1.65 feet in the past 24 hours from 11 a.m. Wednesday to 11 a.m. Thursday) at 19.55 feet, about 6.4 feet below the flood stage of 26.00 feet.

Cook’s Lake
The lake is closed to fishing until spring as it serves as a rest area for migrating waterfowl. For more information, please call the center at 870-241-3373.

Horseshoe Lake
(updated 12-15-2022) Kent Williams of Oxbow Guide Service (870-278-7978) had no report.

Bear Creek Lake/Storm Creek Lake
(updated 12-15-2022) Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040) had no new reports.

Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second.