East Arkansas Fishing Reports

Find out where they are biting close to home

Arkansas Wildlife Editor

• White River (Clarendon Area) — The Army Corps of Engineers on Friday reported the Clarendon gauge at 22.69 feet, below the flood stage of 26.00 feet. No new reports on area fishing this week.

• Cook’s Lake — The AGFC’s Wil Hafner at Cook’s Lake Conservation Education Center (870-241-3373) reports that fishing has closed for the year at Cook’s Lake. Cook’s Lake will serve as a waterfowl rest area from November through February and will reopen to fishing in March if the water level permits. Hafner wants to thank everyone who took the time to bring a youth to experience Cook’s Lake this fishing season and hopes to see everyone again next spring. Cook’s Lake is a 2.5-mile long oxbow off of the White River, nestled in the heart of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge near Casscoe in Arkansas County. This fertile oxbow receives very little fishing pressure due to being used only for education purposes and youth and mobilityimpaired fishing. The scenic lake is full of slab crappie, giant bluegills, largemouth bass and catfish of all species. Cook’s Lake is open to fishing for youths under 16 or mobility impaired, and up to two helpers (who may also fish). Fish from the 140foot mobility-impaired accessible dock or launch a boat, but we ask for trolling motors only. For more information please call the center at 870-241-3373.

• Bear Creek Lake — Tyler Ball, park ranger at Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040), says anglers have had success catching crappie from depths of 12-15 feet due to cooler weather. Anglers have reported catching crappie on minnows and jigs. The minnows seem to be getting the best bite at the moment. The U.S.

Forest Service has coordinated a team to begin surveying for the new construction of the spillway.

“This is the first news we have heard! We will continue to update anglers as this project progresses.”

• Storm Creek Lake — Tyler Ball, park ranger at Mississippi River State Park (870-295-4040), says anglers have had very little success catching fish at this location. Catfish seem to be biting the most.

• Horseshoe Lake — Reports have been slow out at Horseshoe Lake.

Professional guide Ronnie Tice occasionally offers updates on his Facebook page.

• Lake Charles —A sustained drawdown is planned for Lake Charles beginning Nov. 15. Water from Lake Charles is released annually via a diversion ditch to flood greentree reservoirs at Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area for waterfowl hunting.

Since the amount of water needed at Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA is dependent on rainfall, heavy fall rain events the last few years have prevented a substantial drawdown at Lake Charles. This year, fisheries biologists are working with the Wildlife Management Division to maintain a low lake level through January 2021. Once Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA is flooded, biologists will allow excess water to pass through the WMA to the Black River without any adverse effects. The goal is to maintain Lake Charles at least 8 feet below normal pool, although the lake level could drop beyond this if more water is needed at the WMA.

Drawdowns help congregate baitfish and sportfish, which can increase growth of sportfish. Drawdowns also provide adjacent landowners an opportunity to repair fishing piers and boathouses, or complete other AGFC approved land-use projects. AGFC reminds adjacent landowners that a permit is required for activities occurring on AGFC property, including building new structures and stabilizing shorelines.

For a copy of the AGFC Land Use Policy or a permit for a new fishing pier or boathouse, or for any other questions, please call biologists Allison Asher or Brett Timmons at 877-972-5438.

Shelly Jeffrey at Lake Charles State Park (870-878-6595) said fish were biting better this past weekend, and what a beautiful weekend it was at Lake Charles, she added, with surface water temperature Sunday recorded as 61 degrees. Crappie and bass both were biting well.

Anglers were catching 6to-8-inch crappie with a few reports of 12-inch crappie. The crappie were being found at 10-12 feet depth. Minnows and jigs, particularly smaller minnows, were working best around brushpiles, stumps and the rocky points. Bass ranged from 2-3 pounds.

They were biting spinnerbaits, crankbaits and shaky

Continued on Page 9 FISHING REPORTS (cont.)

head worms in watermelon color. Brush and rocky points seemed to hold the most bass. There were channel cats at around 4 pounds that were caught on goldfish. Overall the catfish bite was fair, with blood bait, stink bait and chicken liver also working.

No reports on bream.

Remember: A sustained drawdown is planned for Lake Charles to begin Nov. 15 (see above note). The lake is murky and high now but will drop as water from Lake Charles is used to help flood the Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area for waterfowl season.

•

— The gate at the dam at Lake Poinsett will be closed on Dec. 1, allowing the lake to begin refilling with rainwater. Property owners with piers and boathouses on the lake have this period to get their last repairs done before the lake will begin filling up.

The lake, at Lake Poinsett State Park, has been undergoing a three-year renovation with a new water control structure, more than 10,000 linear feet of shoreline work, more than 100 habitat structures placed on the lakebed, and nearly 100 trees anchored for fish habitat with more anchoring in the plans as the lake begins to refill.

When the lake has enough water for stocking, channel catfish will be stocked to give anglers target fish to seek, while prey fish such as shiners and shad will be stocked. After the prey fish have established a base over the next year or so, predator fish such as largemouth bass and crappie will then be stocked.

•

— Boxhound Marina (870-670-4496) said the bad weather has chased away most if not all of the anglers. No reports were heard. The lake clarity is clear and the surface water temperature is 67 degrees.

Water level is normal.

•

— Rain last week brought the water level up about 6 inches.

Water clarity was poor after the rain and now is heavily green tinted. Before the rain the river was very low and clear, too clear.

With leaves still falling, the catching can be tough on windy days. Plenty of leaves caught on those days. On the calm cloudy days the catching has been excellent on Woolies. Big nymphs are hot, also. On the windy days you've just got to get the fly below the leaves. Y2Ks or smaller nymphs/ants can work.

On spinning equipment, Trout Magnets in hot pink, orange and black are very hot below a float. For really big fish, trout cranks are the ticket. Walleye feed on smaller trout in the river.

Actually, there are probably a lot of other predator fish that feed on the smaller trout. Rainbow and brown trout colors work well.

Big rainbow trout will begin moving with colder temps. One big brown was caught last week, but we haven't seen many. Really cold temps will move smallmouth bass up looking for warming water.

Stocking is not as heavy, making wintertime the best time to catch bigger fish.

John Berry of Berry Brothers Guide Service in Cotter (870-435-2169) said the Spring River is navigable. This is a great place to wade fish when they are running water on the White and North Fork rivers. Be sure to 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 (size 10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (size 10) and Y2Ks (size 10).

•

— The Army Corps of Engineers reported Friday, Nov. 13, that the White River stage at Batesville was at 8.76 feet, well below the flood stage of 15.0 feet. At Newport, the river is at 11.82, below the flood stage of 26.0 feet. The stage at Augusta is 23.54 feet, more than 2 feet below the flood stage of 26.0 feet.

Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) said reports were slow with the few folks fishing not having much success for the past couple of weeks.

•

— The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team said water temperatures in the mid-to-low 60s. Visibility up to 1 foot in protected backwaters, only inches on the main channel, which is flowing strong.

Water level was about normal. Black bass were biting very well on small shallow crankbaits in shad/chrome colors. Look for the first sand drop in front of pockets with abundant shad, or flats with shad. You can occasionally see surface schooling to key in on where to cast. Black bass can also be caught near the ends of main channel jetties.

•

— Cane Creek State Park reports Cane Creek Lake water temperatures are running in the mid-60s. Water clarity is starting to improve after last week’s rains visibility is around 1 foot. Crappie fishing is slow following the last front but should improve going into the weekend.

Bite is best early morning and late evening. #6 Minnow seems to be the ticket fished at a depth of 4 to 6 feet. Regular shiners are working on cloudy days and rosy reds are working better on sunny days. We have also been getting reports that electric chicken crappie jigs are starting to produce results. Bass are falling into a late fall pattern and can be found fishing suspended structure.

Catfish are being caught on Trotlines and limblines using large minnows and various attractant baits such as chicken liver.