Central Arkansas fishing report

By ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH COMMISSION

Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir

NOTE: Employees and contractors with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission conducted herbicide applications to Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir through September. The herbicides will cause no harm to wildlife, people or aquatic life, but will kill gardens, flowerbeds and lawns if used on neighboring lands. By federal law, these herbicides have up to a 120-day irrigation restriction after application. The AGFC asks adjacent landowners to NOT irrigate for lawn or garden use with water from the lake until Feb. 1, 2021. The use of herbicides is necessary to control the current problems with alligatorweed and other invasive vegetation species that have infested the lake, restricting access to boathouses, ramps and fishing locations and hindering native wildlife and fish populations. For more information, please contact the AGFC Fisheries Office in Mayflower at (877) 470-3309.

(updated 11-4-2020) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said clarity is back to the normal Lake Conway stain and the water level is also normal. The bream bite continues at a good rate. Bream are being caught off the shoreline and in the creek channels. Redworms and crickets are both working. Crappie are good, particularly in the early mornings and the late afternoons and in the shallow water. Black bass continue to bite well, with anglers’ best success this week coming on plastic worms. Target areas around the cypress trees for best results. Catfish are fair, with most action on limblines baited with cut shad.

Lake Beaverfork
(updated 11-4-2020) Angler Dennis Charles had no report.

Little Red River
(updated 11-4-2020) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood says the river is at normal level and is a little stained. The trout bite has been “pretty good” on Rooster Tails and maribou jigs around the banks.

(updated 10-28-2020) Greg Seaton of littleredflyfishingtrips.com (501-690-9166) said the river is clear today (Oct. 28) “but we’ll have to wait and see how much rain we get today (Wednesday) and tomorrow. Generation has been on a twice-a-day schedule of one unit early in the morning and again late afternoon. Again, it’s best to check the schedule daily.”
Greg says there was a midge hatch Monday in the low water and the fish were rising. The midges were small (probably size 28-30) and hard to match. “This makes fishing tough but we were able to fish the deeper water with small midge pupa with some success. Also, small emergers worked fished just under the surface.”
The extreme low water caused by a couple of days of no generation makes the fishing difficult. The fish are very selective and spooky, so the presentation and fly selection become very important. Fishing falling, moving water after generation usually produces a better bite.

(updated 10-21-2020) Lowell Myers of Sore Lip’em All Guide Service (501-230-0730) said the generation pattern for the Little Red River is unpredictable. “We are experiencing days without generation and days with significant generation. It’s highly recommended to check forecasted and real-time generation before planning a trip to the Red.”
For fly-fishing, Lowell recommends midges, hare’s ears and sowbugs. Hot pink and cotton candy bodies on chartreuse jigheads are recommended for Trout Magnet spin-fishing. Be safe while enjoying the river. Always 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.

Greers Ferry Lake
As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 458.84 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 462.04 feet msl).

(updated 11-4-2020) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level at Greers Ferry is staying about the same at present, 458.88 feet msl. It is 3.16 feet below normal pool for this time of year of 462.04 feet feet msl. Fish are experiencing a turnover in different parts of the lake now and until it is over and gets settled back down, usually two weeks, catching is going to be down. But after that, the fishing should resume being better than so for this fall. If you run into water with an awful smell and tannic color, you are in the middle of it and you need to move up or down the lake to try and get away from it.
Black bass are eating topwater baits on out to 40 feet dragging something and all in between. Some are staying in place but a lot are roaming around staying with the moving schools of shad. Spoons, inline spinners, swimbaits, hair jigs, A-rigs and drop-shots are working. Crappie can still be caught with crankbaits, jigs, minnows, Road Runners and beetle spins at various depths. The walleye bite is off with turnover, for sure. A lot are roaming underneath schools of shad as well. Try spoons or drop-shot baits. Some bream are still up shallow but most are moving deeper; try crawlers from real shallow out to 25 feet. No report on catfishHybrid bass and white bass are still trying to eat off and on but hate murky or off-colored water. But the bite will be great when all of this is over for the rest of winter; for now, try spoons, inline spinners, swimbaits or live bait.

(updated 11-4-2020) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood reports that the lake is low and with clear clarity. Bass are good on Rock Crawler Crankbait and Wiggle Wart Crankbait in 6-8 feet of water, as well as biting on drop-shots and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair for anglers throwing blue/white and shad-colored crappie jigs. Walleye are good on the main lake and secondary points by drop-shotting and using nightcrawlers.

Harris Brake Lake
(updated 11-4-2020) Harris Brake Lake Resort (501-889-2745) says the lake is clearbut the water level is low. Bream reports have been poor of late. Crappie are good. Crappie are being caught on trotlines in the early morning. Minnows and jigs are working for anglers. Black bass reports have been poor for two weeks. Catfishing is good. Use worms, chicken liver or goldfish.

Lake Overcup

NOTE: Employees and contractors with the AGFC conducted herbicide applications to Overcup through September. The herbicides cause no harm to wildlife, people or aquatic life, but will kill gardens, flowerbeds and lawns if used on neighboring lands. By federal law, these herbicides have up to a 120-day irrigation restriction after application. The AGFC asks adjacent landowners to NOT irrigate for lawn or garden use with lake water until Feb. 1, 2021. The use of herbicides is necessary to control the current problems with alligatorweed and other invasive vegetation species that have infested the lake and, if left uncontrolled, could restrict access to boathouses, ramps and fishing locations and hinder native wildlife and fish populations.

(updated 11-4-2020) Randy DeHart at Lakeview Landing (501-354-5309) said the lake’s clarity turned a little murky in the past few days. Water level is normal. Stripers are good on spinnerbaits, he said. Bream are good on redworms or crickets. Crappie reports the past week have been excellent. Try a minnow or a jig in white/chartreuse. No reports on black bassCatfishing is good using shad or basic catfish bait.

Brewer Lake
No report.

Lake Maumelle
(updated 11-4-2020) Westrock Landing (501-658-5598) on Highway 10 near Roland said water temperature remains in the mid-60s. The largemouth bass bite is good. Some can be found in shallow water or just outside the grass line biting a variety of lures. Try using Rat-L-Traps or that style of bait, along with swimbaits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Kentucky bass are good as well. Some reports have surfaced of them being found in 15-20 feet off drops and rocky banks Use jigs. White bass are slow. There have been reports of anglers catching them while trolling. Try using minnows, Rooster Tails, jerbaits or rattle-style baits. Crappie are good. Reports have come in of them moving out of deeper water and being found in 16-18 feet in shallow brush. Some can still be found scattered. Try using jigs and minnows. Bream are fair. They can be found on windy points by drop-offs in 12-16 feet of water. Use crickets, worms or beetle spins. Catfishing is good. Try using chicken liver, nightcrawlers or baitfish.

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