Hot spots include the White River at Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area in Bald Knob and directly below dams of the Arkansas River. What’s biting during the dog days of summer? Drum. The Spring River is another hot spot for trout but note in summer it’s also crowded with people canoeing and rafting. Other prime tailwaters can be found below Beaver Dam, Norfork Dam and Bull Shoals Dam. Hatchery-raised rainbows provide the bulk of the Little Red River’s fish population, but there are wild fish too. The world record for a brown trout (40 pounds, 4 ounces) was set in May 1992 on the Little Red River by Howard “Rip” Collins and stood until it was surpassed in 2009. This world-class trout stream has 29 miles of suitable trout habitat, created after the completion of the Greers Ferry Dam in the early 1960s. In the summer, it’s always enjoyable to beat the heat in a cold tailwater such as the Little Red River.
“Baits carry scent and smell further in summertime too because water is warmer, so that makes it easier to catch whisker fish,” Sutton adds. The Mississippi River along the state’s eastern border is often touted as the country’s top trophy catfish producer. JuneĬatfish are popular in summer because they stay in shallower water that time of year and are much easier to find. Lake Conway, White River oxbows, and Delta reservoirs like Peckerwood Lake should be hot.
TROUT FISHING IN ARKANSAS FULL
Mayīream are bedding now and anglers want to focus on the days before and after the full moon from now through the end of summer, says Zellers. Consider taking advantage of the crappie spawn and largemouth bass spawn in Cane Creek Lake, Lake Chicot, Bear Creek Lake and Storm Creek Lake. Spring fishing has a lot more appeal as temperatures warm up and anglers are ancy to get outside. In the southern part of the state that can be early March, but it may be almost April before Beaver Lake sees those conditions. People tend to jump the gun and get out there with the first few warm days, but the run will take place when the water temperature stays in the low 50s for a few days, says Randy Zellers with AGFC. “Most people never fish for them outside that time,” he adds. The run up the west fork of the White River is prime for big three pounders that time of year. “Probably the best of the best is Beaver Lake,” Sutton says. All four diamond lakes near Hot Springs have good white bass runs, as does Lake Maumelle in Central Arkansas. Anticipation of the white bass run is always a hot topic of conversation among anglers as spring approaches. “Most people will either find a place to fish from the bank or take a boat up the tributaries,” Sutton says. Lake Greeson, Bull Shoals, Lake Ouachita and Greers Ferry are all good walleye fisheries. Walleye usually bite from mid-March into mid-April when they run out of the big lakes and up into tributaries to spawn. “Lake Conway is probably one of the best in the county for crappie.” He also likes the oxbow lakes along the Mississippi such as Lake Chicot and Horseshoe Lake. “All of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lakes are worth checking out,” Sutton adds. Run spider rigs over open water to find a school of fish, throw out a marker buoy, then start working the area by vertical jigging.Īll of Arkansas’s big lakes are good crappie lakes. Crappie go deep in the winter and around structure. FebruaryĬrappie are plentiful in Beaver Lake and can be caught all year long, especially in winter if you’re willing to bundle up and brave the elements, says Rance Carter of Huck Fin’s Guide Service. Francis rivers as well as any of the big Corps of Engineers reservoirs. “The Mississippi River is probably the number one honey hole in the world and then any of the big rivers in Arkansas would be worth targeting.” He suggests the White and St.
“You might catch a 100-pounder that time of year,” he explains.
Since sauger aren’t sought by many anglers, Sutton says winter is also an awesome time of year to catch blue and channel catfish. Below the dams at Dardanelle and Ozark are good areas to try, says Keith “Catfish” Sutton, an outdoor writer and author of the book "Fishing Arkansas.” He suggests live minnows and jigs, something crappie size not bass size. Unlike most fish, sauger spawn during the winter, moving up below the dams mostly in the Arkansas River. So, here are some best bets and hot spots to keep in mind each month. The long answer is multi-faceted, depending on what species and time of year as well as if you’re going for size or quantity. The short answer to that question is - all year long. When is the best time to catch fish in Arkansas?