Temperature and conditions over the next month will dictate your game plan and success. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation at Blakely Dam was 577.46 feet msl (full pool: 578.00 feet msl). Beavers are thick in north Arkansas. Nimrod was 18 feet above normal pool level, but even with the latest rain it is dropping. Millwood State Park MARINA WILL REOPEN March 1. Bream, crappie, catfish, striped bass, and largemouth bass can be . On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Toad Suck Lock and Dam was 48,636 cfs. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the fishing has been really good. The stage at Morrilton was down almost 6 feet from this time a week ago, to 12.28 feet (flood stage is 30 feet). fishing has been pretty slow for the past several days, and they had no reports of note. If the warm weather continues, the spawners should move soon. If they did well I asked what fly or flies they used. Parallel steeper ledge 45-degree banks and steeper transition banks. Use hand-tied jigs in white/silverand gray/silverwhite or use minnows for best results. The Norfork tailwater had no wadable water. Ray suggests shad-colored jigs or jigs favoring white, silver/white and pink colors. Look for something in the water that gives the fish a break from current. Catfish folks are catching their target on yo-yos baited with minnows. Fishing in the creeks feeding into the river can result in some nice bass or catfish. Bo was fishing with Pautzke Fire Eggs, and hereleased the massive fish after this photo was taken. But the amount of rain weve had, the crappie will be out of the flow of the lake, now, in the murky waters, and wont be deep. However, alligators today are much, much smaller than their prehistoric counterparts. Flow further upriver at Dardanelle Lock and Dam the flow was 37,793 cfs. Lake Dardanelle The overflow of that food source into the river sets off the famous voracious feeding pattern and the easy trout catch, which anglers love. The biggest alligator ever found in Arkansas was half-inch shy of 14 feet long and weighed around 800 pounds. Some fish are already staging early prespawn areas in the creeks. Beaver Lake is nationally renowned for bass fishing and has even become a . Florida largemouth bass will be stocked during the summer of 2025. Try Rock Crawler reds on the steeper, clearer water; Wiggle Warts on mid; and a Chick Magnet on the flat side in the stain. Fossilized remains have been found in 10 US states so far, with much more possibilities as yet undiscovered. This article explores ten absolutely amazing lakes found in Arkansas. We kill all gators on sight ,, only problem we never seen a gator here in north central Arkansas . After the lake rose over 3 feet with over 4-6 inches of rainfall the lake clarity turned to chocolate milk and almost completely shut down the bite we had the week before. Double Deceiver patterns in yellow or olive have been working best for me, Mike said. Source: flickr. Look for balls of shad and try throwing an Alabama rig. Sauger water levels at the Spring are running at 440 cfs (350 cfs is average, while water clarity has been poor. As a result both Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams have been releasing a lot of water. While there were no reports on, Seth Boone, the superintendent at Lake Poinsett State Park, reported Lake Poinsett had. For the most up-to-date lake level, visit the. Kent has heard no reports on catfish or bream. (updated 2-23-2023) Ken Winstead at Whiskers Sporting Goods (501-889-2011) in Perryville says crappie are biting and are typical for the changing water of late because of the weather, so move around from shallow to deep water. The shad are spread out. Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine. Millwood State Park MARINA WILL REOPEN March 1. I have been doing well on swimbaits anywhere from the U.S. Highway 412 bridge up towards Neils Bluff. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center, Forrest L. Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center, Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center, Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center, Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation Action Plan | 2020-2025, Disability, Mobility-impaired, 65-Plus, Military Retiree, Lifetime Licenses. With colder temperatures, the, As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation at 1,121.60 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 1,121.43 feet msl; top flood elevation is 1,130.0 feet msl). He said, I had a much better day of catching fish (Monday). The water is high. (updated 2-23-2023) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the fishing has been really good. 1. The preferred bait is a yellow-headed hair jig, and some minnows are being used, though not as many as jigs. (updated 2-23-2023) Lake Erling Guide Service (870-904-8546) reported that the crappie are moving to theshallows. We have none of them either. The drawdown will remain in effect until March 1, at which time the 7,000-acre lake will be allowed to refill. Try brush 20-35 feet deep. But just how big can they get? They inhabit freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, swamps, and marshes, though they can also be found in brackish water. On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Murray Lock and Dam was 49,248 cfs. The frightening ordeal occurred after they harpooned it but were unable to get a clear shot to kill it immediately. Arkansas Alligator History. (updated 2-23-2023) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake elevation has fallen slightly over the last week due to the drier weather but the upcoming rains may put us back where we were. The lake on Wednesday was at 660.35 feet msl, which is very near the seasonal power pool level. The clarity is clearing. Mike provided the latest fishing specifics: Mike said, We talked to some friends up Little River in the oxbows over the past few days and they told us they were catching some decent largemouths on a floating Trick Worm like the Senko or Zoom Trick Worm and the Yum Dingers. Arkansas is a geographically diverse state with mountainous regions co-existing with swamps and wetlands. Upstream, Table Rock Lake rose 0.1 foot to rest at 1 foot below power pool and 15 feet below the top of flood pool. Greers Ferry Lake is 6.6 feet above normal conservation pool. Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-272-4025) in Plainview hears from guides and anglers that crappie are doing very well now. Crappie are back chewing pretty good since water has cleared back up. Minnows and nightcrawlers for live bait. Wading might need to wait for a while. As members of Alligatoroidae, alligators are also members of the order Crocodilia. Fish slow if its flat, clear and sunny. (updated 2-9-2022) Capt. Are alligators dangerous?No, if you leave them alone! Lake Catherine Tailwater (Below Carpenter Dam), For weekly flow releases from Carpenter Dam, visit. Catfish like liver, dough bait, minnows and nightcrawlers now, but cats have been slow. USACE Campgrounds ARE OPEN for camping. When they quit, they quit. The Army Corps of Engineers reported Thursday that the White River stage at Batesville steady at 10.39 feet, less than 5 feet below the flood stage of 15.0 feet. Anglers are now targeting them by banging the bank with big streamers on sink tip lines. I did catch a few fish on a dead stick, meaning no motion at all except for what the boat was doing. The run has just started, they note. 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. I do the same for my two clients when I am guiding. Thanks to a long summer, alligators have stuck around here in Arkansas. Trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate shad or crayfish against the current will draw strikes from spawning walleye and is an excellent method of locating areas where walleye are congregating. Parallel steeper ledge 45-degree banks and steeper transition banks. Visibility is 6-12 inches. This bit should continue to ramp up each week as the prespawn bite is starting up. Try crawlers in 5-15 feet. Theyve also been catching them on darker-colored Chatterbaits. Alligators are actually incredibly important to the ecosystem. The Arkansas River offers good fishing for largemouth bass and white bass, but there's very good bass fishing at Lee Creek Lake and Sugarloaf Lake. Fishing continues to be up and down just like the weather. The crappie are in a prespawn bite and found around brush and other cover. The water temps are in the mid-40s and close to 50 degrees in the river arms. The Newport stage is falling at 21.65 feet (flood stage is 26 feet). Watch for random floaters and broken timber during any navigation on Little River and Millwood Lake. Greers Ferry Lake is 6.6 feet above normal conservation pool. Alligators currently face a number of threats, including habitat loss, pollution, poaching, and the exotic pet trade. Greers Ferry Lake. (updated 2-23-2023) Seth Boone, the superintendent at Lake Poinsett State Park, reported Lake Poinsett had crappie biting well on minnows and jigs. With color to the water, anglers have been flipping a brown or a black/blue jig in and around cover and fishing it slow to pull in bass. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was 447.76 feet msl (full pool: 437.00 feet msl). CAW has been planning a 10-foot drawdown to eliminate the hydrilla in the lake. The water temperature is ranging about 46-49 degrees. Greers Ferry Lake Check our blog (linked above) to make sure it's not up and muddy. Holla Bend NWR has the Northenmost (documented) population of Gators in Arkansas. 45 of our 75 counties have documented gators. Fishing has been good for crappie and mostly on structure of some sort in the 6- to 20-foot range. The lake level at Bull Shoals fell 0.4 foot to rest at 1.5 feet above power pool of 659 feet msl. Flow at the Terry Lock and Dam was 54,428 cfs. The preferred bait is a yellow-headed hair jig, and some minnows are being used, though not as many as jigs. with photos and where the fish are biting and whats biting. Its going to be very up and down but if you can find them, you can do really well.. Deinosuchuswas an immense 35-foot-long alligator with a massive, wide skull and thick teeth. Norfork Tailwater Clarity of the oxbows is normal stain; visibility ranges 5-10 inches depending on location. Millwood is near 260.6 feet msl and remains almost 16 inches above normal pool and falling. Water temp was 44-46 degrees. With colder temperatures, the smallmouths are much less active. Education initiatives also play an important role in encouraging people to be good stewards of this beloved species by teaching them about sustainable practices such as proper disposal of waste materials near waterways and avoiding contact with wild animals when possible. Always check the USACE Little Rock app for the generation schedule before heading out. The water can rise very quickly. Spanning 53,179 square miles, Arkansas is a landlocked state in the south-central region of the United States. As of Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was 401.55 feet msl (full pool: 387.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 419.0 feet msl). Mama gators protect the nest. Wind, wind, wind and clouds will help. Surface Area. Blue Catfish are still on in the usual places like Gold Creek, but are hit and miss. Norfork Lake fell 2.3 feet to rest at 0.9 foot above power pool of 553.75 feet msl and 25.3 feet below the top of flood pool. Little productive fishing has been done in the tailrace under these adverse conditions. Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second. With Little River turned to chocolate milk again this week with all the inflow, current and gate discharge, we are just going to take a wait-and-see approach as normal lake pool should be achieved over the next week to 10 days provided we don't have much more rainfall. When I do wade trips, I talk to everyone I see in the parking lot or pass on the stream as I walk in. We have been doing well catching spotted bass and largemouths throwing these baits for walleye, so that shows me bass are on the feed. The White has had no wadable water and heavy flows. Although saltwater crocodiles have the largest bite force of animals alive today (16,460 newtons), Deinosuchusis estimated to have a bite force of up to 100,000 newtons. The main thing here is the crappie is moving up shallow. Total hourly outflow at the dam is still high; at midday it was 18,275 cfs, and in the past two days the flo2 has been as high as 19,600 cfs. There has been nothing to report this week. Striped Bass Males are bigger than females, and size is generally related to age, with the oldest males being the longest and the heaviest. The death roll consists of the alligator rolling and spinning while holding the prey so that smaller, bite-sized chunks are torn off. The fish are about 8-12 feet deep. Visit Jons Facebook page for latest updates, FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR. I had a much better day of catching fish (Monday). Lake Monticello is mostly dependent on rainwater for refilling all of its 1,520 acres, and in late fall it had reached a coverage of almost 500 acres. The surface water temperature was 49 degrees and the water was stained in the creeks but a little clearer on the main lake. I was in roughly 80 feet of water just outside of a channel swing with fish suspended 20-70 feet down. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, gate discharge, rain or thunderstorms. Lizards, soft plastics of any type and crankbaits are working. The ample brown trout bite has proven that late winter is a great time to visit the White River, and the rainbows aren't ignoring the bait either. Bream are starting to pick up. The bass are in the 5-foot range or shallower in these backwater areas. There has definitely been some shad kill. Theyve also had success with red crankbaits and red Rat-L-Trap. Reports are updated weekly, although some reports may be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions havent changed. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. But on Friday, the animal was found and officials learned it was really was an alligator. Keep anglin' and we'll see you at the river.. White bass are about 5-7 feet out from the shoreline and also going after the redworms. (updated 2-9-2023) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reported that water temperature is in the mid-40s. and draining of wetlands from 1860 to 1960. We have had higher flows that have fished well. Check it out. In the clearer water farther down the lake, anglers been catching bass on Alabama rigs (which a few weeks back landed a 10-plus-pound largemouth in a tournament) and on green pumpkin or brown-colored jigs. Fishing on the Little Red from a boat in high water has been good as far as the streamer bite goes. Lake Poinsett (AP) - Authorities have solved the mystery of what kind of animal was seen strolling along a road near Gravette. Incredibly, although Beardens alligator holds the state record as the biggest alligator ever found in Arkansas, it is not the heaviest. The hot spot on the White River has been the catch-and-release Section below Bull Shoals Dam. As of Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was at 359.00 feet msl (normal pool: 342.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 373.0 feet msl). The water temperature is ranging about 46-49 degrees. (updated 2-23-2023) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said that as of Wednesday, Millwood Lake has begun falling from recent rise over 3 feet and is still muddy from recent storms. Merthiolate and June Bug colors were working in the stained water in back of McGuire. I got to land a couple of nice largemouth bass, a big 15-inch crappie, a handful of white bass and 4 hybrid stripers. Its kind of slow right now. Crappie are still biting but its difficult to catch them from the shoreline or dock. The stage in the Little Rock pool was at 7.55 feet, down about 1 foot from this time a week ago (flood stage is 25 feet). (updated 2-23-2023) Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) said this past week the fishing has been great. Shad and sculpins are the preferred meal for a hungry brown; try also egg patterns (light yellow peach colored) with an orange leading bead. These new ponds are then new habitats for other animals and help to increase plant growth and diversity. Merthiolate and June Bug colors were working in the stained water in back of McGuire. As of Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Ormond Lock and Dam was 15,682 cfs. Though they may travel some distance over land in search of food or mates, alligators typically remain within a few miles of their home territory throughout their lives. No reports of white bass, crappie, bream or catfish. Each rod has two different flies (a lead fly and a dropper). The lake is slightly stained in most areas, but will become more stained in the next day or so. Lake Fayetteville The best water clarity and reaction from largemouths is in the back of the oxbows where the clarity is somewhat better, away from the river current, although the main lake from Paraloma Trail to mile marker 4 in Little River was fairly clear over the past few days before the thunderstorms. Triangle Sports (870-793-7122) in Batesville had no reports. Yes, alligators have been in Arkansas for thousands of years. I didn't get to head out on the lake until 10 a.m., but as luck would have it, the bite was on as soon as I got to the area that I wanted to check out. The Norfork tailwater had no wadable water. As of Thursday morning, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation at 468.68 feet msl with slight falling (0.36 inch) over the past 24 hours (normal conservation pool: 462.54 feet msl, top flood elevation 487.0 msl). Millwood Lake Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. 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