Arkansas Lakes Fishing Report

Lake - Bull Shoals 02/20/06:

Dam area to Lead Hill: Off and on best describes the bite around the dam area, Kentuckies can still be caught on spoons and drop shot rigs off of main lake and secondary points, look for bait to be successful. A Jewel 5/16oz. spider jig in PB&J or Brown / Purple flash matched up with a 4” green pumpkin Chomper jig trailer will produce bites around the transition areas and bluff ends. Fish the jig from the bank all the way out to 25’ – 30’ deep and pay close attention to any rock or wood cover that the jig runs into.

Lead Hill to Power site: Up above Lead hill the largemouth have been a little bit more predicable; start about ½ way back in major creek arms and fish every channel sing bank to the back of the creek. The recent run off has moved the fish toward the backs of the creeks as they follow shad following zooplankton. Northern banks have been move productive because they receive more light and in turn the zooplankton and shad move toward the surface making the fish easier to catch. Stickbaits have been very effective around any isolated cover you may find in these areas and an Eakins’ jig will work from the bank out to 25’ deep as well.

Lake - Bull Shoals 02/23/06:

Fishing report Bull Shoals Lake Arkansas ,Dam area. Report compiled by Rick Culver Wilderness Trail , Bull Shoals Ar 870 445 2703 WWW.wildernesstrail.Com Report submitted by Spring Creek Enterprises as a community service.


Wow – what a roller-coaster week weather-wise. We started out with sunshine and temperatures in the 50’s to upper 60’s but by the end of the weekend we had 6” of snow and temperatures in the teens. The projected forecast has the temperatures back up in the 50’s by the end of this upcoming week so with the melt down we will be able to return to the lake. Pool level held its own this week and we are still at 9 ½ feet below normal pool at 644.74.

Lake temperature is a guess with the low temperatures and snow. We were at 45.8 degrees mid and lower lake and 44 degrees in the upper lake. We probably lost a couple of degrees; we will give an update next week. The following is a look at what the game fish were doing before Mother Nature decided to give us a taste of winter weather.

Largemouth bass could be found in the back of the creeks in the upper lake areas above Lead Hill in 6 to 10 feet of water Rogues along with small crankbaits were the key baits in the back waters. Largemouth bass were hard to find through the rest of the lake but the few we could find were along the bluff walls that had pole trees on them. Brown jigs and green pumpkin baby brush hogs were the key baits.

Smallmouth bass have been really spotty this winter. Last week we found them on the bluffs and in channel swings where there was a transition area. You can throw Wiggle Warts all day around points and maybe catch one or two but the bluffs and transition areas fished with Spider Jigs and tubes produced quality smallies and the numbers. Kentucky bass were also on the bluffs and they were located on the ends with schools of shad. Spooning was working on the schooling Kentuckys and brown jigs or black hair jigs were working along the bluffs around the trees.

Walleye were active in the upper lake on points and chunk rock banks striking suspending rogues and Lucky Craft 78 DD’s. Whether the drop in lake temperature will pull them back out to deeper water or not remains to be seen. Walleye around the rest of the lake seem to be deep in the 46 to 50 foot range. Vertical spooning is the best technique on the deeper walleye. Also try a shiner down deep.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow and pink. With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Little Cleos, Blue Fox, and Rooster Tails are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen have done well with very little generation on olive Woolly Bugger, scuds and sow bugs. The Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, Jointed Rapalas, nightcrawlers and sculpins.

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