It is the largest lake in Arkansas, as the state shares Bull Shoals Lake with Missouri. Stocking rates for small lakes typically range from 50 to 100 fish/acre. The eggs hatch in six to 18 days depending on the water temperature. Hook the worm through the head so it can wiggle full-length behind the jig; then work the lure with a hopping motion as you drift or troll around creek channels, rocky points and the big bottom humps plentiful throughout the lake. Overcast skies provide conditions conducive to good daytime walleye fishing. Lake Ouachita has a lot of black and white crappie, but you can only angle 30 fish per day. Look on the points and inside turns, flooded stands of trees and brush-piles are magnets for baitfish and walleyes in Lake Ouachita. If you prefer to fish with live bait, try nightcrawlers, minnows, or small bluegill. The 40,000-acre lake has 690 miles of shoreline and a multitude of ways to catch the fish species residing here. Fishing for walleye in Arkansas. Striped bass is everywhere in the reservoir. A major fishing adventure that should not be passed up! In late winter and early spring, walleye move shallow into the backwaters and creeks to spawn. As soon as we quit stocking those fish, we stopped getting the growth rates of 10-plus pound walleye. Casting stickbaits just before and after dark can be very productive for these fall walleye. Call 501-282-6104 to book a boat with the amazing Jerry Bean. Beneath the surface, you can search for a sunken houseboat and sailboat, railroad tracks, and an old school bus (which you can swim through). Thats when larger pickerels go into deep waters while smaller ones retreat to the shallow water. Walleye anglers regularly catch double-digit fish near weed beds and rocky humps. An Arkansas angler only needs a license and the right gear. Trophy striper enthusiasts love the lake since it has an abundance of monster striped bass. Find out more about the catch and our walleye stocking programon our blog. WALLEYE: Beaver Lake and its tributaries; Table Rock Lake and its tributaries to Beaver Dam; Bull Shoals Lake, and Norfork Lake - minimum length limit of 18 inches, daily limit 4. The second is that the walleye are in their wintering spots, deeper holes in the river, to prepare to spawn. The males move up the creeks and tributaries before the females do. My Gear:Main Camera - https://amzn.to/3gYiXA2Wireless Mic - https://amzn.to/2MwsHTOTripod - https://amzn.to/2Bz8wmaGoPro - https://amzn.to/3eRH3dS**FOLLOW ME ON SNAPCHAT AND INSTAGRAM @ BURTONOUTDOORS Use the fishing reports and forecasts below to help you plan for fishing success! Approximately 50,000 Florida Largemouth Bass fingerlings about 2 inches long will be stocked around late May or early June, Hobbs said. Big floating/diving minnow plugs are good enticements, as Bobby Graves of Mount Ida, Ark., knows. You can also use fishing bows or spears for a more authentic experience. Sunfish spawn from late May and early June throughout the summer, and some can lay eggs a couple of times per year. Finishing off the best walleye fishing lakes along the Ouachita River is Lake Catherine. Coming on strong in recent years are walleye in Beaver Lake after they became scarce when the lake was completed in 1965 as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment for flood control and electricity generating. De Gray Lake is an impoundment of the Caddo River. If you like trophy fishing, we suggest searching for striped bass. To find them, a good electronic graph is essential. Whether you want to participate in a largemouth bass tournament or reconnect with nature, Lake Ouachita State Park offers a variety of accommodations. LAKE CASCADE A research team concluded the walleye caught in Lake Cascade in May 2022 was not born in the reservoir and was illegally put there roughly two years before it was caught. All are in the Pocahontas vicinity although the walleye areas extend well upstream from the Randolph County seat. Nightcrawlers, minnows, and small baitfish are the best live baits to target walleye. From standing timber, rocky humps, open waters, and a variety of islands, its a tough spot to navigate. Every year we target the Walleye, but Largemouth and White Bass are on the menu every year as well. When . The first is because you dont have all the other float traffic thats there during the summer, so youll have much of the river to yourself during the cooler months. Located near Mountain Home, Bull Shoals Lake has a longer history as a great bass lake but recently become a walleye hotspot; if you want to catch bigguns, visit this lake. Theyve been around for years, but their numbers have been modest in comparison to the native bass (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted), the crappie, bream and catfish. Its in west-central Arkansas, east of Lake Ouachita State Park, near Mountain Pine, and only 13 miles away from the stunning city of Hot Springs. THOMPSON 2519 268 7.0 BARRON BEAR LAKE 2105100 GOV. You can see them from late May to October while scuba diving or swimming. Stripers. Whats best is that different fish species dont cohabitate. According to the commission, it is walleye time in several Arkansas lakes and rivers. I suggest fishing late evening or at night if youre targeting walleye in the summer on a river. For instance, spotted bass stays in deeper springs than largemouth bass even in waters 40 feet deep. Lake Ouachita. Ouachita River forms many lakes and ponds, and the most important ones beside Lake Ouachita are Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine. However, they wont fall for heavy lines. In the winter, they spend time near the bottom, while in summer, white bass hunts food near the surface. Beaver and Greers Ferry Lake were added in the1960s and joined the other trout fishing opportunities and one of the states most successful industries was started. This fall, Game and Parks expects to stock more than 30,000 advanced walleye in lakes and reservoirs across the state. border: 0; The bite is much less active during the summer, so many anglers dont bother walleye fishing at this time on the rivers. Its size, sporting qualities and delicious flesh make it one of the most important game species in North America. The walleyes low ranking as a Natural State sport fish has nothing to do with taste, either. Choose a guide with an official AGFC guide license. However, there are no lifeguards at their disposal. Another thing to consider is fish variety. Consider limiting the number of released fish when the surface water temperature exceeds 75 degrees. Standing at a massive 45,000 acres, the lake sits in the northern center portion of the state. The AGFC began stocking Florida bass in Lake Ouachita and DeGray Lake in 2007 and 2006 respectively, in response to requests from area anglers. DiCenzo says the Ouachita and DeGray stockings have prompted some excellent research by Sean Lusk, AGFC fisheries biologist, on the contribution of stocked fish to Florida bass genes. Lake Ouachita Publicity for this 40,000-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment between Hot Springs and Mount Ida generally has centered on other species, especially largemouth and striped bass. Most anglers find spring and fall the best seasons for Lake Ouachita fishing. Check out the link on our Facebook pageto see how the Fisheries Division uses electrofishing techniques to sample walleye populations. A number of stripers have been stocked at the lake most years starting in 1968. The initial list of lakes were selected because they were best suited for walleye, have marginal . LakeOuachita.orgis a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can also catch them on very basic tackle, which explains their popularity among casual anglers. Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Fishing Report Feb. 23, 2023 An angler named Bo from Gentry, Arkansas, landed this very impressive brown trout in the Beaver Lake tailwater this past week. E-mail:[email protected], Norfolk Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, and Mallard Lake are also popular destinations. The planned 2016 Lake Ouachita Nursery Pond fish crop will be walleye fingerlings. When vertically fishing spoons at a multitude of depths, its essential have better feel and control by using a high-sensitivity braid which transmits feel better than anything else. 98,000 walleye, 51,700 smallmouth bass. The most enjoyable months are May, June, October, and April, while the least comfortable ones are July and August. Fish small jigs opposed to plain hooks; incorporate attracting beads and even a touch of hair or feather on a jig. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake's elevation at Blakely Dam was 569.11 feet msl (full pool: 578.00 feet msl). Most anglers dont target this species, which makes them perfect for beginners and families with children. The good news is that restrictive harvest regulations have helped bolster the Greers Ferry walleye population in recent years, and there are lots of favorable fishing reports from anglers catching walleyes year-round all over the lake. Arkansas's largest lake, Lake Ouachita offers 40,000 acres of clear, clean water surrounded by the scenic Ouachita National Forest. Stocking Date Alford Lake SW4-36 -8 -W5 RNTR Trout Lodge/Jumpers Allstones Lake NW30-38 -17 -W5 BKTR Beitty Resort 3N 13.7 650 9/Sep/21 Aster Lake Bear Pond . height: 100%; These three lakes, DeGray Lake to the near south, and the thermal springs of Hot Springs National Park make Hot Springs a popular tourist getaway. Young walleye were stocked for several years by the AGFC in Beaver Lake, which has led to an excellent population of quality walleye for anglers to catch. In fact, people call this lake the Trophy Striped Bass Lake. Target the deep holes around brush piles with live minnows near the bottom during the winter. The striped bass limit on Lake Ouachita is three fish. Fishing methods are the same for both black and white crappie. Walleye Boat specs Basscat (Bass boat) originally built in 2000. Crappie is also known as strawberry bass, white perch, papermouth, and speckled perch. While some breeding may occur (though it is rare), the population of fish will only decrease over time. However, youll need to target different areas at specific times of the year. Largemouth and Spotted bass must be 13 inches or longer to be kept. Producing walleye for stocking on a large-scale takes a lot of time, effort and space. See all Arkansas alligators and fish species >>>. 03/30/2011. But good walleye waters are much more limited in number. "The truck tanks had water that was 62 degrees," Laird said. padding-top: 56.25%; The fish are there. In the late 1980s, Greers Ferry Lake near Heber Springs was the pride and joy of Arkansas walleye fishing. The first waters selected included Gardner Lake (Salem) and Squantz Pond (New Fairfield). In winter, crappie also swims in dense groups near structures. The below fishingnews was sent by Keith Stephens of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 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