but are there actual gator populations in places such as Lakes Ouachita and Beaver Lake in NWA? Move around, check out shallow water and the deep water too. (updated 2-9-2023) Hatchet Jacks Sports Shop in Crystal Hill off I-40 (501-758-4958) said even with high flow you can fish the bank, and if you can figure out where the fish are, you can have success. 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. 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. Clarity is heavily stained to muddy in places this week along Little River, while the main lake is heavily stained. Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. Alligators are found primarily in the southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Texas. Hybrids and smaller stripers are still in open water on shad about 50 feet down, no matter how deep the water is, and can be caught dragging live bait or umbrellas through the shad. 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. . I feel most of the largemouth bass have pulled off the deeper shad and are holding in the 30-50 feet range on ledges, tree tops, bluff ends or points nearby. The White River at Newport was 22.29 feet, indicating they are letting out quite a bit of water out of both lakes. Most are being caught in 15 feet of water downstream from Houseman to Beaver town. Lake level is now down 6.5 feet. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reported the lakes elevation at 660.17 feet msl (normal conservation pool: 659.00 feet msl; top flood elevation is 695.00 feet msl). The elevation is 249.26 feet msl. Hatchet Jacks Sports Shop in Crystal Hill off I-40 (501-758-4958) says the water has been very low from their 10-foot drawdown, but a lot of crappie and other fish are going to get active after a big rise in the water. The fish were being a little more aggressive. 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. Numerous rocks and shallow sandbars dot the area creating treacherous boating and wading. Beaver Lake is a man-made reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas and is formed by a dam across the White River. Catfish (updated 2-23-2023) Ray Hudson at River Valley Marina (501-517-1250) said the fishing has been really good. Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second. Redworms are getting reactions from bream right by the dock. The lake level Thursday was 577.50 feet msl. Thoroughly clean and dry your waders (especially the felt soles on wading boots) before using them in any other water. The stage at Morrilton was down almost 6 feet from this time a week ago, to 12.28 feet (flood stage is 30 feet). Cover water. Water temperature was ranging 51-54 degrees as of Tuesday. White bass, hybrid bass and striped bass will be catching all the knocked-around bait fish stunned in this water. No reports on walleye. They typically range between 11 and 16 feet long, but some can be longer still. As of 1 p.m. there had been 31 straight hours of release in the neighborhood of 3,800 cfs. Visibility is 6-12 inches. Add a little bigger sinker to allow the bait to get to the river bottom. One of the guides going out from Andrews fished three days this week and on his teams the anglers were doing real well on the crappie. White River At about 15 feet down they would attack and then dive! On Thursday, the Corps of Engineers said water flow at the Emmett Sanders Lock and Dam at Pine Bluff was 40,646 cfs, about half the flow of this time last week. As members of Alligatoroidae, alligators are also members of the order Crocodilia. People are fishing 5-foot deep for crappie. In addition, add lots of flash to white, olive or olive-and-brown streamers, sparkling collars on your jigs, or toss out a shiny silver spoon. (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. The aforementioned forage and bream species will be stocked again in the fall of 2025, along with black crappie. Use minnows or jigs. Catfish folks are catching their target on yo-yos baited with minnows. Easily the largest and the most fearsome amongst a pretty terrifying bunch was Deinosuchus. Walleye 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. But warm weather has made for great times on the water.. Trout now are widely scattered from the bridge to the dam and, in safer conditions, can be caught in the shoals by fly-fishermen casting micro-jigs in black and white under a strike indicator. The hot flies have been olive Woolly Buggers with a bit of flash, cerise and hot pink San Juan worms and Y2Ks. Water temperature in the river arms is in the high 40s and the main lake is in the mid-40s. One of the biggest alligators found in the swamps of Arkansas is over 14 feet long and 800 pounds in weight. Sauger Beaver Lake When I rig my rod before starting, I take all of this information and determine what flies would be the best to use and I tie on as many as I can. Lets have a look at the 15 best Swimming Holes in Arkansas: 1. The weekly generation report is posted every Wednesday evening on the Entergy website under Hydro-Operations. As of Thursday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lakes elevation was 405.58 feet msl (full pool: 408.00 feet msl). Try using a Texas rig on the brush, or fish with jigs. (updated 2-24-2023) Andrews Bait Shop and More (479-272-4025) in Plainview hears from guides and anglers that crappie are doing very well now. Crappie are SLOW! Where can I see alligators in Arkansas?The Arkansas Post National Memorial and Millwood State Park. Brian McKinzie of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says a homeowner called an off-duty Benton County Sheriff's deputy to report a possible alligator sighting Thursday night. On my home lake - Millwood - there were three permits available by drawing this year. I have a water control structure in the pond that could be used to drain the pond, but the beavers wont allow it. Ill post again when they begin to shallow.. Theyve also been catching them on darker-colored Chatterbaits. The below copy is care of KARK 4 News. Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine. DeGray Lake water level is 406.5 feet msl. That makes no sense to me at all. 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. said that with Bull Shoals Lake level being at 660 feet msl, the Corps of Engineers has been pushing water through the dam. As a result both Bull Shoals and Norfork Dams have been releasing a lot of water. We favor a dark colored bait and also watermelon red, red or blue, or shad-like baits. Let's all be safe and enjoy this awesome fishery. The Southwestern Power Administration has dictated power generation at nearly five generators (14,000 cfs) pretty much round-the-clock this week, so be very careful motoring in these higher water conditions. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, Beaver Lake is a nature lover's delight during all seasons. Water temperature on Monday was 51.4 degrees, which is more than 3 degrees higher than this time last week. Think white for baits and flies this week: shad patterns, white egg patterns, white-bellied stick baits the water level will support deep-diving jerkbaits white jigs and minnows. I started the day with that fly and did well at Three Dollar Bridge on the Madison River. Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Come join the discussion about optics, trails, clubs, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! It is important to note that dramatic drops in temperature greatly affect the trout bite in a negative way. Conditions are good. Some fish will move shallower under the right conditions and hold on swings, points and ledges. The warm rain helped. After washing out this past spring, the beavers never repaired it. It's still far from spring-like temps. Fishing in Arkansas and draining of wetlands from 1860 to 1960. A gators sex is determined by the temperature in the nest. John said, We have had a shad kill. Kent Williams of Oxbow Guide Service (870-278-7978) said the water temperature is rising and the water is clear. Woody Hollow State Park is home to the 40 acre Lake Bennett which provides a stunning location for many water based activities. The White River at Newport was 22.29 feet, indicating they are letting out quite a bit of water out of both lakes. The elevation is 249.26 feet msl. Alligator holes are new small ponds that the alligators make by excavating vegetation using their feet and snouts. 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). "It hasn't been a hard winter up here. With proper care and nutrition, captive alligators may even be able to live past 100 years of age! The current creel limit for Beaver Lake walleye is a four-fish limit 15" to 20" or three-fish limit 15" to 20" and one fish greater than 28". Anyone else seeing a decline in the beaver population? Also check the Southwestern Power Administration website (swpa.gov) to see forecast generation schedule. Theyve also had success with red crankbaits and red Rat-L-Trap. It can take days for a regular bite pattern to resume after a big drop in temperature, so anglers need to be aware. The crappie are in a prespawn bite and found around brush and other cover. Bee Lake had a few keepers to play with recently as long as the wind would let you stay out on the main lake. Trout I coonhunt out of a boat a lot in the winter, and although I cant speak for the rest of the state, theres no short supply of beavers along the river between Clarksville and Ozark. Mar 8, 2010. Mud Lake, Horseshoe and McGuire oxbows along Little River have had the best water clarity and the most aggressive largemouth and spotted bass over the past few weeks. Some reports say they are deep at 18-22 feet. Black bass can be caught with shallow-medium diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and bladed jigs along rocks and docks. Black Bass Check our blog (linked above) to make sure it's not up and muddy. The water temperature is ranging about 46-49 degrees. 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. Ag&f seem to be ass backwards on everything. Since that time the AGFC and AGRED, the lakes owner, have worked together to monitor and minimize potential spread of the invasive species through information campaigns. Millwood Lake The American Alligator ( Alligator mississippiensis) has been a component of Arkansas's native fauna for thousands of years. It turns out that this alligator was literally eating the competition as its stomach contained a 5-foot-long alligator! The trout and smallmouth have been hitting well in the higher water. Holla Bend NWR has the Northenmost (documented) population of Gators in Arkansas. Bee Lake had a few keepers to play with recently as long as the wind would let you stay out on the main lake. DeGray Lake water level is 406.5 feet msl. Millwood is near 260.6 feet msl and remains almost 16 inches above normal pool and falling. The bass are in the 5-foot range or shallower in these backwater areas. Using a jerkbait on breezy day bluff ends over steeper swings and points will fool a few. said the lake level was 554.51 feet msl and the storm was just starting to enter the area about 11:30 a.m. when he arrived at the resort Wednesday. John also offers an explanation for choosing the right fly: Fly selection is a big deal in fly-fishing. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's mission is to conserve and enhance Arkansas's fish and Redworms and crickets, of course, but also try bucktail jigs, maribou jigs and hair-tied jigs. 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. 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