Northeast Arkansas fishing report

Northeast Arkansas fishing report

Lake Poinsett State Park said that crickets are catching a lot of bream, and the park is selling lots of medium and large minnows as the bait of choice for crappie. Some bass are hitting mostly artificial bait. Redworms and nightcrawlers are available at the park for sale. The park will play host to a free Kids Fishing Derby for ages 12 and under Saturday, May 21, beginning at 8 a.m. and running until noon. Game and Fish personnel will net the catchable-size catfish, and lots of prizes will be handed out.

***

Crown Lake (updated 5-4-2016)

Boxhound Marina (870-670- 4496) reported the water temperature was in the mid-60s and the level and current were normal though water was dingy, leading to a so-so week for anglers. Crappie fishing is excellent using minnows in shallow depth. Catfish action was also excellent, with worms, liver and nightcrawlers the choice bait. Bream are biting in shallow water using worms and crickets. Bass are hitting crankbaits in the brush.

***

Spring River (updated 5-4-2016) Mark Crawford with Spring River Flies and Guides said water levels are running at 404 cfs at the spring and water is clear. The river saw plenty of rain over the weekend and turned murky for a few days but is now clear. The trout have been biting well on black woollies, Mark’s Guppies and Y2k’s. During the morning there have been some really nice hatches of BWO and caddis. Usually the trout will not rise for a dry, but a pheasant tail nymph or prince nymph can work well. As canoe season picks up late in May, weekdays and Sundays should be fine for fishing but Saturdays can be busy with canoers on the river. However, fishing early or late in the day can be productive. High numbers of trout are stocked during the summer months, and the trout being stocked lately are averaging 12 to 14 inches. There is no generation on the Spring River, so no worries about the water coming up. The river does have a very slick bottom and can be tough to wade, so care should be taken. A wading staff and felt soles can be very helpful. With a water temp of 58 degrees year-round many decide to wet wade during the summer months.

(updated 5-4-2016) John Berry in Cotter said that fly fishing has picked up, and wading is good when the Bull Shoals and Norfork dams are running water. The hot flies have been olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash (No. 10), cerise and hot pink San Juan worms (No. 10) and Y2Ks (No. 10).

Lake Poinsett (updated 5-4-2016)