East Arkansas Fishing Report

From the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

www.agfc.com

Professional fishing guide Ronnie Tice says there are plenty of fish now in the timber and the canals.

Crappie are excellent. They are in timber at a depth of 1-3 feet deep. He says he’s not catching any females.

They’ve moved to spawn, and he’s catching all males. Bass are good as well around the timber and canals. Catfishing is good in the shallows and canals and appear starting to spawn.

Bream are fair but they will be on around Friday, which marks the next full moon.

Ronnie says the water level at this oxbow is high.

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Bear Creek Lake

Natalie Faughn, assistant superintendent at Mississippi River State Park, says crappie are active in 4 feet depth of water on crickets; no spawn yet. Bream are starting to move on beds within the last few days, not hitting heavy yet. Bass are biting but still slow to move.

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Storm Creek Lake

Natalie Faughn, assistant superintendent at Mississippi River State Park, says the water is up and muddy, and there has been no major activity to report.

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Cook’s Lake

Wil Hafner, education program specialist at the Potlatch Education Center at Cook’s Lake, reports that the lake still cannot open for its every-other Saturday fishing for youths and mobility-impaired anglers because of the very flooded parking lot. “I keep hoping the river will drop out but all this rain is not helping, he said. However, Wil’s been able to get out to other area fishing spots that he says have been on fire and suggest Lake Des Arc as a destination. Also, fishing the Arkansas River in southeast Arkansas was hot until the rain blew it out, he said. The education center will shoot for the first Saturday in May to open its season, if the White River oxbow has receded from the area. Cook’s Lake, when it reopens, will make fishing available on the 2-mile-long oxbow off the White River to youth under age 16 and to mobility-impaired anglers on the first and third Saturdays of each month, through October.

Anglers can be accompanied by a helper who may

fish.