Approximately 50,000 Florida Largemouth Bass fingerlings about 2 inches long will be stocked around late May or early June, Hobbs said. See The Fishing Tool Set Lake Ouachita Guides Recommend THOMPSON 2519 268 7.0 BARRON BEAR LAKE 2105100 GOV. It seems that JavaScript is not working in your browser. font size, Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. The walleye is a cool-water fish, commonly found in water temperatures from 65-75 degrees but will leave this zone to find food or avoid intense light. Flathead They hang out at logs, rip rap, and underwater debris piles. Ouachita is among the best areas for bass fishing and is one of the USs top 10 spots for largemouth bass fishing. Bass "In a single run, they captured a total of 316 walleyes, of which, 270 were females," said Kim Hawkins, Spirit Lake Fish Hatchery manager. Details. Even though it sounds contradictory, fishing is not just angling fish. The tasty but challenging fish move up to shallow, graveled areas for spawning. At this time no Trout are stocked into Lake Ouachita. The planned 2016 Lake Ouachita Nursery Pond fish crop will be walleye fingerlings. The state record walleye is a 22-pound, 11-ounce fish caught in 1982 by Al Nelson on Greers Ferry Lake. A number of lakes and rivers in the state have walleye, and the best known fishery is in Greers Ferry Lake in north-central Arkansas. Its also about relaxing and spending quality time with family members and friends. Interestingly, American alligator doesnt attack humans, as decades have passed since the last human attack. Extended Growth Walleye Stocking Fall 2021 County Waterbody Waterbody ID Code Stocking Source Fish Stocked Pounds Stocked Average Length ADAMS CAMELOT LAKE 1378100 WEST CENTRAL REGION PONDS 3934 368 6.7 ADAMS JORDAN LAKE 104000 WEST CENTRAL REGION PONDS 2214 193 6.5 ADAMS LAKE SHERWOOD 1377900 WEST CENTRAL REGION PONDS 2160 202 6.7 Theres plenty of access to the water for bank anglers, and the dam prevents the walleye from going any farther upstream on the Ouachita River, so they stack up there to spawn. Also, largemouth bass should be a minimum of 13 inches long for you to keep it, while smallmouths should be a minimum of 10 inches long. He released it after this photo was taken. The stocking breakdown: . Many baits and lures prove productive for local anglers. They hang out in creeks and move upstream in early spring. Channel Parents guard eggs after spawning, which happens from May to July. Lots of folks, including ourselves, believe that rainbow trout is what drove the trophy walleye fishery in Greers Ferry in the 1980s. Fishing Reports and Forecasts. Smallmouth bass on Lake Ouachita upstream to the River Bluff access and the South Fork of the Ouachita River upstream to Hovel Branch must be released immediately. E-mail:deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov, For further information on Fish Stocking visit: https: . You can also use bread crumbs and artificial bait. Why? If you prefer to fish with live bait, try nightcrawlers, minnows, or small bluegill. Request for Walleye Stocking Funds. Arkansas also has lots of rivers that have excellent walleye fishing. View a list of previous year's Bass Slam anglers: those who have caught 5 of 10 Georgia black bass species. fishing experience, you can always ask for help from local fishing guides. The annual Old Hickory Lake Fun Run for boats is Aug. 1-2 at Anchor High Marina in . Prime river walleye fishing takes place during the winter as the fish prepare to spawn. The Middle Fork of the Saline River in the Benton area has several miles of good walleye country good enough so it could classify as the states hidden walleye gem. You can also use fishing bows or spears for a more authentic experience. Walleye Boat specs Basscat (Bass boat) originally built in 2000. Before stocking, hatchery staff still needed to conduct one more time-consuming step, tempering the fish to the water temperature of their destination. As a result, you can find grass and standing timber, which contribute to a livelier ecosystem and alligator populations. You can also explore the 8.5-mile-long Rabbit Tail Water Trail or the 16-mile Geo-Float trail, which teaches about natural lake formations. Find out more about the catch and our walleye stocking programon our blog. Hired a fishing guide to take the family out instead. A number of stripers have been stocked at the lake most years starting in 1968. It is the largest lake in Arkansas, as the state shares Bull Shoals Lake with Missouri. Choose a guide with an official AGFC guide license. Sunfish compete among themselves, which makes them relatively easy to catch. 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. You can find strict rules for boating, baiting, tackle, fishing techniques, licenses, and even fish consumption. Hatchery Trout fishing was born in Arkansas. DeGray Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, and Lake Ouachita are widely considered some of the top spots in Arkansas. To wrap it up, here are several of the most common questions about fishing at Lake Ouachita. However, every species has different seasonal patterns. Every year we target the Walleye, but Largemouth and White Bass are on the menu every year as well. Dont waste edible parts of fish and wildlife; Dont transport fish or wildlife across states illegally; You must have a permit to take specimens for scientific studies; Dont release other non-native species into the water; Dont use a live lure that isnt native to the lake, hasnt been sold by a licensed seller, or hasnt been approved by the AGFC; Lock and seal coolers and containers to avoid contaminating the water. Walleye Fisheries Management Plan. Some charge fees, others are free, but all require a proper fishing license. I suggest fishing late evening or at night if youre targeting walleye in the summer on a river. There are numerous variables that go into determining the effectiveness of Florida bass stockings, and our production of these fish is limited to what our hatcheries can produce. In February 2016, Wes Carlton caught a 14 lb 2 oz walleye from Lake Rabun, which broke the former record by nearly three pounds! The toothy fish native to Arkansas have always had a comparatively small but intense following among Natural State anglers. Bottom-bouncer and crawler combo makes for a nasty, snag-stopping trolling pattern. Around the lake, you can find a variety of wildlife, tree, and plant species as the lake is immersed in 1.8 acres of the picturesque Ouachita National Forest. 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. Greers Ferry produced the current world-record walleye in the early 1980s, and Ouachita is still one of the nations best lakes for trophy stripers. Learn more. The 101-acre commission-owned water was home to lots of walleyes, some sizeable. Its good to note that they hibernate during winter. The fishs sportiness isnt in question, either. They may collect up to 30 million eggs, with stocking rates of about 17 million walleye fry, 1 million 1 to 2-inch fingerlings and 60 thousand saugeye fingerlings. Find more fishing reports in Arkansas. There is a lot of vegetation beneath the surface, left from before the lake existed. The Wildlife Resources Division and the U.S. "The truck tanks had water that was 62 degrees," Laird said. Due to the popularity of the program, two water companies initiated stocking walleye into Lake Saltonstall (Branford) and Saugatuck Reservoir (Weston). The Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery keeps walleye well-stocked in Lake Hamilton. This allows the jigs to stay in one position and wiggle rather than move with any undercurrent. Stocked annually with trout, walleye, catfish and bass, the lake is most famous for its large mouth bass and striper fishing. He was fishing with Pautzke Fire Eggs. After stocking the lake with trouts, walleyes and stripes became enormously large. It wont have the biggest or most walleye in Arkansas, but its a good way to spend a winter day on the water. Emergence of world-class walleye and striped bass fisheries at Greers Ferry and Ouachita, respectively, ended the trout programs at those lakes. The heaviest bullhead catfish caught in Arkansas had 116 pounds. As fall transitions into winter, slowly trolling live bait works very well to get walleye to bite. We have increased production of this segment of bass production on our hatcheries, but we must still be strategic and put our limited resources into those efforts that have the best chance for success.. This lake is an exciting destination for scuba diving enthusiasts. Fish and wild game (other than migratory game birds) that have been processed and stored at a residence do not count toward a persons possession limit.A residence is defined as a house or house trailer that is permanently in place and is owned, leased or rented by an individual;It does not include mobile travel trailers, tents, vehicles or temporary rental units (motels, lodges, cabins, resorts, etc.). Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. The Big and Little Mazam creeks and Hot Springs Creek are the best places to begin since the walleye have plenty of access to shallow flats and deeper holes. Some efficient options are jig-spinner combos and small spinners. color selection blade sizes trolling speeds. Biologist estimate that from 10% to 20% of the . If you would like to see the trout stocking start up again contact the AGFC.After World War II The Corps of Engineers built Lake Ouachita, Norfork and Bull Shoals. These huge Stripers where caught off a dock on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The water depth where walleyes spawn varies from 5 feet to a few inches. Walleye Fishing Walleye ( Sander vitreus) is a member of the perch family. 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. However, they wont fall for heavy lines. As soon as we quit stocking those fish, we stopped getting the growth rates of 10-plus pound walleye. The most enjoyable months are May, June, October, and April, while the least comfortable ones are July and August. The Caddo River also offers some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in Arkansas. We had a blast cruising and fishing the lake. Lakes stocked with Walleye fry - Spring 2016 These lakes are stocked with Walleye fry according to their respective management plan in order to maintain or improve Walleye numbers. 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