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Late February through March are the usual times for walleye
to move into shallow water to spawn in Lake Ouachita dependings on
temperatures of the water. Walleyes get active when
the water nears 47 degrees. The males move up the creeks and tributaries
before the females do.
While Greers Ferry is Arkansas’ best known Walleye fishery Lake Ouachita may
rival Greers Ferry.
The walleye is the largest member of the perch family in North America.
Adults are commonly 15-30 inches long
and weigh 4-10 pounds. Several fish over 20 pounds have been caught in
Arkansas.
Populations are found in Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry and Norfork lakes and the Eleven Point, upper White (Beaver Dam to Table Rock Lake), middle White, Kings, Spring, Black and Current rivers.
West-central Arkansas has good walleye populations in the Saline (Grant and Saline counties), Ouachita and Little Missouri rivers. Walleyes also inhabit Lake Hamilton, Lake Catherine and Lake Greeson.
Isolated walleyes have been found in most of the state’s drainages because of widespread stocking here and in neighboring states.
Walleye like clean water with gravel bottoms in both the rivers and the lakes. If the water is generally turbid (discolored or muddy), you won't find walleyes on a consistent basis
Habitat
The walleye is a coolwater fish. It’s commonly found in water temperatures
from 65-75 degrees but will leave this zone to find food or avoid intense
light. Walleyes are seldom found at temperatures above 80 degrees for long
periods of time. Walleyes inhabit clean streams or lakes with bottoms
containing rock, gravel and sand. Hard bottom areas are used rather than
softer types. Streams must have a combination of pools and riffles to hold a
good walleye population. Lakes need gravel and rocky shorelines with
relatively clear and deep water.
Spawning occurs in early spring when the water temperature reaches 50 degrees. Males arrive at spawning sites before the females. Gravel riffles instreams and shallow rocky shorelines in lakes provide ideal spawning habitat. In streams above walleye-stocked lakes, most spawning activity occurs in the first few riffle areas above the lake. The riffles walleyes use have gravel bottoms and steady current. The water depth where walleyes spawn varies from 5 feet to a few inches. Females are accompanied by one or more males, and the eggs and sperm are spread over the stream bottom. Walleye eggs are very adhesive and stick well to the gravel bottom. The eggs hatch in six to 18 days depending on the water temperature. The walleye is an important gamefish in Arkansas, but few of the state’s anglers fish for it. That’s unfortunate, because Arkansas offers some of the best walleye fisheries in the country. In some waters, the populations probably could support more fishing.
Walleyes are caught on a variety of natural and artificial baits. Because they avoid bright light, more are caught at night and on cloudy days. Natural baits, like minnows and bream, are most effective in the pool areas of streams and when fished over lake structure. Minnow-imitation artificial baits are effective in winter and spring. These lures are worked in riffles and fished around structure in pools and lakes. In summer, when walleyes are in deep water, jigging spoons and trolling deep running lures are effective. Walleyes also are important large predators that help control other fish populations.
Lake Ouachita is located in Garland and Montgomery Counties,
Arkansas,
13 miles west of Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
Fishing techniques for Walleyes:
At night use jigs that move around, however not constantly moving, as walleye are the type of fish that tend to stay towards the bottom of the water. But using bright jigs at night often help the walleye see them, and eventually after patience the walleye will go after the jig. Once the walleye “taps” at the jig a few times, then it will usually attempt to carry it off. When this occurs, give the walleye a little slack to make it think the jig is not putting up a fight. It is better to use a little extra weight at night as well. This allows the jigs to stay in one position and wiggle rather than move with the undercurrent.
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