Managing Editor Arkansas Wildlife Magazine although some reports may be published for two weeks if updates are not received promptly or if reporters say conditions haven’t changed Contact the reporter listed for the lake or stream you plan to fish for current news Arkansas River and White River levels are available at: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lzk For real-time information on stream flow in Arkansas from the U.S. Geological Survey, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/rt For water-quality statistics (including temperature) in many Arkansas streams and lakes, visit: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/current/?type=quality Download the Fish Brain app and follow AGFC at: https://join.fishbrain.com/agfc-page (updated 4-24-2025) AGFC staff reported that fishing is still going well at the Lake Conway Nursery Pond Staffers ran into a family catching harvestable bream this past week While Lake Conway is drawn down for renovation the Lake Conway Nursery Pond is open for fishing in the immediate area with bream and trout being reported among catches of late The 70-acre pond has been stocked by the AGFC with mature bass catfish and bream as well as rainbow trout for the cold weather months (updated 5-1-2025) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) said the fishing on the Little Red River has been solid and with Greers Ferry Lake sitting about 6 feet over power pool the Army Corps of Engineers has been keeping things consistent with one generator and one floodgate running pretty much nonstop That steady generation schedule has made for some great fishing conditions up and down the river and yes — the fish are definitely keyed in on them perfect for working close to the banks in 4 to 6-plus feet of water I’ve been pairing a Girdle Bug with a caddis dropper or just running a single San Juan Worm depending on the day “If you’re looking to get on the water or need some guidance Want to book a trip or ask about current conditions?” (updated 5-1-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said fishing for trout has been going really well Only one generator has been running lately at the dam and fishing on one generation flow calls for a ⅛-ounce marabou jig for good results anglers are throwing a little bit bigger bait Though this one-generation flow should stick around a while make sure to check the links above of the Corps and SWPA for generation schedules and any changes at Greers Ferry Lake with it 7-8 feet high as of Thursday with more rain in the forecast for the upcoming weekend (updated 5-1-2025) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level at Greers Ferry lake is at 469.25 feet msl 7.21 feet above normal pool and falling with generation Crappie can be found near the shoreline while some others are still floating around in deeper water Jigs and minnows are working best at all depths while crankbaits are working for trolling 12-18 feet for mid-depth fish and 40 feet for the deep fish Try to drag a jig tipped with minnow or crawler and/or drop-shot Big Minnow-style plugs are working trolled Catfish are eating all over the lake and rivers Lots of blues are coming in — lines and jugs are working best with a variety of baits A lot of white bass and hybrid bass are up rivers with a lot still deep in the lake at 50 feet Use Road Runners and grubs for shallow fish spoons and inline spinners for the rest in 25-40 feet a lot are in 12-20 feet and some are still out in 50 feet (updated 5-1-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said the lake has been fishing well as far as catching good numbers of black bass Anglers have been catching them in 10-15 feet of water a Carolina rig and a jig both have worked well Anglers are also fishing up in the bushes in shallow water in 4-6 feet depth flipping jigs or flipping a Texas-rigged creature bait up in those bushes Early in the morning and late in the evening there is a pretty good topwater bite starting a Pop-R or a walking bait in white or shad color is best) up shallow around flooded bushes and flooded cover The lake is on the rise with more rain coming Black bass were biting off the shoreline in fair numbers Crappie jigs and minnows were working for the bass as well along with crankbaits in various colors (all have gotten some action) Follow more from Harris Brake Lake Resort on its Facebook page Black bass are doing well on buzzbaits and soft-plastic worms Crappie are still doing well in 6-8 feet of water Brewer Lake has a new regulation for 2025: The 13- to 16-inch black bass slot limit on Brewer (as well as Lake Barnett in White County) has been replaced; now but only one of those may exceed 16 inches (updated 4-24-2025) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reports water temp 68 degrees They’ve heard no reports on crappie or bream — it’s been a tough bite There have also been reports of pretty good catches of bream Crappie will be biting on the usual minnows and jigs Redear have been going for worms and bluegill will bite worms and crickets (updated 5-1-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) urged anglers to heed the small craft advisory with the river running more than 100,000 cfs and more rain forecast along with water moving in on the river from Oklahoma The river has been running fast for a couple of weeks anglers can catch black bass using a wacky-rigged Senko and fish in backwaters around the grass buzzbaits in either black or white will work around entrances to the backwater Before the current ramped up and more water moved through crappie were reacting well to black and chartreuse Crappie Magnets fished around wood of the rock piles in the backwater areas Anglers are catching decent amounts of crappie and a few bream and catfish They don’t fish for bass on this (south) end of the lake but I’m sure they are catching them (in other areas).” though she didn’t have any hints from anglers on color The dingy conditions would probably favor a chartreuse in there stress to the trout than frequent changes to the generation amounts We can expect continued high water as the Army Corps of Engineers manages the water from the sky The Cotter catch has been high quality this week: 16- to 20-inch rainbows weren’t out of reach and the keepers (under 14 inches) were healthy and fat Seems you couldn’t go wrong with a suspending Smithwick Rogue Jr 7 Countdowns of almost any color (gold/black downsize your hooks (size 8 or 6) and try a tiny piece of shrimp with a bubblegum pink worm Make it a mousetail — white egg pattern on the pink worm — for a more sure catch The browns have been nibbling shad and sculpins “Come enjoy an Ozark spring day and you’ll be hooked “The storms on Wednesday and into Thursday have the potential to cause the Buffalo River and creeks to rise I recommend calling ahead to get an update on river conditions.” The offshore videogamers continue to have to work The mass of shad are still spread out moving out of the creeks Target larger bait balls or any bait you can find up high near the surface and closer to the shore A smaller 2.8 swimbait and or a regular Tater Shad has been working Topwater has started with small white Pop-R or Zara Spook Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Fishing Report) or delcolvinfishing.com for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake (updated 5-1-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the lake has come up over the buckbrush and is still rising Fishing in the backs of creeks with stained water has been producing a few fish Fish over buckbrush with spinnerbaits or a ⅛-ounce jighead with a small swimbait — also a shallow-running jerkbait such as a Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue will get some bites fish a little deeper along the old shore line Walleye seemed to be starting to feed a bit better this week Fish are scattered along chunk rock points with deep water close by and along steeper creek channel swings that have shad Some walleye are being caught in open water over the flooded trees Fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing the old shore line in 18-20 feet of water with jig and minnow jig and plastics or Ice jigs worked slowly back to the boat on points with deep water on at least one side will produce fish Fishing same structure right before and after dark with 110-style jerk baits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some fish Trolling size 7 Flicker Shads at speeds of 1.5 to 1.7 mph in 18-20 feet along windblown banks will also work try deep-diving crankbaits with snap weights to get your baits down 40-50 feet and fish over the flooded trees in 80-plus feet of water at 1.2 to 1.7 mph  (updated 5-1-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are starting to get on the banks making beds where the water temperatures are more stable Recent rain and muddy rising water definitely have slowed things down but should really improve this week They are staying 10 feet of water and casting parallel to the bank The best times have been sunset to 10 p.m. focusing on the lake’s north and east banks South and west winds warm these banks during the day The best lures for night fishing are Rogues and swimbaits Visit Tom’s website or his Facebook page linked above for more information or to schedule a trip (updated 5-1-2025) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake is at 1,128.75 Lots of debris and floaters throughout the lake So ,caution needs to be used when boating on Beaver Spotted bass and smallies are on fire in the Rambo/Big Clifty and Little Clifty areas One key is if you can find water flowing in the feeder creeks with the big and dirty water from mid-lake up to Twin Bridges fish are scattered pushing up into the flooded areas fishing should respond with some stability “Summer patterns are just around the corner I assume crappie are in the process of spawning they will load up and start to feed post-spawn if you move and search you should be able to put fish in the boat especially when running with all the hazards in the lake Visit Jon’s Facebook page for the latest updates, FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR “The spoonbill (aka paddlefish) have come up to spawn as well I don’t think I will be chasing these prehistoric-looking critters I expect to see some new faces on the river If you do not have a boat with electronics fishing for these fish below Houseman might be a challenge You can simply get a heavy rod/reel and head below the dam; that’s where they are going to end up anyways No skill really involved; if you know how to cast and retrieve So if you want to try and snag one of these big fish “Remember, for additional updates follow my Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service); I’m pretty much on the water every week Feel free to message me if you have any questions anglers were doing some deep catching last week of crappie but it warmed up and the fish are now staying shallow bream and crappie continued to be taken in good numbers by anglers for the past week Bream are shallow now and are favoring redworms No reports on black bass or white bass this week The surface water temperature was up to 69 degrees earlier this week The clarity remains the usual murky and the water level is still high Fishing should be good based on the “moon times” forecast May 9-15 with the best days of this month being May 24-30 That should be the perfect time for catfish and bream anglers have reported that bream are starting to make their beds in preparation for spawning They said redworms were working well for bream Black bass were still around 10-15 feet down Crappie continue to be the top target for anglers here They had been moving closer to the shore before the heavy rains but afterward they have remained in slightly deeper water Minnows have been a very popular bait choice so much so that the park’s bait shop is always busy The State Park Visitor Center is open every day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m making it hard to tell how high it did get Most of the upper area from Mammoth Spring down was cleaned out aggressively A lot of the moss that was a problem should be cleaned out There are also a lot of new gravel bars on the river I look forward to relearning the river over the summer “Storms can change river conditions as they move through the area.”  Visit Mark’s blog (springriverfliesandguides.com) for updates and conditions on the Spring River (updated 5-1-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no report this week they reported that black bass are phasing into the spawn The best fishing at that time was in protected shallows with woody cover using dark- colored soft-plastic creatures and jigs Spinnerbaits and bladed jigs were effective on windy days (updated 5-1-2025) Anglers are reminded that all fish caught must be released immediately The Hunger Run Access was opened late last year to boat traffic There have been reports from anglers catching nice black bass (updated 5-1-2025) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Wednesday that lake elevation was 2 inches above normal pool and stable at 259.4 feet msl Millwood Lake Dam was releasing about 4,300 cfs and tailwater is near 233 feet msl and falling Incoming water upriver from the Tri-Lakes continues arriving downstream and feeding rivers into Millwood this week Siefert advises normal caution on the lake noting that boaters should stay vigilant watching for broken timber with reduced discharge volume rate conditions at the dam The Army Corps of Engineers continues to replace missing river buoys from Yarborough to Bee Lake to Big Bayou Boat Lane to Paraloma Trail and all the way to mile marker 1 and the open water Surface temps last week continue fluctuating Clarity along Little River is heavy stain to muddy with discharge at Millwood Dam muddy in some areas and further up Little River being the heaviest River clarity ranges 2-4 inches visibility depending on location Clarity and visibility of oxbows are heavy stained to muddy visibility from recent flooding lake-wide Siefert had these specifics of the fishing this week: * The largemouth bass activity has been fair to good over the past few weeks and in local tournaments A majority of bass have been noted post-spawn roaming shallow in search of bream beds in protected coves near cypress trees knees and stumps from 1-4 feet deep in flats and backs of creeks in a few areas in the oxbows up Little River where clarity is somewhat better than the river Most bass seen roaming flats appeared to be scouting areas of the oxbow lakes up Little River for bedding bream like bluegills Largemouths have been fair to good on square-bill cranks deflecting off stumps in shallow pockets especially near creeks running through flats with fresh lily pads where a creek bends the ATV and Echo 1.75 crankbaits in bluegill/bream Guacamole or burnt pumpkinseed patterns are best when you need to work shallow The Stumpknocker and Sunrise Perch patterns of the Echo 1.75 size drew some reactions from 2- to 3-pound bass last week near stumps on points of the oxbows Spin Traps with a gold tail spinner moving flawlessly through fresh lily pad stems will also grab a random reaction Brazalo Strutter Chatterbaits continue working for largemouths and best colors have been Millwood Mayhem Bream Reactions have been very good over the last couple of weeks and the best reactions continue to be in 5- to 9-foot depths near grass lines Brazalo Spinnerbaits in Arkansas River Shad Peach and Hot Mouse are all good choices in the stained to clear water areas in the oxbow lakes up Little River Largemouth Bass were reacting fair to 6- to 8-inch magnum-sized lizards Numerous bass are cruising grass lines and new fresh blooming lily pads in the 4- to 5-pound class 7-inch Power Worms and soft-plastic creature baits Texas-rigged Bass Assassin 5-inch Shad Assassins are working in Houdini Pumpkinseed and Smoke Wagon colors in the fresh blooming lily pad stands and behind and in dense grass lines * The bulk of white bass have been moving back down Little River and breaking up into smaller schools the past couple of weeks Seems like the larger schools have begun to separate into smaller groups and are more concentrated downriver at various creek dumps and points extending into Little River broken schools of whites were found from White Cliffs campground upriver to the entrance into McGuire Lake * Crappie seem to be moving shallow over the past week and the bite improved drastically around cypress trees and along grass lines they have been steadily improving in grass on jigs in white * Catfish continue to bite well on trotlines and limblines with the current in Little River buffalo and chicken livers were all working for channel cats up to 5-6 pounds each in current from 6-9 feet of depth * Numerous bream beds are being noted when you can find decent water clarity Water clarity in most locations is less than desirable groups of campers said they caught some off the bank and around the creek channel boat ramp on crickets and redworms last week We did note a few bream beds in the Jack’s Isle area of Little River backwater sloughs (updated 5-1-2025) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) continues to do most of his fishing at and reporting from lakes Ouachita “The crappie and bass are finishing up their spawn or already in post-spawn We are catching limits of crappie stacked up on brushpiles fished 8-12 feet deep in 18-24 feet of water.”  (update 5-1-2025) AGFC staff visited DeGray Lake last Sunday and reported that the lake had fish around brush and that the grass was prominent with the best bite coming on wacky-rigged soft-plastic worms in green pumpkin color (updated 4-24-2025) John Duncan of YoYo Guide Service (870-942-6291 or yoyoguideservice@gmail.com) at Iron Mountain Marina says The lake is slowly coming back to near normal levels Currently the lake is at 407.68 feet msl and dropping The lake has had quite a bit of debris floating around Most started around Lenox Marcus and upriver Sorry to say that very little new information is coming in to me “The water will be in the normal range for crappie this Thursday or Friday The crappie have been on the bed but very difficult to get to Water has been so high that you could not get a boat of any size into the shallow areas that people like to fish The crappie spawn should still be going on minnows and lures and work the shoreline as best as you can Change colors and size often until you get a pattern Some of the better areas this time of year are Lenox Marcus Brushy is always good for casting jigs to the shoreline “There was a bass tournament on DeGray on April 19 I missed the weigh-in so no clue as to what they were caught on “Hopefully the water will stabilize and we can get into the shallows to fish the spawning fish.” (updated 5-1-2025) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that water temperature has risen to 53 degrees with stained to muddy conditions in the tailrace Entergy scheduled very high generation flows round-the-clock for the last week of 6,000 cfs to stabilize area lakes from the last round of stormy weather to hit the state Very little productive fishing has taken place during this time as the tailrace is dangerous to navigate while this amount of water is being transferred through the system extremely muddy conditions accompanied the fast water which created a no-win situation for fishing and recreation activities The weekly generation schedule is normally posted on Wednesday at the Entergy/Hydro website (linked above) It is hoped conditions will soon allow for a much safer generation flow where the public can access the area safely good prospects for quality angling will present themselves April was the last month for rainbow trout stocking for the spring season with 4,320 fish scheduled for release in the tailrace Bank fishermen can catch limits of trout by using live baits such as redworms and waxworms fished just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater PowerBaits are a good bet presented in the same manner Boat fishermen can anchor in and around rock structure or sandbars and have success casting Rooster Tails in brown or white in a ⅛-ounce weight Spoon presentations as a Little Cleo or Super Duper also will work well in a current situation when rainbows are keying in on injured baitfish Fly-fishermen can still access areas that hold trout even though the lake is now at normal summertime pool Micro-jigs in black or white cast under a strike indicator strongly resemble river minnows that live in the tailrace Woolly Buggers in olive and black are a mainstay in the line of artificial lures on which trout will feed Egg patterns in orange or white will draw strikes when other presentations are ignored Walleye are still in the area finishing up the spawn and are feeding and preparing to migrate downstream to the main body of the lake Trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate crawfish and threadfin shad are a proven technique to cover water and tempt walleye into feeding White bass will move into the Carpenter Dam tailrace next month for the spawn and will remain in the tailrace until mid-July June will bring blue and channel catfish into the tailrace to begin their spawning run and will provide angers some wonderful table fare Remember to always wear a life jacket when on the water and obey all park and lake regulations when visiting Carpenter Dam Trash cans are limited so please pick up after yourselves and always cooperate with game wardens when approached superintendent at Lake Dardanelle State Park (479-890-7474) (updated 5-1-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says the store is opening back up Friday after being closed the past two weeks She’ll have lots of fresh minnows from Lonoke in the store Carter Cove has a Facebook page, and the email address is cartercovebaitnmore@gmail.com (updated 5-1-2025) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports that black bass are still good flippin’ jig and a floating worm are still all producing quality catches Walleye are moving back into the main lake from the rivers and major creeks Stripers are good and biting on topwater C-10 redfins and live bait Bream are fair on worms or crickets in 20-30 feet of water Crappie are still good and relating to brush in the 8- to 20-foot range Catfish are still good on trotlines and jugs with live and cut bait The lake level Thursday was 578.12 feet msl Call the Mountain Harbor fishing guides (Mike Wurm (update 5-1-2025) Crappie guide Eric Watts of Natural State Fishing (501-548-8990) while he’s usually on Lake Maumelle when the water is right said he’s been commuting back and forth to Lake Ouachita lately “We’ve been on a great crappie bite in brush in 10-20 feet of water Casting Original Baby Shad Bobby Garland Crappie Baits in a variety of colors has produced remarkable numbers over the past three to four weeks.” (updated 5-1-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says bait customers who stop in before heading to Blue Mountain Lake say the fishing at Blue Mountain is going well for crappie Anglers report they are mostly using minnows thank you to all our loyal customers for shopping at Webb’s Sporting Goods!” Note: msl is mean sea level; cfs is cubic feet per second Sign up now to receive the AGFC Wildlife Weekly Newsletter in your mailbox every Wednesday afternoon (Waterfowl Reports are published weekly during waterfowl season and periodically outside the season) Fill in the following fields and hit submit Charlottesville activist announces bid for city's school board The homeowner association of a Fluvanna County gated community must pay $646,843 to the federal government if it wants to avoid litigation Department of Justice in a letter sent late last year to the Lake Monticello Owners' Association 12,000-resident lakeside community 15 miles southeast of Charlottesville was notified in December of last year that as a 501(c)(4) "social welfare organization," it should have been ineligible for the Paycheck Protection Program loan it requested and received at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic It will be months before the financial damage is fully assessed The homeowner association may be forced to trim spending as well as pay penalties and interest on a loan its leaders thought it qualified for absolutely,” Lake Monticello Owners' Association spokeswoman Marieke Henry told The Daily Progress Lake Monticello is a gated community in Fluvanna County home to 4,300 households and 12,000 residents The homeowner association applied for the PPP loan in the early days of the pandemic to avoid furloughing staff and keep its operations running The loan application was submitted in April 2020 and was approved a few weeks later Henry said that although the loan application listed who qualifies it also offered the option to check “Other.” That’s what the Lake Monticello Owners’ Association did It even provided a description of what kind of an organization it is and it was very unclear who qualified,” said Henry who at the time was not the association’s spokeswoman we won’t be approved; we’re safe.’ And that was not the case.” Lake Monticello Owners' Association Board President Larry Henson said “Initial guidelines [for the PPP loan] were unclear and were revised multiple times LMOA assumed eligibility based on the application’s wording trusting that results would be denied if incorrect.” Lake Monticello Owners' Association members pay $1,459 in annual dues; members whose lots are vacant pay slightly less But dues alone do not cover all of the association's expenses The Lake Monticello Golf Course is just one of the amenities offered at the Fluvanna County gated community the association also generates income from various amenities the Bunker Bistro restaurant and the Lake Monticello Golf Course the Lake Monticello Owners’ Association didn’t know what impact it would have on membership and whether members would be able to pay their dues at all “The assumption was made that maybe those dues won’t even come in and then how do we cover paying for our staff and all of the expenses that go with running a large HOA?” she said because I think everyone involved was absolutely confident that they were fulfilling their fiduciary duties to the community — which was to protect the home values and their members," Henry said “No one was trying to break the law or be sneaky or anything like that.” the Small Business Administration's Office of the Inspector General released a report that found 179 PPP loans totaling $684 million were made to "potentially ineligible nonprofits." a homeowner association in California — also a 501(c)(4) — reached an agreement with the DOJ to pay more than $2 million including nearly $500,000 in fees and penalties after it was found to be ineligible for a PPP loan it previously received The PPP loan program was established in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid to provide economic relief to businesses and help them retain their workers According to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee "borrowers qualify for loan forgiveness if they use at least 60% of the funds for payroll costs between 8 and 24 weeks after the loan disbursement date." As of October of last year the program had loaned nearly $800 billion to 11.5 million small businesses The Lake Monticello Owners’ Association has obtained an attorney to advise it on further steps the association will likely have to adjust its spending “in order to make this right — if we are forced to make this right," she said The association did not respond to the December DOJ letter but its board of directors is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m Dmitry Martirosov (678) 768-5726 dmartirosov@dailyprogress.com Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter Email notifications are only sent once a day Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The Lake Monticello Owners Association (LMOA)  will ask residents for permission to potentially draw funds from the Emergency Reserve Account (ERA) to help pay off a $680,000 COVID-era federal loan Directors voted 6-0 to add the question to the ballot that will go out to members for the annual meeting during their monthly meeting on Thursday night (April 25) the LMOA applied for a $646,843 loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) an emergency fund established by Congress to provide up to eight weeks of payroll assistance for eligible businesses facing furloughs and layoffs as the country shut down in the face of the expanding pandemic LMOA was concerned that illness and rising unemployment would prevent members from keeping up with the dues and permits Current LMOA president Larry Henson said that the LMOA directors on the board at the time “believed it was their fiduciary responsibility” to apply for the loan Henson said that the PPP program guidelines had been contradictory and constantly changing but the LMOA had “trusted the SBA (Small Business Administration) to vet the application properly.”  Because the LMOA was found to have used the funds for their intended purpose the SBA forgave the loan in full in May 2021 The association then took the debt off the books LMOA had been ineligible for PPP loan forgiveness Failure to settle and repay the $681,000 could result in prosecution under the False Claims Act A conviction could lead to a fine double or triple the amount of the original debt Henson said an attorney’s analysis of DOJ settlements with other HOAs under similar PPP loan cases generally found that the amounts were about 1.2 to 1.5 times the original loan amount The ERA is a reserve fund created when LMOA sold the water treatment plant to Aqua in the 1990s.  Residents have voted to approve withdrawals in the past a majority voted to loan the association $2 million from the ERA to fund the construction of the new clubhouses at Ashlawn and Fairway A portion of annual dues goes back into the fund each year with the loan expected to be fully repaid by 2030 The question of using ERA funds to help pay the PPP loan will be on the ballot that will go out to residents in the next few weeks Results will be announced at the annual meeting in late June.  PALMYRA, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Lake Monticello Police and the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office are investigating as a hate crime a threat last week that caused postponement of a charity drag show that was supposed to be this past weekend at Lake Monticello’s Bunker Bistro Event organizers says the Lake Monticello Owners’ Association received a “threat of violence” against the sold-out February 22 Drag Brunch LMOA and DocRun Hospitality decided to postpone the event “for law enforcement investigations”  Law enforcement say it’s an active investigation and no other information is available at this time Anyone with information is urged to contact Lake Monticello Police Chief David Wells at 434-589-8211.adButlerLazyLoad("3254104203336987542",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); Some proceeds of the show were to benefit the JD Dickinson Foundation… which raises money for his two daughters as well as provide scholarships to two high school seniors an avid golfer who worked in that industry and voice of the Fluvanna High football team died suddenly of a blood clot at age 39 in 2014 Jay Hart is a news reporter with CvilleRightNow.com Reach him by email at jhart@charlottesvilleradiogroup.com or call 434-977-6397 UVA Alert Monday morning from self-inflicted gunshot incident The Nelson County Sheriff and The AWARE Foundation of Virginia asking help finding a missing Nelson County teen Governor Youngkin took final actions to complete the legislative session for 2025 in the General Assembly City Council Monday night considers a grant program to assist low- and moderate-income people whose home ownership in the city may be in jeopardy due to financial stress associated with costs owning that home Virginia’s standing as one of the top states in the nation for patient safety in hospital settings has again been affirmed in the Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade rankings Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again A sold-out drag brunch fundraiser at Lake Monticello has been postponed after what’s been described as a credible “threat of violence.” The Lake Monticello Police Department and Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the matter as a hate crime raising money for the JD Dickinson Memorial Foundation which provides funding for local students’ education was originally scheduled to take place this past Saturday at the Bunker Bistro a restaurant within the gated community situated between the Lake Monticello Golf Course and the lake itself The event was to showcase Richmond-based drag queen Alvion Arnell Davenport rumors were already swirling of a planned protest outside the restaurant The Lake Monticello Owners’ Association said after it became aware of “concerns from some residents,” it coordinated with the Lake Monticello Police Department to “monitor the event and respond appropriately in case any disturbances occurred.” when the homeowner association said it received a “threat of violence against the Drag Brunch.” which was not involved in planning the event said it immediately contacted the Lake Monticello Police Department the Lake Monticello resident planning the brunch and RocDun Hospitality the business that manages the Bunker Bistro RocDun and the homeowner association agreed to postpone the brunch until law enforcement could investigate the threat “The Lake Monticello Police are working with the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies on this investigation classifying it as a hate crime,” the Lake Monticello Owners’ Association said in a statement issued Friday “All efforts will be made to identify the person or persons responsible for the threat and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” the event planner helping to market the drag brunch Lake Monticello in Fluvanna County was first developed in the late ’50s and early ’60s It was at first popular with a smaller crowd and retirees but it has since become a popular community for Charlottesville commuters but please know that we will not let hate win,” Amanda Pace Dickinson We love celebrating both,” its Facebook profile reads This is not the first time the Lake Monticello community has been roiled by homophobia a member of the homeowner association’s board of directors was discovered posting homophobic remarks in a right-wing Facebook group Polonis called homosexuals “demonic” and “satanic.” When Lake Monticello residents pushed back on Polonis’ rhetoric he proceeded to share the names and addresses of those who condemned him online Four hundred people signed a petition demanding Polonis step down and his colleagues on the board unanimously voted to censure him A referendum to remove Polonis from office fell 143 votes short of the necessary 2,256 needed to force him out of office I believe in Satan and I believe that homosexuality is immoral,” Polonis told a crowd of assembled residents at a May 2023 meeting I seek to do them no harm though my beliefs may offend others and I stand by my beliefs.” The FBI reported last year a 23% year-over-year increase in attacks on gays and lesbians because of their sexual orientation including in left-leaning New York and California have pulled Pride marketing and sponsorships The Lake Monticello HOA in Fluvanna County needs to pay back more than $600,000 in PPP money it took during the pandemic or face litigation “I’ve been having success with a deep-water nymph rig Running about 8-12 feet deep with split shot to get the flies down where the fish are holding I’m using high-vis attractor patterns like eggs or San Juan Worms if you’re looking to get on the water (updated 4-17-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said trout fishing is really good on one generator at the dam Early mornings are the best time to be out and anglers are throwing a bigger jerkbait right now Gold and rainbow trout have been the best colors a ⅛-ounce Marabou jig has been doing really well; use olive or black color Rooster Tails or a Trout Magnet in pink or white have their fans right now for catching the trout Make sure to check the links above of the Corps and SWPA for generation schedules and any changes at Greers Ferry Lake with it 9 feet high as of Thursday with more rain in the forecast over the weekend (updated 4-24-2025) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 470.53 feet msl which puts it is 8.49 feet above normal pool 462.04 feet msl) and falling with generation (SWPA has been running water round-the-clock from one unit to lower the lake) but there are other crappie still floating around in deeper water Jigs and minnows are working best at all depths and crankbaits are best for trolling 12-18 feet mid-depth fish and the deep fish at 40 feet Walleyes are in all stages of spawn — some are back to the lake while others are headed up rivers and creeks and all in-between Try to drag a jig tipped with minnow or crawler and or drop-shot for those and big minnow-style plugs are working trolled Catfish are eating all over lake and rivers Lines and jugs are working best with a variety of baits Bream are showing up more now — try crawlers A lot of white bass and hybrid bass are up rivers; some are done with spawning and others are in between with a lot still deep in lake up to 50 feet A lot are in 12-20 feet and some are still out in 50 feet Just about any baits are working at this time One angler reported catching six nice-sized crappie on minnows Another caught catfish using nightcrawlers on the west side of the lake Black bass are biting off the shoreline in fair numbers Bream are starting to bite a little bit on crickets and redworms Black bass are doing well on crankbaits and soft plastic worms Catfish are feeding on the worms that washed into the lake They’ve heard no reports on crappie or  bream — it’s been a tough bite (update 4-10-2025) Crappie guide Eric Watts of Natural State Fishing (501-548-8990) said that with the water low on Lake Maumelle for the repair of the dam but was fishing other crappie locations in Central Arkansas Give him a holler for a trip or for updates on his excursions; his information is linked above (updated 4-24-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) says that the river flow is dangerously high as of Thursday and they advise anglers to stay off for a while which would be double the flow that creates a small craft advisory on the river anglers can fish for black bass with success by using a wacky-rigged Senko and fish in backwaters around the grass Crappie on the river are reacting well to black and chartreuse Crappie Magnets fished around wood of the rock piles in the backwater areas Drift-fishing is the name of the game on high water and has provided for some good-sized rainbows and a fair share of browns Be prepared for a challenge and come with an arsenal of baits as the trout have a lot of room to escape the lure “The brown bite has been slower this past week — not unexpected — as the trout acclimate to the swifter water we’ve still seen a decent number in the 19- to 22-inch range mostly caught with sculpins “With the fast current the river is dangerous Both Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes are several feet above their respective conservation pool levels I expect it may be some time before we see more ‘normal’ water levels Be aware of your surroundings and DO NOT throw out an anchor while in the river If the anchor gets hung up it will pull down the front of the boat.” (updated 4-24-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302), delcolvinfishing.com said Wednesday that lake level was on the rise at 672 feet msl The bigger creeks have some debris; be careful with floaters as the wind changes direction and the lake rises Take debris precautions on launch ramps and courtesy docks There is more precipitation in the forecast The water toward the main lake is gin clear toward the dam Lots of fish are cruising the outside bush line still Powerfishing shallow has been favorable with clouds Chatterbait or a square bill in bright colors Target windblown points and flats near spawning coves/pockets There are always fish to be caught on a jig a half-ounce Jewel in green pumpking or some variant swings — your looking anywhere from 1 foot to 20 feet The offshore videogamers have to work now; the shad are still spread out If you are targeting shad eaters  it’s been work A smaller 2.8 swimbait or a regular Tater Shad has been working They are being finicky if they aren’t actively feeding Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Fishing Report) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake (updated 4-24-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the change in lake level has the fis The lake has come up over the buckbrush in a lot of areas and is still rising Fish over buckbrush with spinnerbaits or a ⅛-ounce jighead with a small swimbait such as a Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue will get some bites Fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing 4 feet out to 30 feet of water with jig and minnow or Ice Jigs worked slowly back to the boat on points with deep water on at least one side will produce fish Fishing the same structure right before and after dark with 110-style jerkbaits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some fish Trolling size 7 Flicker Shads at speeds between 1.5-1.7 mph in 7-14 feet along windblown banks will also work try deep-diving crank baits with snap weights to get your baits down 40-50 feet and fish over the flooded trees in 80-plus-feet of water at 1.2 to 1.7 mph (updated 4-24-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are starting to get on the banks making beds where the water temperatures are more stable (updated 4-24-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters (also Facebook.com/stroutfitters or 870-421-1541) guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports that the lake went up to almost 570 feet msl this past week due to heavy rain north of us It is beginning to drop again and is 568 feet and dropping (updated 4-24-2025) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake is full to the top as of this week “My calculations are that we have had close to 15 inches of rain in the last few weeks The Army Corps of Engineers had opened floodgates There really isn’t anything to report except debris and high water Just hope they don’t draw it down too fast but I am pretty sure that isn’t going to happen in the next few weeks “So all I have is: It’s high and full of obstacles Hopefully next week I will have some better news Remember, for additional updates follow my Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service); I’m pretty much on the water every week Redworms were working great with anglers finding bream along the shoreline Crappie are good but appeared to be moving into deeper water plastic jigs and Arkie Jigs were working well Black bass are good and have moved closer to the shoreline and in shallow water Try a Texas-rigged watermelon seed Baby Brush Hog for best success Catfish are beginning minnows in good numbers The best days based on “moon times” for April are NOW: April 24-30 Fishing should be good based on the moon forecast May 9-15 That should be perfect time for catfish and bream The water level remains high and the clarity is the usual murky Surface temperature Sunday was 66.7 degrees The lake limit on crappie is 15 fish (all sizes encouraged to be harvested to help prevent stunting) and for black bass you can keep 10 fish with one being larger than 16 inches The State Park Visitor Center is now open every day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m (updated 4-24-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no report this week (updated 4-24-2025) Anglers are reminded that all fish caught must be released immediately or Ditch Bayou from Lake Chicot downstream to Ditch Bayou Dam be aware that crappie shorter than 10 inches must be immediately released and that the crappie daily limit is 20 (updated 4-24-2025) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Wednesday that Millwood Lake elevation was about 4 inches above normal pool and falling Millwood Lake Dam was releasing about 13,100 cfs and the tailwater was near 239 feet and falling Navigation is nearing normal caution levels this week with reduced discharge volume rate conditions at the dam Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s page linked above for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels and muddy in some areas further up Little River River clarity is ranging 2-4 inches visibility depending on location Clarity and visibility of oxbows are heavy stained to muddy visibility from recent flooding lake-wide in flats and backs of creeks in a few areas in the oxbows up Little River where clarity is somewhat better than the river Largemouths have been fair to good on on square-bill cranks deflecting off stumps Guacamole or burnt pumpkinseed patterns when you need to work shallow The Stumpknocker and Sunrise Perch patterns of the Echo 1.75 size drew some reactions from 2- to -3-pound bass last week near stumps on points of the oxbows Spin Traps with a gold tail spinner will also flawlessly grab a random reaction through fresh lily pad stems Brazalo Strutter Chatterbaits continue working catching healthy bass over the last couple weeks and the best reactions continue to be in 5-9 feet depths near grass lines Spot Remover and Hot Mouse are all good choices in the stained to clear water areas in the oxbow lakes up Little River They were also reacting fair to 6- to 8-inch magnum-sized lizards Numerous bass are cruising grass lines and fresh blooming lily pads in the 4- to 5-pound class “There was a bass tournament on Degray on April 19 (updated 4-24-2025) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that water temperature has risen to 53 degrees with clearing conditions in the tailrace round-the-clock generations flows for the last week of 9,000 cfs to stabilize area lakes from the last round of storms to hit the state It is hoped that conditions will soon allow for a much safer generation flow where the public can access the area safely April is the last month for rainbow trout stocking for the spring season with 4,320 fish scheduled to be released in the tailrace Bank anglers can catch limits of trout by using live baits such as redworms and waxworms fished just off the bottom with a marshmallow floater PowerBaits are a best bet presented in the same manner Boat anglers can anchor in and around rock structure or sandbars and have success casting Rooster Tails in brown or white in a ⅛-ounce weight Spoon presentations such as a Little Cleo or Super Duper’s will also work well in a current situation when rainbows are keying in on injured baitfish Woolly Buggers in olive and black are a mainstay in the line of artificial lures that trout will feed on June will bring blue and channel catfish into the tailrace to begin their spawning run and will provide anglers some wonderful table fare so please pick up after yourselves and always cooperate with game wardens when approached (updated 4-24-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) had no report this week but most recently had said that fishing for bass and crappie were good for some not as good for others with the lake returning to a normal level Black bass were biting spinnerbaits but many were small Crappie were various sizes and total catches but some regulars tend to stick with the jig (updated 4-24-2025) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports that black bass are still good Stripers are good and biting on top water C-10 redfins and live bait The lake level Wednesday was 580.75 feet and falling (updated 4-24-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says bait customers who stop in before heading to Blue Mountain Lake say the fishing at Blue Mountain is going well for crappie this is likely to be the highest or second highest I have seen the lake since I started in 2017 Maybe it will help replenish all of the oxbows in the region.”  Cook’s Lake is a 2.5-mile-long oxbow off of the White River nestled in the heart of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge near Casscoe in Arkansas County This fertile oxbow receives very little fishing pressure due to it being used only for education purposes and youth and mobility-impaired fishing Cook’s Lake is open to fishing for youths under 16 or mobility-impaired anglers who must possess the AGFC mobility impaired access permit Fish from the 140-foot mobility-impaired accessible dock or launch a boat Fishing will be allowed only on Fridays and Saturdays March through August please check in at the Nature Center classroom and report back before leaving Crappie are biting well on shad-colored jigs and minnows in reservoirs They are spawning in shallow waters and tributaries “Thanks to our loyal customers for shopping at Webb’s Sporting Goods!” Contributed by Mike FeazelBingo is back at Lake Monticello Fire & Rescue with a new day – every Friday evening – a new band of volunteers  The doors will open at the fire house at 5 p.m with a progressive games increasing $100 per week Thursday night bingo had been a staple for Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue (LMVFRS) for decades until Covid-19 attendance never quite returned to previous levels yet it still required the same number of volunteers,” said John Lye we faced ongoing challenges in recruiting enough volunteers to keep bingo fully staffed.” But the lost bingo revenue was a big factor for the fire & rescue department He said the department is only partially funded by the county “Bingo was one of our most effective ways to raise much-needed funds,” Lye said “We’re optimistic that it will once again play a vital role in supporting our mission.” The funds raised through bingo will go to purchase equipment and fund operations Sorber’s group has been working since December to re-start the bingo She said that has included “going through state training and planning how we might bring the bingo program back to life.  We had to drag it into the 21st century — from a pencil and paper accounting system to computer-generated state forms and reports.” Much of the work involved making sure the fire bingo complies with all state regulations “Today’s bingo is regulated by the Commonwealth of Virginia,” she said “There is significant paperwork to complete and report regularly.  We have to account for everything Sorber said her group (Julianne DeVarennes and Jean Shore) contacted former of volunteers and  former regular players asking about ways to improve the experience such as streamlining the purchase of bingo cards and by cleaning and overhauling the large board that displays the bingo equipment numbers Organizers decided not to use the Maple Room kitchen for food and beverages during bingo various food trucks will be available Friday evenings and it “will allow for more variety of food options for our patrons and allows our volunteers to concentrate on the bingo side and not have to work the kitchen as well.” They also decided to switch the bingo night to Friday from Thursday the Lake Monticello bingo was on Thursdays to avoid conflicting with several other bingos on Friday nights and organizers thought Friday evenings might be more convenient and attract more players “We’re thrilled to have a dedicated group of volunteers ready to take the reins and breathe new life into bingo,” Lye said “Their enthusiasm and fresh approach are truly inspiring The group did a trial-run bingo night March 21 to work out any kinks with more than 70 “friends and family” playing Organizers and players said it went very well No one under 16 will be allowed in the Maple Room while bingo is being played Children 16-17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Not enough room to park parkers constraining the streets where emergency vehicles cannot pass and too many people in too small a space are reasons the Lake Monticello July 4th fireworks are being discontinued The Lake Monticello Owners’ Association board unanimously voted not to do 2025 fireworks after neighborhood Police Chief David Wells presented a list of safety concerns last month The fireworks cost about $15,000 to put on and the board was looking at some safety mitigations that would have put that price tag at 35,000… but even that would not have addressed the potential problems.adButlerLazyLoad("2311495453827286830",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); Wells spoke of too many people and too few access points to address an emergency at Beach 1… and they would have to tear down basketball and tennis courts and build a garage to address needed parking He talked about a group of guys from Charlottesville who had come last July 4 to apparently stir things up with a group from Fluvanna and having the clear and padlock the basketball courts… and of having to break up a fight on the beach where he was alone and happened to have about five large firefighters in the vicinity to help him (updated 4-3-2025) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) had no reports (updated 4-3-2025) AGFC staff reported Tuesday that eight people were fishing the Lake Conway Nursery Pond that day and anglers are starting to catch harvestable bream Anglers were reported to be very positive about having the pond as a fishing option the Facebook site Crappie Fishing Arkansas featured a photo recently of an angler having caught a nice slab there (updated 4-17-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said right now with the water being 9 feet high there is a lot of water everywhere and a lot of black bass catching going on around the lake be it in 15 feet of water or up shallow around the shoreline or the bushes where the water isn’t typically sitting a Carolina rig and a football head jig both have been doing really well try a green pumpkin creature bait Texas-rigged a floating worm and a flue are both doing quite well If there is a little wind around the shoreline and the bushes they suggest using a spinnerbait as well as a Chatterbait for success After the major rain of almost two weeks ago they haven’t heard much on the crappie front while others are still floating around in deeper water with crankbaits for trolling 12-18 feet for mid-depth fish and others are headed up rivers and creeks and all in-between — and trying to drag a jig tipped with minnow or crawler and/or a drop-shot Big minnow-style plugs are working trolled the lake went down a lot and is back to normal level now (updated 4-10-2025) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) reports that the lake now is 5 feet low (after being drawn down more than 10 feet for the repair of the dam by Central Arkansas Water) and water temperature is ranging 65-67 degrees Reports have come in of them being caught in 1-5 feet of water we are expecting more anglers to come out this weekend (updated 4-17-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said the bass fishing is really good now on the river Anglers are catching them up shallow around the bank where there is cover with a black and blue jig and a Texas-rigged black and blue creature bait a white and chartreuse spinnerbait and a black and blue Chatterbait will bring you some bites With the dirty water through the pool this week black and blue is always an excellent color choice Most all of the bass are being caught in backwaters or just off the main river They have not heard anything this week on crappie The bite seemed to tail off after the big rains and flooding around the state two weeks ago The river is a little high in water level as of Thursday and the clarity is muddy The temperature is ranging 62-63 degrees with the expectation that it will warm up in the next couple of warmer days But then major rainfall is forecast for late Saturday into Sunday and that could change everything the fish are doing anglers need to be more aware of their surroundings “This week we received one stocking of 1,200 rainbows at the Calcio Rock boat ramp and another stocking of 1,200 rainbows at the Chessmond Ferry boat ramp.”  An AGFC staffer took in a guided trip with a friend and a Jack’s guide the week before last and had a lot of success with rainbows mostly catching them up to 6 miles or so north of the resort and drifting downstream rapidly with a pretty strong current The AGFC had stocked the river with rainbows at Mount Olive and at the Sylamore Access several days earlier Best success was by spin-fishing with inline spinners eggs (like X Factor or something similar) and pieces of shrimp Make sure to use only about a third of a whole shrimp; anything more is too much for the trout to swallow We caught some more mature rainbows as well as the stockers (updated 4-17-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said Wednesday that the lake level was on the rise at 669 feet msl Water temperature varies anywhere from 56 to low 60s We have more precipitation in the forecast The water toward the main lake is gin clear and toward the dam Some fish have moved up pre-spawn and some are spawning Chatter bait and a square bill in bright colors are best like a Jewel half-ounce green pumpkin variant (updated 4-17-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the change in lake level as well as the wind direction has the fish changing positions on a daily basis The lake has come up over the buckbrush in a lot of areas Fish over buckbrush with spinnerbaits or a 1/8-ounce jig head with small swimbait or use a shallow-running jerkbait such as a Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue — that will get some bites The best fishing this past week has still been late evenings Walleye seemed to be for the most part in the post-spawn period Fishing methods are still the same: fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing 4 feet out to 30 feet of water with jig and minnow or Ice Jig worked slowly back to the boat on points with deep water on at least one side Fishing same structure right before and after dark with 110-style jerkbaits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some fish fishing low-light periods using 5-inch stick baits at slow speeds as low as .85 mph in 7-14 feet along windblown banks will also work (updated 4-17-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are definitely scattered at least mid-lake “We have had success covering lots of brush in that 15-25 feet range and occasionally are starting to catch a few beautiful males that are getting their tuxedo on in shallower brush around 10 feet We are getting closer but these cool nights rising colored water and debris have them still scattered in a funk We have had success casting jigs over brush and also with minnows.” (updated 4-17-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters (also Facebook.com/stroutfitters or 870-421-1541) guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports that the lake is 568 feet msl and dropping; the dam has opened its floodgates to release our high water “My estimate was off by a week when I said in my last report the fish would turn on The cold north and northwest winds shut down the lake on Tuesday and Wednesday Strong south winds for the remainder of the week will warm the water and “The small group of guests staying at Hand Cove Resort has been night fishing and doing very well They are staying in 10 feet of water and casting parallel to the bank focusing on the lake’s north and east banks The best lures for night fishing are rogues and swim baits The best locations to find active stripers include Steward Point (updated 4-17-2025) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake finally stopped its upward movement at 1,128 feet msl and has dropped a little to 1,127.87 as of Tuesday with that much rise and water coming into the lake there is a big push of debris and muddy water that stretches from the U.S Highway 412 bridge down to the Arkansas Highway 12 bridge Where they were is not where they are today There is massive amounts of good spawning habit and the fish are pushing back into all that cover Hopefully the lake stays up as spawning is beginning for crappie and bass “We fished the last two days without much luck If you move and look in many spots you can pick up some fish the weather is predicted to dump another 2-4 inches of rain this weekend there is a large number of hay bales floating through Blue Springs and up the War Eagle arms It’s very dangerous as they float right at and below the surface Keep your eyes peeled looking for hazards if you’re out and running a boat “Be safe and stay vigilant while out on the lake.” Bream are good and also are shallow (the full moon this week should be helping the action Use redworms or jigs and focus around the shoreline Black bass are good but there was no information left on what baits the anglers were using Spinnerbaits and crankbaits should be great and topwater season is coming when the water warms up from the 59.3 degrees reported on Sunday morning The clarity is the usual murky and the water level remains high (updated 4-17-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no report this week (updated 4-17-2025) Anglers are reminded that all fish caught must be released immediately (updated 4-17-2025) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Wednesday that the following areas have reopened since the lake elevation subsided after the big rains of two weeks ago: On Millwood Lake: Millwood State Park (Arkansas State Parks) Saratoga Landing (USACE) and Beard’s Lake (USACE) are all open River Run West and the ramp below Millwood Lake Dam (USACE) are open and lower loop at Bella Mine are all closed On Gillham Lake: Cossatot Point north boat ramp Little Coon Creek and Big Coon Creek (USACE) are closed Siefert reports that Millwood Lake elevation as of Wednesday is about 10 inches above normal and falling at 260.1 feet msl; Millwood Lake Dam is releasing about 17,100 cfs and tailwater is near 243 feet and falling Incoming water upriver from the Tri-Lakes has begun arriving downstream and feeding rivers into Millwood this week at the Millwood Dam and flow rates in Saline and Cossatot have reduced necessary navigational caution that was seen last week; nevertheless always stay vigilant watching for broken timber Navigation is nearing normal caution levels this week The Army Corps of Engineers are in process of replacing river buoys from Yarborough to Paraloma Trail boat lane Use extreme caution where Little River buoys are still missing Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website linked above ranging 65 degrees early to 72 later in the day along Little River muddy in some areas further up Little River being heaviest with river clarity ranging 2-4 inches visibility depending on location Clarity and visibility of oxbows are heavy stained to muddy from recent flooding lake wide Siefert offered these specifics of the lake’s fishing this week: * Millwood is still producing solid largemouth bass at tournaments over the past several weeks — consistently week to week there are catches weighing 5-9 pounds The bass activity has continued to improve with the warmer conditions depending on location but it can seem random on high barometric days Male bass have been noted shallow and numerous beds seen in protected flats near cypress trees in flats and backs of creeks in many areas and a few females on beds in the oxbows up Little River The best activity is late morning through midday Several females have been found roaming flats from 1-5 feet deep and on beds in areas of the oxbow lakes up Little River A few have been fair to good on red chrome half-ounce Rat-L-Traps The smaller quarter-ounce Spinner Tail Rat-L-Traps in chrome/blue or red shad will get a random reaction near flats through dead lily pads with deep creek bends red shad/gold back or Toledo Gold colors and you will connect Spin Traps with a gold tail spinner will also work through the dead lily pad stems flawlessly to connect with roaming bass and best colors over the past few weeks for us have been Millwood Mayhem Bream Reactions have been very good — we’ve been catching healthy 3- to 6-pound bass over recent weeks — and the best reactions continue to be in 5-9 feet depths near grass lines Spot Remover and Hot Mouse are all good choices in the stained to clear water in the oxbow lakes up Little River Largemouths over the past week were 3-4 pounds and were in 2-6 feet deep flats with stumps present near cypress trees and knees for wind protection with close proximity to drops from 4-9 feet deep The bite has improved on a red or chartreuse/white Chatterbait a Brazalo Spinnerbait in Spot Remover or chartreuse/white Numerous largemouths are cruising grass lines and new fresh blooming lily pad in the 4- to 5-pound class Tournament Tube and 6- to 8-inch lizards in blackberry pumpkinseed flake with chartreuse dipped tail and Watermelon Candy will randomly connect with 3- to 4-pounders near fresh from 8-10 feet deep in Little River’s oxbow lakes and creek channels upriver near creek junctions and on tapering points Berkley 7-inch Power Worms and lizards in blue fleck black grape or June bug have been best colors for the plastic worm turn off your electronics and raise your trolling motor to keep from spooking the bass In the cleaner water back in the pockets and oxbows away from current in Little River throw a 6- to 8-inch lizard in Cotton Candy and in the heavier stained or dingy and muddy areas throw black/blue pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail or a chartreuse pumpkin color kind of like the white bass were a few days this week and they have not been stacked up in brush like they typically are this time of year We do not believe the crappie have pulled up shallow or are spawning yet things should be getting better in a week.” (updated 4-17-2025) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that water temperature has risen to 50 degrees with clearing conditions in the tailrace round-the-clock generation for the last week of 9,000 cfs to stabilize area lakes from the double-digit rainfall amounts our area received from the weeklong storms Very little productive fishing has taken place as the tailrace is dangerous to navigate while this amount of water is being transferred through the system The weekly generation schedule should be posted online today at the Entergy/Hydro website (see link above) conditions will allow for a much safer generation flow where the public can access the area safely Spoon presentations as a Little Cleo or Super Duper will also work well in a current situation when rainbows are keying in on injured baitfish Woolly Buggers in olive and black are a mainstay in the line of artificial lures that trout will feed upon Trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate crawfish and threadfin shad is a proven technique to cover water and tempt walleye into feeding so please pick up after yourselves and cooperate with game wardens when asked (updated 4-17-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) had no report this week (updated 4-17-2025) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports that black bass are good Stripers are still good and biting on topwater C-10 redfins and live bait Bream are still fair on worms or crickets in 20-30 feet of water Crappie are good and relating to brush in the 8- to 20-foot range Catfish are good on trotlines and jugs with live and cut bait Water temperature is still ranging 60-66 degrees The lake level Wednesday was 582.23 feet and falling fast (updated 4-3-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says bait customers who stop in there before heading to Blue Mountain Lake say the fishing at Blue Mountain is going well for crappie crappie’ … Some customers are wanting to catch bream and are requesting crickets though it’s not time for the bream to be spawning yet all shad-colored baits are doing very well right now due to shad spawning thanks to our loyal customers for shopping at Webb’s Sporting Goods!” The Lake Monticello Community Foundation board voted unanimously Wednesday (April 9) to work with the Lake Monticello Owners Association to install a floating swim platform and a wood-like mobility mat to make it easier for those with mobility issues to access the beach and docks which would be completely financed by the foundation are to be installed at the Lake’s Main Beach hopefully in time for this summer’s swim season The total cost for the two projects would be about $20,000.  The swim platform would float in the deeper area of Main Beach water and provide a safe platform The roll-up mat would reach from the hard sidewalk to near the water and docks.  The new projects are among several the Lake Monticello Community Foundation has launched while it awaits final LMOA approval for a proposed family friendly pavilion at the Lake also to be financed by the foundation.  the foundation board also approved several grants including $6,000 for three scholarships for Fluvanna County High School students (one from the Lake and one for a vocational/technical student) based on their commitment to community service The foundation also approved a  $1,000 grant  for a golf training simulator for Fluvanna County High School which would be made available to others in the county The board also said it will match the next $2,000 that the golf simulator organizers raise toward its $15,000 estimated cost the foundation granted  $500 for the Studio Arts Tour in the fall and $500 for an effort to pay for students’ PSAT and SAT tests to replace money previously provided by the county is organized by Fluvanna Leadership Development Program students and the high school PTSO.  Among the Foundation’s planned fundraisers are a “Shred Day” 9-11 a.m at the Lake Monticello Fire Department (suggested donation $10 per 30-lb box of documents securely shredded) and the Lake Talent Showcase starting at 6:30 p.m Peter & Paul Church (https://www.lakemonticellocommunityfoundation.org/projects-events) STAR CITY — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will close all access to Cane Creek Lake in Lincoln County Feb 10-12 to complete nuisance animal removals exotic mammals similar to muskrats and beavers have grown to levels during the last few years that could cause issues with the lake infrastructure and aquatic habitat The northern portion of Cane Creek Lake is held by an earthen levee that is susceptible to burrowing animals nutria burrow in such levees and dams which can compromise dam integrity regional fisheries supervisor in the AGFC’s Monticello Office said the control effort will require discharge of firearms so the lake must be closed for public safety concerns “Trapping is not efficient enough to remove the number of nutria we need to take away from the flooded habitat of the lake in a timely manner,” Mozisek said “We waited until waterfowl season was over to prevent displacing any hunters who may have used the lake.” Mozisek said February is the best time to schedule the nutria removals because the vegetation has died back and occurs at a time when fewer anglers will be displaced “It’s been more than 10 years since the last nutria removal effort and the population has gotten large enough to pose a considerable threat to the levee that makes up the north side of the lake,” Mozisek said we’ll likely never completely eradicate nutria from the area but we can control it if we take steps like this to prevent habitat destruction and damage to the lake’s infrastructure.” Cane Creek Lake is part of Cane Creek Lake State Park east of Star City and accessed by Cane Creek Road off U.S During the time that Cane Creek Lake is closed anglers wanting to get out on the water should look no further than recently renovated Lake Monticello Crappie and black bass populations in the lake are doing very well following the renovation that concluded in November of 2021 Anglers are urged to follow posted catch-and-release regulations while fishing at Lake Monticello at Lake Monticello to raise money for Team for Kids “I decided to do a polar plunge because I always have thought they were fun and I thought it would be a good way to bring the community together for a great cause,” said Shae Sebetzki treats and a kid’s craft table will be available Any proceeds raised will go to  Team For Kids.  Sebetzki said,  “Team for Kids is all about getting kids introduced to running and keeping them active They raise money to help pay for racing fees and training programs so children can run in races and be prepared for them.” Sebetzki is raising money in a variety of other ways I had the courage to sign up for the lottery for the NYC marathon; out of the 165,000 people who signed up I wanted to go back and give it another shot contact the reporter listed for the lake or stream you plan to fish for the most up-to-date information “There are a million shad out there (in Lake Conway),” they report “Surely the other fish are following them in from the river.” The Lake Conway Nursery Pond is a fishing possibility in the immediate area Lake Conway is drawn down for an extensive renovation by the AGFC the largest lake renovation project in the agency’s history (updated 2-6-2025) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) said last week’s heavy rains — over 6 inches in the Ozark Mountains — pushed Greers Ferry Lake up 6 feet over the normal power pool the Army Corps of Engineers has been running two generators nearly 24/7 to bring it back down to the winter power pool level of 462.0 feet msl Expect this generation schedule to continue for a while (updated 2-6-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Thursday that the Little Red is blowing out with the higher water in Greers Ferry Lake “What we always say in these conditions is They even let some out of the spillway today and that’s the point of not even going out there.” (updated 2-6-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said the rain had jumped the lake up 7 feet in recent days The clarity has gotten muddy in the rivers The fishing has gotten tougher because the lake came up so much so fast Black bass fishing can be good especially using a red crankbait or a green pumpkin candy jig as main colors They’ve heard of anglers catching them in 5 feet of water and in 35 feet of water “The bass are kind of spread out.” The anglers who are fishing out deeper are throwing a jighead minnow or an Alabama rig if they are fishing in 15-feet-plus water (updated 2-6-2025) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said  the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 468.02 feet msl which is nearly 6 feet above normal pool (462.04 feet msl) It has come up 6.98 feet since this last rain Southwestern Power Administration is running both units pretty much 24 hours a day now Most species have been on the move with the water rising Crappie will bite from super shallow and out to 30 feet on jigs Fishing straight up and down in pole timber or brushpiles is working great Walleye are eating in the main lake off and on and are starting to prestage or stage and are scattered throughout the lake Around bridge pilings and mouths of rivers Some walleye are following under big schools of white bass and hybrids — use a spoon for those And a lot just roaming around; a spoon is best for that vertical fishing in 10-50 feet Hybrid bass and white bass are set up in the main lake and some are roaming They are wanting to get settled in about 43 feet which is the magic water depth where they are comfortable here for several months out of the year — it has the right temp and dissolved oxygen level Catfish are biting all over the lake and rivers on the usual stuff and crickets and crawlers will work fine as well as inline spinners now you will start running into small groups of five or eight up shallow when you find them but most are out or roaming shallow and schooling drop-shots and spinnerbaits for best action Fish these baits super shallow out to 60 feet That spinnerbait should shine right now in shallow areas or in guts A few largemouth bass have been caught recently of OK size Black bass are feeding on the tons of shad in the lake Crappie have been doing well over the last weekend on minnows in 10-11 feet of water There were several limits caught over the weekend “Come see us at Overcup Landing off Highway 9.”  They can be found shallow 2-5 feet with others being found deeper and scattered around brush anywhere from 10-20 feet There have been reports of them being found scattered on drop-offs at 10-20 feet and biting on jerkbaits and jigs The WestRock Landing Winter Series Tournament was held last Saturday and Daniel and Larry Romine caught five bass totaling 17.73 pounds Cody and Jerry Bryant were second with a 13.6-pound stringer (update 2-6-2025) Crappie guide Eric Watts of Natural State Fishing (501-548-8990) had no new reports but by late in 2024 was reporting that crappie could be found in 25-30 feet of water on brush and were roaming Jigs and minnows were working great when they’re not stuffed to the gills This is the absolute best time of the year to catch a mess of super-healthy slabs “Give me a shout today at 501-548-8990 to get in on the action!” With an amazing high of 80 forecast for Saturday in central Arkansas in between these much cooler days “If we don’t have any big rain between now and then (updated 2-6-2024) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said river fishing “is tough right now.” There is not a lot going on with bass fishing is another story and is similar to what’s been going on since the new year Anglers are catching them in about 15-20 feet of water behind jetties or on an oxbow off the river The best approach is to throw a black/chartreuse crappie jig or by spider-rigging with minnows The river flow as of Thursday was 43,000 cfs The weather forecast for next week is expected to be very cold The mornings remain pretty cool; the afternoons have been mild and often overcast (great for a good creel count.) Next week is looking like winter weather will prevail with morning lows averaging about 30 degrees and highs in the mid-40s so dress for the weather and enjoy our Natural State (updated 2-6-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock said the rain late last week caused the Buffalo River and White River to rise and become muddy By Saturday the creeks had cleared enough for boats to creep into them The trout move into the creeks seeking clean water and often congregate near the mouths of the creeks the river has been in good condition with both the rainbow and brown trout going strong Drift-fishing with a silver inline spinner with Uncommon Bait UV Eggs with shrimp or worms worked well for catching a limit of rainbow trout Rapala CD5 and CD7 in rainbow trout color or black/silver worked well for catching nice brown trout We have seen several 24-inch-plus brown trout being caught with 17-inch-plus brown trout being frequently caught This weekend we will be at the NWA Boat and Outdoor Expo at the Rogers Convention Center Lots of different species are showing up out there in the middle Each day is different so “Fish the conditions.”   (updated 2-6-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are scattered in the creeks on brushpiles and still a few are on the main lake as well Fish are definitely not on every brushpile but we have had luck looking for ones around glass But the fish have been sitting low in the brush since the last cold front Try using a one-sixteenth or eighth-ounce jig with small fry bait “I have been using Tater Baits in the Purple Monkey color and the new Aurora Blue Patience is key as long as they show interest (updated 2-6-2025) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake rose to 1120.39 feet msl Water temps are ranging from lower to upper 40s There is a push of stained water starting at Blue Springs and drifting north toward Hickory Hit the right day and you can do some damage all the way from Fords Creek up to and past Point 12 Be prepared to move and search with electronics They are also attached to structure in 10-25 feet of water White bass are starting to be caught in both river arms Not huge numbers but they’re starting to trickle in we caught some last week from Blue Springs up to Neil’s Bluff As with all of the species when this water gets above 50 degrees “Looks like more snow next week maybe and colder temps Hold on for a few more weeks and things will be on the rise we are starting to catch a few here and there but not hitting limit numbers yet Speaking with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission staff they are not seeing a lot of numbers as well what that tells me is it looks like the spawn will happen around the time it normally does As long as the weather and Corps cooperate “Remember to follow our fishing Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service) for recent updates.” come out to Lake Poinsett to test your luck and skill the State Park Visitor Center sells live bait (currently nightcrawlers redworms and minnows) and is open with winter hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m “The catching has been excellent when water conditions are good Heavier flies that get down have been the trick this season Sink tips can be useful with a fast sink rate The big fish lately have been on White Lightnings on the fly It’s a big white fly that we use under an indicator for big trout and smallies that imitate baitfish but tough with the high-water levels for any dry fly action D2 jigs are the ticket for chasing the smallmouth through the winter Fish them below a float or fast like a jerkbait The Spring River always produces huge rainbow trout that come out in the cold months Smallmouth bass move up through the winter looking for warmer water Just got to layer up to stay warm and make sure to stay dry “Keep an eye on the blog (springriverfliesandguides.com) for the latest conditions on the Spring River (updated 2-6-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new reports (updated 2-6-2025) Melanie Fitzgibbon, superintendent at Cane Creek State Park (870-628-4714) said anglers had made several minnow and worm purchases over the beautiful first week of February weekend and that was crappie being caught off the fishing pier using minnows red wigglers seemed to be the bait of choice (updated 2-6-2025) Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said Wednesday that there is just no way to sugarcoat the messy situation at Millwood Lake this week after recent inclement weather: A muddy log truck wreck with a train would be a compliment He does add that the water temperature is warming up this week Visit the guide service’s website linked above for the latest updates between this week and the next published AGFC Fishing Report on Feb Thousands of threadfin shad have been swept into the Carpenter Dam tailrace from Lake Hamilton this year The freezing temperatures stun these baitfish which are then drawn through the turbines during generation and float over the shallow water to be preyed upon by area game fish This is one reason that the trout make such wonderful table fare due to the superior diet created by this process repeated over and over during the winter months The walleye spawn will begin in the tailrace in the next week to 10 days The smaller males will migrate into the area first to prepare the beds for the larger females more information will be given to location and bait choice Anyone visiting Carpenter Dam park is advised to follow all park rules and regulations and always obey law enforcement officers who are constantly monitoring the area Wearing a lifejacket is a must when navigating the tailrace and could save your life in an accident said Lake Dardanelle has been frigid lately Fish have been slow to bite but the bream are biting on live bait such as worms Bass have been difficult but crankbaits and spinnerbaits off rock points have been successful Catfish have been more active toward the evening hours on stink bait in deeper waters Crappie fishermen have had success from minnows at tributary confluence points (updated 1-23-2025) Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) (updated 2-6-2025) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports this week that black bass are fair to good These fish are still schooling up in the mouths of major creek channels Stripers are very good and biting on live bait and small minnow-like jigs on the western end of the lake Crappie are still good and biting over the tops of brush in the 20- to 40-foot range Water temperature is ranging 44-50 degrees The lake level is 580.84 feet msl and falling as of Tuesday this week The water temperature at Horseshoe is 49 degrees and the clarity is dingy MONTICELLO — Anglers looking to fish in one of southeastern Arkansas’s most popular fisheries will once again be able to launch their boats at Lake Monticello’s Hunger Run Access The city of Monticello will officially open the boat ramp adjacent to the lake’s newly renovated dam this Friday regional fisheries supervisor in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commissions Monticello Office says that although the gates have been closed at the Hunger Run Access since the lake was drained and the renovation hit full stride because there wasn’t enough water on the ramp to use it without blowing out the sediment at the end of the ramp and creating a scour hole Many anglers have already been fishing from the banks and launching john boats from the Windy Hill Access on the opposite side of the lake The city had the gate to this access opened since the lake began filling approximately 2.5 years ago so the public could use the park and disc golf course located there As soon as this ramp got water on it about a month and a half ago The water at this boat ramp is still shallow and launching larger boats there is questionable “The lake has actually seen some pretty heavy fishing pressure from that access recently,” Nault said “It’s been common to see five or six boat trailers at the ramp every weekday I’ve noticed that the fish have started to move off the banks now for summer as well and many anglers are catching fewer bass than they were earlier this spring.” Anglers are reminded that fishing for all game fish at Lake Monticello is strictly catch-and-release “We’re trying to protect this fishery as much as possible to let it show its true potential and the majority of the fish in the lake are still only a couple of years old,” Nault said “They have exhibited some excellent growth but we still won’t see the real effects of the lakeside renovation that was done for a few years as these fish get older.” are currently under a catch-and-release regulation while the fishery rebuilds the AGFC has stocked baitfish for the growing game fish to eat at extremely high densities We stocked at a ratio of 30 bream for each bass,” Nault said golden shiners and fathead minnows we stocked in addition to bream brought the prey-to-bass ratio up to 55:1 This combination of the high forage population in the lake combined with great habitat and Florida Bass genetics has resulted in Lake Monticello largemouth bass exhibiting excellent growth and condition.” It will be a few years before the results of these stockings will be fully realized but anglers will already notice the massive amount of habitat added to the lake through vegetation growth and massive habitat projects conducted by AGFC staff and coordinated by Nault said Nault’s dedication to the fishery throughout the whole process is something the city and the anglers should be proud of “He did an excellent job with the renovation and overcame many hurdles to make sure the fishery work stayed on track,” Risley said AGFC fisheries personnel created and placed 87 fish habitat sites in the 1,520-acre lakebed These attractors were made of trees and brush cut from the shore The complexity of the structures ranged from brush piles to engineered structures called porcupine fish cribs that offer excellent shelter for baitfish and young game fish More than 1,650 trees along the shoreline also were hinge-cut so that their tops now contribute to shoreline cover for fish Hundreds of willow trees and pine trees also have grown in the lakebed to offer habitat and recycle nutrients into the system when the lake is fully refilled “The sheer amount of work put in to make this one of Arkansas’s best trophy bass lakes again is incredible,” Risley said Lake Monticello board president Larry Henson urged residents to be patient as the association deals with a potential $646,000 government loan repayment dating back to the COVID era “There has been ongoing discussion on unofficial social media regarding the potential repayment of the PPP loan,” he said in an email statement sent out to all residents on Friday afternoon (Jan “We understand that this situation raises questions but we kindly ask our residents to hold off on any premature conclusions for now.” LMOA received a $646,843 government loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) a $950 million program designed to cover payroll and other business expenses for businesses struggling in the sudden economic downturn the association was facing financial headwinds.  the Board of Directors asked members to approve a $180 dues increase and an annual $50 stipend to support the restaurants Both measures were rejected when the membership voted in  September 2020 Board minutes from that spring show that the directors were concerned about loss of revenue due to COVID but increased unemployment was expected to lead to increases in nonpayment of dues including home transfers and new construction The shutdown also exacerbated losses at the golf course and restaurants PPP offered a lifeline to keep all staff on the payroll and cover qualifying business expenses the Small Business Administration could forgive it entirely When the SBA informed LMOA that the loan had indeed been forgiven in May 2021 “we removed the obligation to repay from our books,” Henson said “Future budgets and spending plans were then developed based on the assumption that these funds would not need to be repaid.” the Department of Justice sent a letter to LMOA saying that it was “ineligible” for SBA loan forgiveness and needed to resolve the issue – or face potential litigation unplanned expense in the near term will impact our planned spending going forward,” he said LMOA has already been cost-cutting to help close the long-term budget gap This projected shortfall also led to the approval of a permanent $150 annual dues the staff was seeking out even more ways to cut costs and “explore other measures to offset the potential financial impact of any loan repayment.” He said a special assessment “would be LMOA’s very last resort and is something we don’t want to consider.” He asked people not to speculate without the facts and promised transparency as the process moves forward “We also strongly encourage you to come to the Board meeting,” he said and it is the best way to understand our decision-making process and guide us with your comments before a final decision is made.” The meetings are also broadcast on the Lake’s TV channel and livestreamed on YouTube Lake Conway is drawn down for extensive renovation by the AGFC (updated 3-13-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Thursday that they had heard no updates on the trout fishing here There has been a lot of water release lately at Greers Ferry Dam The Southwestern Power Administration and Corps of Engineers are running wide open at the dam with two generators going and they advised waiting until that changes or checking the SWPA website for updates at the link above “They cut it a little earlier (last week) but there wasn’t enough time to get out and fish before water came back up.” (updated 3-13-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Greers Ferry Bass fishing has been “hit or miss,” with catching coming as water as deep as 3 feet out to 30 feet “A few guys report catching fish up shallow on crankbaits and spinnerbaits and there is catching out deep on a three-quarter-ounce football head jig or on Alabama rigs.” Crappie are being caught in about 10 feet of water on brushpiles mainly by throwing an eighth-ounce jighead with a Tennessee Shad or Monkey Milk-colored jig The white bass are beginning to be seen up any creek arm but midway up the creeks in about 6 feet of water Best bet for white bass is fishing either an eighth-ounce Rooster Tail in white or an Underspin in the same weight The Underspin catches the white bass’ eye with a little bit of flash from the blade; you throw it and reel it in (updated 3-13-2025) Tommy Cauley of Fishfinder Guide Service (501-940-1318) said Wednesday the water level at Greers Ferry Lake is at 462.96 feet msl or almost a foot above normal pool (462.04 feet msl) and falling The SWPA has been generating 12 hours a day and also has had floodgates open at times and pretty much good catching color all over the lake and rivers Most species have been on the move with water rising Crappie should be super shallow out to 30 feet Fishing for them straight up and down in pole timber or a brushpile has been working great You will start running into small groups of five to eight black bass up shallow spinner baits and Rat-L-Traps super shallow out to 80 feet The spinnerbait will shine right now shallow or in the guts Also be mindful of certain trees they will get on in the pole timber Also follow more from Harris Brake Lake Resort on its Facebook page (updated 2-27-2025) WestRock Landing in Roland (501-658-5598) said they didn’t have much to report this week There have not been many bites going around “but with this warmer weather I have a feeling things will turn around any day now most likely this weekend.” Water temperature is ranging 47-52 degrees drawn down while Central Arkansas Water addresses an infrastructure problem at the dam largemouth bass had been biting well 2-5 feet with others being found deeper and scattered around brush anywhere from 10-20 feet scattered on drop-offs at 10-20 feet and biting on jerkbaits and jigs Crappie were good in 20-30 feet in the channel on jigs black bass were biting from 6 feet all the way up to 3 feet Crankbaits and jig-and-pig were working best Anglers nearby were catching crappie in 3-4 feet depth (updated 3-13-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said the flow was up a little bit but was safe for fishing and boating on Wednesday The bass can be found in 3-6 feet of water in any live grass/green grass areas on the bank Black and blue jigs and a shad-pattern spinnerbait are your best bets The flow has receded from last week’s hazardous current Anglers are also catching white bass in any creek arm where you can find current They are also throwing eighth-ounce Underspins with a 2.8-inch swimbait These spring days just shout “Come outside!” and fishing is one of the best ways to spend a day outdoors Worms work great in the higher water levels for every kind of trout The browns especially go for river minnows Use a heavier weight to float your baits nearer the bottom in higher water; cast near the banks where the trout don’t have to fight the current The best-kept secret: the brook trout Rapala Shore anglers have been finding some luck with garlic-scented yellow and pink Power Eggs Kids are enjoying spring break on the river and staying busy catching rainbows with shrimp and bright fluorescent orange or yellow eggs Send them back to school with some great fish tales Come test the waters and enjoy a spring day in the Ozarks (updated 3-13-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock “Over the last week we have seen river conditions as high as 11-plus feet last Thursday to as low as 5 feet we are seeing water levels between 7-9 feet Water has been lower in the mornings and starts rising around mid- to late morning Many fishermen will try to stay just ahead of the rise and ‘ride the rise.’ Once the rise passes fishing slows for a while but picks back up as the fish adjust to the change This week we continue to have success using Uncommon Bait UV egg (neo pink bright orange or a mix with Pearl White) and tipping the hook with shrimp or redworms using lures such as quarter-ounce Colorado spoons in nickel/gold or CD7 Rapala Countdowns in rainbow or silver color worked best “Other fishermen report success using eighth-ounce jigs in white or dark color with a flash of red or orange quarter-ounce Rooster Tails in white or rainbow trout colors caught some nice browns If your old ‘go-to’ bait or lure isn’t working don’t hesitate to try something new.” (updated 3-13-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said the level remains at 659 feet msl Water temperature ranges from 48-50 (plus more depending on the creek) Bass fishing has been a little slower than average If you’re planning to visit the area in the next couple months don’t wait until the last minute to book a guide trip Powerfishing shallow should continue to improve as some fish are up there roaming shallow A jerkbait will catch a few in the semi-clear water steeper banks and small ledges close to deep water Wiggle Wart or Red craw or green variations seems to be a bit better for me if we get some wind “There are always fish to be caught on a jig — a peewee seems to be getting a little more action as well as piles — you’re looking anywhere from 20-40 feet and way shallower (5-10 feet) in stain or with clouds “The offshore video-gamers are going to have to work The shad are still spread out throughout the water column They are moving around and every day is different and every creek will be a little different A smaller 2.8 swimbait McMinnow or a regular Tater Shad has been working and use a jerkbait around those high-swimming shad and shad balls and/or early or late in the day when shad are up in the water column (updated 3-132025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says with this week’s past weather walleye fishing on the lower end of the lake has been unpredictable at best Fish are in prespawn/spawn mode and are scattered along creek channels that have shad Best to fish low-light periods at this time Cloudy and windy days help the daytime fishing a lot Fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing 4 feet out to 30 feet of water with jig and minnow or Ice Jigs — worked slowly back to the boat on points with deep water on at least one side — will produce fish Fishing same structure after dark with 110-style jerkbaits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some bites We have not seen much up early along the shoreline before daylight but as the water in the creeks start to warm a little bit more right before daylight in the morning will also be another opportunity to catch some using the same methods and trolling 5-inch stick baits at slow speeds as low as .85 mph in 7-14 feet along windblown banks will also work (updated 3-13-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are in the creeks — just smaller pods and the jig bite has been decent Small fry baits or minnows have been best of late (updated 3-13-2025) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake is at 1,120.35 feet msl Water temps have warmed into lower 50s and should keep a steady rise with the warm temps Stripers are scattered from Horseshoe Bend up into river arms Some days have been really good and others not so good This should continue upwards as spawn will be here next four weeks or so Walleye are showing as are the white bass way up the white Walleye are being caught from Walkers Bluff up to the Sequioa Dam Crappie are starting to move shallow 10 feet or less Spawn will happen next full moon in April if weather stays like this Bass are in all prespawn areas and will continue to move up so go and enjoy the lake and put some fish in the boat.”  these fish are going to come up in waves and hit staging areas until they finally push their way up to the dam to do their business Do not be discouraged if you go out for 6-8 hours and only pull shorts or take an ‘L.’ These fish can be tricky to catch; you have to be persistent If the Army Corps of Engineers doesn’t let the water flow for a couple of days you might want to hold off during those times jigging and working hard baits are all great methods this fish is a love/hate relationship that will keep you coming back for more “One more thing: With the increased boat traffic When you see another boat that is not underway and is anchored that is a good way to get someone injured and bust equipment you are blowing out the area that person is trying to fish if you pull up on a pod of fish that you have looked all over for and folks keep blowing out your hole Not to mention if your equipment gets damaged or you get hurt by being jarred around Let’s all practice good etiquette while out enjoying this awesome fishery “Remember to follow our fishing Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service) for weekly updates.” while bass are requiring the anglers to throw about everything they have Swimbaits and jig-and-pig were working best Water temperature is 48 degrees and the clarity is stained with water running off into the lake; before Look for the best fishing days based on “moon times” to be March 26-April 1 “Catching plenty of really nice rainbows thanks to Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery,” he said “Stocking should increase over the next few months getting ready for summertime fishing pressure have been excellent — olive is the hot color “April and May are great months to fish the Spring River with lower fishing pressure and perfect weather The canoe hatch kicks off at the end of May Visit Mark’s blog (springriverfliesandguides.com) for the latest conditions on the Spring River (updated 3-13-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new reports with cold conditions through much of February and part of March Look for updates soon as the water temperature picks up in the pool and particularly around Lake Langhofer This comes on the heels of the 13.45-pound largemouth caught in a high school tournament on March 2 “The 10.56-pound largemouth that Levi caught appeared to still be in prespawn condition,” Siefert said Millwood Lake elevation is about 10 inches above normal pool and falling as of Wednesday at 260.1 feet msl; Millwood Lake Dam is releasing about 13,000 cfs and tailwater is near 238.5 feet msl and rising Always watch for broken timber and exercise caution during navigation The Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of replacing river buoys from Yarborough to Paraloma Trail boat lane ranging 60-70 degrees along Little River this week Clarity along Little River for the past week worsened from increased discharge at Millwood Dam Moderate to heavy stains are found in most locations Siefert provided these specifics of the fishing this past week * Largemouth bass coming to scales in numerous bass tournaments in recent weeks are HUGE and NUMEROUS with tournament Big Bass the past two weeks weighing 13.43 pounds and 10.56 pounds The bass activity has been trending upward over the past three weeks with the warmer conditions but can seem random on high barometric days Male bass continue cruising shallow bay and protected flats near grass and cypress trees searching bedding areas and a few have already been making a few beds We see more moving than sitting still with the bass They seem to be more active and have been best midday and afternoon Several males have been found roaming flats from 1-5 feet deep near old bedding areas sunning in shallow water apparently for better temperature A few of those roaming males have been random to fair to strike on red chrome three-quarter-ounce Rat-L-Traps The smaller quarter-ounce Spinner Tail Rat-L-Traps will get a random reaction near flats through dead lily pads or Natural Craw colors in the smaller to mid-size Trap when you need to work shallow Spin Traps with a gold tail spinner will also work through the dead lily pad stems flawlessly Brazalo Strutter Chatterbaits in Millwood Mayhem Bream black/blue and Texas Craw or green pumpkin/Fire Craw have been catching nice 5- to 9-pound bass for several weeks and they will draw very good reactions in 5-9 feet depths near grass lines Southern Pro Flipping Tube or Tournament Tube in black/blue tail or Pumpkinseed/black flake with chartreuse dip tail have randomly connected with 3- to 4-pound males over the past several weeks near dead pad stems and stumps from 8-10 feet deep in Little River’s oxbow lakes and creek channels upriver near creek junctions and on tapering points Little River just has too much current this week to be effective for largemouths We have yet to observe any “beds” yet but the water clarity is just now improving enough for good visibility black grape or June bug have been the best colors for a reaction to a plastic worm If you want to fish the 1- to 3-foot depths turn off your electronics and raise your trolling motor to keep from spooking bass and in the heavier stained areas throw black/blue blackberry or a Bass Assassin 5-inch Shad Assassin in Houdini and get weedless to snatch a big one out of the salad * The white bass continue staging and have moved farther up Little River and are heavily schooled up at various creek dumps into Little River A few nice-sized schools of whites were found from White Cliffs campground all the way up Little River to Cemetery Slough but we have yet to speak with anyone who’s connected with any large whites at U.S Temperatures are not quite there yet for the whites to begin their annual spawning run Hammered Cordell chrome Spoons with a red bucktail and Spin Traps in chrome/blue and threadfin shad colors will get a reaction once you find them staging “We talked to two guys at White Cliffs over the past two weeks and they said they got into a school of whites upriver at the creek mouth before you get to McGuire Lake We have not yet found the whites all the way up Little River near Patterson Shoals yet but we think the river is warming more this week and we should begin to see the masses of whites appear there above Wilton Landing this week for their spawning run It’s getting right on the temperature and really close Upriver above Wilton Landing is still in the upper 50s and we need a few more warm days to make them really fire up and the large schools we are expecting in short order!” (updated 3-13-2025) Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips (501-844-5418) has been doing his fishing at lakes Ouachita and DeGray in recent days and said for both “Springtime transition for the crappie is on For those of you who cast jigs for crappie you will find them in schools moving out of the wintertime deep water toward shallower warm water You can already find some staging in brushpiles near spawning coves (updated 3-13-2025) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 45 degrees with stained conditions in the tailrace Lake Catherine and Lake Hamilton are in the process of being refilled which is the cause of cloudy water conditions in both lakes Each lake is rising 6 inches per day and should be at normal summertime pool March 15 Floating debris is another problem this time of year and anyone navigating area lakes should be aware and take the proper precautions Big numbers of rainbow trout have been stocked in Lake Catherine the last few months but few fish have been caught due to weather and fast water conditions This situation has been made worse by the lake refilling Stained and rising water are two of the most detrimental factors faced by fishermen attempting to catch rainbows and can only be overcome by allowing the lake to refill and conditions settle into the new norm Cold fronts add to the difficulty of a consistent trout bite and the springtime in Arkansas brings a weekly barrage of such conditions While every angler is faced with these problems – regardless of which species they fish for – it should be noted that rainbow trout are especially affected in such a negative way with the only cure being time for conditions to normalize The walleye spawn has been underway since late February and only in the last several days have fishermen been able to access the lake and target these fish Some current flow is normally necessary for a successful bite and little to no flow has been the norm this week on Lake Catherine with the refilling in process quality walleye have been taken by trolling shallow-running crankbaits that imitate shad or crawfish against the current in the late evening before dark The larger females are weighing over 3 pounds on average with the smaller males at 1½ to 2 pounds These fish will be in the tailrace until late April and can be caught on jigs and live baits such as nightcrawlers and live minnows fished just off the bottom Crappie will begin migrating toward the dam at the end of this month and should be in full spawning mode by early April These fish stage themselves from the bridge to the dam and offer anglers some wonderful table fare during the spring spawning run The white bass migration starts later on Lake Catherine than in other river systems with the average time in mid-May and lasting throughout June Always wear a life jacket when on the water and always follow all park and lake regulations when visiting Carpenter Dam A hydroelectric dam is no place for carelessness and could cost you your life by ignoring proper protocol Trash cans are very limited in Carpenter Dam Park so pick up after yourself and don’t litter but reported most recently that Lake Dardanelle had been frigid lately Fish were slow to bite but the bream were biting on live bait but crankbaits and spinnerbaits off rock points were successful Catfish were more active toward the evening hours on stink bait in deeper waters Crappie fishermen had success before all the bad weather this month using minnows at tributary confluence points “Watch your water temperature and keep checking the northwestern (updated 3-13-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says the lake is finally back down after being very high following the big rains that passed through recently Fishing for both bass and crappie are good for some But fishing was tough for everyone first when the lake was drawn down and then recently with the flooding it’s “OK.” The lake is not nearly as muddy as it was The Corps of Engineers was dropping the lake 1.5 feet per day until getting to normal level Some anglers have been requesting crickets for bream though she says it’s not bream time like it will be she got those requested crickets in house for sale “There’s been a lot of emotion around here Everyone is glad to get out on the lake right now.” (updated 3-13-2025) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) reports that black bass are still very good hover rig and an Alabama rig are all producing quality catches Walleye are up the rivers and major creeks Stripers are very good and biting on live bait and small minnows like jigs on the western end of the lake Crappie are good and biting over the tops of brush in the 20-30 foot range Water temperature is climbing to a range of 52-56 degrees The lake level on Wednesday was 577.94 feet msl (updated 3-6-2026) Philip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoors in Little Rock and Hot Springs noted Tuesday night on “The Wild Side” on KABZ with the exception of Lake Greeson (down more than 9 feet) “That is odd for them for this time of year And Lake Hamilton fills this week after its winter drawdown for most of the lakes for this time of year to not be at normal level is odd.” The Trader Bill’s Team Trail event was held last weekend on Ouachita and a 8.99-pounder and 7.74-pound largemouth were among the catches Marvin Lewis and Phil Lancaster caught a 5-bass stringer of 20.52 pounds Second and third place finishers were 19.97 and 19.71 pounds the most of the winning stringer came via a Carolina rig “When was the last time you heard that a Carolina rig won a tournament,” he marveled “They’ve got grass back on Ouachita and that’s helping a little bit.” (updated 3-13-2025) Sheila at Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) says bait customers who stop in there before heading to Blue Mountain Lake say the fishing at Blue Mountain is going well for crappie The water temperature at Horseshoe in early February was 49 degrees and the clarity was dingy This fertile oxbow receives very little fishing pressure due to being used only for education purposes and youth and mobility-impaired fishing (updated 3-20-2025) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) had no reports (updated 3-20-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Thursday that with Greers Ferry Lake back down to normal pool there hasn’t been the need for generation for the past couple of days “You can go out there and throw just about anything Try something like a gold Rapala or some gold jerkbait for brown trout focusing on little deeper stretches of the river both rainbows and browns should be interested in Rooster Tails or a Little Cleo (updated 3-20-2025) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) has had no recent reports (updated 3-20-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Greers Ferry has been fishing really well lately Bass are being caught anywhere from 25 feet of water to 5 feet particularly a mid-diving crank focusing on 10-12 feet depth You could also try a jig to fish any depth or a green pumpkin with a little orange — that’s been a winner of late go with a Damiki rig or maybe a single swimbait Schedule your next fishing adventure at www.nsfguide.com (updated 3-20-2025) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) said crappie are still behind the jetties and in cuts in the jettings Anglers report catching crappie on a white/chartreuse crappie jig black/chartreuse and red/chartreuse have been the most popular crappie jigs to use “We’ve had a wide variety of water levels this week; Bull Shoals Lake now is at 658.93 feet msl Generation from the dam has been variable: from minimum flow (700 cfs) to over four units (12,600 cfs) Be prepared to change your fishing tactics as the water level changes “Action is the key for spring break visitors and the kids are busy catching with shrimp and bright fluorescent orange eggs rainbows and browns all responded to the call Shiny gold spinners and spoons attracted the rainbows as well “Sending them back to school with some great fish tales Come on over and experience trout catching with Cotter Trout Dock on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks Arkansas hospitality never fails to please.”Co artificial lures such as Thompson Colorado quarter-ounce spoons in nickel/gold or Rapala CD7 Countdowns in rainbow or silver have worked well The always good Uncommon Bait UV Eggs in Neo Pink or Bright Orange with shrimp or red wiggler worms worked well we received one stocking with the AGFC pontoon raft stocking rainbows between Calico Rock and Sylamore Creek.” (updated 3-20-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says walleye fishing on the lower end of the lake has still been slow in the daytime this week Best fishing this past week has been at night under the full moon Fish are spawning at night and are scattered along chunk rock points with deep water close by and steeper creek channel swings that have shad Fishing the same structure after dark with 110-style jerkbaits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some bites We have not seen much up early along the shoreline before daylight but as the water in the creeks starts to warm a little bit more Trolling 5-inch stick baits at slow speeds as low as .85 mph in 7-14 feet along windblown banks will also work (updated 3-20-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says to look for crappie in the creeks around brushpiles close to 20-ish feet that are found closer to baitfish Dead-sticking jigs with a small fry bait or minnows under a bobber has been decent but it seems it changes back and forth from day to day 9-ounce white crappie on a jig minnow at the Overlook boat ramp on March 14 The lake is the regular murky clarity and the water remains high Surface temperature Monday was 54.8 degrees There have been no reports on catfish or white bass recently the best fishing days based on “moon times” are forecast for March 26-April 1 but a couple of anglers reported that they caught black bass on minnows as well as jigs redworms and minnows) and is now open every day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m (updated 3-20-2025) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new reports with cold conditions through much of February and part of March Siefert had these fishing specifics from the past week: * The white bass have moved further up along Little River and have been heavily schooled up at various creek dumps into Little River for several weeks now A few nice-sized schools of whites were found from White Cliffs campground all the way up Little River to Cemetery Slough over the past two weeks We met two fishermen this past week as we were coming out of McGuire Oxbow on Little River and spoke with them for 20-30 minutes about their success They told us they were from Michigan and love Millwood Lake fishing and chasing the large white bass here They said they fished the river from Cemetery Slough all the way upriver to Cossatot inflow ditch and beyond U.S The said the water temperature there was in the upper 50s and the whites were beginning to hit their spoons and crankbaits The catfish are slow behind the hydroelectric plants on the river but as soon as the water temperatures increase a few degrees thanks to all our customers for supporting Webb’s Sporting Goods Shop with us at webbssportinggoods.com.” Youth Golf FoundationThis time of year is tough on golfers and cold certainly take their toll on golf courses and they take a similar toll on those who want to get out and play Watching a tournament in Hawaii brings temporary relief here’s something to look forward to and lift our spirits It involves a 9-year old boy who has honed his golf skills on the Lake Monticello golf course Lucas Dunaway has qualified to appear in the Drive and Putt competition held on the Sunday before the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia He is the first youth golfer from our area who has ever made it to the finals and Putt competition begins with approximately 50,000 kids competing at over 350 courses across the country There are four age categories for both boys and girls: 7-9 Three rounds determine who will advance: local This qualified him to play in the National Finals at Augusta where a total of 80 young golfers will vie for the championship winners are not determined by scores on a course points are awarded on length of drive; how close chip shots are to the hole; and how close putts are to the hole That will also be the routine at the National Finals has been sharpening his skills at the Lake Monticello course for some time He has participated in various instruction groups and played in the PGA Junior League two groups supported by the Youth Golf Foundation And he has taken lessons from club pro Mark Marshall he has received considerable support from his family completing forms—all require a willingness to adjust schedules and be present One might think all this success would be a lot to handle for this young man But he takes it in stride because he regards his time on the golf course as fun—a lesson many of us might take to heart Be sure to tune in to the Golf Channel on April 6 from 8 a.m If you are interested in having your child learn the basics of golf contact the Lake Monticello Pro Shop for schedules The Youth Golf Foundation financially supports these programs VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Two Lake Monticello firefighters had to be treated for heat exhaustion battling a blaze that heavily damaged a neighborhood home Firefighters were called Monday afternoon to a fire in a home on Haversack Road They arrived to find heavy flames and had to break windows to vent the intense interior heat and fumes The fire damaged several rooms and some of the attic and was uninhabitable by the time they extinguished it The residents are staying with family members.adButlerLazyLoad("1524621661120457712",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); and Kents Store assisted Lake Monticello with the incident The cause of the fire is under investigation By Heather MichonCorrespondentFluvanna County law enforcement is investigating a threat of violence that forced the postponement of a ‘drag queen brunch’ scheduled for last Saturday (Feb Officials with the Lake Monticello Owners Association (LMOA) received the threat on Wednesday (Feb 1.9) and immediately reported it to the Lake Monticello Police Department.  the management company that runs Bunker Bistro decided to postpone the event so the LMPD and sheriff’s office could conduct a full investigation The Drag Queen Brunch sold out shortly after being announced in early January Featuring Richmond-based drag queen Alvion Arnell Davenport and three other performers the show was a fundraiser for the JD Dickinson Memorial Foundation.  The foundation grants scholarships to Fluvanna students classifying it as a hate crime,” the LMOA said in a statement issued on Thursday “All efforts will be made to identify the person or persons  responsible for the threat and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” Two residents had raised concerns about the event at the Jan 28 Board of Directors meeting and LMOA was aware there was online chatter about holding a small protest in front of the Bistro the morning of the event reaction to the event had been mostly positive.  While they did not share any details about the nature of the threat they felt they had no choice but to take it seriously the safety of our residents and guests is our top priority.”  “This is extremely frustrating,” said organizer Amanda Pace Dickinson said in a Facebook post “but please know that we will not let hate win!” By Heather MichonCorrespondentBack in April 2020 the Lake Monticello Owners Association (LMOA) was awarded a $646,843 loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) one of the many government programs designed to shore up the economy as the COVID pandemic began shutting down businesses across the country LMOA Board of Directors Chair Larry Henson told the audience at this month’s meeting that they had received a letter from the Department of Justice in mid-December notifying them that “This notification was unexpected,” General Manager Tom Schauder said in a follow-up letter to Lake residents “since both the loan and the forgiveness applications had been approved by the SMA [Small Business Administration].” PPP was designed to help eligible small businesses cover payroll and benefits for up to eight weeks at the height of the pandemic These low-interest loans were eligible for forgiveness if the business used the funding for its intended purposes and did not need to be repaid The SBA forgave the LMOA’s loan in late May 2021 PPP and other COVID-era funding programs were hastily implemented and poorly managed and the federal government has spent the last several years trying to untangle the mess many HOAs nationwide have faced demands from the DOJ to return PPP funds – or face legal charges under the False Claims Act Conviction on FCA charges can result in fines and other penalties Mike Feazel of Lake Monticello News notes that $646,843 “would equal about 10 percent of the LMOAs budgeted revenue for 2025 or nearly $150 per property within LMOA.”  Schauder stressed in his letter that this issue is far from over.  “An attorney for our insurance provider is assisting with the response to the [DOJ] letter NOTE: For anglers using the privately owned Beaverfork Lake in Faulkner County especially with Lake Conway being drawn down for renovation according to the Conway Parks and Recreation Dept. part of the every-five-year winter drawdown of Beaverfork This routine maintenance is done to allow landowners to do maintenance to their piers Although the ramps will eventually be unusable a primitive ramp at the end of Volleyball Point provides a way to launch smaller boats (updated 10-3-2024) Bates Field and Stream (501-470-1846) said anglers have been stopping there and heading on to Lake Overcup or Beaverfork Lake They were buying redworms and minnows for bream and crappie the fishing has pretty much died down unless they go to the (Lake Conway) Nursery Pond We’re selling minnows worms and crickets for those folks and they’re catching mostly catfish and bream We hear the Arkansas River has been good for bass fishing We’re selling spinnerbaits and soft plastic worms for those anglers.” Anyone venturing out to what are little fishing holes on Lake Conway most recently were catching plenty of catfish on nightcrawlers While fishing is going on in the main lake there are no creel or length limits during its drawdown phase as part of the AGFC’s planned renovation project (updated 10-10-2024) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Thursday that trout anglers are catching fishing on one-eighth-ounce Rooster Tails in a shad pattern and they are also catching some throwing a black and brown Woolly Bugger The folks who like the Trout Magnet are floating a pink Trout Magnet worm about a foot and a half off the bottom and having a lot of success Crappie are still super shallow and out to 30 feet A lot of fish migrated to cooler areas in timber where there is bait Fishing straight up and down is a must when fishing for crappie Catfish are biting all over the lake on the usual stuff Some bream are shallow but most are around 8-30 feet; crickets and crawlers are working fine as well as inline spinners Most black bass are out or roaming shallow and schooling while the loners are shallow — use Carolina rigs crankbaits and spinnerbaits for best action super shallow out to 60 feet (updated 10-10-2024) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) in Sherwood said Thursday that anglers out early in the morning are picking up black bass by using a bone-color or clear walk-the-dog style bait Crappie are in about 15-20 feet of water on tops of brushpiles and they can be caught using a 1/16-ounce jighead with a white minnow-style bait Smallmouth bass are mainly chasing shad in 15-20 feet of water and they seem to be very interesting in Alabama rigs with a 3.3-inch swimbait The water temperature is around 70 degrees still; “it will get going when it gets to around 64,” they say really low,” and they say the AGFC has not begun to take water from the lake to put water on the nearby Harris Brake WMA for waterfowl season With Lake Conway now almost too low for many to fish it they are noticing more anglers showing up at Harris Brake Lake but the anglers appear unaware of the crappie size restriction of the lake They urge anglers to note that crappie must be at least 10 inches long to keep Two bass anglers have been out every afternoon this week catching several bass on topwater baits A couple of catfish anglers have been putting out their trotlines and catching lots of catfish using live bream and cut bait but they bite all the time around here,” Ray added “It may be beginning to pick up with these cool nights and the water cooling down.” Water is clear and at a normal level and in good shape (updated 10-10-2024) Fish ’N Stuff (501-834-5733) reports that bass are back up in the creeks and they’ve been very receptive to a Strike King 1.5 square bill You can catch fish in the mouths of creeks on a Strike King 3XD or if there is rock you should try a half-ounce football jig the most successful approach seems to be throwing a topwater walking bait 31 for the season so that the privately owned lake can serve as a waterfowl rest area the Monday following Special Youth Waterfowl Hunt weekend Bull Shoals Lake is 8 feet below power pool and still dropping at 651.09 feet msl; daily releases have been at minimum flow or very low flows (less than one unit) during the morning hours rising to three or four units (9,000 to 12,000 cfs) late in the afternoon to meet power demand “We expect earlier releases this week based on the weather forecast and higher river levels can be expected.” It’s good to know that the air temp doesn’t affect the trout bite Shore anglers note: Rainbows have been attracted to If you’re able to float the river and choose to fish a deep hole for a while drop a hook with shrimp and garlic-scented PowerBait (try orange first) as near to the bottom as possible 5 rainbow and brook trout Rapala Countdowns and with 1/6-ounce Rooster Tails chartreuse/black skirts or pink on pink spinners “This week we received one stocking of 1,200 rainbow trout at Calico Rock and 1,200 at Chessmond Ferry.” (updated 10-17-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said the lake level is 650 feet msl “You’re going to have to work for them and keep moving “Fishing has been fairly typical for October Water seems to be turning over out to 60 feet or so Fishing can be pretty good when they move up during the lowlight or the Army Corps of Engineers has generation or a front is moving in Lots of bass are starting to move in with shad We did get a few more move up shallow with the cooler temps “Shad are spread out from the back off the creeks out to the main lake There are shad sitting high on the surface down to 50 feet; however Try a smaller popper-style or smaller walk-the-dog early Try a Plopper-style bait covering water; black or white colors are working A lot of the dirty backs have shad but are just starting to clump up If we get the right powerfishing conditions “If it’s sunny and flat I’m going to check main lake mouths of creeks and pockets drop-offs and bluff ends as well as treetops that are close to deep water and shad is nearby There are large schools chasing larger shad balls but they are cruising fast You better be a good front-looker — having to hit ’em on the move isn’t easy (updated 10-17-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the walleye fishing has been a little tough this week with what seems to be the lake finishing its turnover period Fish are scattered from 20 feet down to 60 feet “The best luck I have had this past week has still been a drop-shot rig and nightcrawler around points with brush or trees close by Walleye seem to be moving in and out of different water depths depending on wind and cloud cover stay out off in deeper water and cast into them with a jig and crawler or drop-shot rig and work them back to the boat very slowly by zigzagging in and out of 20-70 feet of water to find fish You can also use a Carolina rig with ½-ounce egg sinker and No 2 Aberdeen hook and nightcrawler worked slowly around groups of fish on the deeper sides of deep brushpiles (updated 10-17-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says not much has changed except the bite seemed a little better since the cold front They are still finding most crappie in creeks and a few on the main lake areas Use a quarter-ounce jig with Tater Baits Tater Shad Jr  If you aren’t getting bit within 5 minutes keep moving and find more; eventually you will find active ones (updated 10-17-2024) Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake level is at 1,112.61 feet msl The lake is still finishing turnover at this time (updated 10-17-2024) Hooked on Fishing Guide Service (479-225-4849) reports the striper bite has been good to great most days Evening bite is a little tougher but not impossible with some persistence Trolling live shad and minnows is very productive Artificial is still slow but expected to pick up soon as the water temps drop as some are catching fish on shallow flats and others are catching fish in the channel at 150-feet-plus Topwater is present but sporadic and not predictable Water temp is 67 degrees in the rivers and 72 degrees at the dam Annual migration should start soon as the lake temp drops Best areas to focus are Coppermine to the dam Also the flats around islands are good areas to troll crawler harnesses and crankbaits.”  “I hope you all are able to get out and enjoy this weather and catch some fish!” Check out Austin’s Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service) for weekly updates They’ve heard nothing on the catfish but they also figure the full moon should be bringing folks out for them; they just haven’t heard any reports Bream are biting “a little bit,” but they’re scattered and bass seem to be coming up to feed on them more than anglers are catching them The water is 68 degrees and is cooling off “pretty quick.” Water is at normal level now (the drawdown to flood nearby Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA will begin soon) and the clarity is the usual murky The predicted good fishing times based on the moon This should be a great weekend to be on Lake Charles and visit the State Park Refer to Mark’s blog for the latest river conditions on the Spring River on his website linked above when heading out (updated 10-17-2024) The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Bass Fishing Team had no new reports they reported that black bass had slid out to the outer edges and points of jetties especially if wind was pushing on or across those points Anglers should expect to find freshwater drum catfish and both spotted and largemouth bass hanging out on the same productive jetty points; so keep casting to the same spot and nearby a few more times at least Brushpiles on sand drops and shady cover have been producing in Lake Langhofer though these fish are more pressured and you must present lures to them several times to get bites in many cases Buzzbaits and walking topwaters in shad colors are producing first thing in the morning moving to swimming and finesse jigs in bluegill to craw patterns during the middle of the day when working water willows Small swimbaits in shad patterns are also producing near schooling areas Always have a small topwater popper/walking bait a weightless fluke or small swimbait on deck ready to take advantage of sudden schooling activity that could erupt anywhere at any time The biggest changes at Millwood the last couple of weeks have been clarity and water temperature the surface clarity has been slowly improving in visibility Surface temperature is ranging 65 degrees early to 77 later in the day along Little River Clarity along Little River worsened over the past week with high winds There is moderate to heavy stain in most locations with some areas up Little River being heaviest River clarity ranges 5-10 inches visibility Millwood elevation is still under a drawdown by the Army Corps of Engineers until early November The lake is about 17 inches below normal conservation pool Millwood Lake Dam is releasing about 160 cfs and tailwater is near 223 feet and steady Use extreme caution in navigation during drawdown conditions stumps and obstacles will be at or near surface pool especially in the boat lanes along the river and main lake NOTE: Millwood State Park Marina will close Oct Also: Yarborough Landing Boat Ramp has broken concrete on the east side of the ramp; use extreme caution backing in trailers at that location * Crappie are fair to good over the past few weeks and improved with reduced current in Little River as well as with improved water clarity in brush from 12-14 feet deep Planted brush piles 12-14 feet deep continue holding some nice 1- to 2-pound slabs over the past few weeks and action and activity is improving Red/white tube jigs and black/chartreuse hair jigs were catching some nice fish recently Cordell smoke-colored grubs with a chartreuse tip tail on a light wire jighead will pick up a few extra bites (updated 10-17-2024) Philip Kastner of Trader Bill’s Outdoors in Little Rock and Hot Springs said on “The Wild Side” show on KABZ-FM Use something that resembles a small shad; they are chasing tiny shad A quarter-ounce Rat-L-Trap in chrome and blue back or chrome and black back is a good place to start on this and other similar lakes now switch to other small topwater baits to get some hits or a small spoon or rise and pull them up; the fish are all focused on eating on top (updated 10-17-2024) Shane Goodner, owner of Catch’em All Guide Service reports that water temperature below Carpenter Dam is 59 degrees with clear conditions in the tailrace Drought conditions have prompted Entergy to run minimal flow times below Remmel Dam this week and greatly reduced generation times from Carpenter Dam The public is urged to view the weekly flow schedules on area dams by going to the Entergy Hydro Operations page linked above and search for lake and flow news While no guarantee is made by Entergy that this information is ironclad it gives everyone reliable information on the day-to-day operations below a hydroelectric dam that is subject to change as water levels and incoming weather conditions dictate Mid-November is slated to be the start of the fall trout stocking season with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in charge of this operation the winter drawdown is scheduled to begin on area lakes in November and will last until next March Little productive fishing is going on now below Carpenter Dam This is normal due to the fact that the spawn for walleye catfish and white bass has been over by late June and most of these fish migrate away from the dam afterward The absence of trout creates a huge void in the number of catchable fish in the lake Some catches of walleye and white bass have been reported but numbers are small and catches have occurred in the late evening before dark reported Lake Dardanelle is starting to cool down in this fall weather The fish have been biting better with the fronts that moved through The black bass are biting decently on crankbaits Crappie have tended to be better on the minnows than the jigs lately Bream are biting on crickets and worms at a fair rate Bass are being caught from the surface down to 25-30 feet Some anglers are using a drop-shot very deep but fish should be getting back in the current soon the Bobby Garland Itty Bit at an inch and a quarter is good to use on the big area lakes when the sun gets up Little baits are favored by the crappie now Rook explained on the “Wild Side” what to look for when a lake begins a fall transition (The bass) are going to follow that buffet around wherever the shad go This time of year the shad tend to get suspended in the middle of the creek and the mouth of the creek Then once they work their way back as the water temperature starts to cool they get shallower and all the fish get up shallow “Typical back-of-the-creek fall patterns are in full force and that will last all the way up to almost January (updated 10-17-2024) Carter Cove Bait-N-More (479-272-4025) reports that the fishing has been “exceedingly slow.” Army Corps of Engineers drawdown of the lake to 337 feet is officially over and “we’re just waiting on some rain to raise the lake back up naturally and bring in some more people only two ramps have any real accessibility Carden Point is the access most being used Anderson Access is on the more difficult side to access Watch for stumps while boating with the lake down They report that a few people have been out trying to catch crappie lately Customers are coming in buying live minnows (updated 10-17-2024) Todd Gadberry at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa (870-867-2191/800-832-2276 out-of-state) said black bass are very good These fish are schooling up in the mouths of major creek channels Crappie are good and biting over the tops of brush in the 20- to 30-feet range Water temperature is ranging 70-76 degrees County says it does not contemplate hosting fireworks event eitherBy Heather MichonCorrespondent Lake Monticello will not be holding its annual Fourth of July fireworks starting in 2025 The Board of Directors voted 7-0 to cancel the fireworks a month after Lake Police Chief David Wells raised serious concerns about the safety of the event The vote took place at the end of its monthly meeting on Thursday night (Sept Wells said the association lacked the resources to adequately protect the thousands of people congregating near the Main Beach the night of the event ranging from inadequate parking to a limited security presence to the poor infrastructure that would prevent evacuating crowds in the case of an emergency “I just don’t think 15 minutes of fireworks are worth that,” he said The association has spent weeks gaming out solutions to parking and changes to the Main Beach’s infrastructure and looked at adding an additional $20,000 to the event budget receiving about 1,400 responses from residents While 58 percent of respondents said they wanted the fireworks 62 percent thought that the $35,000 price tag was too high The association also received warnings from legal counsel and insurers that the measures under consideration likely would not be enough to mitigate the risks The directors had little choice to act now as contracts with the fireworks company had to be signed in October to secure a show on July 2 “The role of the board is not simply to reflect the desires of the residents,” said Gary Sellick “Its primary function is to maintain the financial and legal stability of the organization that I will not be voting to approve the fireworks contract this year.” “I love the Fourth of July,” said Chair Larry Henson He said he would not be able to rest if people were injured – or worse – during the celebration Nor did he see a way to fairly limit access to the Main Beach area to 500-600 people This would limit the fireworks to those few Lake residents with lakefront property or the lucky few who could secure a spot on the beach all other Fourth of July family events will continue “I know we will put our heads together with the community,” said Johnny Williamson “There could be a lot of fun stuff we are already doing and continue to do Jenny Richardson said it made more sense for Fluvanna County to host the event at Pleasant Grove since they have parking and resources to manage a large event with the Lake picking up the tab for the fireworks.  “I really want to put the pressure on the Board of Supervisors to make this happen in the coming years because this is something that should be shared throughout Fluvanna County,” she said 30,) County Administrator Eric Dahl made it clear this is not something they are interested in taking on “Fluvanna County understands the difficult decision the Lake Monticello Owners Association faced when deciding the future of its annual 4th of July fireworks display,” he said “Sharing similar concerns regarding public safety as well as the significant traffic congestion of a major state road (Rt the County is not contemplating hosting the fireworks display.” A house fire at Lake Monticello has left a family without a home and injured two firefighters Fire crews were dispatched to a reported structure fire on Haversack Road around 3:10 p.m A fire consumes a house on Haversack Road at Lake Monticello on Monday firefighters found a private residence with more than half of the dwelling engulfed in flames according to a statement issued by Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard J “Firefighters began an aggressive interior fire attack and immediately advanced multiple hose lines inside the dwelling and were met with intense heat and flames They simultaneously shattered windows to allow the extreme heat and products of combustion to escape from the building to make the interior portions of the residence tenable for firefighter survival,” according to Constantino’s statement As firefighters worked to confine and extinguish the flames which burned through several rooms and the house’s attic they were overcome with extreme heat and exhaustion “Both firefighters were treated and released by members of the Lake Monticello and Fluvanna County rescue squads who were on the scene for firefighter rehabilitation and monitoring,” Constantino reported and closed Haversack Road to all traffic while crews were on the scene The house’s residents were not injured and are temporarily staying with relatives The origin and cause of the fire is currently under investigation by fire officials and the Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office Fork Union and Kent Store helped extinguish the blaze Monday Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue (LMVF&R) responded to a structure fire in the 1000 block of Lake Monticello Road (Rt LMVF&R Chief Richard Constantino said a resident on Jefferson Drive first saw flames on the roof of the home across Lake Monticello Road and attempted to see if anyone was inside The first units were on the scene by 9:12 p.m Seeing two vehicles parked outside “meant there’s a good bet someone’s inside,” said Constantino Crews immediately breached the front door and found a male victim on the floor of the kitchen Constantino alerted UVA Health’s Pegasus for a potential airlift despite an hour of resuscitation attempts by emergency personnel and Kent’s Store assisted LMVF&R in extinguishing the fire which took about 30 minutes to bring under control The Fluvanna County Sheriff’s Office closed Lake Monticello Road from Tuscarora Drive to the traffic circle at Rt Authorities have not yet identified the victim A resident posted on Facebook on Sunday it was her husband and dog that had died She thanked the community for their concerns and well wishes but requested time and privacy to recover the investigation will be conducted jointly between LMVF&R and the sheriff’s office.  Constantino said the full investigation would take some time to complete but his preliminary view was that there was “no criminal intent.” This is the first fire-related fatality in the area since April 2018 Contributed by Scott MurdochEleven-year-old Leah Kagarise brought Lake Monticello’s Bunker Bistro Open Mic audience to its feet Nov 13 as she delivered three of her own original songs: “Dream World,” “Kid Again,” and “Not Today.” How old were you when you started playing and writing And was there any song or artist that inspired you to play and sing My first year and a half of lessons were over Zoom because it was during Covid I was able to practice a lot at the beginning because I was home so much I started writing songs before I started taking lessons I started writing better songs as I learned how to play guitar and learning about the structure of songs.  Taylor Swift has always inspired me because I listen to her a lot and her first instrument that she learned was also guitar Who are some of your favorite singer/songwriters Besides Taylor Swift I also like Andy Grammer and Gracie Abrams Can you describe what you are feeling when you play in front of an audience And what are some of the venues where you have played I feel really happy when I am playing in front of an audience I also feel happy because I know people are listening to it.  I have done another open mic at The Southern and they also invited me to play at a Singer/Songwriters Showcase That was really cool because there was a huge audience I also got to write my name on the wall there.  Do you play any instruments besides guitar but I have interest in learning piano because I will sometimes look up songs and learn how to play them.  or do you sit down and say “I’m going to write a song today about XYZ” The best songs are the ones that come to me I never just say I need to go write a song I’ll be just walking in my room and write a song And normally songs just start with me playing around Do you see yourself continuing your music as a hobby or something more We are going to a studio to record some of my songs soon It could be really cool to have a job but release music and songs One week after a threat caused the postponement of a drag queen brunch show scheduled for Lake Monticello’s Bunker Bistro residents took to the podium at the monthly meeting of LMOA’s Board of Directors to share a single message: Hate has no place at the Lake The show was planned as a fundraiser for the JD Dickinson Memorial Foundation which grants scholarships to Fluvanna students It sold out shortly after it was announced in early January.  While there was talk of a protest outside the Feb many residents were excited about the event when a threat of violence caused the Lake Monticello Police Department and Bunker Bistro management to postpone the show for safety reasons and to give law enforcement time for an investigation While not an agenda item at Thursday night’s (Feb it was on the minds of residents who stood up during the public comments.  “If you don’t like a planned event at the Bistro If you plan a legal event that I don’t want to attend Everything about this event is helping this community income to this very building and its employees and joy and entertainment to everyone who purchased a ticket,” she continued Directors Gary Sellick and Jennifer Richardson both took to the podium as residents to share their personal views While the identity of the perpetrator remained unknown “the vitriolic words coming from certain members of the community helped create an atmosphere that allowed this sort of threat to materialize,” said Sellick He noted that the talk within the many social media groups in and around the Lake often pushed beyond the political and cultural differences of opinion and too often turned into dangerous personal attacks.  “Violence must never become the norm at Lake Monticello,” he said Richardson said that Lake officials and the event coordinators had worked together and had planned for pushback and protests.  “What I never entertained for a second was a threat of violence especially at an event where children would be present,” she said “How could anyone believe that a child coming to physical harm is less awful than being exposed to drag?” Board president Larry Henson – describing himself as an “old conservative” –  repeated his condemnation of the threat This was just an event for people to come together and have fun LMOA spokesperson Marieke Henry said Lake police were working with local and federal law enforcement to find the perpetrator A new date for the event has not been announced Unlock this page—subscribe now or sign in for instant access! Tracie Lambe was fishing a farm pond located in Sophia, NC for bluegill when she hooked a whopper of a largemouth bass. […] The Wateree Range is one of the SCDNR’s newest ranges, and it’s about to expand in a big way. […] Heather Pearson shot her personal best boar hog, which weighed 320 pounds, in Society Hill, SC. […] You must be logged in to post a comment — Several different agencies are investigating an 18-year-old’s death at Lake Monticello this weekend Joel Martin went under the water and never came back up Joel Martin was about to leave to join the navy and was at a going away party for a friend who was also joining Officials say Martin was swimming on one of the smaller islands near a boat ramp here at Lake Monticello when he went under There are several signs up here at Lake Monticello that warn people about the dangers letting people know there isn’t a lifeguard on duty and people swim at their own risk According to an incident report from the Fairfield County sheriff’s office a group was swimming near boat ramp 99 and Martin had just arrived at the party just minutes before he joined them in the water Witnesses told deputies that shortly after Martin got in the water Officials say the group started looking for the teen between two small islands and by the beach but there was no sign of him The Fairfield County dive team was able to find Joel Martin's body Investigators say he was found about 15 feet away from where witnesses had last seen him Lake Monticello is roughly 90 feet deep according to the state department of natural resources WACHFOX News confirmed that Martin was a student at Fairfield Central High School WACHFOX News reached out to the school for a statement about his death MONTICELLO — CentraCare is set to purchase the former Monticello-Big Lake Hospital District a political subdivision of the state of Minnesota according to a joint statement issued Monday morning "One of the terms of the lease provided CentraCare with an option to purchase the property from the (Monticello-Big Lake Hospital District); both parties have now agreed to terms of the purchase and are ready to move forward," City Council documents read The Monticello-Big Lake Hospital District will now dissolve "CentraCare remains committed to serving our local patients the broader community and greater Minnesota," said the statement from CentraCare and the Monticello-Big Lake Community Hospital District CentraCare-Monticello Hospital is at 1013 Hart Blvd CentraCare was formed in 1995 and has its headquarters in St The health care system has more than 30 clinics throughout central Minnesota DEVELOPING FISH HABITAT - Roughly 9,000 2-inch TITAN MAXX Florida largemouth bass were released at Lake Monticello in early May to add more trophy-class genetics to the fertile fishery BIG BASS - AGFC regional fisheries supervisor Kris Nault with an 8.25-lb Bass caught just before the lake draining was complete To access content, please login or purchase a subscription FBT Bank: Simple Home Loans To Help You Own © 2025 Cleveland County Herald DEVELOPING FISH HABITAT - Eighty-seven fish habitat sites were constructed using various materials during Lake Monticello’s drawdown and renovation To access content, please login or purchase a subscription CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – No fireworks this July 4th holiday in the city but there are several displays going on around the area July 4th evening… weather permitting Keep an eye on the link for which ever show you’re interested in for weather postponements or cancellations Here’s a list of the shows we know:adButlerLazyLoad("929949827099344667",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); If you’re planning to explore Virginia this 4th of July here are the top 7 spots to catch unforgettable fireworks: MONTICELLO — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is hedging its bets with bringing trophy-class bass fishing back to Lake Monticello with today’s release of roughly 9,000 special fish These fish are the first segment of a stocking totaling 22,000 Florida largemouth bass from Red Hills Fishery in Georgia that are the offspring of fish that have all the genetic makings of trophy-class bass dubbed TITAN MAXX™ bass by the Red Hills facility were spawned from bass that were genetically tested and have specific genetic markers of fish that exhibit trophy-class growth potential “The AGFC has been stocking Florida bass for decades which have had the potential to become trophies but now we’re able to select the Floridas that have the most potential from that pool,” Jeremy Risley “It’s sort of like we’re switching from stocking college basketball players who are already great athletes to only stocking the elite NBA players of the fish world.” Lake Monticello’s renovation offered the perfect opportunity to infuse the system with these “thoroughbred” bass it’s all about getting the genetics of big fish into the system,” Risley said “We’re not necessarily adding more fish in most established fisheries because the fish we stock essentially outcompete and take the place of a fish that was already there we’re able to work with a cleaner slate and have a larger percentage of Florida and TITAN MAXX genetics from the beginning.” director of Biology and Infrastructure at Red Hills stressed that the fish are not genetically engineered or modified but are naturally occurring bass bloodlines found in the wild “All of the broodstock we used came out of the wild in the state of Florida and all the broodstock were tested according to the state of Florida’s new standards to be Floridas,” Sakmar said “Over the past six years we’ve done a large study where we’ve looked at fish over 8 pounds and looked for genetic markers associated with those fish What we’ve found was extremely high statistical values for the markers we use We’ve gone back and looked at all the broodstock we have and tested them to identify which ones have those genetic markers and intentionally spawned those fish together.” Although bass from Red Hills Fishery have been used in private ponds to help produce trophy-class black bass this is their first stocking into a public body of water Monticello Mayor Jason Akers was excited about the added attention to the southeast Arkansas fishery and family destination “Lake Monticello and the amenities it possesses are one of the most overlooked fun spots in our state,” Akers said our state of the art bike trail or our disc golf course we have everything here and we encourage everyone to explore what Monticello has to offer Our partnership with Arkansas Game and Fish shows that we are only going to get better and we even have better things to come in the near future.” Sakmar and Risley both stress that genetics are only one part of the big bass equation but they’re hopeful that Lake Monticello’s revamp will produce the right habitat needed to let these fish reach their full potential “Phenotype is a combination of genotype and environment,” Sakmar said “We can’t guarantee these fish will get to trophy size but we can guarantee they have the genetic potential.” creating a “new lake effect” boom to fish as it comes back online fisheries supervisor in the AGFC’s Monticello regional office explained that in addition to the genetics added through stockings of Florida bass and TITAN MAXX fish growing trophy largemouth bass requires the right combination of fish habitat and forage The AGFC has been hard at work on those pieces of the puzzle AGFC fisheries personnel created 87 fish habitat sites consisting of brush piles “We also hinge-cut 1,653 trees along the shoreline These habitat structures in addition to the hundreds of willow and pine trees that have grown in the lakebed are now flooded and provide excellent habitat for largemouth bass to ambush their prey and minimize the calories it takes to do so.” Forage for the fishery also has been boosted This combination of the high forage population in the lake combined with great habitat and Florida Bass genetics has resulted in Lake Monticello largemouth bass exhibiting excellent growth and condition.” the TITAN MAXX bass will have the best opportunity to thrive the AGFC and City of Monticello can offer “We know Monticello was once one of the best lakes in the state to chase double-digit bass,” Tommy Laird “With the combination of excellent habitat and these heavyweight bloodlines maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle again.” MONTICELLO — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists stocked nearly 1,000 extra-large pure Florida largemouth bass fingerlings into Lake Monticello during May to lay the foundation for trophy-sized bass potential in this southeast Arkansas reservoir AGFC Regional Fisheries Supervisor Kris Nault said Lake Montiicello took five years to reach full pool during its original construction and boat ramps were usable within four years “There were two drought years within that time period that slowed the rate at which the lake filled,” Nault said of the original construction The lake has filled a bit quicker since the renovation with roughly 1,008 acres of its total 1,510-acre capacity reached since the dam was closed in November 2021  “The water level is still too low to launch a boat on the lake,” Nault said the water level was up to within 8 feet of the end of the boat ramp.” 589 were 9-11 inches long and 400 were 6-8 inches long AGFC staff also stocked 52,000 2- to 3-inch bluegill in May to provide future panfishing opportunities as well as additional forage for larger species of fish “The water was high enough for us to stock directly into the lake from the hatchery trucks this spring,” Nault said “We had to use ATVs last November to haul fish 220 yards to the water from the trucks That was our first stocking of forage since the renovation.” and 82,056 redear sunfish were stocked in November to build the forage base before introduction of predatory game fish Lake Monticello will receive an additional stocking of Florida largemouth bass fingerlings this summer the lake is scheduled to be stocked with bluegill Visit https://www.agfc.com/en/news/tag/lake-monticello/ for more information about the Lake Monticello renovation Cloud-based health care system has run the hospital for the past decade is planning to purchase the Monticello hospital it has operated for the last decade CentraCare-Monticello Hospital is owned by the Monticello-Big Lake Hospital District a political subdivision that will be dissolved once CentraCare completes the purchase for $2 million an amount established at the time of the affiliation agreement between the two entities in 2013 CentraCare will continue to operate the hospital in the same manner as prior to the real estate transfer according to a joint statement issued by CentraCare and the hospital district “This plan has been in the works since the beginning of the relationship,” the statement reads “CentraCare remains committed to serving our local patients the broader community and greater Minnesota.” Jenny Berg covers St. Cloud for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new St. Cloud Today newsletter. Outdoor Activities The state’s “Big 10″ account for nearly half of the annual harvest Robert Kaiser’s attorneys argued the state’s case was built on “a pile of maybes.” Nurseries and garden clubs across Minnesota are offering a variety of flower Assistant Chief of Communications MONTICELLO — After two years of drawdowns and construction work the city of Monticello was able to close the gates at its namesake lake in Drew County last week hoping to see the fish and recreational opportunities in the reservoir flourish again once the lake refills It may take 3-5 years for the 1,500-acre reservoir to reach full capacity fisheries supervisor at the AGFC’s Monticello regional office it should have as close to a clean slate as the AGFC can make it to begin the process in rebuilding one of Arkansas’s top trophy bass-fishing lakes “It’s entirely dependent on rainfall to fill up Monticello,” Nault said “It has a small watershed and is fed by intermittent streams We have 28 or so acres of water out there now and it needs to reach 1,500 acres of water Lake Monticello had to be drained by the lake’s owner in 2019 because of failing integrity of the lake’s levee The city conducted a partial drawdown in 2017 to repair the levee This resulted in a complete draining of the lake and larger repair project biologists jumped into action to add the things the lake will need and remove the things it doesn’t Since the lake was dropped to a level that would require starting over biologists took the opportunity to remove any remaining undesirable species with the use of rotenone Rotenone is a fish toxicant that naturally occurs in the roots and seeds of some subtropical plants and has been used for decades to remove unwanted fish there were 25 ponds that remained in the lakebed so we applied rotenone to remove any grass carp yellow bass and other undesirable species from the water that was left,” Nault said “Just before the construction was complete we used trash pumps to pump out as much standing water as possible to concentrate fish so the rotenone application would be more effective We were able to reduce the standing water from 67 acres to 17 acres.” AGFC staff observed hundreds of dead grass carp which will help submersed aquatic vegetation to become established once again “Although we observed dead yellow bass during the first year we applied rotenone we did not observe any dead yellow bass during the second year of rotenone application so hopefully they have been eradicated from the system,” Nault said “We also walked the 14.7 miles of creek beds of the old lake and sprayed them with rotenone to remove any fish there as well.” Nault said remaining game fish were inevitably killed as well during the rotenone applications “The largemouth bass killed during the rotenone application had both Florida and northern largemouth bass alleles,” Nault said We plan on restocking pure Florida largemouth bass into Lake Monticello which will increase the trophy potential of the fishery.” Lake Monticello will receive only stockings of pure Florida largemouth bass Florida largemouth bass can grow more quickly and reach a larger size than their northern largemouth bass counterparts The lake will also be restocked with bluegill “We plan on restocking the lake with bluegill and fathead minnows in fall 2022,” Nault said “We will stock the lake with Florida largemouth bass and black crappie during summer 2023 The bream and forage species will go in first so they can become established without predators and will be able to spawn once before predators are introduced “We’ll stock all of the 19 ponds in the upper portion of the lake and we will deliver the fish to the ponds with a UTV pulling a trailer with a stocking tank,” Nault said Those fish will also have a playground of habitat in which to grow when the water arrives as Nault and his team have worked from day one of the project to create the best lake they could offer The lake still had stumps and woody cover from its previous incarnation but AGFC staff spent thousands of worker hours creating and placing more complex woody cover that serves as both cover for prey species and ambush points for predators like bass “We conducted a major habitat project in summer 2020 once the lakebed was dry enough to work and we’ve added various habitat structures and have been hinge-cutting trees along the shoreline since.” The large-scale habitat project Nault mentions took 15 AGFC staff an entire week to complete 32 porcupine fish cribs and 117 pallet structures lined key spots along contours in the lakebed Nault and other AGFC staff revisited the pallet project adding 120 single- and 60 double-pallet structures during each trip Roughly 2,100 pallets were used for aquatic cover Most were donated from local businesses and delivered to the lake by the City of Monticello and AGFC staff we made 15 ‘Georgia cubes’ out of PVC and corrugated pipe and placed these at two sites,” Nault said “We constructed 100 spider buckets (which look like a small artificial shrub) out of concrete and sprinkler tubing and placed 60 near the fishing pier at Plantersville Access and 40 at the Hunger Run Access pier.” AGFC staff created a total of 67 habitat sites on the lakebed during the project all of which will be available to the public at the AGFC’s interactive map on AGFC.com These marked fish-attractor sites are only a portion of the actual habitat added to the lake we hinge-cut 1,653 trees to offer complex cover for juvenile and adult gamefish,” Nault said “We wanted to cut enough to provide habitat to improve game fish populations and not just offer targets for angling The trees will sit in water ranging from 6 inches to 8 feet deep when the lake is at full pool so they will offer cover for juvenile and adult game fish throughout the year.” Woody and artificial cover is only one piece of the puzzle being constructed at Lake Monticello The lakebed has been allowed to dry and crack and grasses and plants have grown throughout the lake that will offer ideal nursery habitat for forage fish when the lake begins to refill The decaying vegetation will make even more nutrients available to bolster the base of the lake’s food chain for the predator fish planned for Monticello Sunfish spawning areas were created at two bank fishing areas off the lake’s Hunger Run Access and one area near the Plantersville access These spawning sites were created by spreading dump truck loads of pea gravel to offer spawning substrate for bluegill These areas should increase bank anglers’ catch rates of large bream when they spawn Larger bass also will find these areas and take advantage of the spawning bream as a food source The lakebed also received about 1,550 tons of lime which was spread throughout the lakebed to lower the acidity of the lake’s sediment This will increase the effectiveness of fertilizer added to the lake once it is full It may take a few years once the lake is full before the results of the AGFC Fisheries crew become evident Lake Monticello will once again see trailers from states across the U.S parked by its shores with anglers setting out to catch their personal best bass from its waters