Surrounded by the 1.8-million-acre Ouachita National Forest, Lake Ouachita west of Hot Springs has remained sheltered from runoff that adversely affects water quality in many large North American impoundments. As a result, this 40,000-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment, the largest lake entirely within the borders of The Natural State, has long been described as “America’s Cleanest Lake.”
That alone would be reason enough to visit this beautiful vacation spot in west-central Arkansas. But there’s more — much more — especially if you enjoy late-summer and fall fishing.
Consider, for example, the amazing variety of sportfish swimming in Ouachita’s clear blue waters. These include largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass (all abundant and reaching trophy sizes); striped bass to 50 pounds; huge bluegills (averaging 1 pound each), redear sunfish (often over 2 pounds) and other bream; slab crappie, blacks and whites, to 3 pounds and more; a healthy, almost-untapped population of walleyes that often exceed 10 pounds; scads of blue, channel and flathead catfish, including some 100-pound-plus blues; huge schools of big white bass (often exceeding 3 pounds); a super-abundant cohort of big chain pickerel; and, for anglers so inclined, healthy populations of other big, hard-fighting fish such as freshwater drum, longnose gar, common carp, grass carp and buffalo.
In addition, visitors will find excellent guide services, superb camping and first-class overnight accommodations; a wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, such as swimming and scuba diving; and all this in a setting of incomparable beauty that makes Lake Ouachita a must-visit destination for anyone who loves fishing.
Bassing bonanza
When fishing Lake Ouachita, I often accompany Chris Elder of Mount Ida, a friend who knows every inch of the lake. An extraordinary angler, Chris always comes through when I need fish for photos.
When I joined Chris and Jeff Samsel of Clarksville, Georgia, for a recent September bassing trip, however, I figured Elder would have a hard time finding actively feeding largemouths in the tepid water. When we left the ramp at dawn, it was so hot you could have made stir fry on the boat transom.
I should have had more faith. Within minutes, Chris had us drifting over a submerged hump encircled with beds of coontail.
“They’re here,” he said, looking at his fish-finder. “Let’s hope they’re hungry.”
Jeff had already tied on a chugger plug and was tugging the lure this way then that to imitate a shad spritzing across the surface. A 5-pound-plus largemouth couldn’t resist.
“I hope this is a sign of things to come,” said Chris, as he netted Jeff’s bass. Turns out it was. Chris caught the next bass, which was bigger than Jeff’s by 2 or 3 pounds, then three more just slightly smaller. I caught a pair of 2-pounders, and Jeff landed several more in the 1- to 4-pound class.
When action slowed, Chris positioned his boat over another hump, and we lowered live crawfish to the bottom. Each tail-hooked bait was weighted with a split shot, and each one barely touched bottom before a nice spotted bass struck. For an hour, we quickly caught one spotted bass and then another. When the crawfish ran out, we tied on crankbaits and kept catching bass. We landed dozens up to 4 pounds.
Days like this are common for savvy Ouachita bass anglers. The lake’s clear waters are bristling with largemouths and spots. Recent stockings of smallmouth bass have made that species available, too. Trophy specimens are likely to be part of your daily catch year-round.
Striper capital
Lake Ouachita isn’t just “America’s Cleanest Lake.” For decades, it’s also been known as “The Striper Capital of the World.” This isn’t just chamber-of-commerce hype. Striped bass stocked by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission gorge on the lake’s massive shad schools and grow to massive sizes. Twenty- to 30-pounders are common, and 50-pounders always possible.
When my friend Ian Sulocki of Rio de Janeiro visited Arkansas, I asked the Brazilian fishing expert what he most wanted to catch. “Striped bass,” he answered. “That’s the No. 1 fish on my list.” Ouachita striper guide David Cochran of Royal (www.cochranfishing.com) agreed to help Sulocki with his quest.
Tactics change seasonally, but Cochran typically looks for Ouachita stripers feeding around river channels and humps. He took Ian and me to such a spot, pinpointed a big shad school on sonar, then showed us big boomerangs indicating stripers below.
“There are many ways you can catch them,” he said, “but the best way is fishing with live shad, their favorite food.”
Cochran impaled a 5-inch shad on Ian’s hook and instructed him to lower the bait 15 feet.
“You’ll know when one hits,” he said. “It’s like a freight train ran over you.”
Ian smiled at the comment, but his expression changed to surprise when, seconds later, the first striper of the day grabbed the baitfish. Ian set the hook and struggled to hold on. Several minutes passed before the 25-pound striper was netted.
Ian was ecstatic. “This is a beautiful fish,” he said as we admired the silvery giant. “He fights as hard as any fish I’ve caught. I am impressed.”
Ian had been in Arkansas just hours, and already, he’d achieved his goal of catching a trophy striper. And this was just the first of dozens we caught. Ouachita striper fans rarely go home disappointed.
Panfish paradise
Bream master Bobby Graves of Mount Ida guided my 12-year-old son, Zach, and me when we visited Ouachita to catch bluegills. He anchored his boat a long cast away to keep from spooking the fish, then baited his and Zach’s hooks with crickets.
“Cast right next to that stick-up, and be ready,” he said.
Zach did as instructed. His cork shot under. Bobby and I watched as he tried to land a bluegill that did not want to be landed. The fish circled furiously, but Zach prevailed.
“Weigh it, Dad,” Zach said. The digital scale showed 15 ounces. Zach smiled and cast again, but Bobby’s cork disappeared first.
“Oh, Zach,” he exclaimed. “I’m glad you didn’t hook this one. It’s so mean it might have hurt you.”
Two hours later, with 50 giant bluegills in the livewell, we headed home. The trip had been fun and unforgettable.
“Bluegills can be caught throughout the warm months,” Graves said. “The water is so clear, you actually can see them at times and cast directly to them. Anywhere you find weed beds and timber, there are likely to be plenty of big bream.”
Giant redears are also abundant, plus a variety of other sunfish and schools of slab crappie and jumbo white bass. Ouachita is paradise for panfish and panfish anglers alike.
And more
Space doesn’t permit me to detail the excellent catfishing, walleye fishing and pickerel fishing I’ve also enjoyed on Lake Ouachita. But all these species are abundant here, too, and often reach trophy-class sizes.
In short, Lake Ouachita is a dream destination for anyone who enjoys freshwater fishing. Visit this season, and see for yourself. That’s a decision you’ll never regret.