Striper Seasonal Movements in Arkansas

Striper Seasonal Movement In Arkansas.

Arkansas Parks and Tourism
Take a Kid Fishing | Striper Fishing Waters in Arkansas | Arkansas Record Striper
Striper Recipes | Striper Fishing Guides I Fishing Tackle
Striper Pictures

Striper Seasonal Movement In Arkansas

Striped Bass seasonal movements make it difficult for the angler to keep up with.
Here are a few tips that will help you find striped bass all year long.

Early Spring

Monitor water temperatures, looking for the warmest water you can find that isn't muddy. Stripers do not like muddy water and will stay ahead of it as it flows into the lakes after spring rains.

Stripers cannot spawn successfully in most lakes, but they make an attempt to spawn. They start moving toward their spawning grounds, usually in the tailwaters of the upstream dam, rivers or large creek feeds when the lake warms into the lower 50s .

Striped Bass spawning activity
takes place when the water temp
reaches around 65 degrees F.

As they move, stripers stop and feed along key main-lake structures. Long slow tapering points that connect with the deep lake river channels are especially good. It is always a good idea is to check these points beginning in the middle of the reservoir, working your way up the lake until you locate schools of stripers. Some stripers may stay on long points and attempt to spawn there rather than move into the headwaters.

Spring

As the water temp. approaches 60 degrees, look for shallow points in the upper end of the lakes. Clear, flowing water attracts spawning stripers, so don't be afraid to venture into extreme shallows upriver. If these areas are muddy, move back down the lake until you find clear water. Start looking for humps and points, that's where the stripers will be.

Summer

This is prime live bait time! Stripers are likely to be deep, locate the stripers on your graph and notice the depth of suspending baitfish schools. Then fish just above this depth. Stripers feed up, they will seldom go down to take a bait.

Trolling multiple lines at different depths works. Troll across primary main lake structures, especially humps and points (both shallow and deep), around islands and along bluff banks. All of these spots attract baitfish. Concentrate on the midsection of the lake down to the headwaters. Stripers are likely to be sluggish in warm water, so don't troll too fast.

Fall

This is a time of transition for stripers. In deep, clear lakes, the water remains warm longer in early fall, so trolling or live bait is still your best bet. Troll a bit faster and move your lures progressively shallower as the water cools. When it drops down to the mid-60s, stripers move much shallower and will be catchable early and late in the day on long main lake points and humps, and in the deeper creek arms. Feeding activity is likely to be intense now, so faster moving presentations should draw savage strikes.

Winter

When the water temp. drops into the mid-50s, stripers move shallow and gorge themselves on bait fish. I don't mean that you fish the banks for them. I mean that they will feed, in many instances near the surface. The water below them might be 75 feet, but stripers will attack bait closer to the surface. Key on shallow flats, points, and creek arms. Down line fishing and float rigs work well this time of year.

Catch a Memory of a Life time

Privacy Notice I Striper Links I Glossary of Fish Terms I Arkansas Striper Site Map

Search Site

Arkansas Striper
Home

Striper Facts

Striper Boats

Fish Finders

Live Wells for Stripers

Rulers of the Lake

Live Shad
for Stripers

Catch and Release Can Kill Stripers

Fishing Line

Striper Age Weight Chart

Spawning

Bait Tanks

Cast nets

Best Times To Catch Stripers

Striper Seasons

Buy-Swap-Sell

The National Striped Bass Association:

Search the Outdoors

Fishing-Hunting

Local Fishing "Slang"

Morone saxatilis