Right now: 58 for largemouth bass, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours
Largemouth bass, hour by hour
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
582 am
58
58
585 am
58
58
588 am
58
58
5811 am
68
68
682 pm
68
68
685 pm
58
58
588 pm
58
58
5811 pm
58Tue
58
582 am
58
58
585 am
58
58
588 am
58
58
5811 am
58
68
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out
Right now
Water
No reading
Largemouth bass range 55–85°
Wind
0 mph
From the
Light
Dark
Sunrise 7:27 am
Sky
Mostly Cloudy
No rain expected
Air
54°F
NWS hourly forecast
Barometer
Steady
Measured, last 3 hours
Moon
100% lit
Full
What’s biting
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Arkansas regulations for these waters.
No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.
Why
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Keep
10 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 10 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum on largemouth. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15" and 6 a day; Ouachita is 13" and 6 a day, plus 10 spotted bass.
No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.
Why
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–35 ft down.
Keep
6 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 6 striped and hybrid bass a day combined, no minimum. Beaver allows 3 with a 20" minimum on striped bass; Ouachita allows 3 striped bass.
No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.
Why
Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Keep
10 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas: 10 catfish a day (channel, blue and flathead combined), no limit on bullheads. Some small lakes and community ponds are 3 or 5 a day.
Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp
The water
Water temperatureNo reading
Barometer30.32 inHg, steady
Sun, moon & solunar
Sunrise today7:27 am
Sunset today6:25 pm
MoonFull, 100% lit
Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
Major solunarToday 12:10 pm–2:10 pm
Minor solunarTonight 6:00 pm–7:00 pm
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
Fishing report
No current report covers these waters.
We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Arkansas Game & Fish has the state’s fishing pages.
Arkansas's largest lake, a clear 40,000-acre reservoir near Hot Springs — largemouth and striped bass, crappie, catfish, and bream across hundreds of islands.
The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.
2 am
5 am
8 am
11 am
2 pm
5 pm
8 pm
Tue
5 am
8 am
11 am
Broken Bow Lake89 mi · OklahomaBest tonight 10 pm to tomorrow 9 am
98Go
White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)126 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm
74Worth the trip
Norfork River128 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–8 pm
86Go
Bull Shoals Lake132 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm
68Marginal
Beaver Lake133 mi · ArkansasNo window clears the bar
33Sit it out
Table Rock Lake140 mi · MissouriBest today 2 pm–8 pm
74Worth the trip
Questions people ask
Do I need a fishing license to fish at Lake Ouachita?
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Ouachita you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
What fish are commonly targeted at Lake Ouachita?
Lake Ouachita is listed on this site for 5 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, and 1 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
When is the best time to fish at Lake Ouachita?
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Ouachita against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
What kind of access does Lake Ouachita have?
Lake Ouachita has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
Which state's fishing regulations apply at Lake Ouachita?
state agency regulations apply at Lake Ouachita. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
Is Lake Ouachita tidal water?
No. Lake Ouachita is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
