Fishing at Greers Ferry Lake is a North Central Arkansas favorite, thanks to its diversity of fish and the possibility of catching a giant in this huge reservoir.
The crystal clear water and beautiful scenery also don’t hurt this lake’s chances of being one of Arkansas’s top fishing locations. It’s also helpful that the lake is just an hour and a half north of Little Rock.
And, of course, the fact that this lake has produced world-record gamefish is no deterrent!
This guide will teach you the best times, areas, and lures for each major game fish species. These tips will take your fishing to the next level at Greers Ferry Lake.
Walleye Fishing
Walleye are what put Greers Ferry Lake on the map for many anglers across the country and the globe, for that matter.
Greers Ferry Lake was home to one of the largest walleye ever caught. That 22-pound, 11-ounce walleye still holds a line-class record as well as the state record, and big ‘eyes still draw many anglers to this impoundment every year.
At one time, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) stocked rainbow trout in the lake, which the walleye ate in such large numbers that they grew to record-breaking sizes.
However, the AGFC has since stopped stocking the lake with rainbows, and the size of walleye has come back down to earth, but big walleye still call this lake home.
Understanding the biology of walleye, especially the spawning cycle, is a significant piece of the puzzle to becoming a better walleye angler.
In the early spring, walleye congregate along shallow, rocky shorelines to spawn. This is the best time of year to catch them for bank anglers because they’re close to the bank and hungry.
After spawning, walleye return to steep depth changes and deep holes to feed on baitfish such as shad. Walleye prefer cooler water, and their big eyes are highly light-sensitive, so fishing at low light hours is best in the hottest months of the year.
During the fall, walleye will follow the baitfish back to the shallows and spend most of their time feeding in preparation for winter, where they’ll primarily hang out in the deeper holes and river channels.
Minnows are one of the best baits for walleye any time of the year.
Earthworms on crawler harnesses are great options during the spring and summer months. Deep-diving crankbaits and bottom bouncers are also very effective during the summer.
Crankbaits and swimbaits work well in the spring, early summer, and fall.
I prefer to keep my lure color selection simple. I use natural colors, like silver, gold, and translucent, with a touch of bubble gum pink or chartreuse to help them stand out just a bit from the live baitfish.
Bass Fishing
The largemouth, spotted, and smallmouth bass that call Greers Ferry home are another draw to these clear waters.
While anglers often have a chance to catch all three species during the spring, they often inhabit different areas on the lake, and differing techniques are needed to catch them.
Springtime means spawning fish, and bass are no different than most gamefish we chase in these parts as they head for the shallows to spawn along hard-bottom areas.
Spring is when you’ll find the fish guarding their beds, so using lures resembling nest-raiding bluegill and crawdads works very well.
Once the spawn is over, a majority of bass move to deeper water, while a smaller portion stay shallow and hang out around cover, such as docks, brush piles, and laydowns.
You can find large schools of bass suspended along ledges and in deep brush piles during the summer.
As fall and winter set in, bass follow their food back to the shallows before suspending most of the winter around ledges.
One of the best places to catch fish, no matter the time of year, is under the main bridge that crosses the lake. This structure funnels many fish into a concentrated area around some excellent artificial cover.
Now that we understand the basics of bass behavior let’s talk a little more about the differences between each species.
Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass are the biggest of the three species and tend to dominate the shallows. However, they will venture to deeper water throughout the year.
I prefer to use a little bigger lures when targeting largemouth because big lures weed out some of the smaller fish. If you’re looking to catch a bunch of bass, stick with your favorite lures in typical sizes.
Bluegill and shad patterns work best for largies. I stick with bluegill patterns in the shallows, around brush piles, and shad patterns when fishing ledges and targeting suspended fish.
Spotted Bass
Spotted bass tend to outcompete largemouth in open water, so fishing offshore, you’ll encounter more spotted bass. That’s not to say you won’t catch spotted and largemouth bass off the same main lake point.
Spots, on average, are much smaller, so downsizing your hooks and lures usually helps catch more spotted bass.
Shad are their primary forage because they’re more of an open-water patrolling fish, so using lures that look like shad is best.
Smallmouth Bass
Smallies are also found offshore but primarily stick around rock piles instead of the open water.
Because they have smaller mouths, I use smaller lures and hooks. However, smallmouths are aggressive and will attack big lures.
Smallmouth bass eat crawdads, bluegill, and shad, so adjust your lure colors accordingly. Generally, bluegill are in shallow water, crawdads are always near the bottom, and shad swim in open water.
Crappie Fishing
Greers Ferry Lake crappie fishing is fantastic, especially in the spring. Many anglers catch slab crappie as they move shallow to spawn.
There are two species of crappie in Greers Ferry Lake: black crappie and white crappie. They can have differing preferences regarding water clarity. However, the water is clear throughout this impoundment, so you often find these fish in nearby schools.
When crappie spawn in the spring, that’s the best time of year for shore anglers to catch them because they’re a few feet out and hungry.
Crappie jigs, live minnows, and small spinners all work very well this time of year. I prefer to use natural colors with a touch of chartreuse in clear water, but be ready to change it up to entice a bite.
As summer sets in, crappie move to deeper brush piles, typically in the 20-25-foot range, but they will go deeper to follow the thermocline. Trolling with deep-diving crankbaits can be a great way to locate a school of hungry crappie this time of year.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a map of some of the fish attractors placed in Greers Ferry Lake.
Crappies follow their food back to the shallows in the fall before returning to the depths for the winter. During warm stretches, you can find a school or two patrolling a shallow flat in the winter.
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Catfish Fishing
Catfishing can be good at Greers Ferry Lake. You’ll primarily be targeting channel cats and blue cats, with the occasional flathead.
Catfish are slightly different in their spawning habits because they spawn in late spring and early summer, and they’re challenging to catch during this time of year.
Instead, I like to wait until they’ve finished spawning and they’re feeding heavily to gain the weight they just lost while spawning.
Catfish will spend most of their time around depth changes because they’ll move shallow to feed on a flat and then head back to the depths to hang out.
This is why I always target humps and channels when catfishing, no matter the species I’m targeting during the summer.
As fall approaches, they’ll make a push shallow, following their food, the same as other predator fish, before spending most of the winter in deeper holes.
Channel cats are the smallest of the three species, so I downsize my hooks and baits for them. They also tend to be less picky than the other two species, so you can use chicken livers, earthworms, hot dogs, stinkbait, prepared baits, and small chunks of cut bait.
Blues are the biggest catfish, so I like to use bigger hooks (8/0 or 10/0 hooks) and baits. They tend to prefer cut bait and live bait.
Flatheads grow to incredible sizes, too, so I still use bigger hooks for them. While you’ll catch the occasional flathead on cut bait, live bait tends to be the best bait for flathead catfish.
White Bass & Hybrid Stripers
Some of my all-time favorite fish to catch are white bass and hybrid stripers. These hard-fighting relatives are aggressive, swim in large schools, and are decent table fare.
They run up the creeks and rivers in the early spring to spawn. If you can access these areas, this is some of the best fishing you can experience because it’s cast after cast of catching fish using crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, or spinnerbaits.
Once they’ve spawned, these fish head back to the main lake to patrol the channels and flats. Trolling with crankbaits and spoons will help you locate a school of hungry sand bass and hybrid stripers during the summer.
As the baitfish move shallow for the fall, so do the hybrids and white bass. They’ll hit pretty much any lure that resembles a small shad this time of year.
During the winter, they return to deeper water and become more challenging to catch.
Again, lures that look like shad work best. So anything flashy, white, and sometimes a little chartreuse works well. Live minnows will also catch white bass and hybrids.
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Find all of the top white bass fishing spots in Arkansas.
Check out my favorite lures and other white bass fishing techniques and tips.
Sunfish Fishing
Sunfish are the best way to introduce a new angler to fishing, especially kids.
This is because sunfish like bream (bluegill) are often close to the shore and easy to catch.
A small piece of worm on a small hook and bobber is all you need to trick these little fish into biting.
Sometimes, they’re big enough to eat, and the rest make excellent catfish bait! Or you can catch and release them all to catch them another day.
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Trout Fishing (Tailwater)
The water coming out of Greers Ferry Lake’s dam is cold enough to support trout. So rainbow and brown trout are regularly stocked in the Little Red River.
Cutthroat and brook trout have also been planted in these waters, but generally they won’t be found in large numbers.
The brown trout grow to trophy sizes in this river stretch, making it a popular destination.
Rainbow trout are stocked the most often and are easy to catch with bait, lures or flies. They typically don’t grow as large as brown trout here, but they are big enough to bring home for dinner!
Be sure to consult the trout fishing regulations before fishing in this stretch of the river.
Planning Your Trip
Now that you know how to catch your favorite game fish in Greers Ferry Lake, it’s time to begin planning your trip.
A couple of the first things you’ll need to know are where to find the boat ramps, public access areas, and places to stay.
Boat Ramps & Public Access Areas
No matter which part of the lake you plan to visit, a boat ramp and recreational area will likely be nearby. Several marinas with boat ramps are also scattered around the lake.
Devil’s Fork boat ramp is a six-lane ramp located mid-lake.
Cove Creek boat ramp is the southernmost ramp.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground also has a well-maintained boat ramp.
For additional ramps as well as other amenities, including camping, check out this Corps recreation map for Greers Ferry Lake.
Places to Stay Nearby
Whether you’re looking to stay at a campground at the lake or a hotel in a nearby town, Greers Ferry Lake has you covered.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds are a favorite for many, so check the link I provided in the previous section.
There are also hotels, inns, B&B, and similar accommodations in Heber Springs on the east side, Greers Ferry near the middle, and other communities around the lake.