Fishing Report For Lake Hamilton, AR

By Rick Seaman

March 7, 2025

Popular Fish Species Reports
Lake Hamilton Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Marinas
Boat Launch Ramps
Fishing License
Map
Contact Info

Fishing Report Lake Hamilton, AR

Fishing Reports

Popular Fish Species Lake Hamilton, AR

Striped Bass

Current Report: Fair To Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Spring is the best time of year for striper fishing on Lake Hamilton, as these aggressive fish are ready for the spawn and feeding ferociously. This is the time of year to head for the tail waters of the Lake Ouachita Dam, where the stripers gather due their natural instinct to go up river to spawn. As soon as Summer arrives, stripers head for the main lake ledges and river channel drop-offs. In the Fall striped bass follow the baitfish into coves and bays to feed. Winter is the slow time of year, and according to reports by locals, live or cut bait is the best way to entice bites here in deep water. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating schools of bait, and wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Swimbaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits, spoons, live bait and cut bait are all effective here for trolling, casting or drifting.

Largemouth Bass

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Like in most lakes, the bass spawn in Spring at Lake Hamilton. Coves and pockets with cover in shallow water are their preferred areas to build a nest. After the spawn, locals report catching nice fish on the outside corners of these pockets. As Summer arrives they migrate to ledges, points and humps in the main lake, always hanging around schools of shad. A multitude of lures are catching nice largemouth bass here, but many tournament anglers are throwing vibrating jigs as a primary bait. During slow times, when the bass are finicky, a stick worm, rigged wacky style, often teases bass to strike.

Black Crappie - White Crappie

Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good

Crappie fishing tournaments on Lake Hamilton are held each year, with much success. The lake is loaded with fat, healthy crappie - all competing with each other for food. Spring is the premiere time to be on the water as crappie move into shallow coves to spawn. Docks play a major factor, especially docks with brushpiles.Cast small crappie jigs, spinners, or live minnows on light tackle with 4 lb to 8 lb line. Locals report good success using forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie.

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, bluegill, redear sunfish, white bass, yellow bass, striped bass and hybrid striped bass at Lake Hamilton in Arkansas.

Lake Hamilton, a 7,200-acre lake. with well over 100 miles of shoreline. It is located immediately south of Hot Springs, AR. Handicapped-accessible fishing piers are open to the public. These waters have more fish per acre than any lake in the state. Bass, stripers, wipers, crappie, catfish, trout, walleye, bream and sunfish all thrive here in good numbers as well as quality.

Primary fish species to catch

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Today's Weather & Forecast

Fishing Boat Rentals

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

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Marinas

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Fishing License

Click here for a Arkansas Fishing License.

Map - Fishing & Access

Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".