Most large bass come from thick timber in the middle of the lake and from the boat lanes close to shore. Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, tube baits, and soft-plastic jerkbaits are popular lures, and night fishing in summer with noisy topwater lures is also productive.

Mallard Lake is two miles north of state Highway 18, two miles east of the town of Manila. Fishing supplies, restaurants and a motel are available in Manila. For more information, visit the AGFC Web site at www.agfc.com.

HORSESHOE LAKE
Another first-rate northeast Arkansas largemouth lake is Horseshoe Lake in Crittenden County. This 2,500-acre public fishing lake rarely produces largemouths over 8 pounds, but there are plenty of 3- to 7-pound bucketmouths to get the attention of visiting anglers.

Horseshoe Lake gouges a big inverted “U” in the east Arkansas croplands. The lake is an old river-channel oxbow left isolated when the Mississippi River changed its course untold years ago. It was further sequestered when the Mississippi River levee was built in the 1920s. Because of its location outside the levee, it is not subject to constant water level fluctuations created by the ever-changing Mississippi. Conse-quently, fishing for largemouths is excellent year ‘round.

Horseshoe has an abundance of bass-holding cover and structure. Many blue-ribbon bass are taken in the dense beds of water lilies and coontail on the inside of the bend. Cypress trees and fallen timber near the shoreline are good bass-fishing spots, as are the piers and adjacent brushpiles behind lakeside homes. Electronic equipment will help in locating the lake’s submerged stumpfield and underwater ridge where largemouths also hold.

Plastic worms are probably the most popular artificials for Horseshoe largemouths. The lake has a good shad population, and shad-imitation crankbaits are also first-rate producers. During summer, buzzbaits and frog imitations produce good bass in the lily pads.

Horseshoe Lake, managed by the AGFC, is 21 miles southwest of West Memphis. It is easily accessed from Exit 271 on Interstate 40 at Lehi; from there, follow state Highway 147 south 15 miles to the lake. Boaters must pay a small launching fee at the boat ramps. Check the AGFC weekly fishing reports at www.agfc.com for up-to-date fishing information.

LAKE CHARLES
Fishing lakes in northeast Arkansas were few and far between when Lake Charles was built in 1962. Located near Black Rock in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, this 645-acre lake is one of the most popular fishing holes in the Delta region.

Lake Charles supports a healthy population of jumbo largemouth bass. Seldom do bass anglers catch a lot of fish during a day of fishing, but most of those that are caught will weigh 3, 4 or 5 pounds, sometimes more. Each year, several 10-pound-plus bass are caught here.

Open water is prevalent, a condition that sometimes makes it difficult to find concentrations of largemouths. The old Flat Creek channel winding through the heart of the lake is a good area to key your efforts, and anglers also do well fishing points, coves and the area around the dam. Bass often relate to areas where there’s little more than a 2- or 3-foot drop on the bottom. Fishing riprap rocks lining the lake’s shores also produces many fish.

Crankbaits are very effective here, spinnerbaits work well in the heavier brush, and plastic worms and lizards are hard to beat during summer.

Lake Charles lies between Arkansas Highway 117 and Arkansas Highway 25, 4 miles southeast of Black Rock. Lake Charles State Park on the lake’s southern end has 60 campsites, picnic areas and a swimming beach. Groceries, ice, fishing licenses and supplies are available at the visitor center shop. For more information, call the park at (870) 878-6595.