BEAR CREEK AND STORM CREEK LAKES
Bear Creek and Storm Creek lakes are in St. Francis National Forest near Marianna. These waters are best known for plate-sized redears and bluegills, but the same fertility that produces bumper crops of bream also grows hefty largemouth bass.

Covering 625 and 420 acres respectively, Bear Creek and Storm Creek are both fairly open, as most of the timber that once stood has rotted and fallen. However, thousands of stumps and logs remain below the surface providing a bass haven. Bass up to 10 pounds lurk in the cover beneath these waters.

Most veteran anglers on these lakes work woody cover around the edges of underwater creek channels for summer bass. But you needn’t fish deep water to be successful. Early and late in the day, many big catches of bass are taken in depths of 2 to 5 feet. Largemouths often feed in shallow flats and coves near dawn and dusk.

Fish the windward shore where wave action muddies the water for best results. Baitfish are pushed shoreward by the wind, and bass will often be there feeding. Fishing run-off areas and creek mouths following a rain is also productive. Largemouth bass lie where water flows into the lakes waiting for food to wash to them.

Though Bear Creek Lake only covers 625 acres, it has a very irregular shape. There are literally scores of small coves and fingers of water, giving Bear Creek more than 60 miles of shoreline. Storm Creek is likewise configured, with 50 miles of shoreline.

There are many homes around the perimeter of Bear Creek, and many have boat docks that attract concentrations of bass. Use a sonar fish finder to pinpoint brush piles placed by local anglers around the boat docks, then fish them thoroughly using a plastic worm or spinnerbait. Fishing shady cover around boat dock pilings can also produce nice bass.

In summer, Storm Creek largemouths often school near cover along inundated creek channels. Use sonar to locate the structure, beginning your search near the mouths of in-flowing creeks and following the channel drop offshore. Watch for readings that show fish suspended around bottom cover like stump fields and sunken treetops, and work these areas thoroughly with jigging spoons, grubs or big deep-diving crankbaits.

Access into St. Francis NF is via two Forest Service roads. Forest Route 1900 runs past both lakes. The north end is reached off Highway 44 south of Marianna at the Maple Flat Recreation Area on Bear Creek Lake. The road then continues through the forest to a point on Highway 44 one mile north of West Helena. Forest Route 1901 traverses the entire eastern border of the NF and is also reached off Highway 44.

The Bear Creek Recreation Area offers 41 camping units, picnicking, hiking, swimming and a concrete boat ramp. The Storm Creek area has similar facilities. Motels and restaurants are found in nearby cities, and fishing and camping supplies are available near each lake. For additional information, contact the U.S. Forest Service office at (870) 295-5278.

(Editor’s Note: Keith Sutton is the author of Fishing Arkansas: An Angler’s Guide to the Natural State. To order an autographed copy, send a check or money order for $30.57, which includes shipping and state tax, to C&C Outdoor Productions, 15601 Mountain Dr., Alexander, AR 72002. For credit card orders, go to www.catfishsutton.com.)

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