This is the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s fishing report for August 27. If there is a body of water you would like included in this report, please call or e-mail us with information on possible sources for that lake or river.

Sport crabbers must file catch report.

OLYMPIA - Recreational crab fishing will close for a catch assessment in eight areas of Puget Sound at sunset on Labor Day, after which everyone licensed to fish for crab in the Sound will have until Sept. 15 to report their summer's catch.

Larger lakes & reservoirs

DEER CREEK RESERVOIR: The reservoir was quite crowded with boats last weekend. Weekdays are much quieter. Anglers report decent success for the three main species of fish: trout, walleye and bass. Many anglers are trolling very slowly, jigging or simply bottom fishing with bait. The key zone for trout and walleye is in 20–40 feet of water. Smallmouth bass tend to be a little shallower. Please remember that the trout limit is four fish statewide, unless otherwise noted in the 2008 Fishing Guidebook. The yellow perch limit is 10. Remember that the bass limit is six, and you should immediately release all bass over 12 inches long. The walleye limit is 10, but you may keep only one over 24 inches.

CENTRAL

Hefner: Crappie good on small jigs along the dam. Report submitted by Blake Pearson, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.

Overholser: Channel catfish slow on stinkbait. Report submitted by Blake Pearson, game warden stationed in Oklahoma County.

Information on the 2008 fall trout stocking program has been posted on the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife website. This fall marks the third year of stocking only big, two-year old trout. In addition to these large trout, even older and larger broodstock fish will also be stocked again for the fall season. This adds up to 21,000 trout measuring 14 - 21 inches and weighing 1½ to 5 pounds for New Jersey fall trout anglers. These trout will be stocked in 16 streams and 16 lakes throughout the state over a two week period in October .

The main stem of the Columbia River from Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam will open to fall chinook harvest on Monday, Sept. 1. Managers are predicting a total fall chinook run of 377,000, which is about average but significantly better than the 2007 return of 219,000 fish.

COLUMBUS, OH - The Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources confirmed the state's first case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a three-year old white-tailed deer from a privately owned cervid facility in Kent County, Michigan.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
have teamed up to develop the Quail Habitat Restoration Initiative. The QHRI is offered in certain areas of the state that have a higher likelihood of success based on existing native habitat.

Channel catfish are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything. With this in mind, you might ask yourself why would you want to purchase fish food to give to channel catfish? The answer is quite simply that you can increase the growth rate of your catfish by ten to 25 percent.

Have fun while learning how to live with Missoula’s urban bears on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Grant Creek/North Hills Bear Fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s visitor center, 5705 Grant Creek Road (north of the I-90, Reserve Street interchange).