I'll be headed to Arkansas this weekend for a couple of days. We will be staying on the Ouachita River in Hot Springs and I'm looking for some nice streams or creeks to fly fish within an hour or so of Hot Springs. Can anyone give me any pointers or recommend any places? I have googled and can't seem to find much about fly fishing the Ouachita Mountains or anywhere close to Lake Ouachita/Hot Springs.

Thanks in advance!

Contact these folks. They seem to be the best source of current fly fishing information for the area.


https://www.ouachitaoutdoors.com/

Did you make it up there, and did you get to fish? I'll be fishing the Little Mo, and the creeks along the Eagle Rock Loop trail next week, so I'm just curious how your trip went and if you fished any of those waters!

If you can get into Hot Springs Village, Lake Desoto is small, near the front gate and I have had good luck fly fishing there.
Lots of trees overhanging water on SE shore.
Several boat docks scattered along the lakes.
Several coves.
Mainly catching perch but they have some nice size ones.

Also good fishing in the cove on south side of lake by the dam(west end of lake).

Fished Lake DeSoto in Hot Springs Village.
Lots of perch on my fly rod using live worms.
No luck with top waters, rooster tails,storm minnows or crankbaits for bass.
No luck with clouser on my fly rod but caught some perch on the bead head prince trailer.
Nothing liked the foam grasshopper even though lots of grass hoppers in the nearby grass.
First time I have not gotten a single bite on this lake catfishing with perch.

If you can get into the village, might try below the spillway of Lake Balboa.
Looked like a great place to fly fish and with recent rains enough water going over the spillway to make the creek look very appealing.
Looks like a mountain stream with lots elevation drop first 1/4 mile.

Lake DeGray is way down.
Lake Hamelton looked to be about normal.
Lake Greeson was way down.
Little River and Arkansas were flooded.

Went fishing on Lake Desoto in Hot Springs Village this past Saturday, 11/24.
Only found a couple of perch using live worms.
Tried using wooly buggers and near deer on my fly rod around docks, brush and shallows, no bites
Did catch one small mouth on a small silver spoon in deeper section of cove.
No bites on the shrimp or perch put out for cats. Second trip with no bites on cat rods, very unusual.
Beautiful day in upper 60's somewhat windy.
Cooled off really quick once the sun went down.

On way there and back looked like Lake De Gray was a little high and Lake Hamelton was down a bit.

Thanks for the report...I fish that area a good bit including Hamilton, Ouachita, and the Little Mo.

Was fishing Lake Desoto trying to catch some perch to use as catfish bait.
Caught one bait size and one larger, very slow.

Switched over to trying to catch some bass and landed 3 small ones and a nice crappie on a clouser.

Wish I had my fly rod with me when went on a hike at the Lake Balboa spillway.
Several pools had good sized carp lined up at the edge waiting for their meal to be delivered.