Fishing Cooper Lake in Lonoke County, Arkansas

• Overview

  The Lonoke County end of Arkansas holds Cooper Lake. Land around it is oak and grass. About 9 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Cabot lies 2.4 miles from the water. Further out sit Austin (3.7 miles) and Ward (6 miles). In the same area: Taton Lake 1.1 miles away, Pickthorne Lake at about 5.5 miles, Thomas Lake 9.6 miles away and Bailey Lake at about 9.6 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Cooper Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Reported across Lonoke County: black bullhead, rainbow trout, spotted gar and yellow bullhead. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Cooper Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 81°F, with January the cold end at about 39°F. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. On Cooper Lake that shapes the whole year. Fish feed harder before a change in weather than after it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Taton Lake is 1.1 miles distant. Check the current arrangement for Cooper Lake.