Forest Lake Number 4 Fishing Guide, St. Francis County, Arkansas

• Overview

  Forest Lake Number 4 is listed under St. Francis County, Arkansas. The setting is oak and grass. Surface area runs to about 15 acres — small enough to read in one session. The nearest town is Forrest City, 2.5 miles away. For a city, New South Memphis is 39 miles off. Also on the doorstep: Forest Lake Number 5 (0.7 miles), Loeb Lake about 2 miles, Beaty Lake (4.3 miles), Lake Austell about 9.4 miles and Lake Dunn (11 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake Number 4

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Species logged across St. Francis County include green sunfish, cypress darter, rainbow darter and longear sunfish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. At this water the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 81°F for July and 38°F for January. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to this water. Short days concentrate it into a narrow window.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Forest Lake Number 5 is 0.7 miles off. For this water in particular, ask before you travel.