Fishing at Shores Lake, Franklin County, Arkansas

• Overview

  Shores Lake belongs to Franklin County, Arkansas. Beyond the shoreline you have open plain. It measures about 72 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline comes to about 1.6 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is a small entry by Franklin County standards. Mulberry is the closest place, 11 miles off. The big place round here is Broken Arrow, 106 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Shores Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Species logged across Franklin County include longnose darter, slender madtom, green sunfish, fantail darter and spotted bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Shores Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 36°F to 79°F. There is no frozen season to plan round. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Time your trip to Shores Lake by conditions rather than dates. Wind direction changes which bank is worth fishing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Lake Shepherd Springs, 9.2 miles out. For Shores Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.