Fishing DeGray Lake

The Hybrid Striper Fishery

Hybrid striped bass -- a cross between white bass and striped bass -- are the signature species on DeGray Lake and the primary reason guide services book the lake year-round. AGFC stocks hybrid stripers into DeGray Lake consistently, and the reservoir's depth and forage base provide ideal growing conditions. Hybrids in the 10 to 20 pound class are regularly caught by experienced anglers who understand the lake's open-water structure and seasonal fish movement patterns. The fish are aggressive surface feeders in fall and winter when they push shad to the surface in blitz feeding events -- when you see birds working the surface on DeGray Lake in October or November, the hybrid stripers are almost certainly below them.

Guide services based at the DeGray Lake Resort State Park marina and at local operations in the Bismarck area offer hybrid striper guide trips on the lake. Live shad, large swimbaits, and topwater lures during surface blitzes are the primary presentation categories. Contact the marina at DeGray Lake Resort directly for referrals to currently active guide services -- the guide roster changes over time and the marina's referral list reflects current practitioners rather than outdated directories.

Bass, Crappie, and Walleye

Largemouth bass are well-distributed across DeGray Lake's cove structure, creek arm vegetation, and dock-adjacent habitat. The Hurricane Creek arm is particularly productive for largemouth, with laydowns, brush piles, and dock structure providing classic bass habitat throughout the arm. Smallmouth bass are present in smaller numbers and favor the harder-bottom areas of the main lake body near points and rock structure. Tournament fishing for largemouth bass on DeGray Lake has produced consistent results across the Ouachita region tournament circuit.

Crappie fishing on DeGray Lake is productive through the winter months when crappie aggregate in deeper brush structure and channel-adjacent cover. Spring crappie in shallow cove structure during the prespawn and spawn period is particularly accessible for casual anglers fishing light tackle from dock or boat. Walleye are present and stocked by AGFC -- less targeted than at Greers Ferry Lake where the walleye fishery is a primary attraction, but available to anglers who work ledge and break structure at dawn and dusk.

Caddo River Tailwater: The Overlooked Fishery

The Caddo River immediately below DeGray Dam creates a short but productive tailwater environment that most DeGray Lake buyers never research. Cold water released from the bottom of the dam moderates the tailwater temperature year-round, supporting smallmouth bass that thrive in the cool, clear river corridor below the lake. The Caddo River tailwater has a distinctly different character from the lake above -- a boulder-strewn, pool-and-riffle river environment accessible by wading or small johnboat that provides a completely different fishing experience from open-water reservoir fishing.

Access to the tailwater section is from below the dam via public road access maintained by USACE. AGFC regulations for the Caddo River tailwater below DeGray Dam may differ from main-lake regulations -- verify current regulations at agfc.com before fishing the tailwater section, particularly for any special gear or size limit provisions applicable to this specific river section.

Fishing Access: Marina and Public Ramps

The DeGray Lake Resort State Park marina provides the most complete fishing access infrastructure on the lake: boat slips, fuel, bait and tackle, fishing guide referrals, and boat rentals. USACE maintains public boat ramps around the lake for access without marina membership. Multiple public access points are distributed around the lake's perimeter, including access in the Hurricane Creek arm area and along the eastern lake shore. Verify current USACE ramp status and availability at recreation.gov or the USACE Little Rock District website before planning a trip to a specific ramp, as seasonal closures and maintenance periods can affect individual ramp availability.