Lake Hinkle

One of my all time favorite lakes to fish in spring and fall is Lake Hinkle around 50 miles from Fort Smith, and about 12 miles southwest of Waldron Arkansas. I started fishing Lake Hinkle (as I did most every waterhole I've ever found) back when I was a very young man - about 36 years ago.

The lake then had been just recently impounded, but I found a great, fertile Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lake full of bluegill, bass, crappie and catfish. And on Hinkle, fishing from small boats is a regular occurrence as people in all sizes of boats from water scamp type boats to 22 foot bass boats ply the waters. But the standing timber and big trees just under the surface in the middle of the lake keeps the big boys under control. The lake is around 950 acres of flooded forest. All the pictures below are of bass, because 90% of the time when I head to Lake Hinkle, that's what I'm after. For quite a few years, there was a 13-15 inch slot limit for bass on the lake. Predictably, that resulted in a very large population of this size fish and finally the slot limit was removed as the fish thrived to the point of over population. During the spring, there are large numbers of "slot fish" populating the banks out to 15 feet deep.

The only truly "open" area of the lake is in the lower end directly in front of the dam. This is not a lake you want to go motoring through at any speed other than idle if you haven't marked the boat lanes and don't know exactly where to run. The maximum depth of the lake is around 40 feet on the lower end. The water is fairly clear on Lake Hinkle in summer and winter when the weather is stable. Usually 6-7 foot depth visibility is the norm but an Arkansas monsoon style thunderstorm front moving through can quickly raise the lake and muddy the water.

Shortly before this article was written I christened my new flat bottom boat with the 3 pounder below.

Coves cut in and out of the shoreline through the length of the lake and are prime fishing water for the lake's crappie, bluegill, bass and catfish during the spring. The banks along the lower end during the spawn can make for some spectacular bass fishing with 30 - 50 bass days not unusual. In spring, pumpkin or some kind of natural color lizards rule the day with floating worms bringing violent strikes when jerked like a wounded bait fish just under the surface.

In the heat of summer, it's great fun to pursue schooling bass that come exploding to the surface in the morning and evening hours. Just idling a boat around in a circle with a rod and reel ready on the lower end of the lake will result in numerous opportunities to throw a spinner or small minnow bait in the middle of a feeding frenzy.

In the fall on Lake Hinkle, attention turns to bass fishing the steep banks and dam for fish gorging for the winter slow down. Solid worm fishing is the norm during the fall with larger than usual fish being accessible in relatively shallow water.

Lake Hinkle picture

I've heard for years that there are big hybrid stripers in the lake. This is according to the Game and Fish Commission and some first hand reports from some people who have caught them. But this being less than a thousand acre lake that I have fished every inch of for 36 years, I have not only never caught one. I've never seen one. It seems like just by accident, I would have caught a few fishing for bass over 36 years, but.....I'll just have to trust the AGFC and fishing reports.

If you have a boat and motor, there are a couple of nice launch ramps on the lake near park and camping areas. At least one camping area has running water and electric hookups.
If you're launching a water scamp or kayak, you can take the gravel road to the dam and launch easily from the sloping bank adjacent to the rip rap dam. Or if you want to stay around mid lake, launching from the Little Pines Recreation Area on the Lake's north shore.

One final amenity worth mentioning at Lake Hinkle is the fish cleaning station located at the edge of the boat ramp by the parking lot. It is a pavillion with a big square, wooden area to fillet or clean fish. It has electric recepticles for fillet knives, running water, and a giant electric disposal in the middle you can throw fish entrails and bones in. Catch your fish, clean them, dispose of the bones and go have a camping cookout right there at the Recreation Area.

Lake Hinkle is a well managed AGFC lake that is well worth going out of your way for to catch a stringer of all the most popular sport fish found in Arkansas. If you decide to take a trip down to southwest Arkansas and want to stop off at Lake Hinkle, contact me and I'll do my best to give you some tips on what's biting and where.

Here's to your good fishing ~ Mark Rogers

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