| Special Places |
John N. Felsher's Favorite Adventures
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Articles and photos on this website are for the viewing pleasure of patrons of this site. All articles and photos on this site are protected by the copyright laws of the United States. Any unauthorized usage is strictly prohibited. If you wish to purchase an article or photo, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Articles and photos on this website are free for your viewing pleasure, but it takes money to keep this site up and running. If you would care to help keep this site up and running for the use of all outdoors patrons, you can make a cash contribution. If you care to donate, contact John N. Felsher as listed in the contact section. |
| Protected by Copyright |
| How you can help keep this site operating |
Most people think of arts and music festivals, shops, galleries or the
Great Passion Play when they think of Eureka Springs, but the scenic
village nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas also offers an
abundance of outdoors activities.
Established in 1879 and currently home to about 2,300 people,
Eureka Springs makes an excellent jumping off place for many outdoors
activities. The area offers hunting, fishing, hiking, biking and other
recreational opportunities. In nearby forests, people can hunt deer, bear
and small game. During the spring, the Ozark Mountains echo with the
calls of amorous gobblers. Throughout the summer, people can participate
in many canoing adventures.
“Eureka Springs is the place to get away for any reason or season,”
said Lynn Berry, executive director of the Eureka Springs Advertising and
Promotions Commission. “What people don’t realize is that we have such
immediate access to the outdoors. We’re only nine miles from Beaver
Lake, nine miles from the Kings River and seven miles from the White
River.”
Many people visit the area to fish for trout on the White River. The
river produced brown trout up to 33.5 pounds, the state record cutthroat
trout, a 9-pound, 9-ounce fish, and some brook trout up to 4 pounds.
According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the river probably
produces more rainbow trout than any other stream in North America
including the state record, a 19-pound, 1-ounce lunker.
“The White River is famous for its big trout,” Berry said. “A lot of
people come here from all over to fly fish for trout. After fishing, they take
in the sights and attractions of Eureka Springs. We also have good fishing
for bass, walleye and other fish in the lakes.”
Forming in the Boston Mountains south of Fayetteville, Ark., the White
River slices a path through the Ozarks, turning north into Missouri before
heading generally eastward. It eventually turns southeast, hitting the
Mississippi River in southeast Arkansas after flowing 720 miles. Ordinarily
cold, fast and clear in the Ozarks, the White forms several impoundments
including Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Table Rock Lake and Lake
Taneycomo. Eight dams, six in Arkansas and two in Missouri, create the
massive reservoir system.
“The White River is almost like one massive lake from Eureka Springs
across the top of Arkansas and southern Missouri,” Berry said. “People
can buy a White River license and fish the lakes on either side of the state
line.”
The first impoundment on the White River, Beaver Lake stretches for
28,370 acres. With 487 miles of shorelines, Beaver Lake averages about
60 feet deep, but some holes plunge to more than 220 feet deep. The lake
offers abundant habitat for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish,
crappie, white bass and other fish, but many people come to catch striped
bass and hybrid striped bass.
Joe Farkas of Joe’s Striper Guide Service invited my sons, Daniel and
Steven and I for a little fishing. Farkas likes to troll live shad for stripers
and hybrids in the winter. The lake record striper stands at 57 pounds with
the hybrid bass record coming in at 20.5 pounds.
“We fish for hybrids the same way we fish for stripers,” Farkas said. “I
free-line some baits below balloons and attach some lines to planer
boards. With some, I rig small weights to get shad deeper until I find out
where the fish are. The average striped bass runs about 15 pounds, but it’
s not uncommon to catch 20- to 30-pound fish. The average hybrid striped
bass at Beaver Lake runs about 10 pounds. We catch 7- to 10-pound
hybrids consistently. My biggest hybrid striper weighed 19.5 pounds.”
Besides trolling with live bait or lures, anglers can cast a variety of
crankbaits, spinners or other lures. Anything that resembles a shad might
work. Sometimes, stripers and hybrids slash the surface as they attack
schools of shad. People can also vertically jig with spoons.
Inside Eureka Springs, people can also fish, hike or bike in the second
largest municipal park in the country. Lake Leatherwood City Park contains
15 miles of hiking and biking trails wandering through 1,600 acres of
mountains. Lake Leatherwood, a spring-fed 85-acre lake in the park,
produces good catches of catfish, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass and other species.
To book trips, call Farkas at (479) 640-2386 or contact him through
his website at www.joesstriperguide.com. For area information or
assistance with planning a trip, contact Berry at (866) 1-866-566-9387 or
(866) WISH EUREKA. On line, see eurekasprings.org. For lodging, call the
Pine Lodge at (800) 442-9411.
Great Passion Play when they think of Eureka Springs, but the scenic
village nestled in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas also offers an
abundance of outdoors activities.
Established in 1879 and currently home to about 2,300 people,
Eureka Springs makes an excellent jumping off place for many outdoors
activities. The area offers hunting, fishing, hiking, biking and other
recreational opportunities. In nearby forests, people can hunt deer, bear
and small game. During the spring, the Ozark Mountains echo with the
calls of amorous gobblers. Throughout the summer, people can participate
in many canoing adventures.
“Eureka Springs is the place to get away for any reason or season,”
said Lynn Berry, executive director of the Eureka Springs Advertising and
Promotions Commission. “What people don’t realize is that we have such
immediate access to the outdoors. We’re only nine miles from Beaver
Lake, nine miles from the Kings River and seven miles from the White
River.”
Many people visit the area to fish for trout on the White River. The
river produced brown trout up to 33.5 pounds, the state record cutthroat
trout, a 9-pound, 9-ounce fish, and some brook trout up to 4 pounds.
According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the river probably
produces more rainbow trout than any other stream in North America
including the state record, a 19-pound, 1-ounce lunker.
“The White River is famous for its big trout,” Berry said. “A lot of
people come here from all over to fly fish for trout. After fishing, they take
in the sights and attractions of Eureka Springs. We also have good fishing
for bass, walleye and other fish in the lakes.”
Forming in the Boston Mountains south of Fayetteville, Ark., the White
River slices a path through the Ozarks, turning north into Missouri before
heading generally eastward. It eventually turns southeast, hitting the
Mississippi River in southeast Arkansas after flowing 720 miles. Ordinarily
cold, fast and clear in the Ozarks, the White forms several impoundments
including Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Table Rock Lake and Lake
Taneycomo. Eight dams, six in Arkansas and two in Missouri, create the
massive reservoir system.
“The White River is almost like one massive lake from Eureka Springs
across the top of Arkansas and southern Missouri,” Berry said. “People
can buy a White River license and fish the lakes on either side of the state
line.”
The first impoundment on the White River, Beaver Lake stretches for
28,370 acres. With 487 miles of shorelines, Beaver Lake averages about
60 feet deep, but some holes plunge to more than 220 feet deep. The lake
offers abundant habitat for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish,
crappie, white bass and other fish, but many people come to catch striped
bass and hybrid striped bass.
Joe Farkas of Joe’s Striper Guide Service invited my sons, Daniel and
Steven and I for a little fishing. Farkas likes to troll live shad for stripers
and hybrids in the winter. The lake record striper stands at 57 pounds with
the hybrid bass record coming in at 20.5 pounds.
“We fish for hybrids the same way we fish for stripers,” Farkas said. “I
free-line some baits below balloons and attach some lines to planer
boards. With some, I rig small weights to get shad deeper until I find out
where the fish are. The average striped bass runs about 15 pounds, but it’
s not uncommon to catch 20- to 30-pound fish. The average hybrid striped
bass at Beaver Lake runs about 10 pounds. We catch 7- to 10-pound
hybrids consistently. My biggest hybrid striper weighed 19.5 pounds.”
Besides trolling with live bait or lures, anglers can cast a variety of
crankbaits, spinners or other lures. Anything that resembles a shad might
work. Sometimes, stripers and hybrids slash the surface as they attack
schools of shad. People can also vertically jig with spoons.
Inside Eureka Springs, people can also fish, hike or bike in the second
largest municipal park in the country. Lake Leatherwood City Park contains
15 miles of hiking and biking trails wandering through 1,600 acres of
mountains. Lake Leatherwood, a spring-fed 85-acre lake in the park,
produces good catches of catfish, panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass and other species.
To book trips, call Farkas at (479) 640-2386 or contact him through
his website at www.joesstriperguide.com. For area information or
assistance with planning a trip, contact Berry at (866) 1-866-566-9387 or
(866) WISH EUREKA. On line, see eurekasprings.org. For lodging, call the
Pine Lodge at (800) 442-9411.
Eureka Springs,
more than just
an art town for
outdoorsmen
more than just
an art town for
outdoorsmen
Daniel Felsher shows off a striped bass he caught while fishing with
Joe Farkas of Joe’s Striper Guide Service at Beaver Lake near
Eureka Springs, Ark.
Joe Farkas of Joe’s Striper Guide Service at Beaver Lake near
Eureka Springs, Ark.
Daniel Felsher shows off a
striped bass he caught while
fishing with Joe Farkas of Joe’s
Striper Guide Service at Beaver
Lake near Eureka Springs, Ark.
striped bass he caught while
fishing with Joe Farkas of Joe’s
Striper Guide Service at Beaver
Lake near Eureka Springs, Ark.