Creek Chub
Creek Chub in Arkansas are hardy, widely distributed cyprinids found throughout the state's streams and rivers.
Scientific Name: Semotilus atromaculatus
- Slender bodies with a large dark spot at the front of the dorsal fin and a smaller dark spot at the base of the tail.
- Adults typically range from 12-18 cm (up to 30 cm maximum), with males being larger and more colorful during breeding season.
Fishing in Arkansas
Lake Conway
Arkansas River
Fourche LaFave River
Bayou Meto
Greers Ferry Lake
Lake Dardanelle
Petit Jean River
Little Red River
Saline River
Lake Ouachita
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Found throughout Arkansas's streams and rivers, commonly found in headwater creeks, small streams, and agricultural ditches.
Key Locations
- Saline River system and its tributaries.
Specific Spots
- Pool edges, deeper runs, areas with abundant cover like undercut banks, root systems, and overhanging vegetation.
- Target small to medium streams with gravel-sand-silt substrates and alternating pool-riffle sequences.
- During winter, target deeper pools.
Creek Chub FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Creek Chub in Arkansas?
Small hooks with pieces of nightcrawlers, small spinners and spoons, soft plastic crawfish patterns, crayfish imitations, small lures that mimic insects, cladocerans, and small baitfish, small poppers and other surface lures.
What flies work for Creek Chub in Arkansas?
Small nymphs, chironomid larvae imitations, terrestrial patterns like ant and beetle imitations.
When is the best time to fish for Creek Chub in Arkansas?
Late summer through early spring (avoid May through July spawning period). Winter: target deeper pools where they gather in larger numbers.
How do you catch Creek Chub in Arkansas?
Work soft plastic crawfish patterns through deeper pools. Fish areas with moderate current where they congregate in schools. Use light tackle as they're easily spooked.
What do Creek Chub eat?
Opportunistic omnivores with a diverse diet that changes with age - juveniles feed primarily on aquatic insect larvae including chironomids, ceratopogonids, simuliids, and ephemeropteran naiads, while adults consume terrestrial insects, mollusks, crayfish, amphibians, and smaller fish.
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