← All species
TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Sauger

GO75SCORE
ARKANSAS RIVER
Conditions favor today

Walleye's river cousin. Master of muddy current.

SIZE
12–18 in
MAX
24 in
WEIGHT
Up to 5 lbs
HABITAT
RiversTailwaters
Arkansas River tailwaters; Mississippi main channel.
DIET
Shad, minnows, small crawfish.
BEST BAITS
Jig & minnow · Small crankbaits · Bottom-bouncers
SEASONAL PATTERN
🌱SPRING
☀️SUMMER
🍂FALL
BEST❄️WINTER
Summer: Deep current channels.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWWORTH THE TRIP
DEPTH
10–18 ft
shade lines & points
TIMING
First & last light
TOP LURE · LURE
Jig & minnow
moderate conditions — work the cover
TACKLE
Medium spinning, 8 lb line
TECHNIQUE · Moving bait on main-lake points — match forage size
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 3850°F
BITE
70
FIGHT
68
STEALTH
86
FUN FACT
Sauger handle muddy, fast water that walleye won't touch. They have an even better tapetum lucidum — turbid-water vision that makes them apex predators in the lower Arkansas.
STATUS
Secure
Native · Percidae
PFG SIGNAL · EST56°F · White RiverGO 75
YOUR CARD · ACTIONSNOT YET COLLECTED
🪪 ID marks
  • Spotted dorsal fin
  • Saddles on sides
  • No white tail tip
💡 Tips
  • Fish below dams in winter
  • Vertical jig the deep slot
  • Slow

🌙 Lunar profile

MED-HIGH Lunar ImpactBest phases: Full Moon, New Moon
☀️ Daytime
Deep river channel structure and current breaks in daylight. Tapetum lucidum eye similar to Walleye — thrives after dark.
🌙 Nighttime
Active night feeder. Full Moon amplifies feeding windows along main river channels and below dams.
🔗 Source: AGFC Sauger management; walleye/sauger shared photoreceptor biology