LITTLE ROCK – With all of the snow, sleet and cold weather Arkansas has received this winter, you might not realize that fishing action is heating up.

Spring is near. The countrysides are greening up. Fish should be biting. But the water may not be warming nearly as rapidly as the air around the anglers, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Up and down weather like Arkansas means the water may stay be too chilly for good fish action even if some days are warm enough for shirt-sleeve clothing for anglers.

Warm days and cool nights don’t change water temperatures significantly. A warm rain, however, can raise water temperatures noticeably.

Small bodies of waters, ponds and little lakes, will warm sooner than large lakes. Shallow lakes warm quicker than deep lakes.

Still, the waters are warming, and that is a step toward productive fishing for all the Arkansas warm water species. While the water temperatures linger on the cool side, fishermen can benefit from slowing down on the action of their baits and lures, since fish metabolisms remain slow.