Mount Ida

{
  "id": "7bce3d0e-3ef3-4911-bb5c-4857c8354f39",
  "name": "Mount Ida",
  "slug": "mount-ida-ar",
  "type": "city",
  "status": "complete",
  "tier": "t1",
  "centroid": {
    "crs": {
      "type": "name",
      "properties": {
        "name": "EPSG:4326"
      }
    },
    "type": "Point",
    "coordinates": [
      -93.630923,
      34.5508956
    ]
  },
  "parentId": "c46f89a9-7c3e-4da0-ad88-6302b30ace5c",
  "country": "United States",
  "countryCode": "US",
  "stateProvince": "AR",
  "county": null,
  "timezone": "America/Chicago",
  "descriptionShort": "Mount Ida, Arkansas sits on Lake Ouachita, a 48,000-acre reservoir known for largemouth bass, striped bass, and crappie in clear, deep water surrounded by Ouachita National Forest.",
  "descriptionLong": "Mount Ida is a small Ouachita County town that serves as the primary access point to Lake Ouachita, a 48,000-acre impoundment built in 1952 on the Ouachita River. The lake stretches roughly 60 miles through the Ouachita National Forest in central Arkansas, and Mount Ida's position on the northern shore makes it an ideal base for anglers targeting the lake's primary species: largemouth bass, striped bass, and black crappie. The water here is notably clear and deep—visibility often exceeds 15 feet—which sets Ouachita apart from many southern reservoirs and demands precision in both presentation and tackle selection. Largemouth bass fishing peaks in spring and fall, with fish holding around rocky points, submerged timber, and the lake's numerous creek arms. Striped bass, stocked regularly, school in deeper water and respond well to live shad and jigging techniques, particularly in early morning and late afternoon. Crappie fishing is excellent year-round, with spring spawning runs drawing crowds to shallow brush and standing timber. The lake's elevation of roughly 600 feet and the surrounding National Forest landscape create a more rugged, forested setting than many Arkansas reservoirs. Mount Ida itself is a quiet town with limited commercial development, which keeps the lake relatively uncrowded compared to more accessible impoundments. Access is straightforward from the town's marinas and boat ramps, and the lake's size means anglers can find solitude by moving away from the main basin into the creek systems and upper arms. Water levels fluctuate seasonally but remain stable enough for predictable fishing patterns. The combination of clear water, healthy bass populations, and proximity to the National Forest makes Mount Ida a solid choice for anglers seeking a less-crowded reservoir experience in the mid-South.",
  "imageUrl": null,
  "verticals": [],
  "waterCharacteristics": [],
  "searchAliases": null,
  "tags": null,
  "metadata": null,
  "nhdFeatureId": null,
  "gnisId": "02404320",
  "gnisName": null,
  "reachCode": null,
  "hucCode": null,
  "nhdPlusId": null,
  "streamOrder": null,
  "nhdFcode": null,
  "nhdFtype": null,
  "drainageAreaSqKm": null,
  "slopePercent": null,
  "elevationMin": null,
  "elevationMax": null,
  "lengthKm": null,
  "areaSqKm": 4.064278,
  "nhdGaugeIds": null,
  "noaaTideStationIds": null,
  "noaaCurrentStationIds": null,
  "censusGeoid": "0547690",
  "censusLsadc": "25",
  "areaWaterSqKm": 0.079304,
  "seoKeyword": "Mount Ida fishing",
  "seoSearchVolume": null,
  "seoCompetition": null,
  "adCount": null,
  "advertiserCount": null,
  "source": "seed",
  "pipelineId": 351666,
  "createdAt": "2026-05-16T00:08:32.943Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
  "destinationSpecies": [
    {
      "id": "826858bb-607b-481a-ae51-a16f8d3724bb",
      "destinationId": "7bce3d0e-3ef3-4911-bb5c-4857c8354f39",
      "speciesId": "9ac68e2a-e07d-4b3d-b6fa-909010dedf2f",
      "availableMonths": [
        3,
        4,
        5,
        9,
        10
      ],
      "peakMonths": [
        4,
        5,
        9,
        10
      ],
      "seasonalityNotes": null,
      "isPrimary": false,
      "notes": null,
      "source": "editorial",
      "pipelineId": 180,
      "createdAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "species": {
        "id": "9ac68e2a-e07d-4b3d-b6fa-909010dedf2f",
        "commonName": "Striped Bass",
        "scientificName": "Morone saxatilis",
        "slug": "striped-bass",
        "category": "saltwater",
        "description": "The striped bass is an aristocrat of the inshore realm, a chrome-plated predator built for power and endurance. Its body is a study in hydrodynamic efficiency, elongated and muscular, ranging in common catches from schoolie sizes of 18-24 inches up to true cow-class fish exceeding 40 pounds, with the potential to top 80 pounds in rare, legendary instances. The hallmark is the series of seven to eight bold, longitudinal black stripes running from just behind the gill plates to the base of the tail, standing in sharp relief against a silver-white to olive-green background. In hand, you can't miss the large, sub-terminal mouth designed for engulfing prey, the rough, toothless tongue, and the powerful forked tail—all telltale signs you're holding a 'striper.'\n\nFrom its historical stronghold in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic seaboard, the striped bass has become a coast-to-coast prize thanks to pioneering stockings. While native along the entire Eastern U.S., from the St. Lawrence to the St. Johns River in Florida, its most storied fisheries are the spring and fall runs along the boulder-strewn shores of Cape Cod, the surf-beaten beaches of Montauk, and the tide-ripped estuaries of the Chesapeake. They've also become a West Coast mainstay, with epic land-based fisheries in the San Francisco Bay Delta and its outflow into the Pacific. This is a fish of the brackish transition zone and nearshore ocean, found in tidal rips, around rocky headlands, beneath bridges, and in deep, moving river channels, always attuned to the rhythms of bait and tide.\n\nAnglers target the striped bass not merely to catch a fish, but to engage in a rite of passage. This is a bruiser that fights with dogged, relentless power, often diving deep into structure or using the current to wage a war of attrition. The 'striped bass blitz,' where acres of water churn with surface-feeding fish, is one of the most heart-stopping spectacles in all of saltwater fishing. They are a premier light-tackle and fly-fishing target, offering technical challenges in skinny water and brute-strength tests in the rips. While the trophy potential is immense, the true draw is the culture around them—the predawn wake-ups, the smell of salt spray, and the pursuit of a fish that has defined generations of American anglers. Its table fare is excellent, with firm, white, flaky meat, though many modern anglers practice selective harvest in respect of the fishery.",
        "aliases": [
          "striper",
          "stripers",
          "rockfish",
          "linesider",
          "Striper",
          "Rockfish",
          "Linesider",
          "Greenhead",
          "Cow",
          "Schoolie",
          "aliases: [\"Striper\", \"Rockfish\", \"Linesider\", \"Greenhead\"]}"
        ],
        "imageUrl": "https://media.meridiaoutdoors.com/media/species/striped-bass/main.webp",
        "featuredRank": 14,
        "metadata": null,
        "pipelineId": 79,
        "createdAt": "2026-05-09T17:54:34.002Z",
        "updatedAt": "2026-05-09T22:30:46.733Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "4ba4dc38-9630-43ce-aa0b-3e795e8a6503",
      "destinationId": "7bce3d0e-3ef3-4911-bb5c-4857c8354f39",
      "speciesId": "fc0a3477-f143-4451-b85a-e7c8dcea2955",
      "availableMonths": null,
      "peakMonths": null,
      "seasonalityNotes": null,
      "isPrimary": false,
      "notes": null,
      "source": "editorial",
      "pipelineId": 181,
      "createdAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "species": {
        "id": "fc0a3477-f143-4451-b85a-e7c8dcea2955",
        "commonName": "Crappie",
        "scientificName": "Pomoxis spp.",
        "slug": "crappie",
        "category": "freshwater",
        "description": "Crappie present as flat, almost disc-shaped panfish, their laterally compressed bodies silvered with a distinctive dark mottling or barring that shifts from a black-speckled olive on their backs to a pale, silvery-white belly. They possess a large, upturned mouth and characteristic spiny-rayed dorsal fins. While often falling into the half-pound to pound range, true trophies—the slab crappie—can stretch beyond 15 inches and push past two pounds, with a surprising heft for their profile. In hand, anglers will note the delicate, paper-thin feel of their gill covers, the source of the colloquial 'papermouth.'\n\nYou’ll find crappie inhabiting the slow-moving backwaters, reservoirs, and natural lakes across virtually the entire eastern two-thirds of North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. They are structure-obsessed, holding tight to submerged timber, brush piles, weed lines, and bridge pilings in water typically 5 to 15 feet deep. Prime fisheries are legion, from the legendary 'slab' factories of Kentucky Lake and Lake Eufaula to the countless fertile farm ponds and river oxbows that dot the landscape, offering consistent action spring through fall.\n\nAnglers target crappie not just for their superb, flaky white meat—arguably the sweetest tasting freshwater fish—but for the refined, technical pursuit they represent. Catching numbers is often straightforward with minnows or small jigs, but consistently locating and enticing the largest, most wary specimens in a sprawling lake is an art form. The fight is a dogged, head-shaking affair on light tackle, where 4-pound test feels like a heavy leader. A dedicated 'crappie junkie' will tell you there’s a profound satisfaction in the subtle bite, the precise depth control, and filling a cooler with these delectable panfish—a pursuit that blends relaxed social fishing with moments of intensely focused hunting.",
        "aliases": [
          "crappies",
          "slabs",
          "papermouths",
          "Specks",
          "Papermouths",
          "Slabs",
          "Calico Bass",
          "Strawberry Bass",
          "White Perch",
          "Sac-a-lait"
        ],
        "imageUrl": "https://media.meridiaoutdoors.com/media/species/crappie/main.webp",
        "featuredRank": 10,
        "metadata": null,
        "pipelineId": 23,
        "createdAt": "2026-05-09T17:54:04.406Z",
        "updatedAt": "2026-05-09T22:29:54.813Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "919e2b5e-1eb0-4cc2-9b58-4017b4a04fdf",
      "destinationId": "7bce3d0e-3ef3-4911-bb5c-4857c8354f39",
      "speciesId": "5f1ddd02-39a4-4cbf-856b-d02f06d2581a",
      "availableMonths": null,
      "peakMonths": null,
      "seasonalityNotes": null,
      "isPrimary": false,
      "notes": null,
      "source": "editorial",
      "pipelineId": 182,
      "createdAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-06-15T22:15:02.052Z",
      "species": {
        "id": "5f1ddd02-39a4-4cbf-856b-d02f06d2581a",
        "commonName": "Australian Bass",
        "scientificName": "Percalates novemaculeata",
        "slug": "australian-bass",
        "category": "freshwater",
        "description": "The Australian Bass is a robust, deep-bodied native freshwater fish, cloaked in a palette of olive-green to bronze across its back, fading to a silvery-white belly. Its most striking features are the distinctive dark, often black, vertical bars or blotches that run along its flanks, which can intensify when the fish is excited or in certain water conditions. The species sports a slightly concave forehead and a large, terminal mouth equipped with fine teeth, hinting at its predatory nature. While typical catches range from 30 to 40 centimetres in length and weigh 1 to 2 kilograms, trophy specimens can push beyond 50 centimetres and 3 kilograms, with a record of over 4 kilograms—a true prize for any angler. In hand, its powerful, muscular build and the sharp spines of its dorsal and anal fins are telltale signs of a fish built for battle.\n\nFound exclusively along the eastern seaboard of Australia, from southern Queensland down through New South Wales and into eastern Victoria, the Australian Bass thrives in a variety of freshwater habitats. Anglers will target them in coastal rivers, streams, and impoundments, where they prefer clear, flowing waters with structure like submerged logs, rocky outcrops, and overhanging vegetation. They are particularly abundant in iconic fisheries such as the Hawkesbury River system in New South Wales and the Gippsland Lakes region in Victoria, with seasonal migrations into estuaries during winter spawning runs adding an exciting dimension to the chase. For trip planning, focus on these river systems during warmer months when they are most active and accessible.\n\nAnglers target the Australian Bass not just for its striking appearance, but for its fierce, dogged fight that belies its size—once hooked, it dives deep, using its muscular body to shake and run, testing light tackle to its limits. This sporting quality, combined with the challenge of sight-fishing in clear streams or casting lures into tight cover, makes it a revered quarry among Australian freshwater enthusiasts. While its eating quality is decent, with firm, white flesh, it's the cultural significance as a native icon and the thrill of landing a trophy in pristine settings that truly justify booking a trip. Whether you're a fly fisher seeking acrobatic surface strikes or a lure angler honing your skills, the Australian Bass offers a quintessential Australian angling adventure.",
        "aliases": [
          "Eastern Freshwater Perch",
          "Greenfish",
          "Bronze Perch"
        ],
        "imageUrl": "https://media.meridiaoutdoors.com/media/species/australian-bass/main.webp",
        "featuredRank": null,
        "metadata": null,
        "pipelineId": 176,
        "createdAt": "2026-05-09T17:55:22.429Z",
        "updatedAt": "2026-05-21T21:18:41.387Z"
      }
    }
  ],
  "breadcrumbs": [
    {
      "slug": "north-america",
      "name": "North America",
      "type": "region_global"
    },
    {
      "slug": "united-states-of-america",
      "name": "United States",
      "type": "country"
    },
    {
      "slug": "arkansas",
      "name": "Arkansas",
      "type": "state"
    },
    {
      "slug": "montgomery-county-ar",
      "name": "Montgomery County",
      "type": "county"
    }
  ]
}