Beaver Lake

Live bait is key for catching striped bass

Jon Conklin, fishing guide from Goshen, said brood minnows or live shad are the best baits. Stripers are scattered on the northern one-third of the lake from Point 9 to Beaver Dam. Locate schools of shad with a depth finder, and stripers should be close by. Limits of stripers have been reported. The daily striper limit at Beaver Lake is three and fish must be 20 inches or longer to keep. Fishing is best from first light to sunrise.

Black bass, mostly small ones, are chasing shad on the surface and can be caught with top-water lures. Keep an eye out for surfacing bass along flats near deep water.

Trolling with crank baits that run 15 feet deep may result in a mixed catch of walleye, crappie and catfish. Trolling speed should be 2 mph or less. The lake level is falling, and Conklin advises boaters to use caution and watch for hazards. Average surface water temperature is in the low to mid-80s.

Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville said the best fishing for black bass is at night or early morning. At night, use jig and pigs, spinner baits or plastic worms in dark colors. Try top-water lures early. Walleye are being caught with nightcrawler rigs behind a bottom bouncer weight 25 feet deep near the bottom.

Beaver tailwater

Austin Kennedy, fishing guide, said anglers are moving around a lot to find trout. Trout seem to be traveling in schools. Once they are located, it’s possible to catch some big trout 18 inches long and larger. Prepared trout baits such as Berkley Power Bait or Pautzke Fire Bait may work. The river between Parker Bottoms and Bertrand access has been fishing well.

Power generation at Beaver Dam is mainly in the afternoon.

Lake Fayetteville

Angela Perea at Lake Fayetteville Marina recommends fishing for crappie with minnows or jigs. Spider rigs and conventional rod and reel fishing are both effective. Try plastic worms for black bass. Use worms for bluegill.

Lake Sequoyah

Angler Mike McBride said catfish are biting all kinds of catfish bait. Bluegill fishing is good with worms or crickets off the old White River bridge. Black bass fishing is slow. Try plastic worms early. The lake level is low and boating on the lake is difficult.

Bella Vista

Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting plastic worms, but fishing is slow. Try for bluegill with crickets or worms 10 feet deep at any Bella Vista lake. Catfish are biting all types of bait at all Bella Vista lakes.

Please note that fishing in Bella Vista is open only to POA members and their guests.

Elk River

Big Elk Floats, Camping and Lodging reports black bass are biting best on live minnows or tube baits in green or brown. Fish deep holes or moving water. The river level is low.

Swepco Lake

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass with plastic worms day or night. Go with a large plastic worm at night.

Illinois River

Stroud said black bass fishing is good with 4-inch plastic lizards or tube baits in dark colors. Tiny Torpedo top-water lures are good to use. Buzz baits or crawdad-colored crank baits may also work..

Eastern Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing at Grand Lake for largemouth bass with crank baits, plastic worms or top-water lures along rock, timber or weed beds. Crappie are biting fair on jigs or minnows around brush or structure.

At Lake Tenkiller, black bass are biting fair on top-water lures, jig and pigs, crank baits or plastic worms along points or brush. Crappie are biting fair on minnows or jigs around docks or timber on the main lake. Try cut bait, worms or stink bait for catfish.

At Lake Eucha, black bass fishing is fair with top-water lures or spinner baits in coves and near weed beds. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows or jigs around brush. Bluegill are biting fair on crickets or worms.

Table Rock Lake

Focused Fishing Guide Service said black bass are biting small plastic worms on drop-shot rigs. Fish vertically over gravel and rock points 22 to 32 feet deep. Long tapering points are best.

Jig and pigs in green or brown are working 18 to 25 feet deep on the main lake or 12 to 20 feet deep in creek arms. Plastic worms are working at those depths as well.

— Compiled by Flip Putthoff