Beaver Lake

Fishing is in a transition from summer to autumn tactics.

Jon Conklin, fishing guide, said the change generally takes awhile. It’s quicker if cooler weather arrives, slower if temperatures stay warm.

Fish for crappie around brush 15 feet deep with minnows or jigs. Walleye are biting nightcrawler rigs behind bottom bouncer weights or nightcrawler on a drop-shot rig. Trolling crank baits may also work for walleye. Conklin recommends fishing around Prairie Creek and Horseshoe Bend parks.

Striped bass are scattered. Live shad or live sunfish are the best baits. Look for schools of shad with a depth finder and stripers should be following the school. Try for stripers between Point 9 and Point 4.

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 minimal, mostly for a couple hours in the late afternoon.

Lake Fayetteville

Angela Perea at Lake Fayetteville Marina said black bass are biting fair on plastic worms or crank baits. Catfish are biting well on stink bait or worms. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows or jigs.

Lake Sequoyah

Angler Mike McBride said fishing for black bass has improved. Try top-water lures at dawn or dusk. Go with plastic worms at midday. Catfish are biting well on all kinds of catfish bait. Crappie fishing has improved somewhat. Use minnows or jigs.

Bella Vista

Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista reports black bass are biting a variety of soft plastic lures around docks and seawalls at all Bella Vista lakes. Try for bluegill with crickets or worms 10 feet deep, but fishing has slowed. 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 tube baits in dark colors. Other soft-plastic crawdad imitations may work. Creek minnows are working to catch the largest bass. Top-water lures are worth a try.

Swepco Lake

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass with soft plastic lures day or night. Try top-water lures at dawn and dusk.

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 crank baits may also work..

Eastern Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports crappie are biting well on jigs or minnows around brush or structures. Catfish are biting well on cut bait or shad on the main lake. Snagging for paddlefish is fair in the river channel.

At Lake Tenkiller, black bass are biting well on top-water lures, spinner baits or plastic worms along points or brush. Crappie are biting fair on minnows or jigs around docks or timber on the main lake.

Table Rock Lake

Focused Fishing Guide Service said the best way to catch numbers of black bass is with a small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig. Fish vertically along gravel points or above tree tops 20 to 30 feet deep. Jig and pigs or plastic worms may work 12 to 25 feet deep. Top-water lures work well on day, poorly the next. Cover lots of water to catch top-water bass.

— Compiled by Flip Putthoff