NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Striped bass are on the move. Crappie are schooled up around structure.

Jon Conklin, fishing guide, recommends fishing for stripers between Prairie Creek park and midway up the War Eagle arm. Look for schools of shad with a depth finder, and stripers should be around the shad. Shad or brood minnows are the best baits. Stripers may also be seen chasing shad on the surface. A top-water lure should work to catch these fish.

Crappie are schooled around brush, rock piles and other structure and should stay there through winter. Try minnows or jigs 10 to 20 feet deep. Walleye fishing is slow.

Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville recommends fishing for black bass with spinner baits or jig and pigs.

BEAVER TAILWATER

Austin Kennedy, fishing guide, said trout fishing is good with prepared baits such as Berkley Power Bait or Pautzke Fire Bait. The White River between Parker Bottoms and Spider Creek has been good. Small spoons may work early in the morning.

Power generation at Beaver Dam takes place on chilly mornings, creating higher water and swifter flow. Late mornings and afternoons are usually best for low water trout fishing.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE

Angela Perea at Lake Fayetteville Marina said crappie fishing has improved. Try jigs 10 to 20 feet deep. Black bass are biting plastic worms. Cast into shallow water and work the worm into deeper water.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Angler Mike McBride recommends fishing for black bass with plastic worms or crank baits. Use liver for catfish. A few crappie have been caught with minnows or jigs.

BELLA VISTA

Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said trout have been stocked at Lake Brittany. Fishing is good with small spoons, worms or prepared trout bait such as Berkley Power Bait.

Try for black bass are lakes Norwood or Windsor with spinner baits, Alabama rigs or swim baits. Use minnows or jigs for crappie 10 to 20 feet deep around brush.

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

SWEPCO LAKE

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass with any type of soft plastic lure. Plastic worms on a drop-shot rig are a good choice. Ned rigs, spinner baits, and top-water lures are all worth a try.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing for crappie at Fort Gibson Lake with jigs or minnows around brush and docks. Catfish are biting fair on shad.

At Lake Tenkiller, black bass fishing is fair with crank baits, spinner baits, plastic worms or top-water lures around docks and brush. Crappie are biting fair on minnows or jigs around docks or brush on the main lake.

TABLE ROCK LAKE

Focused Fishing Guide Service said black bass bite best on cloudy or windy days. Try crawdad-colored crank baits along points or channel swing banks. Fish deep with a drop shot rig around schools of shad over tree tops or along gravel or rock points.