NWA FISHING REPORT
Beaver Lake
Summer is catfish time at Beaver Lake. Taylor Surly at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said catfish are biting well on jug lines, trotlines, limb lines or rod and reel. Good baits include goldfish, small sunfish, liver, worms or nightcrawlers.
Striped bass are biting early from Point 5 to the dam. Use shad or brood minnows for bait 20 to 30 feet deep over water as deep as 100 feet. Bluegill are biting well on crickets or worms.
The best black bass fishing is at night. Use deep diving crank baits around bluff ends, points and channel swings. Work jig and pigs or plastic worms around brush piles. Top-water lures may work at first light.
Crappie can be caught along channel swings that have timber. Fish 15 feet deep in water 25 feet deep.
Beaver tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store reports good fishing for trout. Fishing from a boat is best because of high water. Power generation is mainly in midafternoon.
Try fly fishing with white woolly buggers or similar shad-colored flies. Lots of threadfin shad are in the tailwater.
Power Bait tipped with a waxworm is the best bait. Nightcrawlers are a good bait. The top lures are small jigs, countdown Rapalas or small gold and red spoons.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said black bass are biting plastic worms or spinner baits. The best crappie fishing is with black and yellow jigs worked 10 feet deep. Bluegill are biting worms or crickets. Go with glow worms or nightcrawlers for catfish.
Elk River
Drew Daniel at Big Elk Floats and Camping said black bass fishing is good with top-water lures, small crawdad crank baits, tube baits or small plastic worms. Nightcrawlers and creek minnows are good live baits.
Bella Vista
Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista recommends fishing for catfish“with any bait that stinks.” Liver, nightcrawlers and stink bait are all good to use.
Try top-water lures between first light and sunrise for black bass. Use plastic worms or deep-diving crank baits 15 to 18 feet after sunrise.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs
said black bass fishing is best at night. Black and blue tube baits are working well. Big swim baits are good to use.
Siloam Springs, Crystal lakes
Stroud recommends fishing for black bass early with top-water lures. Try plastic worms later in the day.
Illinois River
Tube baits or plastic lizards work well for black bass, Stroud says. A small topwater lure may also work.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud recommends fishing at night for black bass at Lake Eucha with spinner baits in dark colors, big plastic worms or deep-diving crank baits.
Table Rock Lake
Pete’s Professional Guide Service said black bass can be caught with plastic worms or jig and pigs 15 to 30 feet deep along points. Watch for bass schooling on the surface, mainly in the morning, and catch them with top-water lures.