NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Striped bass are biting on the north end of the lake. Crappie are prowling the south end.

Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said striper fishing is good near Beaver Dam with shad or brood minnows 20 feet deep or shallower. Trolling with umbrella rigs is also working, he said. Look for surfacing stripers at dawn and try for these with top-water lures. A Zara Spook is a good choice.

Crappie are biting minnows 15 feet deep on the south half of the lake. Trolling with crank baits is another option for crappie. Bandit 300 or Flicker Shad crank baits are good lures to use.

Black bass fishing is slow. Try a small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig 10 to 25 feet deep. Top-water lures are worth a try at sunrise and sunset.

BEAVER TAILWATER

Tom Steinke at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting chartreuse or white Power Bait. Tip the bait with a waxworm for best results.

The top lures for trout are small spoons and small marabou jigs. Midges in gray or neutral colors are the best flies.

Walleye and black bass are biting crank baits or nightcrawler rigs near Holiday Island and the town of Beaver.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE

Dolly Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said few people are fishing. She recommends using worms or liver for catfish. Try crickets for bluegill. Go for black bass with plastic worms or Rat-L-Traps.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said black bass fishing is good with top-water lures, plastic worms or spinner baits. Catfish are biting shad or liver. Bluegill are biting worms or crickets. Crappie are biting along the flats on minnows or jigs.

LAKE ELMDALE

Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said the crappie are biting. Use minnows 15 feet deep close to the bottom.

Catfish are biting worms. Black bass are hitting black buzz baits at dawn. Try chartreuse/white spinner baits or red plastic worms later in the day.

SWEPCO LAKE

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is best on cloudy days with plastic worms 10 to 20 feet deep. Try spinner baits on breezy days and top-water lures at sunrise and sunset.

SILOAM SPRINGS LAKE

Stroud said black bass fishing is good with square-billed crank baits. Try top-water lures at sunrise and sunset.

ILLINOIS RIVER

Stroud said black bass are biting a variety of small, soft-plastic lures. Rooster Tails are worth a try.

BELLA VISTA

Justin McClelland at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass fishing is good at all Bella Vista lakes with spinner baits, buzz baits or jig and pigs.

Catfish are biting shrimp or nightcrawlers. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms 8 to 12 feet deep.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good crappie fishing at Grand Lake on jigs 10 to 15 feet deep around brush. Catfishing is good with cut bait 10 to 30 feet deep on the main lake.

TABLE ROCK LAKE

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports catfish are biting crawdads, minnows or nightcrawlers. Jug lines or limb lines are working for catfish. Best bait is small sunfish. Black bass fishing is fair with deep-diving crank baits or plastic worms 20 feet deep.