NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Black bass fishing with top-water lures has improved, reports James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers.

Try top-water lures early along points and chunk-rock banks. For midday fishing, use a jig and pig or small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig. At night, try black spinner bait.

Trolling with crank baits is the best way to catch crappie and catfish. Use a lure that dives 10 to 15 feet deep. Spider rigging with minnows 10 to 15 feet deep works for crappie.

Striped bass are biting early from Rocky Branch park to the dam. Use shad or brood minnows two to 20 feet deep. Trolling an umbrella rig is a good way to catch stripers.

Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said trolling with crank baits remains the best way to catch crappie. Anglers using jigs are catching crappie around brush, but most are shorter than the 10 inch minimum length limit.

Walleye are biting bottom bouncers rigged with nightcrawlers in the Horseshoe Bend area.

BEAVER TAILWATER Carl Caso at the Beaver Dam Store said fly fishermen are catching trout with small midges. Low water in the morning makes for excellent wade fishing.

Trout are biting well on orange or chartreuse Power Bait. Floating or countdown Rapalas are good for afternoon trout fishing.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE Angela Perea at the lake office said catfish are biting worms or goldfish. Black bass are biting spinner baits and Zoom Flukes. Try small jigs for crappie. Use crickets or worms for bluegill.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said crappie fishing is fair with jigs or minnows eight feet deep. Catfish are biting liver or shad.

Spinner baits and top-water lures are good for catching black bass. Use worms or crickets near shore for bluegill.

SWEPCO LAKE Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting soft plastics fished on a drop-shot rig two to 20 feet deep. The best fishing is near the dam.

SILOAM SPRINGS LAKE Stroud suggests using top-water lures early for black bass. Square-billed crank baits or spinner baits may also work.

ILLINOIS RIVER Stroud suggests using Rooster Tails or small tube baits, grubs or lizards for black bass.

BELLA VISTA Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting at all Bella Vista lakes on spinner baits. Top-water lures are good to use in the morning.

Bluegill fishing has picked up. Use worms or nightcrawlers 12 to 18 feet deep.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA The Oklahoma Department reports fair fishing at Fort Gibson Lake on white spinner baits. Try jigs or minnows for crappie 10 to 20 feet deep around brush and docks. At Lake Tenkiller, black bass fishing is slow. Plastic worms work best. Catfish are biting fair on stink bait, liver and nightcrawlers.

TABLE ROCK LAKE

The Missouri Department of Conservation reports fair fishing for black bass with plastic worms in the James River arm. Try top-water lures and spinner baits lake-wide early.

Bluegill are biting worms or crickets. Catfish are biting well on liver or cut shad.