NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Fishing for crappie has improved.

Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers reports fair crappie fishing in the midlake area with minnows or jigs 10 to 20 feet deep. The best fishing is near brush piles.

Try for black bass with top-water lures, spinner baits or plastic worms. Average surface water temperature is in the low 60s.

Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville reports striped bass are biting brood minnows or umbrella rigs on the north end of the lake. No reports on catfish or bluegill.

BEAVER TAILWATER

Chilly mornings have caused increased power generation at Beaver Dam from about 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., creating high water conditions. Guide Austin Kennedy recommends fishing for trout with small spoons coated in Fire Gel. Parker Bottoms is a good area to try. Fish for walleye near the town of Beaver by trolling Flicker Shads.

Beaver Dam Store recommends fly fishing with midges, scuds or sowbugs. Woolly buggers in olive, brown or black are worth a try.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE

David Powell at the lake office said black bass are biting plastic worms. Blue and black are good colors. Powell likes to rig his worms wacky style.

Try fishing for crappie with a double-jig rig. Tie a black and yellow crappie jig to the end of the line and an orange jig 18 inches above it. Try various depths. The intake tower near the south side of the dam is a good place to fish for crappie.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Mike Carver at the lake office said flathead catfish are on the move. Small sunfish or large minnows are the best bait. Fishing is best near the old White River bridge. Try trolling crank baits at 1 mph to catch crappie.

BELLA VISTA

Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting at all Bella Vista lakes on crank baits, jerk baits, plastic worms and Alabama rigs.

Catfish are biting nightcrawlers or cut bait. Try for bluegill 10 to 15 feet deep with worms. For crappie, fish near rock ledges 10 to 12 feet deep with minnows or jigs.

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

SWEPCO LAKE

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is good with a variety of soft plastic lures. A one-quarter-ounce War Eagle spinner bait is good to use on windy days. Mouse or green shad are good colors. Crank baits may also work.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good fishing at Grand Lake for largemouth bass with crank baits, plastic worms and spinner baits around brush and docks. Crappie are biting well on jigs or minnows around brush and docks. Catfish are biting fair on cut bait.

At Lake Tenkiller, fishing is fair for black bass with spinner baits, crank baits, jigs, plastic worms and top-water lures. Crappie are biting fair on minnows or jigs around brush, docks, flats and points. White bass fishing is fair with Alabama rigs, crank baits or inline spinners such as Rooster Tails.

TABLE ROCK LAKE

Focused Fishing Guide Service reports black bass fishing is good one day, poor the next. Try top-water lures early. Good choices include a Whopper Plopper or Zara Spook. Work a jig and pig around docks and along gravel and rock points. Deeper bass can be caught with a drop-shot rig 20 to 35 feet deep.