NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Live bait is best for catching striped bass.

Jon Conklin, fishing guide, recommends using brood minnows or shad. The south half of the lake is best for wintertime stripers. Locate shad schools with electronics and stripers should be near the shad. If gulls are seen feeding on shad, that’s a good area to fish for stripers.

Try jerk baits or crank baits for black bass. Fish for crappie with minnows or jigs from Hickory Creek park south into the White and War Eagle river tributaries. No report on walleye.

Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville recommends fishing for black bass with spinner baits, top-water lures or jig and pigs. Crappie are holding tight to brush 10 to 15 feet deep and may bite minnows or jigs.

BEAVER TAILWATER

Austin Kennedy, fishing guide, recommends fishing for trout with prepared baits such as Berkley Power Bait, Power Eggs or Pautzke Fire Bait. Small spoons or small jigs may also work.

Power generation at Beaver Dam may take place on chilly mornings and also in the evening. This creates higher water and swifter flow.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE

The lake is temporarily closed and will reopen Jan. 14. Trails around the lake are open.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Angler Mike McBride said a few crappie are being caught with minnows or jigs. Try fishing for catfish from the old White River bridge with any kind of catfish bait.

BELLA VISTA

Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said crappie are biting well on minnows or jigs 10 to 20 feet deep over the tops of brush piles. Lakes Ann, Loch Lomond and Windsor are good lakes to try. Black bass are biting Alabama rigs or jig and pigs. Good bass lakes include Lake Norwood and Lake Ann. Trout are biting well at Lake Brittany on white or yellow Power Eggs or small gold and red spoons.

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 are biting Alabama rigs or all types of soft plastic lures. Experiment to see what works best. Try small jigs for crappie around timber. Black body with a chartreuse tail is a good color combo.

ILLINOIS RIVER

Stroud recommends fishing for black bass with small jerk baits or small jig and pigs.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing for black bass at Grand Lake. Try Rat-L-Traps or plastic worms along points and in coves. Crappie are biting fair on jigs or minnows around brush and docks. Catfish are biting fair on liver, shad or cut bait.

At Lake Tenkiller, white bass fishing is good with Alabama rigs, crank baits or jigs on the main lake. Crappie are biting well on minnows or jigs around docks or brush on the main lake. Catfish are biting fair on liver, cut bait or shad.

TABLE ROCK LAKE

Focused Fishing Guide Service reports black bass are biting deep over tree tops in creek arms where there are shad. Use a small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig or a jigging spoon.

Try crawdad-colored crank baits or jig and pigs along steep banks in creek arms.

Crappie are schooling around brush piles and standing timber. Fish varied depths with minnows or jigs.