NWA FISHING REPORT

Beaver Lake: Black bass and crappie are biting at Beaver Lake this week, reports John Hodge at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers.

Try jerk baits, Shad Raps or Alabama rigs for black bass. Head for the Monte Ne and Horseshoe Bend areas to catch crappie. Fish with jigs or minnows 5 to 10 feet around boat docks, pole timber or brush piles.

Stripers are biting near Points 5 and 6. Troll with brood minnows or an umbrella rig.

Average water temperature is 44 to 46 degrees.

Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie are biting in the Natural Walk area of the War Eagle arm or at Horseshoe Bend on minnows or jigs 5 feet deep.

Black bass and walleye are biting jerk baits or Alabama rigs.

Chris Johnson at Cabela’s said black bass are biting crawdad or shad-colored crank baits. Shad-colored grubs or Alabama rigs are also working. Try south-facing rocky banks.

Crappie are biting in the White or War Eagle river arms on Bobby Garland baby shads.

Stripers are hitting shad or brood minnows 20 feet deep in the Prairie Creek area.

Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services said crappie fishing is best on warm, sunny days. Try tube jigs or small swim baits around docks or pole timber. Good areas include White River arm, Pine Creek, Monte Ne and Eden’s Bluff.

White River below Beaver Dam: Lisa Mullins at the Beaver Dam Store said the top flies are black woolly buggers or size 18 red midges.

Productive lures include orange Rooster Tails or size 9 floating Rapalas in a brown trout pattern.

For bait, go with nightcrawlers, worms or Power Bait in orange or chartreuse tipped with a waxworm.

Lake Fayetteville: Dollie Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said a few crappie and white bass have been caught with jigs 12 to 15 feet deep.

Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said cold fronts have slowed down fishing. A few crappie have been caught with jigs or minnows 5 feet deep.

Try jerk baits or crank baits for black bass.

Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat recommends using jig and pigs or plastic worms forblack bass.

Swepco Lake: Kenny Stroud at BW Outdoors in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting plastic worms 1 to 20 feet deep. Rig them Carolina, Texas or shaky-head style.

Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting at all Bella Vista lakes on jigs 5 to 20 feet deep. Bass are also biting crank baits or jerk baits.

Trout are biting at Lake Brittany on Power Bait or small spoons.

Upper Table Rock Lake: J.D. Fletcher at Eagle Rock, Mo., said some big crappie have been caught near Big M Boat Dock on chartreuse Panfish Assassins worked 8 feet deep.

For black bass, try jerk baits or plastic worms along mainlake shorelines.

Eastern Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said largemouth bass fishing is good with Alabama rigs 12 feet deep. Paddlefish are stacked up around Bird and Bad islands.

At Lake Eucha, crappie are fair on minnows. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms.