Beaver Lake: Striped bass are in a mood to bite as the final holiday weekend of summer approaches.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said anglers report catching striped bass at dawn near Points 5 and 6. Use shad or brood minnows 20 to 40 feet deep.
Surface activity is also taking place at Points 5 and 6 and other areas of the lake. White bass, spotted bass and hybrid stripers are among the species chasing shad on the surface.
Crappie fishing is good for this time of year, Whittle said. Crappie are biting jigs or minnows in the midlake area 20 to 25 feet deep around brush piles or the shade of docks.
Walleye can be caught by trolling Bandit 300 crank baits in creek arms that have timber.
Average water temperature at Beaver Lake is 82 to 87 degrees.
Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie fishing is fair. He and his brother, Willie, caught nine crappie on Monday with jigs fished 20-22 feet deep near brush piles. Try a black/chartreuse or red/chartreuse jig.
Anglers report catching walleye by trolling deep-diving crank baits between Prairie Creek and Rocky Branch parks.
Catfish are slow.
Beaver tailwater: Nancy Rose at the Beaver Dam Store said trout fishing is good. Several anglers report catching quick limits of five trout.
Try Power Bait in bright colors tipped with a waxworm. Worms or nightcrawlers may also work.
The top lures are small olive or black jigs. Colorado spoons are another option.
Best flies are small woolly buggers and midges. Use small-diameter tippet.
Lake Fayetteville: Dolly Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said bluegill are biting crickets or worms 2 to 12 feet deep. Try trolling small jigs for crappie.
Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said crappie fishing is fair 8 to 10 feet deep with jigs or minnows.
Bluegill are biting worms or crickets 1 to 8 feet deep. Try spinner baits or buzz baits at dawn for black bass.
Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said good numbers of black bass are coming on on Rat-L-Traps fished 5 to 10 feet deep. Citrus is the hot color.
Siloam Springs Lake: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends using top-water lures for black bass at first light or dusk.
Illinois River: Stroud said black bass fishing is good with small tube baits in green colors. Try a black or black/yellow Rooster Tail.
Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting top-water lures or single-tail grubs at dawn and dusk at all Bella Vista Lakes. Go with plastic worms or crank baits for midday fishing.
Fish for bass at night with dark-colored spinner baits or large plastic worms.
Catfish are fair at Lake Windsor and Loch Lomond on liver or nightcrawlers.
Eastern Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair white bass fishing on jigs in the main lake. Catfish are fair on stink bait and cut bait around flats. All other species slow.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff
Outdoors on 08/28/2014