NWA fishing report

Beaver Lake: A slight drop in water temperature has caused an uptick in fishing activity, reports John Newlun at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers. Average water temperature is 78 to 81 degrees, a drop of about 5 degrees from last week.

Black bass fishing is best at dawn with top-water lures. Try a small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig fished 15 to 25 feet deep for daytime fishing. Black spinner baits are working for bass at night, Newlun said.

Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie fishing is spotty. Anglers are fishing a long time to catch a few fish. Try minnows or jigs 20 to 25 feet around brush. Or troll for crappie with crank baits.

Catfish are biting jug lines baited with sunfish. Black bass fishing is slow.

Beaver tailwater: Nancy Rose at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait in bright colors. Worms or nightcrawlers are also good baits.

The top lures are small spoons, small jigs in dark colors or Trout Magnets. The top flies are Clouser minnows, woolly buggers, pheasant-tails and midges.

Lake Fayetteville: Dolly Black at Lake Fayetteville boat dock said catfish are biting stink bait, hot dogs or liver. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms 12 to 15 feet deep.

Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at Lake Sequoyah bait shop said crappie fishing is good along the main channel with jigs or minnows 8 feet deep. Black bass are biting a variety of lures, including buzz baits, spinner baits and plastic worms. Catfish are biting liver or shad.

Lake Elmdale: Lucky Key at Duck Camp Fishing Retreat said largemouth bass fishing is good with black buzz baits on cloudy days. Crappie are biting minnows 8 feet deep. Bluegill are biting worms.

Swepco Lake: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said largemouth bass are biting plastic worms 2 to 20 feet deep day or night.

Illinois River: Stroud said black bass fishing is good with small plastic worms or tube baits. Small buzz baits are also working.

Siloam Springs Lake: Stroud said black bass are biting top-water lures at dawn and dusk or plastic worms at midday.

Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said bluegill are biting crickets, worms or nightcrawlers. Catfish are slow. A few are being caught with nightcrawlers or liver. Black bass are biting jigs, crank baits or plastic worms.

Eastern Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good fishing for black bass at Lake Eucha with plastic worms, jigs and top-water lures around weed beds and points. Catfish are fair on cut baits along flats and riprap.

Sports on 08/27/2015

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