Beaver Lake: Cooler water and a lower lake level have improved fishing for several species.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said black bass fishing is fair with top-water lures, spinner baits or jig and pigs. The backs of creek arms, points or chunk-rock banks are good places to fish.
Crappie and walleye can be caught by trolling Flicker Shad crank baits or bottom bouncers baited with nightcrawlers. Creek arms and flats have been productive for trolling. Crappie are also biting minnows or jigs on the south end of the lake. Fish 15 feet around brush.
Striped bass, hybrid stripers and white bass are biting jigging spoons around the islands north of the Arkansas 12 bridge. White jigging spoons work best, Whittle said. Average water temperature is 62 to 65 degrees.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said striped bass are biting brood minnows or shad 12 feet deep. Stripers to 28 pounds have been caught recently. Crappie are biting minnows or jigs 8 feet deep around brush piles. Some limits of crappie have been caught, he said.
Lake Fayetteville: Dolly Black at the lake boat dock said crappie are biting tube jigs. Black bass are biting plastic worms in shallow water.
Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said crappie fishing has improved. Fish with jigs or minnows 6 feet deep over flats or along the main channel.
Black bass are biting crank baits and plastic worms. Bass to 6 pounds have been caught recently.
Catfish are biting sunfish, shad or liver. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms. Boaters should use caution on the south end of the lake because of a cable stretched across at water level for a dredging project.
Swepco Lake: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting white Zoom Flukes or plastic worms.
Siloam Springs Lake: Stroud said a few crappie are being caught with minnows.
Illinois River: Stroud said black bass fishing is good with small tube baits, small jig and pigs or grubs.
Bella Vista: Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass fishing is good at all lakes with jigs or plastic worms 2-6 feet deep. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms 12-16 feet deep. Catfishing is fair with shrimp or liver.
Eastern Oklahoma: The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said largemouth bass at Lake Hudson are biting spinner baits, buzz baits or jerk baits along points. Catfish are biting cut bait or shad 13 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows or jigs 8 to 12 feet deep around brush and timber.
Table Rock Lake: Pete Wenners at Pete's Professional Guide Service said black bass are biting buzz baits and other top-water lures along chunk rock or gravel banks. Schooling white bass and black bass are surfacing and can be caught with jigs or small top-water lures. Crawdad-colored crank baits are effective. Bass are also biting small plastic worms on a drop-shot rig 15 to 35 feet deep along points.
Sports on 11/17/2015