NWA Fishing Report

BEAVER LAKE

Black bass are biting at night on the south end of the reservoir.

John Newlun at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said bass are hitting black spinner baits and black plastic worms after dark. Fish 25 feet deep. Top-water lures are good to use between sunset and dark.

For daylight bass fishing, go with small plastic worms on a drop-shot rig 10 to 25 feet deep around points on the main lake. This is a good tactic for catching spotted bass.

Striped bass to 30 pounds have been caught from Point 5 to the dam. Use shad or troll umbrella rigs 30 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow to fair in the shade of docks or around brush 25 feet deep. Use jigs or minnows.

Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said trolling with crank baits is the best way to catch crappie and catfish. Bandit 300 series crank baits are a favorite with anglers. Troll them over flats. Channel catfish to seven pounds have been caught by trolling.

Black bass are biting at night on football jigs and plastic worms.

BEAVER TAILWATER

Carl Caso at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting white, orange or chartreuse Power Bait. Walleye can be caught by trolling spoons or countdown Rapalas.

LAKE FAYETTEVILLE

Angela Perea at the lake office said catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers or liver. Bluegill are biting crickets.

Try plastic worms or Zoom Flukes for black bass. Crappie are scattered but a few are coming in on minnows.

LAKE SEQUOYAH

Mike McBride at the lake bait shop reports little fishing activity. Black bass are hitting buzz baits at dawn and dusk. Flathead catfish are biting small sunfish or goldfish. To catch channel catfish, try liver or shad.

SWEPCO LAKE

Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is best at night with large-sized soft plastic baits in dark colors. For daytime fishing, try a small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig 20 feet deep.

ILLINOIS RIVER

Stroud said black bass fishing is good with Roostertails, Beetle Spins and all varieties of soft plastic baits.

BELLA VISTA

Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass fishing is good at night at all Bella Vista lakes with deep diving crank baits that run 25 feet deep. Plastic worms or jig and pigs are also working.

Bluegill fishing is good at Lake Windsor with crickets 20 to 25 feet deep.

EASTERN OKLAHOMA

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good crappie fishing at Grand Lake with minnows 10 feet deep around docks and structures. Catfish are biting fair on shad 15 to 45 feet deep.

Table Rock Lake: Missouri Department of Conservation reports good bluegill fishing with worms or crickets. Black bass fishing is good with Flicker Shad crank baits or purple plastic worms. Catfish are biting nightcrawlers.

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