BEAVER LAKE
Black bass are biting best at night or at first light.
Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said bass are biting at night on large plastic worms in dark colors or deep-diving crank baits. Try top-water lures between first light and sunrise. Go with a small plastic worm 10 to 25 feet deep for midday bass fishing.
All methods are working for catfish. Use small sunfish to catch flathead catfish. For channel catfish, try liver, nightcrawlers or stink bait.
Stiped bass are biting at dawn between Point 5 and the dam. Try brood minnows or shad five to 25 feet deep. Schools of surfacing white bass can be caught with any lure that imitates a minnow. Use jigging spoons for deeper white bass.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said trolling is the best way to catch crappie. Bandit 300 series crank baits are a favorite with anglers. A lure with some black in the color pattern works best.
Black bass are biting plastic worms or football jigs.
BEAVER TAILWATER
Carl Caso at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting well on Power Bait. The top flies are hare’s ears, Copper Johns and WD-40s. Blue, olive or black are good fly colors.
On the lake side of Beaver Dam, black bass are biting Ned Rigs in dark colors.
LAKE FAYETTEVILLE
Angela Perea at the lake office said catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers, minnows, goldfish and stink bait. Bluegill fishing is good with worms, crickets and small jigs.
Black bass are biting plastic worms, spinner baits and Zoom Flukes. Crappie fishing is slow.
LAKE SEQUOYAH
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said black bass are biting well on top-water lures at dawn, dusk and cloudy days. Flathead catfish are biting small sunfish. Channel catfish are biting shad or liver.
Crappie fishing is slow. Try minnows or jigs eight feet deep. Bluegill are biting worms or crickets close to shore.
SWEPCO LAKE
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting plastic worms rigged any style. Swim baits are also working.
CRYSTAL LAKE
Stroud recommends using square-billed crank baits for black bass.
Illinois River: Stroud recommends using tube baits, plastic lizards, buzz baits or Tiny Torpedoes for black bass.
BELLA VISTA
Harvey Horne at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting top-water lures, crank baits and plastic worms at all Bella Vista lakes. The best fishing is early or late.
Bluegill are biting fair at al the Bella Vista lakes 12 feet deep on crickets or worms.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good crappie fishing at Grand Lake on minnows 5 to 20 feet deep around docks and structures. Catfish are fair on stink bait, nightcrawlers or liver.
TABLE ROCK LAKE
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports good bluegill fishing on crickets or worms. Black bass are biting well in the morning on Flicker Shad crank baits. Bass are also biting purple plastic worms 20 feet deep.