BEAVER LAKE
Crappie fishing remains good on the south half of Beaver Lake.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie are biting 15 feet deep in the shade of docks. Minnows are working best. Some big crappie to 15 inches have been fileted at the marina recently, he said. Crappie must be 10 inches or longer to keep at Beaver Lake.
Catfish are biting well. Jug lines or rod and reel are the best methods. The top baits are hot dogs or liver for channel catfish. Use small live sunfish for flatheads and blue catfish. Catfish to 30 pounds have been caught recently, Whitehouse said.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker also reports good crappie fishing on the south half of the lake. Use minnows or jigs 8 to 15 feet deep. Anglers fishing for black bass with spinner baits in the White River arm report catching some big crappie on spinner baits, as well as bass.
To target black bass, try crank baits in the White or War Eagle River arms. On the north half of the lake, try for black bass early with top-water lures. Go with plastic worms or crank baits later in the day.
Striped bass are biting at dawn from Point 5 to the dam on shad or top-water lures.
Average water temperature is 82 to 85 degrees.
BEAVER TAILWATER
Carl Caso at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait. Good colors are white, chartreuse, yellow and orange.
Fly fishermen are catching trout with small jigs of oneone-hundredth ounce. Good colors are white, black or olive, Caso said.
Walleye and white bass can be caught by trolling Flicker Shads between Spider Creek and Houseman Access.
On the lake side of the dam, striped bass are biting top-water lures, including Zara Spooks and Pencil Poppers, near the day-use area north of the dam. For deeper fish, use shad or brood minnows 30 feet deep.
Some nice-sized smallmouth bass have been caught with plastic worms.
LAKE FAYETTEVILLE
Angela Perea at the lake office said minnows are working for black bass, catfish and crappie. Bluegill are biting crickets. Black bass are also biting plastic worms.
LAKE SEQUOYAH
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said black bass fishing is good early with buzz baits. Catfish are biting liver or shad.
SWEPCO LAKE
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting soft plastic baits 2 to 20 feet deep. Try top-water lures at dawn or on cloudy days.
Illinois River: Stroud said catfish are biting liver and stink bait in deep pools. He suggests fishing with small tube baits and other soft-plastic lures for black bass.
Bella Vista: Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista reports black bass are biting top-water lures early and plastic worms or jig and pigs later in the day at all Bella Vista lakes.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good crappie fishing at Grand Lake with minnows 10 to 20 feet deep around docks and brush. Catfish are biting shad or stink bait.
TABLE ROCK LAKE
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports good bluegill fishing with worms around docks and rocky banks. Black bass are biting fair on top-water lures early. Try deep-diving crank baits around docks and shelf rock. Use jig and pigs or grubs along gravel points.