BEAVER LAKE
Nighttime fishing for black bass is “feast or famine,” reports James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers. Black spinner baits or black buzz baits work best, he said. Try points and chunk-rock banks. Points in creek arms are better than points on the main lake. For daytime bass fishing, try a small plastic worm on a dropshot rig. Work points eight to 30 feet deep. White bass fishing has been good with jigging spoons in the Monte Ne area. Look for schools of shad on a depth finder and fish near the school. Walleye can be caught by trolling deep-diving Flicker Shads or nightcrawler rigs along flats. Catfish are biting shrimp or liver. Striped bass are biting from Point 5 to the dam on shad. Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said trolling is the best way to catch crappie and catfish. Anglers are catching more catfish than crappie, he said. Bandit 300 series crank baits work well. A lure with some pink in the color scheme is good.
BEAVER TAILWATER
Tom Steinke at the Beaver Dam Store said trout fishing is good with Power Bait combined with a waxworm. The top lures are small Rapalas and small spoons in silver and gold. Midges are the best flies. Morning fishing is best when no power is generated at the dam. There is lots of wadable water in the morning, he said.
LAKE FAYETTEVILLE
Al Perea at the lake office said crappie are biting small jigs and crickets. Bluegill are biting worms and small jigs. Use minnows or liver for catfish.
LAKE SEQUOYAH
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said black bass are hitting top-water lures at sunrise. The best lures are Whopper Floppers and buzz baits. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms. Try liver or shad for catfish.
SWEPCO LAKE
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting soft plastics two to 20 feet deep. Try top-water lures at sunrise and sunset or on cloudy days.
ILLINOIS RIVER
: Stroud recommends using small soft plastic lures or Rooster Tails for black bass.
BELLA VISTA
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said the best fishing is early morning for all species. Black bass are biting top-water lures at sunrise and sunset. Use plastic worms at midday. Fish a black spinner bait at night. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms 20 feet deep.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports catfish are biting liver, shad, nightcrawlers or cut bait. Crappie are biting jigs or minnows 10 to 30 feet deep around docks and brush.
TABLE ROCK LAKE
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports good black bass fishing with top-water lures at sunrise in the backs of coves. Try plastic worms 25 feet deep later in the day. Bluegill are biting best on worms.