Beaver Lake: Fishing is good for crappie and striped bass.
Garland Villines at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie are biting minnows or jigs 5 to 15 feet deep. The best jig color is a black or red body with a chartreuse tail.
The upper ends of the White and War Eagle river arms are hot spots for crappie, Villines said. Some big crappie are biting, but anglers have to weed through lots of sublegal crappie to get keepers. Crappie must be 10 inches long to keep at Beaver Lake. The daily limit is 15.
Striped bass are biting brood minnows or shad in the Point 12 area. Walleye to five pounds have been caught with crank baits on the south end of the lake. Black bass are biting Alabama rigs and jerk baits.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker said white bass can be caught with jigging spoons in Moulder Hollow. Striped bass are biting all over the lake. The Prairie Creek area is good, Whittle said.
Try Alabama rigs, jerk baits or jig and pigs for black bass. Crappie are biting black and chartreuse Bobby Garland baits in the mid-lake area eight to 15 feet deep.
Beaver tailwater: Lisa Mullins at the Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting a variety of flies, including midges, scuds, San Juan worms and small egg patterns. Power Bait in bright colors is the best bait.
The top lures are small spoons or Flicker Shad crank baits.
Lake Fayetteville: Angela Perea at the lake office said crappie fishing is good with minnows or jigs. Black bass are biting well on plastic worms and plastic craws. Bluegill are fair on hair jigs or crickets.
Lake Sequoyah: Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said crappie are biting minnows or jigs five feet deep. Black bass are biting fair on spinner baits. Use liver for catfish.
Swepco Lake: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass are biting a variety of soft plastic baits fished any style two to 20 feet deep. On windy days, try small spinner baits or square-billed crank baits in shad colors.
Illinois River: Stroud recommends using small hair jigs, jerk baits or crawdad-colored crank baits for black bass.
Bella Vista: Robbie Towner at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said black bass are biting jerk baits and crank baits at all Bella Vista lakes. Crappie are biting small jigs or minnows at Loch Lomond and Lake Windsor.
Trout at Lake Brittany are biting Power Bait and small spoons.
Eastern Oklahoma: Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass at Lake Eucha are biting Alabama rigs, jerk baits or jig and pigs.
Table Rock Lake: Pete Wenners at Pete's Professional Guide Service said black bass fishing is slow. The best lures are Alabama rigs, jerk baits and ice fishing jigs. Wenners said he's caught some bass working a swim bait through timber.
Sports on 02/14/2017