Beaver Lake
Crappie biting on the south end of the lake. Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said crappie are biting minnows 20 feet deep around brush piles and submerged timber. Anglers are having to weed through several sublegal crappie to get a limit of 15 keepers. Crappie must be at least 10 inches long to keep at Beaver Lake.
Trolling with crank baits is another way to catch crappie. Bandit 300 crank baits are the favorite lure, Whitehouse said. A lure with pink or black in the color pattern is good, he added.
Walleye are biting nightcrawler rigs. James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said striped bass are biting in the Point 5 area. Try top-water lures at first light or brood minnows 20 feet deep later in the day.
Black bass are biting top-water lures early and plastic worms or spinner baits later in the day.
Beaver tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said trout fishing is good. The best bait is Power Bait tipped with a waxworm. White or yellow Power Bait is best.
Midges are the best flies. The top lures are small jigs, countdown Rapalas and small spoons.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said all fishing is best early in the morning. Try crickets or worms for bluegill. Use liver or nightcrawlers for catfish. Plastic worms are working for black bass.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike McBride at the lake bait shop said black bass are biting early on buzz baits, top-water lures or plastic worms. Bluegill are biting worms or crickets fished close to shore.
For catfish, use liver, shad, goldfish or worms. No report on crappie.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is best at night with big plastic worms, buzz baits or top-water frogs.
Siloam Springs Lake
Stroud recommends trying top-water lures early for black bass.
Illinois River
Stroud recommends using Ned rigs, grubs or tube baits for black bass.
Bella Vista
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said bluegill are biting on all Bella Vista lakes 10 to 12 feet deep with crickets or worms.
Some schooling activity for black bass is happening on the lakes early and late. Use small jigs or top-water lures to catch them. Try night fishing for black bass with big plastic worms or black spinner baits one to 15 feet deep.
Eastern Oklahoma
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends using deep-diving crank baits at Lake Eucha for black bass. Try top-water lures early or 10-inch plastic worms for night fishing.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports catfish at Grand Lake are biting well on shad or shrimp on the main lake.
Table Rock Lake
The Missouri Department of Conservation reports good bluegill fishing with worms or crickets. Black bass are biting fair on plastic worms along gravel points. Try deep-diving crank baits or jig and pigs in the James River arm.
Sports on 07/25/2017