Beaver Lake
The water is cooling and black bass are starting to hit spinner baits. Average water temperature is 67 to 71 degrees.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said spinner baits are working well all over the lake two to 10 feet deep. In the White and War Eagle tributaries, Whittle recommends using a spinner bait with white blades and a white skirt. Elsewhere, any shad color is good.
Top-water lures are a good choice for first and last light bass fishing. Plastic worms or jig and pigs are also working.
Catfish are biting well. Use live bait for flathead catfish. Go with nightcrawlers, liver or stink bait for channel catfish.
Anglers report catching surfacing white bass in the Horseshoe Bend area on small top-water lures, white crappie jigs or small spoons. Striped bass are biting brood minnows or shad from Point 5 to Beaver Dam.
Mike Whitehouse at Hickory Creek Marina said catfish are biting well on all types of catfish bait. Striped bass are migrating to the south end of the lake. Try brood minnows or shad two to 20 feet deep.
Beaver Tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait in bright colors. Combine the bait with a waxworm for best results.
Top lures are small spoons, small jigs and countdown Rapalas. For fly fishing, try nymphs or midges in size 16 -18.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said spinner baits are working well for black bass. Catch them from a boat or walking the bank.
Crappie and bluegill have been caught from the public fishing dock with small jigs. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission recently stocked 600 channel catfish. They are biting worms.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike Carver at the lake bait shop said black bass fishing is good with top-water lures at first and last light or plastic worms at midday.
Crappie are biting minnows or Roadrunners. Use liver for catfish. For bluegill, fish with worms one to four feet deep.
Bella Vista
Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista reports fair fishing for black bass around docks at all Bella Vista lakes. Swim baits are good to use.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends using any type of soft-plastic lure for black bass. Try top-water lures at first and last light.
Illinois River
Stroud recommends using small tube baits, grubs or Rooster Tails for black bass.
Eastern Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing for catfish at Fort Gibson Lake with minnows or shad along flats of the main lake.
Table Rock Lake
Pete Wenners at Pete's Professional Guide Service said black bass are biting best early on top-water lures and crank baits. A Whopper Plopper is a good top-water lure. Small plastic worms on a drop-shot rig are good to use.
Sports on 10/23/2018