Beaver Lake
Anglers should think small when fishing for black bass.
Reese Jones at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said small-sized lures work best for bass when the water is summertime warm, but bass fishing at Beaver is tough. Average surface temperature is in the mid-80s. Ned rigs, small swim baits and small Zoom flukes are good to use.
For nighttime bass fishing, try a black spinner bait or big plastic worm in a dark color.
Crappie can be caught 20 to 30 feet deep around trees with minnows or jigs. Trolling crank baits in creek arms may also work to catch crappie. Walleye are biting nightcrawler rigs 25 to 30 feet deep.
For striped bass, use shad or brood minnows 30 feet deep over deeper water. Locate schools of shad with a depth finder and fish around the shad. Trolling umbrella rigs may also work for stripers.
Beaver tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said fly fishing for trout is picking up. Olive-colored nymphs or midges are a good choice.
Power Bait in bright colors tipped with a waxworm is good for bait fishing. The best lures are small brown, black or olive jigs. Gold and silver or gold and red small spoons are working. A size 7 countdown Rapala is another good choice.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said black bass can be caught with wacky worms fished 10 to 30 feet deep. Dark colors are best. Try for catfish with glow worms or nightcrawlers.
Lake Sequoyah
Toby Carroll at the lake office said fishing is good for catfish, black bass and crappie.
Use liver or stink bait to catch channel catfish. Use small sunfish to catch flathead catfish. Try top-water frogs early for black bass. Go with crank baits or plastic worms later in the day. Fish for crappie five feet deep with small jigs.
Bella Vista
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said the best time to fish for black bass is at night. Try deep-diving crank baits or big plastic worms in dark colors at night. Loch Lomond is fishing best.
Bass may school on the surface early. Use a small top-water lure, small spoon or small jig.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass at night. Use plastic worms 20 to 25 feet deep near the dam.
Illinois River
Stroud said black bass fishing is good with tube baits, plastic lizards and buzz baits.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud said night fishing for black bass is good at Lake Eucha. Try 10- or 12-inch plastic worms in dark colors. Deep-diving crank baits may work from first light to sunrise.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing guide service reports black bass are biting top-water lures from first light to sunrise. Use swim baits or plastic worms on a drop-shot rig over tree tops later in the day. Fishing is best on cloudy days.