BEAVER LAKE
A small plastic worm on a drop-shot rig is a good way to catch black bass.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said points or shorelines with standing timber are good places to try a drop-shot rig. Jig and pigs are also good black bass lures. Some top-water action is reported from first light to sunrise.
Try for crappie 15 to 30 feet deep with minnows or jigs around timber and brush piles. Trolling crank baits in creek arms is another way to catch crappie.
For walleye, try a nightcrawler rig. Jug fishing is a good way to catch catfish. Use small sunfish for bait to target flathead catfish. Nightcrawlers or liver are good for catching channel catfish.
Look for white bass to school on the surface any time of day in the Rocky Branch area or elsewhere on the lake. Average water temperature is in the low to mid-80s.
BEAVER TAILWATER
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said trout are biting Power Bait in bright colors. Tip the bait with a waxworm for best results. The top lures are small red and gold spoons or size 7 countdown Rapalas. Try nymphs or midges for fly fishing in low water. Go with streamers during power generation.
LAKE FAYETTEVILLE
David Powell at the lake office said black bass are biting well on small plastic worms rigged wacky or Texas style. Spinner baits may also work. Bluegill fishing is good with worms. Use cut bait for catfish.
LAKE SEQUOYAH
Mike Carver at the lake office said black bass are biting well on chatter baits and crank baits. Bluegill fishing is good with worms close to weed beds. Evening is the best time for catfish. Use stink bait or cut bait. Crappie fishing is fair with minnows or jigs five to eight feet deep. A good jig color is black body with a chartreuse tail.
BELLA VISTA
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker said bluegill fishing is good at Loch Lomond and Lake Windsor with worms 12 to 18 feet deep. Black bass are schooling on the surface early on all the Bella Vista lakes. Small swim baits or top-water lures are good to use. For night fishing, use big plastic worms.
SWEPCO LAKE
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing at night for black bass. Try 10-inch plastic worms in dark colors. If those don't work, use smaller plastic worms on a drop-shot rig. Spinner baits in dark colors are also good for nighttime bass fishing.
ILLINOIS RIVER
Stroud recommends using tube baits or small lizards for black bass.
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
Stroud recommends fishing Lake Eucha at night for black bass with 10-inch plastic worms.
TABLE ROCK LAKE
Focused Fishing Guide Service reports fair top-water fishing for black bass early. Try swim baits on light line later in the day. The upstream end of the lake has the best fishing. Small plastic worms fished on a drop-shot rig are working. Fish them above treetops in deep water. A jig and pig along gravel and rock points or in the shade of docks is a good choice. Fish 12 to 25 feet deep.
Sports on 07/09/2019