Beaver Lake
Bundle up for striped bass action.
Reese Jones at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said striper fishing is good on the south half of the lake. He recommends fishing between Prairie Creek and Hickory Creek parks.
Top-water action is possible at first light. Use brood minnows from the surface to 20 feet deep later in the day. Try fishing at night for stripers with Rat-L-Traps.
There is some spotty top-water fishing for black bass at first light. After sunrise, use jig and pigs, Alabama rigs, jerk baits or crank baits. Try for crappie 10 to 20 feet deep around standing timber with minnows or jigs. Average surface water temperature is in the low 50s.
Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville reports fair fishing for catfish with stink bait. Crappie are biting well on minnows or jigs eight to 12 feet deep around brush.
Beaver tailwater
Guide Austin Kennedy said trout fishing is good with Power Bait, Fire Bait or small spoons. Target the deep pools.
Expect power generation at Beaver Dam on cold mornings creating high water and fast flows.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office recommends fishing for black bass with plastic worms rigged wacky styles. Tube baits are another option for bass fishing. Fish for crappie with black and yellow jigs or minnows.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike Carver at the lake office said flathead catfish can be caught from the old White River bridge with small sunfish for bait. Use minnows or jigs for crappie. Crickets and worms are the preferred baits for bluegill.
Bella Vista
Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said crappie fishing is good at all Bella Vista lakes seven to 15 feet deep with minnows or jigs. Catfish are biting well on a variety of catfish baits. Black bass are biting Alabama rigs or jig and pigs. For trout at Lake Brittany, use Power Eggs in white or yellow. Small spoons are the best lure.
Please note that fishing in Bella Vista is open only to POA members and their guests.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is good with a variety of lures. Try plastic worms, square-billed crank baits or top-water lures.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud recommends fishing for crappie at Lake Eucha with minnows or jigs. Try for black bass with Alabama rigs or jerk baits.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing for crappie at Lake Tenkiller. Use minnows or tube jigs around brush and docks. Largemouth bass fishing is good with minnows, plastic worms or jig and pigs around brush and docks. Catfish are biting well on live shad or cut shad.
At Grand Lake, crappie are biting fair on jigs or minnows around docks and structures. Largemouth bass fishing is fair with Alabama rigs or spinner baits around brush and docks. Blue catfish are biting fair on chicken liver or cut bait.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing Guide Service reports black bass can be caught deep in areas where there are big schools of shad. When shad are located, fish near the school with a swim bait, drop-shot rig or jigging spoon.
On windy days, try crawdad colored crank baits around rock and gravel points, pockets and shorelines. Fishing in the wind is key. Cloud cover improves the chances of catching fish. On calm days, try a jig and pig.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff