Beaver Lake
Striped bass are biting, but scattered in the south half of the lake.
Reese Jones at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers recommends fishing in the Prairie Creek area and waters south of there. Brood minnows are the best bait. Umbrella rigs are the top lure. Locate schools of shad and stripers should be nearby.
White bass are schooling and chasing shad on the surface in the Prairie Creek area. Jones recommends catching them with small top water lures, swim baits or spoons. For black bass, try top-water lures, spinner baits or jerk baits. Look for crappie along main lake flats 10 to 20 feet deep around brush. Average surface water temperature is in the low to mid-50s.
Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville reports little fishing activity. Try for black bass with spinner baits or crank baits. Crappie are located around brush seven to 20 feet deep. Try for striped bass on the south half of the lake with brood minnows or troll with crank baits.
Beaver tailwater
Austin Kennedy, fishing guide, said trout are biting Pautzke Fire Eggs or Fire Worms in deep pools. For walleye, fish between Holiday Island and the town of Beaver. Jig soft plastic baits or minnows near the bottom.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office suggests fishing for crappie with hair jigs tipped with a meal worm. Fish a jig and pig slowly for black bass.
Lake Sequoyah
Angler Mike McBride recommends fishing for black bass with spinner baits or jerk baits. Try minnows or jigs for crappie. Best fishing is midmorning through the afternoon.
Bella Vista
Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said crappie fishing has improved on all Bella Vista lakes, but it's hit or miss. Minnows are the best bait. Fish six to 12 feet deep around brush. For black bass, try a Scope Spin, jig and pig or plastic worm.
Please note that fishing in Bella Vista is open only to POA members and their guests.
Illinois River
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs recommends fishing for black bass with tube baits or small jerk baits.
Siloam Springs,
Crystal lakes
Fish for crappie with minnows 10 to 12 feet deep, Stroud recommends
Swepco Lake
Stroud said late November is the time to start fishing for black bass with hard-bodied swim baits. Lures 4- to 10-inches long are good to use. Plastic worms, plastic crawdads and plastic lizards may also work.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud recommends fishing for crappie at Lake Eucha with minnows or jigs 12 to 15 feet around brush. Try jerk baits or jig and pigs for black bass.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good fishing at Grand Lake for largemouth bass with Alabama rigs, crank baits or spinner baits around brush, rocks and docks. Crappie are biting fair on hair jigs around brush and docks. Blue catfish can be caught with chicken liver.
At Lake Tenkiller, crappie are biting fair on jigs or in-line spinners around brush, rocks or docks.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing Guide service said black bass are biting well on jigging spoons or a plastic worm on a drop-shot rig 25 to 35 feet deep along gravel flats and gravel points.
Bass are biting shaky-head plastic worms or jig and pigs 10 to 15 feet deep. Try crawdad-colored crank baits in breezy days.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff