Beaver Lake
Look to the trees to catch crappie.
Reese Jones at Hook, Line and Sinker said crappie can be caught 12 to 25 feet deep around trees and brush piles with jigs or minnows. The catching is best on the south half of the lake.
Black bass fishing is slow. Try top-water lures at dawn, dusk and cloudy days. Spinner baits and plastic worms are good to use for deeper bass. Points and shorelines that are a mix of gravel and rock are good places to try. Average surface water temperature is in the high 50s to low 60s.
Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville reports striped bass are migrating toward the middle portion of the lake. Brood minnows are the best bait.
Beaver tailwater
Guide Austin Kennedy recommends fishing for trout with small spoons coated in Fire Gel. Parker Bottoms is a good area to try. Fish for walleye near the town of Beaver by trolling Flicker Shads.
Expect power generation at Beaver Dam on cold mornings, creating higher, faster flows. Call (417) 336-5083 for generation information at Beaver and Table Rock dams.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said black bass are biting plastic worms. Blue and black are good colors. Try for crappie with black and yellow jigs. Bluegill are biting worms
Lake Sequoyah
Mike Carver at the lake office said channel catfish are biting minnows or liver. Troll Flicker Shad crank baits to catch black bass. Bluegill are biting crickets or worms.
Bella Vista
Chip Wiseman at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista said crappie are biting five to 15 feet deep on all Bella Vista lakes. Use minnows or jigs.
Try for black bass in coves. Fish shallow with crank baits or Alabama rigs. Catfish are biting nightcrawlers. Trout at Lake Brittany are biting small spoons.
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 slow because Flint Creek Power Plant has not been discharging warm water into the lake and the water is cool. Try plastic worms for black bass.
Siloam Springs, Crystal lakes
Stroud said crappie fishing is fair with minnows.
Illinois River
Fish for black bass with tube baits, grubs or jerk baits, Stroud suggests.
Eastern Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports fair fishing at Grand Lake for largemouth bass with crank baits, and spinner baits around brush and docks. Crappie are biting well on jigs or minnows around brush, rocks and docks. Catfish are biting fair on cut bait or liver.
At Lake Tenkiller, fishing is fair for black bass with crank baits, jigs and plastic worms. White bass fishing is fair with Alabama rigs, crank baits or inline spinners such as Rooster Tails.
Table Rock Lake
Pete's Professional Guide Service said black bass fishing is slow. Try fishing shallow with crank baits on cloudy days or a jig and pig on sunny days. For deeper fish, use an Alabama rig or jig and pig 30 to 45 feet deep along main lake points.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff