Beaver Lake
Catfish, crappie and black bass are on the catching menu as the water cools.
James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said black bass can be caught on top-water lures at dawn. Later, try chatter baits or spinner baits around bushes and standing timber.
Crappie fishing has improved. Try fishing with minnows 15 feet deep around brush. Some anglers report catching limits. Trolling crank baits in creek arms is another option for crappie.
Channel catfish are biting well on liver.
Fish for striped bass from Point 5 to the dam with brood minnows or shad. Average water temperature is in the low 70s.
Beaver tailwater
Lisa Mullins at Beaver Dam Store said fly fishing for trout is good early with size 16 blue dun midges. Try a 1/125th ounce micro jig when the water is rippled. Olive or brown with some orange in the pattern are good colors.
Small red and gold spoons are the top lures. Size 7 countdown Rapalas are a good choice. Power Bait in bright colors tipped with a waxworm is good to use.
Bank stabilization work with heavy equipment continues from the dam boat ramp for one-half mile downstream. Work is from 8 a.m. to noon Mondays through Thursdays until November.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said catfish are biting well on liver. Try plastic worms or spinner baits for black bass. Fishing is good along the dam.
Lake Sequoyah
Mike Carver at the lake office said fishing has been slow because of muddy water, but is improving. Try fishing for catfish with stink bait.
Bella Vista
Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista reports catfish are biting all types of catfish baits at all Bella Vista lakes.
Black bass are hitting crank baits, plastic worms, chatter baits and spinner baits at all Bella Vista lakes.
Swepco Lake
Kenny Stroud in Siloam Springs said black bass fishing is good with plastic worms at all depths. Good numbers of fish are being caught.
Eastern Oklahoma
Stroud said all lakes got muddy because of heavy rain on Oct. 6, but are clearing. Try for catfish at Lake Eucha with liver or worms.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing Guide Service said black bass fishing varies from day to day. Bass can be caught early with top-water lures, but the catching is tough after a cold front.
Try a jig and pig in along gravel and rock points 10 to 20 feet deep. Small plastic worms on a drop-shot rig are working 35 feet deep along gravel bottoms.
Sports on 10/22/2019