Beaver Lake
A high lake level and frequent cold fronts this spring make fishing hard to predict. Boaters beware of floating debris.
Reese Jones at Hook, Line and Sinker recommends fishing for black bass around flooded bushes with spinner baits, chatter baits and floating plastic worms. Try for crappie with a jig under a bobber along gravel banks in shallow water around cover. No reports on walleye or white bass.
Southtown Sporting Goods in Fayetteville reports fair white bass fishing in the White and War Eagle tributaries. Crappie are spawning in shallow water. Fishing is good with minnows or jigs. The black bass spawn is just starting. Try top-water lures, plastic worms, plastic lizards or spinner baits.
Beaver tailwater
Beaver Dam Store reports nightcrawlers are the best live bait for trout. Power bait in bright colors is working. For fly fishing, drift in a boat and cast size 12 to 14 nymphs and scuds.
Lake Fayetteville
David Powell at the lake office said the crappie spawn is mostly over. Crappie are moving into deeper water. Fish slowly with a minnow or jig eight to 12 feet deep. Black bass are in shallow water. Try Zoom Flukes two to three feet deep. Bluegill fishing is good with crickets or worms.
Lake Sequoyah
Toby Carroll at the lake bait shop said crappie are biting well on jigs or minnows. Use spinner baits or chatter baits for black bass. Redear sunfish are biting well on worms.
Bella Vista
Nick Gann at Hook, Line and Sinker in Bella Vista recommends fishing for catfish with nightcrawlers at any Bella Vista Lake where runoff is entering the lake. Bluegill are biting well on worms or crickets 12 feet deep.
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 including soft plastics, swim baits and top-water lures. Try spinner baits along windy points.
Stroud noted the weather fronts don't affect the fishing at Swepco as much as they do at other lakes.
Siloam Springs,
Crystal lakes
Stroud said the water is murky. Try for crappie with jigs. Black body with a chartreuse tail is a good jig color.
Eastern Oklahoma
Fish for black bass at Lake Eucha by flipping a jig and pig in pockets and around bushes and logs, Stroud recommends.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reports good largemouth bass fishing at Grand Lake with Alabama rigs, crank baits, plastic worms and top-water lures around brush and docks. Crappie are biting well on hair jigs around brush and structure. Blue catfish are biting cut bait or shad.
At Lake Tenkiller, black bass fishing is fair with Alabama rigs, crank baits, tube baits around brush, docks and the mouths of creek arms. Crappie fishing is fair with hair jigs, tube jigs or minnows around brush and docks.
Table Rock Lake
Focused Fishing Guide Service said the best lure to catch numbers of black bass is a 3-inch swim bait threaded on a one-quarter ounce jig head. Fish eight to 15 feet deep. Points, banks of gravel mixed with rock or pockets are good places to try. Ned rigs, spider jigs, tube baits and plastic worms are also working.
-- Compiled by Flip Putthoff