Head north for good summer fishing

Reports of big catches in Northwest Arkansas this week

Arkansas Wildlife Editor An angler from Eureka Springs named Rick, who was fishing with guide Austin Kennedy in the early morning mist of the Beaver Lake Dam tailwater in northwest Arkansas, landed a nice walleye from the tailwater this week.

Photo provided by Austin Kennedy. Read more of Austin’s report below…

Northwest Arkansas Fishing Reports

• Beaver Lake — Southtown Sporting Goods (479-443-7148) said white bass are good on minnows or live shad under the lights at night. Bream are fair on redworms or crickets.

Crappie are biting for anglers spider-rigging with minnows or trolling crankbaits. Black bass are fair, at night mostly, while slowing during the day. Try presentations like dropshots and shaky heads in the daylight. Spinnerbaits, deep-diving cranks, topwater lures and jigs are working later. Catfishing is good using chicken liver on trotlines and limb lines. Also try live bait, nightcrawlers and dough bait, or use liver on regular rods. The lake is clear and the water level remains high.

Jon Conklin with FishOn Guide Service (479-233-3474) said Beaver Lake is coming down inches each week but still is above normal levels. With the cooler and glorious temps, the lake has stopped its climb to bath water temps. Striper fishing the last few days has gotten much better.

Many guide friends have been putting some nice fish in the box lately. It is a nighttime bite or very early morning proposition. Shad and brooder minnows are working for some fairly nice fish anywhere from 15-25 pounds the last couple of days. Look from Prairie Creek all the way to the dam. Walleye also are starting to pick up on trolled crawler harnesses.

Search main lake flats in 20-25 feet of water.

Crappie are on a great bite with trolled cranks that will dive to 15 feet.

“Mixed in with the crappie, we have been catching white bass and catfish. I personally caught at 37-pound blue cat on a trolled Pico Crankbait Monday on a crappie rod. Quite a fight for sure! If you didn’t know, catfish will suspend in the thermocline and readily hit trolled cranks!”

Bass are early and late and being caught on various lures. Bream are good.

Bowfishing is a great option in the summer as Beaver has its share of rough fish.

“Be safe and good luck!”

Check out Jon’s Facebook page for latest updates, FishOn Guide Service Goshen AR.

• Beaver Tailwater — Guide Austin Kennedy (479-244-0039) said this week has been great on the tailwater. The Army Corps of Engineers has been generating from about 1 p.m. until midnight, and that has increased the bite. “Most of our fish were caught using light terminal tackle, using Pautzke Fire Bait. When the sun moved higher in the sky, we would switch it over to quarter-ounce spoons and coat the spoons using Pautzke Fire Gel. Try letting the spoon sink a bit before retrieving due to the water still being deep.

“This week’s hot spot for trout has been above Spider Creek. Try hitting the deeper holes and looking for slack water. The white bass and walleye have moved up toward Holiday Island.

Jigging live minnows off of points and humps has done the trick. There are still quite a few males in the river, so get after them.

You may have to wade through a dozen to get a legal fish, but it is worth it.

“Remember, for additional tips, visit my fishing Facebook page (Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service). Hope you all are able to get out and catch some fish!”

• Lake Fayetteville— Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) said Wednesday that the lake clarity is stained while the water level is normal. No surface temperature was reported. Bream are excellent. Anglers are having best success with redworms, but crickets will work. Crappie are fair on jigs. Black bass are good on plastic worms and with topwater baits. Catfish are back with good reports. Try worms.

• Lake Sequoyah — Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said Wednesday that the clarity is stained but the lake has risen to normal level. Bream are still biting well on red-

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trolling.

Black bass are good both early in the day and late in the evening using spinnerbaits, large, red plastic worms, buzzbaits and frogs. Catfishing is good using stink bait.

•

— Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock said Wednesday afternoon that the lake has dropped down to 682 feet msl (23 feet above normal pool) and limited parking can still be an issue there so plan ahead. “The lake is really clear towards the main part; the back of bigger creeks have stain,” he said.

Surface temperature is about 85 degrees.

He says its best to get up early and go for the topwater

Target windy main lake secondary points, especially when the Corps of Engineers is generating water at the dam. Shad is now way out on the points. Fish around those spots with a topwater, an LC Gunfish, or wake baits.

Then the topwater slows, and it’s time for a halfounce flutter spoon or drop-shot the fish. In 20-40 feet depth over 50-70 feet, and in the channel swings around bluffs and ledges, use suspenders around many of those spots.

The creek fish have pulled back with the water coming down.

The topwater bite will end when the sun starts getting high. Del is then hopping a Jewel Special Ops and football jig in green pumpkin orange, a Ned rig in green pumpkin variations.

Keep the boat out around 30 feet.

A lot of fish are on the old shoreline. Also around the channel swings, standing timber, ledges and laydowns, try a Beaver/a big worm/an Ole Monster in green pumpkin, red, red shad or plum.

And, as always, fish the conditions.

Del has a new YouTube video up. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.