Beaver
Lake: As
of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s
elevation at 1,121.42 feet MSL (Normal conservation pool – 1,120
MSL).
Bailey’s
Beaver Lake Guide Service (479-366-8664) said the water temperature
has been in the mid-40s. Fishing has been slow but should pick up with
this week’s warming trend. Most fish will be bottom-oriented
and in the mid-lake section of the lake. Most stripers are 30-70 feet
deep. Live bait will be the go-to approach, but some fish can be caught
on jigs or jigging spoons. Bottom fishing should be productive during
the coming weekend. The following areas should hold fish, however try
to find the clearest water possible. This will most likely be in the
Coppermine Area. Adjust your technique to the weather conditions. While
they drop the lake, the dirty water will move toward the dam and your
best fishing will be ahead the mud line. If you are fishing dirty water
upriver, dip the tail of your shad/minnow in a chartreuse dye to make
the bait more visible. On the White River from the Highway 12 Bridge
to the Hickory Creek Area, concentrate efforts near the channel. Beavershores
is producing. The area around Blackburn Creek and Horseshoe Bend is
holding tons of bait and fish. A lot of good things could happen in
this area. Look near sharp drops into the channel. Around Monte Ne,
the water is dirty and fishing is slow. Look near the mouth and on
the main river channel for any action. As the water level drops. The
water in Hickory Creek is dirty and fishing is slow. Concentrate your
effort toward the main river channel and look for deeper holes where
the fish will hide during cold fronts. Prairie Creek is producing fish
from the islands to Beavershores. Pay special attention to the gravel
bar south of the Highway 12 Bridge. Look near the steepest drop on
the north end of this gravel bar. Around the Coppermine Area, points
8, 9 and 10 are producing some fish. Around Rocky Branch, look near
the bluffs by the marina and at Red Bluff and the road bed extending
to the island. The shad are about 10-25 feet deep (they will go deeper
with the cold front) and the stripers are scattered from 30-70 feet
deep. Several fish have been taken here. The fish around Lost Bridge
(in the area of Fish Trap Hollow and Pine Log) are 30-70 feet deep.
Around Indian Creek, the fish are 30-60 feet deep near the mouth of
the creek. Around Coose Hollow, the fish are 30-60 feet deep near the
mouth of the creek. On the main lake, try fishing jigging spoons 20-60ft
deep around points 6, 8, 9 and 10.
For more current
reports and information on river flow, visit the Bailey’s
Beaver Lake Guide Service www.beaversafari.com.
JT’s
Crappie Guide Service (479-640-3980) said fishing has been
tough because of the weather and drawdown. Bass can be caught by fishing
suspending jerk baits down 10 to 20 feet deep over and along main lake
and secondary points. Crappie can be caught just off the bottom in
20 to 30 feet of water around brush piles and standing timber close
to channel bends and drops. The best lure has been a chartreuse Shineee
Hineee tipped with a minnow. White bass have been bunching up off main
lake points and mouths of coves. Best lures have been Rat-L-Traps and
jigging spoons. Look for schooling or dying shad.
Southtown Sporting
Goods (479-443-7148) said
the water is cold and slightly stained. Bream are slow. Crappie are
poor to fair on minnows fished around brush in 12 to 16 feet of water.
Bass are slow on spoons and jigs. Catfishing is slow.
Beaver
Tailwaters: Zachary Hoyt at Just
Fishing Guides said the drawdown of Beaver Lake is in full
swing. Generation has been around 8,500 cfs 24 hours a day. Wade fishing
is extremely dangerous, and is not recommended. Boat fishing is producing
some nice fish. With waters this high and fast, a full sinking fly
line or a very long leader/tippet are the answer. Flies or line must
be weighted to get down to where the fish are feeding. This is prime
streamer fishing, so lead-eyed woolly buggers and cone-head zonkers
will produce fish. Pound the banks and around any structure. Fish will
be holding in the slack water around these areas. San Juan worms, soft
hackles, and weighted eggs are doing well under an indicator. Again,
some split shot will need to be added to get the flies down to the
feeding lanes. For safety during extremely high water, always wear
your PFD and maintain control of your boat at all times.
Kings River: Just
Fishing Guides said the Kings is at a great level for floating,
but runoff and future precipitation could make the water dangerous.
Water temps are still very low, so smallmouth will be holding deeper
in the pools and close to structure. The banks will be very wet from
the previous snow storm, so be wary of strainers and log jams.
Lake
Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock (479-444-3476) had no report.
Lake
Sequoyah: Lake
Sequoyah Boat Dock (479-444-3475) said
the water was clear before the storm, but iced-over conditions prevented
much fishing over the weekend. Bream were fair on worms and crickets
around woody cover. Crappie were slow on minnows in 4 feet of water.
Bass were fair on spinnerbaits and soft-plastics fished in 1 to 4 feet
of water. Catfish were fair on cut shad and chicken liver in 5 to 8
feet of water.
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