Information Needed

[Phil Lilley]

Putting some info together on the tailwater. Here are some questions:

Boating- if someone was thinking about bringing a boat to fish the Beaver Tailwater, what should he know about the layout? I know some of the 8-mile stretch below the dam is too shallow for even a jon boat, much less a larger boat.

Is there good wading at most of the access points? What should a person be mindful of before trying these spots. Difficult?

Thanks

[Feathers and Fins]

Best and safest place to Launch IMO is the Holiday Island Ramp. From there as soon as you are exiting the area is a long point on the left I've taken a few decent Walleye off that point. As soon and you are past it hang a left and work the shore line on your left for bass and brim.

A little further up river near Beaver town is the bridges both are good place to look for Walleye and Striper ( Yes I said Striper ) I have taken several 40 lbs fish in this area in Summer. Past the Golden gate Bridge is some very nice bars on the left that hold some decent bass as well as walleye off the drop off points.

From the bars up to 62 Bridge is a day to day guess work. Bass and Walleye can be caught here depending on time of year. Now at the 62 bridge 200 yrds both sides of it I target stripers, the ones in the area are LARGE bring heavy tackle and think MUSKY because it's a fish of 10,000 cast but when you do connect its incredible. Also do not overlook the opportunity to bring a fly rod I've taken some nice browns in the area. Also the Walleye are present in this area and will take a Sculpin fly on sinking line.

Wish I could give you some more info but when I go there I am targeting stripers or walleye. Unfortunately there is no set rule as to when they will be there. But here is a map with a few spots you can use if its helpful.

[rps]

F and F speaks truth. Fortunately, he did not tell all or even the best. To be fair, what he says is accurate. Within the stretch he describes I have taken more than one bass over 6, two walleye over ten and one over 13, and brown trout to 7. Rainbows are common but most are under 2 pounds. I have not tangled with a striper, but the Arkansas record held by Jeff Fletcher came from an area not far from Spider Creek.

In most years at most times, above 62 bridge, a boater should be using a river boat. There will be years and times you can safely operate a shallow draft jon as far up as Parker Bottoms, but that will be a minority of the time. You can easily fish from the dam down to Parker in a canoe or a kayak with getting out to wade as the standard tactic. Pros like Zack can even drift a boat down from the dam but going back up is problematical. Wade access is good at all the designated access points, but a float vehicle (canoe, etc.) more than quadruples the fisherman's options. From Parker to 62 bridge a river boat is both an up and down river vehicle.

My ride, a deep V Alumacraft, is only good as far as the 62 bridge, but can be safely put in at Houseman, Beaver town, or Holiday Island.

Does that help answer your questions?

[ollie]

I like Parkers upstream. Unless it has changed a lot since the last flood on the right was fairly deep run and I fished it from the yak, but caught a lot of fish. I have waded up by the darn too and did alright. Fished right below Spiders and did good as well. I am sure though the last flood has changed a lot of those places.

[Phil Lilley]

All good points. I can use some on the Beaver Tailwater site and some on the Table Rock site. Just because it's a tailwater site doesn't restrict it to just coldwater species but that's mostly what I'll touch on there.

BTW- this is all for a new OA site I'm building with "mini sites" featured on different lakes, rivers, streams and tailwaters. Best to get the information from people who know the area and fish it.

Thanks

[txspecks04]

This is all great info. I have only fished between the dam and Parker, so the rest I am unfamiliar with. Up close to the dam the water is pretty skinny; great water for canoes and kayaks, and I have seen drift boats (though flows are pretty slow so there is a lot of paddling), but I have never seen a boat with an outboard up that far...

I will have to check out some of the more warm water opportunities on downstream, sounds like a lot of fun!

[West Fork Jason]

I enjoyed the float in a drift boat from the dam down to houseman or parkers when generating, streamer fishing. The current is really moving when both generators were on. If you don't pick it apart, it will go by quick.