Weekend at Beaver

[Samkam1]

Dad and I heading to Beaver for Sat-Mon. We are looking primarily for stripers.

Any ideas on where to start would be much appreciated!!!

I will post all info on how we do on Monday night.

Thanks and good fishing!!

[T HAUS]

I would start at Hwy 12 bridge and work upstream. I don't have a map in front of me and I haven't been in a while, but the mouth of War Eagle is a good spot and up in War Eagle.

Shad or shad imitating baits are the best, like rattle traps and shad raps.

I'd imagine the white bass are starting to make a run. Keep a white tube handy as well.

Good luck

EDIT:

Oh yeah, depending on the weather, if they get any kind of rain at all, those upper ends of the lake will muddy up first. If they do, stay away from the dingy or muddy water. You won't catch anything but a cold.

[Bill Butts]

If you are hunting to catch Temperate Bass (Stripers, Hybrids and Whites) it is critical to have the best and most up to the minute reports from reputable sources.

I would highly suggest that you call the Beaver Dam Store AND McLellans Fly Shop for that info.

Recently, there have been more and consistent reports from the War Eagle arm, but those fickle fish can change their pattern quickly.

Make the phone calls just before your trip.

You'll be glad you did.

Good Luck,

Bill

[Guy from CT]

How did you guys make out?

[T HAUS]

Nothing against the Dam Store, but probably a better source for info would be Bill @ Hickory Creek Marina. He in the middle of the action right now and not at the end of the lake.

Hickory Creek Marina 479.751.7366

[T HAUS]

Found a report in the local paper from Mar 15, for what it's worth.

Beaver Lake: Fishing improves daily for black bass, crappie and stripers, reports Bill Pope at Hickory Creek Marina.

Pope said black bass are the most cooperative of the three. Work small spinner baits and hard or soft jerk baits in flooded grass and weeds.

Striper fishing is good in the White or War Eagle river arms with brood minnows, shad, Roadrunners, Rat-L-Traps and Shad Raps.

Crappie haven't moved into shallow water in high numbers yet, Pope said. Fish are staged at the edge of the river channel and not in brush, Pope said.

Try minnows or black/chartreuse or red/chartreuse jigs 15 feet deep.

Average water temperature is 52 degrees, he said.

Aaron Jolliff at Hook, Line and Sinker in Rogers said the white bass run has started. Anglers report catching whites in the Twin Bridges area on the White River and near the Sidewalk Hole in the War Eagle arm.

Good lures include Rooster Tails, Rat-L-Traps and Lil' Fishies.

Jolliff said stripers are biting in the same area and in the Prairie Creek area. Brood minnows are working best.

Black bass are hitting crank baits in crawdad and fire tiger colors. Spinner baits are also working. Work either offering over flooded grass or brush.

Jason Piper at J.T. Crappie Guide Services in Rogers said crappie fishing is good anywhere upstream from the U.S. 412 bridge. Try laydowns or brush wherever the river channel comes close to the bank.

Minnows or jigs are both working under a float 2 to 5 feet deep. Sunny days have been best. White bass and walleye have also been caught by crappie fishermen.

Bob Bauer at Lost Bridge Marina reports stripers and white bass being caught in the evenings.

He recommends jigs in chartreuse or white with metal flake for white bass. Shad are a good choice for stripers.

Average water temperature is 50 degrees, Bauer said.

White River below Beaver Dam: Tom Steinke at the Beaver Dam Store said the focus is more on walleye than trout. Walleye are scattered from the dam to the upper reaches of Table Rock Lake, he said.

Cast crank baits, minnows or a jig and minnow combination. The best spots are the ends of gravel bars and creek channel bends.

For trout, try floating Rapalas, Husky Jerks, spoons and Rooster Tails.

Fly fishermen are having success with white woolly buggers, small midges and olive-colored WD-40s.

Black bass are biting in the Holiday Island area on crank baits.

[Bill Butts]

Haus,

Thanks for your posts, particularly the contact at the Marina.

The fishing report from the 15th has lots of nice detail, but this time of year I think you would agree conditions can and do change almost daily so it probably would not be wise to count on a report of that age.

It would, however, be great if someone (you?) could offer to post those reports the day they come out.

That would be a very helpful resource, especially if they would publish the phone #s of each reporting marina or guide service.

Thanks again,

Bill

[T HAUS]

Bill,

That's not a problem for me. I'll post up another thread and maybe you can make it a sticky at the top.

[Samkam1]

Thank you guys for all your help. It is much appreciated!!

We are fishing this coming saturday-monday.

[jay bird]

Last year about this time we did pretty good throwing topwater baits at night. It was pretty incredible. We never had anything over 10#s but it was still fun and we did see some big boys chasing shad. Long gravel points seemed to be the key last year that where close to the main channel. Good luck