Stripers on Beaver Lake have all pretty well moved up here in the north end of the lake. Anglers who were catching in the Rogers area have come up this way to join us. Big fish are being caught from Beaver Dam to the Rocky Branch area, which is only a short boat ride from the dam or Starkey Marina.
Water temp on Beaver is staying close to 76° and weight is now being added to get that bait down close to 30 ft. deep. Look in bigger coves and off the main lake flats. We are marking big schools of fish and bait off the bottom and suspended mostly from 30 – 60 ft. deep with some surface activity early and late in the day, but they’re going back down fast. Best bait now are big gizzard shad, perch and brood shiners.
Here at Holiday Island on the Table Rock side, big perch can be caught hanging out in the brush and the rocky shorelines with a worm or cricket under a float being the best bait. Put on a minnow and you might find some crappie hanging out a bit deeper off the brush also.
The threadfin shad are moving up river toward the Beaver tailwaters, best time to see the schools and catch you some white, spotted or largemouth bass is early and late in the day. Just motor up river past Beaver town until you see the bait on your graph or in the surface. You don’t need a trout stamp to fish this water this side of Houseman Access but you might want one if you want to keep any trout because you should hook a few of them, also. Best way to catch here now is to troll smaller crankbaits, throw a white rooster tail, crankbait or just drop a minnow on them under a slip float.
Below the dam are the Beaver tailwaters, stocked with rainbow and brown trout which you can catch with power bait or a worm off the bottom. Small spoons, roostertails and small crankbaits will also work at any of the campgrounds here off the shoreline, or just drift the river by boat. Riverview store on US 62 and the Beaver Dam Store on Hwy. 187 can both help with tackle and boat rental.
Lake Leatherwood has good catches of redear sunfish, bass and crappie, being caught on crickets, worms and minnows fished under a float. With a cleared trail all the way around this 100-acre spring fed lake it’s pretty easy to find a good fishing spot off the shoreline or you can rent a paddle boat, canoe, kayak or small fishing boat at a reasonable rate. This is a no wake lake, so you can put your own boat in and run your outboard at idle speed only, but if you have a trolling motor it should not be needed except to put on the trailer.
This map shows how to find the water to fish or just go for a drive to explore our part of the Ozarks. Enjoy it all and take a kid with you.