Pictured is Jeff Ochs from Kansas, who caught this nice rainbow with Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service.
Beaver Tailwaters:
Cooler air is working its way back into the Ozarks this week, and the Beaver Tailwaters are settling deeper into that late-fall rhythm. Even with chillier mornings, the bite has remained steady — especially once the sun comes over the bluffs and puts a little warmth back into the water.
We’ll start the week with highs in the mid-50s, followed by rain chances and cloud cover Wednesday, then a gradual warm-up with low 60s by Thursday and Friday. Another cool-down moves in for the weekend, dropping highs back into the upper 40s to near 50. These swings should keep trout active through the more stable, warmer parts of each day.
Light tackle continues to rule the tailwaters. Pautzke Fire Bait, PowerBait, and small spoons are still producing solid numbers. For those working artificials, downsizing remains the biggest advantage — small jerkbaits and Rooster Tails fished slow with intentional pauses are getting the most attention. As the water temperature fluctuates this week, those pauses are even more important; fish won’t rush far to chase.
Early mornings have been sluggish, but the bite reliably picks up once the sun reaches the water. Midday through late afternoon remains the best window. Trout are staying active enough to put together consistent numbers as long as presentations stay subtle and controlled.
With the week starting cool, warming briefly, then cooling again, the plan stays simple:
- Start deep and slow early in the week and during those cloudy, cooler stretches.
- As temps rise and the sun returns midweek, shift slightly shallower and pick up the retrieve just a touch.
- Stick to natural colors in low light or overcast conditions and add a bit of flash when those 60° afternoons return.
Walleye note: A few walleye have been showing up in the usual deeper bends. They’re responding to smaller crankbaits and soft plastics worked close to the bottom. As water temps continue to drop, expect the walleye bite to improve during the late afternoon warming window.
Beaver tailwaters should fish well this week as long as you adjust with the temperature swings — slow and patient on cold mornings, and a little brighter and livelier when the afternoons warm.
Austin Kennedy, Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service
Hooked on Fishing Guide Service, Beaver Lake:
Striper fishing has been good with the current lake conditions. Fish are moving towards their winter homes and looking for a quick bite. Use and trust your graph, look for a good concentration of bait and don’t drop line until you see a good amount of fish feeding on the bait.
Channel swings with a shallow flat have been good places to look. Live bait has been best, pay attention where the fish are holding in the water column and get your bait right above their heads. Crappie fishing has been picking up too with the water cooling down. Docks and wood have been holding fish with a few roamers showing up in shallow flats chasing bait.
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