Pictured is a nice striper caught by Bo with Austin of Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service.
River
Fishing on the Beaver tailwaters remains challenging in places as we work through the final stretch of August, but anglers who stay mobile and adjust with changing water conditions are still putting together productive days.
Trout numbers continue to run below what we would typically expect, so this is not a time to sit on one hole and wait for the fish to come to you. The better days have come from covering water, changing presentations, and taking advantage of feeding windows when they develop.
Rainbow & Brown Trout
Rainbow trout continue to make up most of the trout catch. Pautzke Fire Bait, Fire Worms, small soft plastics, and natural presentations are all producing fish.
During lower water, lighter presentations and slower drifts have been working best. Once generation begins and current increases, adding enough weight to maintain contact with the strike zone becomes important. The goal is to keep your bait near the bottom without simply dragging it through the rocks.
Brown trout remain scattered throughout the system. We are not seeing large numbers, but there are still some quality fish around. Larger jerkbaits, crankbaits, and other artificial presentations become especially worth trying when generation creates additional current and moves baitfish around.
Guide Tip: Pay attention to your first few drifts through an area. If you’re making clean presentations and nothing is happening, don’t be afraid to move. Right now, finding active fish is often more important than changing bait ten times in the same spot.
Walleye
Walleye continue to provide another good opportunity throughout the Beaver Tailwaters. Fish can be scattered, so concentrate on channel edges, depth changes, current breaks, and areas where deeper water meets shallower feeding areas.
Soft plastics worked close to the bottom, crankbaits, and trolling presentations can all produce. Early and late in the day remain good times to concentrate your effort, although moving water can create feeding opportunities at other times as well.
Don’t overlook isolated marks on your electronics. Tailwater walleye are not always stacked together. A few fish holding tight to the bottom around the right piece of structure can be enough to make an area worth fishing.
Bass & Bluegill
The lower section of the river from Beavertown toward Holiday Island continues to offer a completely different style of fishing. Spotted bass remain available around rocky banks, points, current breaks, and deeper structure. Crankbaits and other moving presentations are good options for locating active fish.
Bluegill and other panfish are also providing steady action in portions of the lower river. A Carolina rig or simple bottom presentation with a nightcrawler remains one of the easiest and most effective ways to target them.
This is a great time of year to keep a multi-species mindset. If the trout aren’t cooperating, there are plenty of other fish in the system that can keep rods bent.
Generation & Conditions
Generation continues to dictate how we fish the Beaver tailwaters. The Corps has commonly been bringing water on later in the day, but schedules can change quickly. Always check current generation information before launching or wading.
Low water and generated water should almost be treated like two different rivers. As current increases, fish reposition, seams develop, deeper areas become more accessible, and bait moves through the system. Be prepared to change weight, lure size, boat position, and even the species you’re targeting as conditions change.
Guide Tip: Don’t fight the river. When the water changes, change with it. Some of the best opportunities of the day can happen right after the fish reposition.
Overall Outlook
The Beaver tailwaters continue to experience an unusual season because of the trout stocking and hatchery issues that have affected fishing across Arkansas. That has certainly changed what anglers should expect from a normal August trout trip, but there are still plenty of opportunities for fishermen willing to adapt.
Rainbow trout remain available, quality brown trout are still present, walleye continue to move through the system, and the lower river offers excellent opportunities for bass and panfish. Right now, versatility is the name of the game.
Come prepared with more than one technique, watch what the water is doing, and don’t hesitate to change locations or species when the situation calls for it. Sometimes the river tells you what you’re fishing for that day.
Austin Kennedy, Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service
Lake
Beaver Lake Water Level: 1119.97 ft. Water Temperature: 83.1°F – 86.4°F
Late-summer fishing continues across Beaver Lake, with striped bass remaining one of the primary targets.
Stripers are following threadfin shad and can move considerable distances from one day to the next. Live shad, minnows, bream, and artificial presentations that imitate the lake’s primary forage continue to produce fish.
The Prairie Creek to Beaver Dam section remains a good area to begin searching. Concentrate on deeper water and use your electronics to locate both bait and feeding fish before spending too much time in one area.
Fish are found anywhere from approximately 25 – 60 ft. down over considerably deeper water. Don’t assume yesterday’s productive depth will automatically be today’s. Start by covering the water column and narrow your presentation once you determine where the active fish are holding.
The early-morning period continues to provide one of the better opportunities, particularly before boat traffic, bright sunshine, and late-summer heat become factors.
As August winds down, anglers should also begin watching for seasonal changes in bait location and fish behavior as Beaver Lake gradually moves toward the fall transition. Stay mobile, trust your electronics, and follow the bait. Tight lines!
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