2017 Beaver Lake Preview
Rogers, Ark.
April 27-30, 2017
Hosted by Visit Rogers
About the Fishery
The first in a string of impoundments along the White River is Beaver Lake, which spans some 28,000 acres in northwest Arkansas. It’s a typical Ozark highland reservoir in that it is deep, clear and rocky and is home to smallmouths, largemouths and spotted bass.
Beaver can be broken down into three primary segments. One of the most popular areas of the lake is the White River itself. This upstream section features more stained water, numerous pockets and coves, and plenty of laydowns and bushes for largemouths to call home.
From there, as you move downstream toward the Prairie Creek takeoff site, the lake begins to widen out, and the water clarity improves. This area is more of the middle of Beaver and is known to be a great place to put a limit of spotted bass in the boat. Largemouths and smallmouths also inhabit this portion, which features an abundance of standing timber, brush and rock lining the main lake, along with the creek arms and pockets.
Finally, the lower section down by the dam is known for its extreme water clarity, with areas of more than 25 feet of visibility. While largemouths and spotted bass can be caught down here, the main focus is the population of big smallmouths that take refuge in the cool, clear water by the dam along rocky banks and gravel points. Hundreds of little cuts and coves, plus standing timber, give anglers ample areas to target.
Last Time
Though Beaver Lake is one of the most frequented lakes by the FLW Tour, it isn’t necessarily the same lake from year to year. Some years the Tour times up for a prespawn tournament; other years it’s postspawn. At times, the water has been low and clear, or high and dirty.
Quaker State pro Matt Arey has become the man to beat on Beaver Lake over the last few visits, with back-to-back wins in 2014 and 2015, but in 2016 it was his Quaker state teammate Scott Canterbury who grabbed his first Tour title doing what he loves to do. Because of dirty, high water Canterbury was able to flip a jig to wood cover up the White River, covering as much water as he could each day en route to a winning weight of 62 pounds, 7 ounces. His victory included 17-pound and 18-pound, 3-ounce bags, which are stout limits for Beaver. The event was in mid-April, and the bulk of the fish that Canterbury caught were spawning on laydowns and rock banks, though he couldn’t see the spawners because of the stain in the water.
What to Expect this Time
Winter and spring weather are the big factors for this tournament. On paper, a late April event should hint at a postspawn bite. However, a harsh winter could bring a late spring, and that could mean that sight-fishing during the spawn would be king. Still, it is too early to tell, which is one reason that Beaver Lake is an exciting Tour destination.
Regardless of the weather, the one factor that has threatened to factor into a win but hasn’t just yet is the population of big brown bass that call the lake’s lower end home. It is possible for someone to stumble on a smallmouth-only pattern and win it on brown bass.
However, the surefire bet is that the river will be the biggest player again. It has been responsible for several recent Tour victories and numerous top 10s, and has shown that the caliber of largemouth that lives upriver is downright hard to beat. In the past, the river was a bit unreliable for a four-day event, but pros have begun to figure out how to make it work from start to finish.
Baits and Techniques
You name it, and it’ll likely catch a bass on Beaver Lake. Shaky heads, drop-shots, Carolina rigs, various Yamamoto Senko rigs, spinnerbaits, jigs and buzzbaits all play almost every time the Tour visits Beaver. Swimbaits have also come on strong to catch big largemouths up the river and smallmouths in the lower end. Of course, you can’t forget the Storm Wiggle Wart – or variations of it – in the spring on this Ozark lake.
This is one of the few places that pros can have 20 rods on the deck and catch a fish on every one of them throughout the day. Also, a topwater bite isn’t out of the question if there is schooling activity from postspawn bass.
3 Critical Factors
1. Weather – While the weather is always a factor in bass fishing, April in the Ozarks seems to be a time of extremes – T-shirts one day, balaclavas the next. Daily weather changes must be countered with daily tactical adjustments. And long-term weather trends will dictate the spawn and fish activity when the Tour arrives.
2. Smallmouths – Smallies have steadily become more of a wild card in the spring on Beaver. It’s very possible to catch close to a 20-pound limit of them, but to do it consistently is a puzzle that no one has unlocked yet. Ozark locals have a bit of a headstart on the rest of the field when it comes to smallmouths in Beaver Lake. Regardless, expect to see some solid limits featuring smallmouths.
3. Water level – This one’s a bit of a wild card, but still a factor. If the water is up, the shallow brush bite upstream could be really good. If it’s way up into the trees, the flipping bite could get good in more areas. As a correlation, when the water is up it is also more stained, and as was demonstrated last year, stained water results in better largemouth catches across the lake.
Fantasy Fishing Picks
Pick pros with a solid track record at Beaver Lake. Those are the guys who know how to figure out a lake quickly and are willing to adjust each day. They’re also the guys who are mentally tough enough to handle Beaver Lake’s challenges. These are obvious picks, but nevertheless they’re smart picks: Matt Arey, Andy Morgan and Scott Canterbury.