March 7, 2026 | Beaver Tailwater Fishing Report
- Ryan Burks
- Mar 7
- 3 min read
The seasons are starting to change and there are some cool changes happing in the river too. We are getting some MUCH needed rain and it is having a big effect on the fishing. Read on below for the details.
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Beaver Tailwater Levels & Conditions
Beaver Lake is still well below flood pool, but on a rise with the recent rain. Currently at 1113.64, about a foot rise since last week and should continue to come up a bit. Downstream from us, Table Rock Lake is doing much the same and is sitting at 909.98. In Beaver Tailwater, the river is still very low, but is headed in the right direction. Launching at Houseman, the Hwy 62 bridge is still as far up as you can run, even in a jet drive. There seemed to be another inch or two of water over the gravel after the rain though. Downstream from Spider Creek, the water has had quite a bit of stain to it, but don't let that slow you down. Dirty water sure helps relax the fish and they feel safer in skinny water. The increase in debris and things floating in the water also triggers them to feed. I caught a nice brown fishing in dirty water yesterday.
I also got out and waded for a bit (which I haven't done in a few months) up around the dam. Happy to report that the water is clean and clear up there. Even with our reduced stocking schedule, I had no trouble finding fish and there are pleny to be had.
The walleye push seems to have ticked up a bit, but still not where we want it. I've seen a few white bass starting to trickle in as well. This rainfall should really help move the fish up and I expect this coming week to be a pretty fun one. I expect we should continue to catch mixed bags of fish with more and more walleye and white bass showing up.
What's Working
In clear water, I've been catching most of my fish on midges and small perdigons. Olive micro jigs are always a good bet in clear water as well. With our low flows right now, I'm fishing longer leaders, around 10-12 feet and hanging a pair of midges below a small palsa indicator. I tend to fish one brighter midge and one duller until the fish show a clear preference. When in doubt - sunny days get bright flashy flies like to Ruby Midge, and cloudy days go with something more dull and natural like the WD-40.
When fishing further down river in dirtier water, I've had lots of success with black micro jigs. In dirty water, black is hands down the first color you should start with. It cuts such a bold silhouette and is much easier for fish to find. Black wolly buggers, black girdle bugs (both under indicators and stripped) have been working great as well.
The white bass and walleye are still hanging out a bit deeper than I'd like to easily target with a fly rod. If you want to give it a go, stripping 1/64 oz micro jigs (or 1/16 oz jigs typically reserved for spin tackle) will get the job done. There are two ways to accomplish this - either with a sinking line and short leader, or with a very long, thin leader that lets the flies sink on a floating line. The long leader method can be a bit more cumbersome to cast though.
To sum up the week - The water has been warming up, rising, and our warmwater fish are starting to move upriver more and more. The weather has been pleasant and fishing in short sleeves has been a welcome change of pace. I've got some openings, and am starting to get booked up for spring and summer, so get your name on the list now!
Check out the store portion of our website for flies, and if you need something you don't see there...don't hesitate to reach out! I can make it happen.
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