I'll admit it, I'm not the biggest fan of Trout. And since I'll be going here this weekend, I thought I'll instead target some bass, preferably Smallies. So does anyone here have any tips for catching them within Beavers Bend Park limits? Good flies to use? Good spots?

Thanks in advance!

I've heard that the water feeding the lake has smallies- be careful of the "herbal traders" protecting their crops in that area.

Les

I've heard that the Upper Mountain Fork River (river feeding lake) has good Smallmouth fishing too. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to make it there so I am looking mostly for Lower Mountain Fork River Smallies. I feel like I've seen posts about people catching some nice Largemouth out of there along Cypress Trees.

I've fished above and below the lake, mostly from a canoe. We haven't fished within Beavers Bend Park all that much, but it definitely gets waaaaayyyy more fishing pressure than the other stretches. There are definitely smallies in there, but we catch more LMB and Kentucky bass than we do smallies. I use spinning gear when we do that rip, so I can't help you much on fly selection. I can tell you there are a lot of crawfish in the river and when we keep fish they are always full of 'em. An orange crawfish pattern would be worth a try. As far as good spots, you will find more smallies where there is some moving water. The slower water is LMB territory. I would also try any bank that is lined with rock. You will also catch goggle-eye along there.

We have never had any issues with herbal traders, but always float the river and don't wander away from the bank.

X2 on crawfish patterns. I've caught smallies in the LMF. Especially in some of the fast water. None were very big but there are some nice fish in there. Presbyterian falls to hwy 70 run.

There's not many herbal traders anymore in that area since hydroponic setups can be made pretty simply and cheaply. Mobile meth labs are a different story however, but they do their best to avoid people too. Steer clear of an unmarked box truck that sits at the truck stop at the Smithville turnoff. Not sure what they do but don't wanna find out. Think they live in it too.

Anyway, I fish the upper mountain fork quite a bit. East of Smithville a few miles on Beechton road is a crossing you can park at and wade the river or put a yak on. I've caught smallmouth and Kentucky's there in the deeper holes and in the riffles. Further downstream is the Narrows and I've caught smallies and largemouth there as well. There's a dude named Marvin who owns land right there where Boktuklo creek comes in and he will let you park and launch onto the river there. Can give you more info on that location if you need it.

There seems to be less smallies than there used to be in the 80s when I was a kid fishing it. Used to slay em on rapalas now the big green sunfish hit anything that hits the water.

I've done real well on the Glover River this year too. That's about 10 miles west of Broken Bow. Go to the north on the improved roads and try not to get lost looking for one of the river crossings. Mostly wade fishing and really easy to slip and twist an ankle or buckle a knee. No cell service so don't go alone. But you can sight cast to the smallies and largemouth. They really like buggers in rootbeer, smoke, olive and black. Caught a few on topwater poppers as well if you bring it over a shelf.

When you've had enough of that action, go to TJs country store and have them girls make a burger for you. Good luck and holler if you need any more info.

[censored], I just typed all thst out then realized you were asking about the lower mountain fork not the upper. My bad.

Hey man just being honest here if you're targeting bass in the park section of the LMF it's probably gonna be pretty tough. There are a few bass in the park I'm sure and people catch them from time to time definitely, but in general water temps are gonna be too cold to have a lot of success. Optimum water temps for smallmouth are usually about 72 degrees, which is when their metabolism is the highest and they are going to be actively feeding. Water temps at the LMF stay at 60 or below for most of the year through the park. I'd say your best bet would be to go down to zone III and try around Presbyterian Falls.

Interesting- thanks.

Thank you all for your extremely helpful replies. Sorry for posting so late, but I completed the trip about two weeks ago. My family and I camped on a very nice stretch of trout waters of the LMF. I remembered reading that there was a caddisfly hatch? So, with my little experience with trout, I listened and slapped on a fly that looked like a caddisfly. Had one heck of a time and netted two Golden Trout, five Rainbows, and lost many others. Then, we went hiking on Skyline Trail and came across Silve Falls. There was a deep swimming hole below the falls and fortunately I brought the Tenkara rod. I tied on a Zug Bug and caught a few Sunfish and a Creek Chub! This Creek Chub had the feel of a trout and was beautiful with a long black stripe running down it horizontally. The water was super clear and felt awesome to swim in. Once again, thank you very much for your replies and I will make use of the information you gave me!