Norfork lake Arkansas near Mountain Home in the Ozarks Mountains Region Fishing Report and lake conditions by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental.

The lake level is 554.38 and is down 1-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with 1/3rd generator running about 20-hours and 1-1/3 generator running the rest of the time in the evening. The surface water temperature is 83-degrees in the afternoons and 80 in the mornings. The White River at Newport is 6.57 feet and stable and very low. They report that the lake is below normal but that is not accurate. It is below the top of the power pool where Southwest Power takes control of the generation. Normally, with this dry weather, we should be about 550 but they keep changing the goal posts.  The thermocline is still below 32-feet and is not very pronounced meaning the water gets more gradually cooler than just all of a sudden very cold. It will not turn over until the top gets colder than the thermocline and permeates down to it and that surely will not happen when it is 80-degrees on top. Bryant Creek and the Norfork River are both very low indicating not much cold clear spring water is coming into Norfork lake and clearing the water. It is stained green now with algae and the visibility is not good for scuba dining. It is not affecting fishing  except that not much is feeding in the warm low oxygen water. It was held up too high for too long for no reason. Some bass are moving in shallow in the creeks and feeding on crawdads and minnows. Crappie are on top of 25-30 ft. brush piles on the main lake and roaming and spooky. A small spoon or live minnows on a slip float are both catching fish but you have to know where and when. It can be a long wait until they bite. Verticle jig a spoon in and around brush and you could catch anything. Go out early in the morning, take the middle of the day off, and go out again in the evening. Scuba Steve still looks for good fall fishing. It could cool off quickly and be a good mid-October bite. It usually is. He likes November better anyway and catches a lot of big fish then. May and November are his favorite months for pole fishing and June for Scuba Diving and he dives all summer. Both ways he knows where the fish are located. The new moon in October is the 21st and would be a good time to book a fishing trip and blackburns Resort and Boat Rental has the best place with the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. You can park here, launch here and step right on the dock. No need to go down a cliff.  Compare prices and call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation.  We especially Welcome Veterans and Police. Scuba Steve is a Veteran but does not require as much policing as he used to for some reason.  A free stall for your boat comes with a cabin rental of two days or more. Come on down. We will not charge you too much. Scuba Steve will show you where his brush piles are located and he has some good ones.