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

The lake level is 549.21, dropped 1-inch in the last 24-hours, and is about what it should be for this time of year and they have run one generator for 5-hours this morning. The White River at Newport is 2.70 feet and very low and we are very dry and need rain. The surface water temperature is 51-degrees and the water is stained and you can see your lure down 3-5 feet. It is more clear near the shore in the creeks. The ambient temperatures are very warm and near 70 but another cold front is moving in on Wednesday cooling things off again. It happens every week through March. Just when fishing gets better a cold front and then high pressure moves in. The shad move in under lights after dark and the Crappie and a few White Bass and Small Stripers follow. Drop a spoon just under the shad and jig it slowly. Before dark use a small jig. Early morning find the shad and drop a spoon down through them snapping it back up 4-5 feet and let it fall on slack line. Set the hook when the lure stops falling. Some White Bass are in 50-60 feet of water on the bottom near shad on windblown banks. Some Kentucky Bass, Crappie and a few Walleye are on main lake brush in 25-ft. of water. The best bite for them is about 4PM especially on cloudy days. A few Bass are on their usual winter banks and feeding shallow in the evenings but not a lot. Many are on shad in open water. Trollers are dragging umbrellas through shad for Temperate Bass but several schools of shad are not holding any predator fish. Get forward facing sonar, down imaging sonar, side imaging sonar and a live scope and go look or just follow the birds. Some boats look like the cock pit of a B-52 bomber. Scuba Steve uses his Hummingbird 4-ID fish finder that he bought in the 80's so he can tell how deep the water is. He knows where his brush piles are located because he put them there and goes to the ones that the wind has been blowing into and either casts a 1/16th ounce white with red eye jig head with a Bobby Garland Blue Ice Baby Shad jig on it past the brush and lets it sink in or drops a 1/4 ounce Binks Spoon directly into the brush when the wind is light. Come on down and he will show you where. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental continues to have the best place with the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. A free stall for your boat comes with a cabin rental of two days or more and you can launch right here. There will be no price increases for 2026. Compare prices and call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. It is nice here and we will not charge you too much. We are closest to Mountain Home, dining, shopping, non-alcohol fuel at Gerry's Quick shop which has the largest tackle inventory and live bait in the area. You can launch and park right here. We have it all and at the best price.