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 545.74 and has risen 1.2 inches in the last 24-hours with no generation. The White River at Newport is 3.97 feet and very low. Bryant creek is back to normal and we need more rain. The shallower creeks warm up faster than the deep main lake and the creeks have hit 50-degrees. That means the water there is warmer than the deep water where the sun does not shine and it stays nearly the same temperature most of the time and the fish hang out there in the winter.  Unknowing people think this is the thermocline because it is more dense and shows up on their fish finder.  The summer thermocline does not form until May and goes away when the lake turns over in October and seldom goes deeper than 32-feet.  The bait fish and predator fish are moving back in the creeks now near any cover. Especially docks and brush piles. They are looking for the warmest water in the springtime as the weather warms. The shad follow the Plankton, which blows with the warm southerly winds and the Predator fish follow the shad. There will be no shad kill this year because the water temperature did not get into the 30's and there are plenty of them and that is good. All of the fish Scuba Steve is catching are very healthy. Fishing has been slow but has started to pick up. The water is very clear near the shore and is stained just a little green on the main lake. Scuba Steve could see his lure down about 7-feet. It will not be long now for the Walleye to move upriver and in the backs of the major creeks to spawn if we do not get any very cold weather. They will not go as far north as they have in the last several years because of the lower water level. The Highway 160 bridge used to be the hot spot before they started to keep the water level high and the Dawt Mill dam washed away. You could always tell when the Walleye were moving North when the sides of the road were full of trucks lined up with people on the shore snagging Walleye by the bridge. This is the first normal water level going into late February that we have had in a long time. The dry weather has nothing to do with the lower water level. It is only caused by how much is let out. There is plenty of fresh spring water coming into the Norfork River, which feeds the lake, all of the time to maintain water level. There is no rain or frost forecast until next Saturday when it could rain. The water temperature should continue to rise getting things moving. Do you have spring fever yet? There are a lot of nice days in February but several cold fronts also. Now is the time to schedule you spring fishing trip and summer family vacations at Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental. Come on down and we will not charge you too much. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. We have it all and at the best price. Compare. You can launch here, park here and put your boat in our big dock all for free. No need to go anywhere else. Scuba Steve will show you where his brush piles are located. The best fishing times are the last part of April, all of May and the first half of June. We especially welcome Veterans and Police. We are a perfect location for a single fisherman or a couple where one of them does not like to back a boat. Scuba Steve or Mike will help you if needed.