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 550.79 and has risen 1-inch in the last 24-hours with no generation for 3-days. The surface water temperature is 55+-degrees and the water is stained in Blackburns Creek area with a good color for fishing. The visibility is not good but you do not want the water very clear. It also keeps the sight fishermen off the Bass beds until the spawn is over. The White River at Newport is 7.36 feet and dropping but at a normal level. We are getting dry again. White bass are biting back in the larger creeks on soft plastics and most have spawned. Some Hybrids are with them. Male Crappie are staging in the creeks and some are making nests and some of the larger Crappie are ready to spawn. The water needs to warm a bit before they get a full spawn. The larger Stripers, that did not die off late last summer, are moving to their spawning areas and are pre-spawn feeding.  The spawn will be in full swing by this time next week as will the night bite for them on a stick bait. Good places to look for them are north of Cranfield Island by the walleye rearing pond and across from Quarry Marina and next to the communications tower. It is not what it used to be. Bass are pre-spawn feeding and want to spawn. Several are shallow on spawning banks. There are a lot of small ones but some nice ones too. The wind has been predominately from the south but changes to from the north with the cold fronts, Look for the warmest water where the wind has been blowing the plankton into.  One came through last evening and the next one is to be friday with a chance of rain. I have no report on Catfishing and Scuba Steve does not fish for them until late April when the Flatheads move back into the creeks. If you see schools of small Bluegill you can be sure there are Bass and Catfish around. You can catch about anything beating the bank with a grub and minnow around any cover back in the creeks. Good advice for fishing Norfork is to get rid of all colored and braided line and put on clear 6-lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon and take off all hardware and tie directly to the lure or jig head. You might get by with it sometimes but there is no need to do it anyway and you will always be ready. The big fish in Norfork are line shy and many have been caught before. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental continues to have the best place with the best price on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. You can get a 1-bedroom cabin for $69/day and a 2-bedroom for $89/day. 3&4 bedrooms are priced accordingly. A free stall for you boat at our big dock comes with a cabin rental of two days or more. Come on down and we will not charge you too much. We especially welcome Veterans and Police. Scuba Steve is a Veteran but does not need as much policing as he used too. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation.