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 550.87 and is the same as it was at this time yesterday with two hours of running one generator last evening. The White River at Newport is 5.75 feet and low indicating not much water is being released anywhere. The surface water temperature is 60-degrees and rising and the water is clearing again especially in the creeks and near the shore. The lake overall is in good condition for fishing and boating and at a good stable level for the spawn. It is very dry again but we are to get significant rain on thursday. Scuba Steve has his Purple Martin Houses cleaned out and is ready for the scouts. Some Swallows have moved in on the dock already. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental is the Purple Martin Capital of Arkansas and we love having them around. We are an Arkansas State Bird Sanctuary  and have many different varieties. You can watch them from your big covered porch out of the weather. Stripers are on their spawning banks in the big moon at dark and biting on suspending stick baits.  Bluegill also like the big moon but not much else especially the Catfish.  The larger Bluegill are pre-spawn feeding and will really start biting nexr month when the water temperature reaches 65-70 degrees and the moon is full. They are fun to catch and make much better sammiches than nasty old White Bass with red meat. Post-spawn Walleye are biting in about 10-feet of water on windblown points with a stickbait or grub and minnow. There are several right at the 18-inch legal limit so measure carefully. Law enforcement has been active. Black Bass are biting after the cold fronts. Many are the smaller Kentuckies but there are also some good Smallmouth and Largemouth. White Bass have spawned and some are back in the larger creeks and some are in opwn water on shad. The shad are where the wind blows the plankton. The top-water bite will start in earnest about April 15th if it does not get cold again. It slows way down with the cold fronts and then starts again the longer the time when they are past. The bite lasts longer on cloudy days but is always best right at and just after sunrise. When they go down switch from a Zara Spook to a spoon casting it and hopping it back to the boat not letting it sink rapidly. A 1/4 ounce one works well. Scuba Steve like clears Zara Spooks as they sparkle in the sunshine and bone colored ones on cloudy days. Use a medium heavy 6-1/2 ft. rod and practice walking the dog. Swish, swish swish. A long limber rod will not work. For bass I like are Spittin Image better but both work. Blackburns resort and Boat Rental now has all of their cabins open  and was nearly full last weekend with people taking advantage of the best place with the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. A free stall at our big dock with two fish cleaning stations comes with a cabin rental of two days or more. Our guests catch a lot of fish and do not have to wait in line. One bedroom cabins start at $69/day for two people. 2,3and 4-bedrooms are priced accordingly. You can save a lot more by staying a week. Come on down and we will not charge you too much. We especially welcome Veterans and Police. Scuba Steve will show you where his brush piles are located. Compare prices and call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. It is nice here and the price is right. You can launch and park right here. No reason to go anywhere else. We are closest to Mountain Home, dining, shopping, tackle shop and alcohol-free gas.