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 551.39 and the same as it was at this time yesterday with three hours of running one generator. It has been stable for several weeks. The White River at Newport is 4.79 feet and low indication not much water is being released anywhere. The surface water temperature is 67-degrees and the water is very clear and as clear as it has been for several years on the main lake and a good color for fishing in the creeks. Stripers and Walleye have finished spawning, Flathead Catfish and Bluegill have not started yet and the rest are in various stages of spawn. Some Crappie and Bass are schooled on shad pre-spawn feeding and some are scattered near the shore either staging, spawning or guarding the nests. Bass are the same. Fishing gets better and better until the cold front and then slows way down. One cloudy warm day with rain on the way you can catch almost unlimited fish and the next it is very slow. Stripers, Hybrids and Bass are schooled on shad on windblown banks one day coming up early and again in the evening and the next day gone. Hybrid Stripers are getting fished out and their numbers are low.  Fishing does not shut completely down but does slow way down and then get better again. Here is the cycle. High pressure sets in and the fishing gets better and better the longer it stays. Next the low pressure comes through and the fishing is the best until it rains you out. Next the cold front with wind shifting to from the north with cold nights followed by another high pressure front and they shut down again.  Like I said, the fish do not completely quit biting but it gets much more difficult to catch them. That is where experience comes in. That is why the guides should guarentee fish or no pay. Good ones catch fish everyday. Not just load the boat one day and nothing the next. Anybody can do that. The lake is very clear so get rid of braid and colored line and replace with 6-lb. flourocarbon. Take off all snaps, leaders and hardware and tie your clear line directly to the lure. I am not saying you cannot catch any fish with braided or colored line with a leader but I guarentee you will not catch nearly as many and with clear light line especially in the ultra-clear water. There is really no sense in using the other stuff anyway.  Norfork lake is known for the fish being line shy. Channel Cats are biting back in the windblown creeks with jugs on about anything. Scuba Steve likes live Bluegill about 3-inches long for bait. For an article on how to catch Catfish on Norfork Lake go to www.norfork.com and click on the fishing page. A good tip is to keep a spook puppy tied on a stiff pole all the time. You cannot tell what will come up around you. Another tip is to call Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental for a reservation. We have the best place with the best prices on both cabin rentals and boat rentals in the Ozarks. Compare prices and call 870-492-5115. It is nice here and the price is right. A free stall for your boat comes with a cabin rental of two days or more and you can launch right here. We have live bait and a tackle shop right here and there is no need to go far to get anything. We especially welcome Veterans and Police.