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 551.61 and has risen 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with three hours of running one generator. There is no effort to drop the area lakes and the White River at Newport is 4.32 feet and low. The surface water temperature is 67-degrees and stable and the lake is very clear. It is too clear for fishing near the dam. Make sure you take off all colored and braided line and all snaps, swivels, leaders and hardware. Tie directly to the lure. Spool with 6-lb. clear monofiliment or flurocarbon line. When fishing over brush turn off the spotlock and use your trolling motor sparingly. It is better to drift over the brush and go back around and do it again unless there is no wind. When using live bait keep the bait 3-4 feet lower than you can see it. There is a good bite for Channel Cats on jugs and live bait back in the creeks at night. Bass and Crappie are at various stages of spawn both on the spawning banks on nests or staging right in front of them. Some are on brush part way back in creeks. Most are scattered but the smaller ones can be schooled. The top-water bite for Stripers and Bass happens most days part way back in windblown creeks usually where the south wind has been blowing into just before sunrise and later in the evening.  The cold fronts and north wind slow fishing but do not stop it. Keep a Spook Puppy tied on a stiff rod at all times and be ready. Practice walking the dog by throwing past the surfacing fish and jerking over them. Swish, swish swish. A longer limber rod will not work properly. When they go down cast a Bass Assassin on a weightless hook through the bottom and string it on and cast it past where the fish were coming up and reel it just fast enought to let it drop sl;owly as it comes back to the boat. Be ready for them to come up again. For Stripers vertical jig a spoon directly under where the fish were coming up. The surfacing fish are usually after the wounded shad on top and the larger fish are causing them to be wounded down deeper. Now is a good time for fishing Norfork just dodge the cold fronts. Now is also the time to visit Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental and take advantage of the best place with the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. You can launch and park right here with no need to go anywhere else. We have it all and at the best price. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Scuba Steve will show you where his brush piles are located. We especially welcome Veterans and Police. Old Glory and the Thin Blue Line flag fly proudly over Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental. Have the children bring their bikes. It is a good level place to ride them. A free stall for your boat at our big dock comes with a cabin rental of two days or more.  We are closest to Mountain Home, dining and shopping. No sense staying out in the boonies far away from everything.