Norfork Lake fishing and lake conditions by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat rental (click here for comments)

Bart Vandervelde with one of several caught yesterday.Image title

The lake level is 565.30 and rising with very little generation. It is a good thing it is dry with no rain. They surely could not manage if it rained hard. They continue to run Table Rock heavily along with open spillway gates and it's level is dropping. Living on a lake below Table Rock is worse than living on a lake that is not hooked to the White River like Norfork. They continue their policy of hold and hope and it is not working.  I am really happy about the clarity of the water. It does not affect fishing much but will really be good for scuba diving which was almost non-existant last year when they held the water high until the fall and it never cleared all winter and spring. Bart Vandervelde and his wife Caroline are back and we are very happy to see them. Bart fishes top-water and releases all of his fish. They are our second longest repeat customers and we have a lot of them. Water temperature is now in the low 70's , fishing is fair and getting better and the weather is great with highs near 90. Crappie are spawning, bass are moving on the beds and White bass are near Cranfield Island. There is a top-water bite some mornings at sunrise in the backs of major creeks but not every day yet. Things are starting to rev up. Flowers, birds and wildlife are everywhere. Blackburns is a bird sanctuary and we have a lot of birds of all kinds. Purple martins are back and I saw a road runner yesterday and some big tom turkeys. I have never seen so many grossbeaks, orioles  and finches.