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

Caught on the Bink's Spoon.Image title

The lake level is 556.93 and has dropped 3-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with borh generators running continuously. They have dropped the White River at Newport to 20+ feet and we have until April 14 to get it down before the stupid 14-ft. rule takes effect. If they keep going they could drop it to 548 by then depending on the rainfall. That is what they need to do to insure we have the capacity to hold spring rains and keep the level good.The 14 and 12 ft. White River rules at Newport need to be reviewed and changed. They should be raised to 18 feet. We are at an excellent level right now for all lake activities. Fishing is getting a little bit better with trollers picking up a few more red meat fish but they are small and need to be released no matter what the rules are. If not the size will continue to go down for the stripers. A big one used to be 30-lbs but now the newcomers think a big one is 15-lbs. Pictures of dock floors full of dead ones are not impressive. It just shows people are willing to sacrafice future for meat.  Hybrid fish are about normal and the white bass are coming back but most are small. I am sure glad they did not quit stocking the hybrids. I am releasing all stripers and hybrids no matter their size. Some shad are still shallow and near the bank. Bass are under them and some good ones too. Others are in 50-70 feet suspended with some on the bottom. It is almost time for the night bite for stripers with the stick bait. It is very important to make sure the bait runs true before it gets dark. If it pulls off to the side you will catch nothing. This spawn sinulation starts sometime after the 15th of March and continues until the full moon in April which is the 7th. After that when the threadfin shad spawn, which is a water temperature of about 58 degrees, the top water bite will be in full swing for both bass and temperate bass (red meat fish). You have to work hard for good fish now but some are being caught. Lake surface temperature is just about 50 in the main lake.