Several of these were released under the dock.
These go well with mushrooms and fried taters with onion.
The lake level is 571.06 and is exactly what it has been for the last 24-hours with one generator running and two spillway gates open 1-ft. I crappie fished for a while just to confirm that the big ones are spawning and the males are in front of the nests getting ready to guard them. Everytime you catch one the bluegills eat all the eggs right away so it is important to release them immediately and let them get back to their job if you care about them. Just give them a few days and then catch them. The big females will be hungry after the spawn and easily caught. The males will protect the nests until the eggs hatch and the fry can get away on their own. It is good that they have a lot of cover and the lake level is not varying a lot during this time. If all of the males are not caught while guarding the nests we will have good crappie fishing for a long time. What is new is that the catfish have moved back into the creeks and are biting well on bluegill (perch) on limb lines. We caught several yesterday and some nice ones too. The catfish are now biting better than the bass which are getting ready to spawn. We also caught and released several bass under the dock. The bass spawn well into the summer on Norfork depending on the variety. The cold weather slowed things down a bit but with temperatures in the 80's early this week the spawn will be in earnest and the mushrooms will come out on the sunny banks. A few are already here. The water temperature was in the high 50's yesterday but will get back to the mid 60's with the upcoming warm weather. The lake is still clearing slowly and is a good color for fishing in most places. You can still social distance here at Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental. All cabins are individual with no duplexes and have covered porches. No need to get close to anybody and the price is right. We did not raise our prices last month for the fishing season and you can still get a cabin for $59/day for two people and your first boat stall is free. Check prices before you book.
