Norfork Lake Condition and Fishing Report by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental (click here for comment)

Mike Eakle with a fist full of very nice fish caught yesterday evening on the spoon.Image title

The lake level is 553.29 and has dropped one inch in the last 24-hours with one generator running less than 1/2 the time. The White River at Newport is 11-feet.They have just started up both generators now but I bet that will not last long. They have not run both of them for months even though it is winter and a perfect time to do so. The surface water temperature was still right at 57 on the main lake yesterday when I went out and it was cloudy and cool with ambient temperatures in the 40's with no wind. The lake is not clearing much and you can see your lure down about three feet and more in the sunshine. The fishing was not great but some very nice fish were caught. Mostly bass, crappie and bluegill. Some red meat fishermen caught some White Bass that were big enough to keep yesterday along with some very small stripers but worked for several days and looked many miles to find any. They were getting discouraged and I am glad they finally found some before they left. It was not for lack of trying. None were picture fish. Normally they would be easily caught this time of year. I caught all of my fish on a 3/8th ounce Bink's spoon white with red throat on brush that was shallower than I had been catching them. They were feeding at 22-feet where they had been at 30+. It is really good that the Game and Fish replentished the old Corps of Engineers brush piles. It is really helping people catch fish and is appreciated. They are holding bass, crappie, bluegill and some walleye and small White Bass just outside them. The walleye are about 2-feet off the bottom and the White Bass are suspended at different depths around the brush but I am not catching as many walleye as I was a couple of weeks ago. I like winter bass fishing and the time is approaching when the water temperature gets into the low 50's but is not quite here yet as the weather is to be very nice with very little chance of rain for at least a week with a high pressure covering the whole area and highs in the 60's later next week. Maybe they will let a little water out but I doubt it. The fishing will get better the longer this high pressure hangs around and you can expect to see some big fish as the moon diminishes, especially bass. There were a few more boats out there yesterday despite the very cool weather. Things are changing daily and it is hard to go out there once a week and have a report that is worth anything. If you do not see any reports for several days it usually means they are not catching anything but does not mean they are not trying. It is great to just be out there and live in such a beautiful area where you can fish all year.