The lake level is 553.53 and has risen 1-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with absolutely no generation. The White River at Newport is now 7+ feet and is about to dry up and they still will not let any water out. Something is wrong here. The lake surface water temperature is dropping and should continue to do so with the much cooler weather. This will not hurt the fishing at all. It is now in the mid 50's depending on where you take it. The creeks cool faster in the winter and warm more quickly in the spring. The water is stained a bit but you can see your lure down at least 5-feet. The mixed precipitation has not arrived here yet but looks like we will get something. Some snow will obviously drop the water temperature. I would like it to get to about 52 degrees and stay there. The fishing was a little better yesterday with people that had not caught anything for three days catching a couple of decent hybrids. They were about to give up. Another striper fisherman went crappie fishing and caught a couple. It is very good that we also have the hyrids. We do not need another extended high water year again. It is good for other species of fish though. It provides good cover for the spawn and they have a much better survival rate than on a low water year with no cover. The main thing is to not have big vatiations in water level quickly during the spawn. It works out well if the water gets into the buckbrush and the level stays constant in the spring but most of the buckbrush is dead now and is decaying. We split wood for most of the day but still found time to go out and catch a nice catfish, a couple of bass and a few crappie just before dark. A striper was undersized and a white bass was very small but at least a few are showing up. It is cool and cloudy today with some weather coming our way. Time to charge up the gloves and sox.
