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

Released under the dock yesterday.Image title

The lake level is 553.54 and is the same as yesterday with 2-3 hours of generation. Just enough to keep up with the river inflow. It is a good thing we have had very little rain. The surface water temperature is right at 47 in the afternoons on the main lake in this area. Lower in shallower water and near the bank. The water is very clear near the bank. They have now lowered the White river at Newport to 9+ feet and dropping. This is about the worst case of dam mismanagement ever. I guess they must know we will not get any spring rains. The lake is in excellent condition now though for fishing, at the right depth, and right clarity. There is some algae forming near the shore and I am not used to seeing that. We never used to have that or any foam on the shore. Pollution is creeping in on us and is mostly caused by heavy rains in the watershed north of us in the Norfork River basin in Missouri, the Corps holding the lakes up for too long in the summer and not from runoff from Corps property around the lake. I am glad we have the buffer zone.   I was fishing brush and structure in about 35-feet of water yesterday on the main lake with the spoon and jig and caught both bass and crappie. We were working on the dock and I did not get to go out until about 4:Pm and the fishing was slow but steady. The jig outfished the spoon. The best bite was about 4:30 Pm. It is usually best right at dark but not yesterday. It was cloudy and warm. Today it is clear, sunny and cooler and we will see what that brings. Blackburns has several fishermen in now with more coming in today and they should catch some. It has been a mild winter so far and the good bass fishermen are doing well. Guides and locals are still killing small stripers and they are getting smaller and smaller. They are cutting their own throats but it looks like they will not quit until every big one is gone. They will drive the business to other lakes but insist on living for today. I do not fish for them much anyway but they are a big attraction to the lake and it is a shame to have them gone. The numbers and size of almost all other species are up and at good levels on Norfork except for White Bass but they will take care of themselves in the next few years as they do not require stocking and reproduce well in the lake. There are plenty of bait fish. The lake oeverall is in excellent condition and fishing is only fair.