Scuba Steve with a couple of good ones.
The lake level is 554.64 and has risen about 1-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours. They quit generating last evening and all night and have just started up again. The lake surface water was over 46 yesterday and has risen a bit but an arctic cold front is to come down next weekend and to drop highs well back into the high 30's for a day or two. The wind has shifted back to the north now and it is cool again with a high in the early 40's today but nice for about three days starting tomorrow with sunny skies. The normal high is now 47. We received a total of about 0.8 inches of rain on Saturday and the ground is still saturated. The lake is about as clear as it has been for a few years and now is at a very good color and level for fishing. I have just been fishing for bass, crappie and bluegill and overall it has been just fair with some days better than others but is better than a week ago. The days are getting longer and the average high increasing but February and the first half of March can be very variable here with very warm days and then a cold front with north winds right after almost killing the fishing. Low pressure and cloudy skies with a light wind and small moon is the best time to go. The water dropping does not help fishing any but we badly need it to drop several feet to make room for spring rains but they are reluctant to do this for some reason. This has been a typical winter so far with very little snow and about average rainfall. I have been able to fish almost everyday. The spoon and jig have been the best lures lately and look for fish just outside of brush piles near the bottom in 35-ft. of water on a drop-off if possible. I do not fish with crank baits much but the people using them are catching some good bass. I have not seen or talked to striper fishermen lately and there are very few boats on the lake when I am out there. No reports usually mean no fish. Blackburns is getting everything ready for spring and is your fishing headquarters for Norfork Lake. You will like what you see when you get here and like the price better.
