Norfork Lake fishing report and lake conditions by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental (click here for comments)

Scuba Steve is the winner of the 27th annual Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental Invitational with over 18-lbs. He has won every year. Image title

The lake level is 552.52 and has dropped 3/4 inch in the last 24-hours with one generator running full time. The level of the White River continues to drop and has fell another foot to 17-ft. and heading towards 14 now and 12-ft. the 15th of May. Do not expect much if any drop if we get any rain and a rise if we do. The lake is clearing nicely with the slow drop but the surface water temperature is staying the same or dropping a bit in the backs of the creeks with the cool weather. It is to get very cold about Tuesday night with a chance of frost and the daytime high is to struggle to get to 70 for the next week. It will take just a couple of warm days and nights with the lows in the 60's to bring the shad near the top in the creeks and really get the top-water bite going. It should be here by now but we could go right into summer anytime after next week. There is a little early action now but not very much and not very long. The bass fishing was pretty good yesterday and the fireworks tournament was won with over 15-lbs with 75-boats entered. Blackburns guests said they finished about in the middle of the pack but lost a couple of big ones in Pigeon Creek which would have placed them right up there. The bass that I caught were all full of eggs and out from the bank a bit in deeper water. I do not sight fish during spawn but a lot of people do. The bass and crappie spawn are not in full swing yet but more and more are in some stage of it every day. Both bass and crappie will continue to spawn into June especially Kentucky Bass. Spooning for walleye is improving on main lake points in 14-18 ft. of water in front of brush. I am just not catching very many White Bass but the ones that I am catching that are of any size are full of eggs but that is not unusual.  I do not target them but they are fun to catch on top-water. More should start coming in soon if it ever warms up and it will. They are just like the stripers and there are not many big ones left or at lest what people that have been around here for a while would call big ones. Bass, crappie, catfish and walleye are the best bite now but bluegill are starting. They spawn when the water temperature gets into the 70's on sunny warm days sometime in May and then move in under my dock and are a favorite of the children fishing here. I feed them and they are in there by the hundreds and big ones too. The ones under there now are only about 4-5 inches long but there are lots of them and draw a lot of big fish including catfish and pre-spawn bass. If you want to feed the fish use chicken feed because it sinks slowly and also floating catfish food. If it is windy the floating stuff will float away but the chicken feed will not and they hit it going down and the catfish eat it off the bottom. When there is light wind the bass, crappie and bluegill will hit it on top. This is a time of transition and you have to be out there everyday if you want to stay on top of it. Norfork Lake is full of big healthy fish and we all want to keep it that way. It is being managed well and the stockings are to be realized as before the covid junk hit here and maybe we can get back to normal. We at Blackburns have either had their shots or in the process of getting them and hope you do too. We need all of our customers and have lost a few due to covid. Come on down. We will not charge you too much.