The lake level is 557.11 and has risen 2-1/2 inches from it's low of 556.90 last evening when they quit generating in anticipation of the oncoming rain. They always do that in order to enhance the rise and keep the levels up. It is about what it was at this time yesterday but it is rising quickly now with no generation and the creeks running pretty hard. We have had 2.2 inches of rain and it is still raining. It is to move out this afternoon with more to come next week. It is springtime and the only ones not expecting rains are the government. The White River at Newport is at the magical level of 14-feet so do not expect much. It is raining in Missouri also so we should get a pretty good rise out of this unless they start generating. I was hoping for a stable level until the spawn was almost over. At least the southern part of the state is not getting much. The severe weather is to be in Texas and Oklahoma next week and we wish them the best. We will get more rain as this moves northeast but it does not look too bad for here so far. The trollers for stripers are starting to catch fish as predicted and continue to kill small ones. Pictures of a dozen dead stripers taken like they are heros are not impressive. They just make people look like meat hunters that are willing to destroy the future and are proud of it. They will not keep doing it for much longer. The stripers are getting smaller and smaller and pretty soon they will be bragging about 20-inchers. The normal amount will be stocked this year after last years absence do to covid and the long road to recovery can start. We want them in the lake but it will not happen if the ones that are left are hunted down and killed. They will be easily caught with the top-water bite starting so expect more smiling faces of people with 8-9 lb. dead stripers. Bass fishermen are doing very well. We will get weather near 80 for a couple of days with lows in the early 60's and that will put the spawn in full swing for both them and crappie. As the crappie spawn they will move to the main lake brush and brush part way back in the creeks where the fry will be looking for cover and the post-spawn fish will be looking for dinner. The bass will also move to the main lake shad and hit top-water but I am not seeing many shad at least not near what I was. They were loaded in the backs of the windblown creeks but just a few are there now. This is a fun time of year with a lot of action and things should start changing rapidly with not many changes in the last couple of weeks until now. Bass, crappie, walleye and small stripers are the best bite now so work the bank with creature baits on jig heads part way back in the creeks and keep your top-water lures ready. Try a small popper for shallow fish in the brush. You could see bass on nests in the creek yesterday but we will see what this runoff does to the clarity. It will not help sight fishermen. A lot of fish are being caught right in front of the buckbrush. The fishing pressure is as heavy as I have seen it for this time of year especially on the week-ends.
