Dave Titus with a nice bass released under the dock.
The lake level is 566.14 and has dropped 3-1/2 inches in 24-hours with more generation. They started earlier and stopped later. The lake is 7-feet lower than it's high of 573.11 on June 22nd. It needs to drop another 7-feet to be at a manageable level and 12-1/2 feet to get to power pool. Below 560 we start to get normal launching and parking back but leaves no room for any rises. We have had below average rainfall since June and they have done a very good job of holding the level up as high as they can for as long as they can. We have had wonderful weather for the last few days but that will end by the weekend with highs to get back in the high 90's. The days are getting shorter and at least it does not stay as hot for as long. When the overnight lows are only about 75 degrees you can expect it to get hot. The surface water temperature has dropped to the high 80's and the lake is in very good condition. There is still time for a stay at Blackburns before school starts. People ask me many times what are the best eating fish from Norfork lake? Walleye, crappie and bluegill are the best followed by Kentucky bass and flathead catfish. Everything else is still good out of this clean water, but not as good. The lake stays clean most of the time because of the rules concerning the land around the lake and continuous inflow of clean cold water from the Norfork River and when there is generation clean water is coming in from the north and exiting from the dam. The other is the buffer zone surrounding the lake. There are no row crops, cattle confinements or houses with septic tanks causing pollution of pesticides, herbicides and other wastes. Also there is no clear cutting of trees just for a lake view causing erosion. All of these things make the area lakes special. I do wish the dam at Dawt Mill was still there on the Norfork River. People are catching several nice bass and big bluegill here with just a few walleye and Hybrid stipers coming in. In years past there were always big stripers caught in August but none so far this year that I have seen. I do not fish deep in summer though. Come on down to Blackburns where you can social distance, cook out and have food delivered and we will not charge you too much.
