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

The lake level is 564.23 and is dropping quickly with generation about 3/4ths the time and has dropped over 3-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours. There were several boats out there yesterday with people getting in some boating before school starts. We have a group of good fishermen in and they are catching some nice catfish. Bluecats are the biggest but several smaller flathead are also coming in. I like them the best. Others are getting a few crappie but more large bluegill. Some Kentucky bass are sporatically coming up but it is not predictable. Several fish are suspended in the 30-ft. range no matter how deep the water because of the oxygen level and proximity to the thermocline. The only fish that go very deep in the dog days of summer are stripers and some walleye but I do not fish deep then because they all die when brought up and you do not know how big they are. I hope there is not a striper kill this year but we will find out shorly. Spoons are the best bite but you can also catch some if you drag a diving crankbait across them. If you are a troller (I am not) you can drag a deep diving crankbait part way back in the creeks and let it bump bottom in 25-30 ft. of water for bass.  Most threadfin shad are pretty small. Bass and bluegill fry from this year's hatch are growing rapidly and are numerous as are the creek minnows. There is plenty of feed out there. We will see what the White Bass population actually is when the water cools. We need them to make a comeback.  It is to stay hot and dry for the next several days but should get a little better next week. It is that time. Walnut leaves are falling rapidly which is an indication summer is about to start winding down. The surface water temperature is about 87 in the mornings and 88-89 in the afternoons. The main lake remains clear and the creeks are stained just a bit. Overall it is in good condition for boating and fishing. The fishing outlook is good for the fall. Blackburns remains very busy with people taking advantage of the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the area. Come on down. We will not charge you too much. If you have more money than you need you can stay here and donate the difference to Disabled Veterans.