Norfork Lake Fishing Report and Lake Condition by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental(click here for comments)

The lake level is 553.11 and is exactly the same as it was at this time yesterday with almost no generation. It has been a couple of weeks since they hit the power pool of 553.73 and they have not even come close to dropping the lake a foot despite the extremely dry weather. We have a good chance for rain the next few days and then much cooler weather and clearing skies for later this weekend. The lake surface water temperature was still 77 when I went out yesterday afternoon and the lake was in good condition The best bite is now early in the morning at about 7:30 AM and tapers off fast. The afternoon bite is poor. Overall fishing is just fair at best. It is a typical October. I caught four nice bluegill, one bass and one crappie in the afternoon in about 2-hours of fishing and I tried hard. The fish that I did catch were in shallow water at about 20-feet on or near brush. I tried all different depths. Some of our fishermen are getting discouraged but I cannot help them much. Get out early and graph brush piles and keep checking them out until you find schools of crappie. Bass will be with them and mostly Kentuckies. I am catching keeper largemouth only occassionly. Maybe the cloudy weather will help but the cold front and wind will not make things much better. Most of the fall foliage has blown off the trees and the next wind should finish them off even though it is over two weeks before the normal peak season. The colors look to be a dud so far. My burning bush and maple are not even bright red and are mostly brown. The cooler weather will drop the lake temperature on it's way to turnover but it has a few degrees to go. It will be a challenge for the Cystic fishermen this saturday but tough fishing brings out the best. If it were easy everyone could do it. Thai is why there are guides of which I am not one. I do not like to fish under pressure just for pleasure and that is what it is to me.  There is enough pressure in this world.