Norfork Lake Condition, Fall Foliage and Fishing Reports by Scuba Steve From Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental (click here for comments)

Scuba Steve with a pretty good one. Image title

Norfork lake, north central Arkansas, Mountain Home and Ozark Mountain Region fall foliage report. It is now November first and the fall foliage is a bust so far this year and it does not look to get much better. Peak is usually the very last of October but we have not had a frost yet and it has been windy most days and many leaves have blown off the trees. It is to frost wednesday night and if there is any chance of color it will be right after that. It is getting late. It looks better in the sunshine.  The road sides have a little brownish-red and rusty yellow colors but the hillsides have very little. It is still very nice out though but not worth a trip from very far away to just peep leaves. The fall is beautiful here no matter what the color. The lake level is 553.67 and is just what it was at this time yesterday and they are running 1/2 generator for several hours. The lake is at a good level now, not too high and not too low. The Corps Of Engineerrs closed some campgrounds today for the winter and it doesn't really matter as they have been flooded all summer anyway. Some of them never really got opened up fully and not all facilities were repaired. Camping was very limited. We had two different groups from the Kentucky Lake area in last week and they had a bad report. They said the Asian Carp have taken over the lake and most of the crappie are gone. It has also affected the businesses on the lake and many are closing. This was a good crappie fishery and I am sorry for them. I hope it does not happen here. They also said it was a problem on both the Tennesse and Illinois Rivers and affecting lakes there. Kentucky lake is on the Tennessee River as are several nice lakes. This is not good. I have seen none of them here and hope they do not get into the White River let alone the Norfork River. I am sure our capable biologists are watching for them. If anyone has any land for sale near Norfork Lake or around Mountain Home send me a message. I have a couple of people looking and are ready to build. Fishing remains slow but steady with the lake turning over and about every species is being caught but not in large numbers. Temperate Bass are schooled and roaming with the shad and others are scattered. There are a lot of bait fish on the bank and predator fish will move to them soon. Some are there now but a lot more will as the water cools. Bass, bluegill and crappie fishing is the best now with a few red meat fish being caught. All will improve as we move into November and the lake clears. Blackburns is open all year and have the best prices on the lake. Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. We will not charge you too much and especially welcome police and veterans.