Mark VanderLindon, Al Dorenkamp, Al Paris, Jim Bowie, and Mike Street are all here from Iowa. They are always welcome here. Nice Guys. 
The lake level is 555.10 and has dropped 3-inches in the last 24-hours with both generators running continuously and three spillway gates open a little. The White River at Newport is at 22.26 and they are doing what they can to prevent the area lakes from rising and getting this big slug through the system. The water discharge is creating a current and moving the off-colored water downstream quickly on the main lake and it was between the bridges last night. I fished the small creek near Bidwell and the water was very clear but not what was going by it. Some debris is in the Cranfield area but some is also sticking to the bank with the receding water. It could have been a lot worse. The water temperature was 56 where I was fishing. It is cloudy and rainy today but not much has happened so far with just a little rain last night, but it is raining now.The crappie want to spawn bad and the bass are a little behind. I am seeing big bass under the dock but not on the bank. The big bluegill have started to bite again and are pre-spawn feeding. Stripers, white bass and walleye have mostly finished spawning. Several nice smallmouth are being caught. Fishing overall is just fair but some good ones are being caught everyday. I am using Bink's Spoons, Bobby Garland Baby Shad, small twister tails tipped with a small minnow and a slip float with a larger minnow depending on the wind. You can also cast the spoon and hop it back to the boat. I am not catching a lot of fish back in the creeks but some male crappie are scattered off the bank and are ready to make nests near any wood. The crappie spawn may be drawn out with the changing water levels. Come on down to Blackburns. We will not charge you too much and your first boat stall is free. Everything is very green and flowers are blooming. Dogwoods are in full bloom and redbuds are also coming on. We have mowed once already. You will really appreciate our big covered porches on these rainy days. The Purple Marin Scouts have come and gone and it looks like a big crop of them this year. We really like birds here and are an Arkansas State Bird Sanctuary and have a of of them. It will not be long before mushroom season. We especially welcome Veterans and Police here but Scuba Steve does not require as much policing as a few year earlier.
