Norfork Lake Arkansas near Mountain Home in the Ozarks Mountains Region Fishing Report and Lake Condition by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental.

Caught fishing with Bink's guide service. Nice cat. Image title

The lake level is 560.70 and has risen 3-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with about 5-hours of variable generation. The White River at Newport is 24.72 so they are letting out a lot of water with a lot of run-off still going through the system. Norfork and Bull Shoals are both about 7-8 feet above power pool and Table Rock is one foot above. Table Rock is generating very heavily and filling Bull Shoals and Norfork is mostly holding. They are letting out more water than they normally do this time of year and it colud be a lot worse. The lake overall is in good condition with a surface water temperature of about 63 degrees and fishing is getting better and better with the top-water bite being the best befroe sunrise and continuing for about an hour. Longer on cloudy days and better after warm nights. Go Back into wind-blown creeks and start in Panther Creek where the plankton and shad go in there with the predominate southerly winds. There are a lot of fish in there of different varieties. More bass continue to make nests and are near the banks and the water is clear enouth for sight fishing . Use polarized glasses throw a gitzet into the nests. Release the fish immediately before the Bluegill eat all of the eggs. It just takes a minute or two. People ask why the big bluegill move into the creeks before their spawn which is later and the answer is food. They gang up on the poor male bass trying to guard the nests and fry until they swim away. It wears them out and they are very hungry after the spawn is over and the fry are gone. They then skarf on every bluegill that will fit into their mouths. My dock is now full of bluegill, crappie, catfish and bass with a few walleye. Bluegill (which we call perch, Bream is more accurate) are the best live bait for about everything now except for temperate bass wihich I do not fish for much. I will wait for the stripers to grow and the White Bass to come back in numbers. Bluegill are in the Sunfish Family and Walleye are in the perch Family. Bass and catfish cannot resist a live bluegill about 3-inches long and I cannot resist one about as big as your hand on bread and butter with pepper and a slice of onion. Come on down to Blackburns. We will have cabins for $59/day until Memorial Day and stay nearly full. Our summer prices are about the same as other's winter prices. We will not charge you too much. Best place, best price. Closest to Mountain Home, dining and shopping. We will start to fill our big pool with slide when it warms up.