Bart VanderVelde and Jim Lesniewski are Blackburns Resort's longest returning customers and friends. Jim has been coming for 73-years and Bart for 50. 
The lake level is 561.53 and has risen 2-inches in the last 24-hours with 6-hours of variable generation. We are to get more rain this week so do not expect the lake to drop any time soon. All of the area lakes are rising except for Table Rock which is dropping and is below power pool while Bull Shoals and Norfork are about 8-ft. above. The White River at Newport is 22-ft and dropping quickly with the 14-ft. rules taking effect today and then the 12-ft. rules on the 8th of this month. These rules need to be reviewed and changed. Minor flood stages at Newport are at 23-feet and anything below that does not hurt anything. The surface water temperature is in the mid 60's and the bass spawn is in full swing. The lake is very clear near the shore and you can see the fish on beds everywhere. I am still catching crappie full of eggs but most are spawned out. The top-water bite has been disappointing so far this year for temperate bass and black bass but they are coming up some days. It should get better as the shad spawn. I am seeing no crappie or bass fry under the dock yet and they usually are there by now. There are a lot of other fish there though. Flatheads are biting well part way back into the creeks on live bait. It is a beautiful day today and Blackburns has a lot of people in.
