The lake level is 572.96 and is the same as it was at this time yesterday. The lake has crested for now as of today and is 66% full. The other area lakes are dropping and the 4-lake system is 68% full. The White River at Newport is at 13.91 and is fairly stable. We are to get 2-3 inches of rain this week and there are good chances most days but nothing severe is forecasted. It depends on where the heaviest rain is located whether the lake rises or not. We are dry and can take some. We are at a level where we do not need any more rises. The main lake remains very clear and the creeks change from day to day and are stained a bit but a good color for fishing. Walleye are around Cranfield and Robinson Islands near the thermocline in about 20-ft. of water near the bottom and can be caught spooning or dragging a nightcrawler on a Lindy Rig. Bass are both in open water on shad and on the old shoreline before the lake rise in about 20-ft of water early and late feeding on fry and creek minnows. The top-water bite has slowed way down but there is some on cloudy rainy mornings. I just noticed huge schools of fry of some kind under my dock for the first time yesterday. They were so small that I could not tell what they were but maybe bass. Big predator fish were trying hard to get them. Several fish were caught off the dock with most of them crappie and big bluegill. About 1/2 of the crappie were keepers. A lady had the huge bass that has been hanging around the dock for several months on her line but lost it. It is at least 6-lbs and maybe more and is very smart. It loves bluegill. Catfishing has slowed a bit with the gar moving in but the channels should start to move back into the very backs of the creeks and feed in shallow water soon. Turtles and Herons like the same bait and there are lots of both. I thought the channels and blues would be biting limb lines now but very few have. The surface water temperature was 77 yesterday afternoon and rising. The normal high is 83 and we are to be near that most of the week. It looks like summer is here but we could get another cold front. Scout out the water before you start dragging children around and do not go out after dark. People that brag about going out at night and like high water are hitting logs, hurting themselves and tearing up boats and motors.. All you have to do is be carefull and all can be avoided. Blackburns is full now but have a couple of openings starting tomorrow. Come on down and we will not charge you too much and a free stall at our dock comes with your cabin. You will like our big pool with slide. Why pay more?
