Caught fishing with Bink's Guide Service yesterday.
The lake level is 572.73 and has dropped 1-inch in the last 24-hours with about 10-hours of running both generators. It was 572.6 on this date last year so this has to be planned. The White River at Newport is 14.07 feet and steady and the 4-lake system is 63% full. The surface water temperature was 80 degrees yesterday afternoon when I went out fishing and will get warmer with the hot weather starting today. The lake is just right for boating and swimming and there is less wood floating but still some. The lake has dropped just 2-1/2 inches from it's high a few days ago so do not expect much improvement yet but it is better than rising. The water is clearer than it has been at this time in the season in years. I found crappie back in a creek on wood at 27-feet near the bottom and caught several with all of them over 10-inches and one big one. I then moved to a brush pile near Blackburns Dock and found more crappie there and a school of White Bass just at the drop-off at 23-24 feet and also near the bottom. It is good to see White Bass making a comeback after a few years of being relatively scarce compared to previous years where they were everywhere. They are good fighters and easily caught and good for people who have difficulty catching other species. Catfishing is getting better and the flathead that I caught was full of eggs with bloodlines and ready to spawn. They are the last ones to spawn on Norfork. Some channel cats are showing up on jugs, throw lines and limb lines on live bait. If you use cut bait back in the creeks the turtles will beat the catfish to the line unless you bait up at dusk. Some very large bluegill are being caught on the old shorelune before the lake rise as are black bass. Try a plastic worm for the bass in the same place. Blackburns has two bedroom cabins for $113/day or $588/week so give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 and defray some of your high gas prices by staying here. We will not charge you too much. Compare before you buy. Some charge more and do not have a dock or pool. A pool is very important with this hot weather and the dock is a good place to hang out in the shade and fish at night.
