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.

Fish of the day by Rum Binkley in 70-ft. of water on the bottom on the spoon. Image title

The lake level is 568.61 and has dropped 3-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with both generators running about 1/2 the time and one 1/2. The bowl is getting smaller and the level is dropping faster with the same amount of generation. The weather has cooled to the 80's for a high and is very pleasant but also very dry. It was hot for June but never reached 100. The surface water temperature was 86 degrees yesterday evening and the water still looks to be clear from the surface but when you get down there it is only clear to about 12-feet and then gets cloudy to 24-feet and then clears again in the cold water. It is very cloudy on clay banks and better on steep rocky ones but is better than in previous years. It was much better earlier in the year but it got hot too soon for it to stay that way. Bass fishing is still pretty good in the evenings on plastic worms and creature baits in about 12-16 ft. of water part way back in the creeks. Bost of them are Kentuckies but are good sized. The morning top-water bite for bass has slowed and they are not coming up very much now but it can happen anytime so chuck a spoon at them when they do. The best bite now is for stripers in open water on the bottom in 50-80 feet. They are going deeper everyday and looking for the oxygen bubble. Some walleye are with them. This happens every year but is earlier than normal. Catfishing is slow and they do not like quickly dropping water levels but the moon is small and some are being caught on mostly live baits. Limb line fishing is about over but some trot lines across the backs of creeks will work if you can keep the turtles and gar off them. The gar are coming up under lights off the dock at night chasing the other fish off. There are many more boaters and swimmers out there than fishermen. Stuff that had been submerged is showing up near the surface now so check areas out before dragging anything including children around. There is no floating debris as it has stuck to the bank in the receding water. The ramps are opening up with more parking but we are still high but manageable. We just need to get this holiday over and things will be fine. It has been a very good year so far. Blackburns one bedroom cabins are $90/day or $425/week with two, three and four bedrooms priced accordingly. All are individual with no duplexes and all have big covered porches. A stall for your boat comes free with your cabin or you can rent one of our pontoons or bass boats at the best prices on the lake.