Darrel from Bink's Guide Service with a nice one caught yesterday. Several more too. 
The lake level is 555.70 and has dropped 2-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with 1-1/2 generators running about 1/2 the time. We have finally reached the power pool where the Southwest Power takes over more of the generation schedule for the area dams. Bull Shoals and Norfork both hit their levels yesterday and they immmediately slowed generation way down and the White River at Newport is now 9.95 feet. I do not know how the power pool got to be 555.75 as it was 552 several years ago and that is where it should be. They took away 1.75 feet of flood capacity for the worthless minimum flow for the put and take trout in the rivers and then just added on 2-more feet for good measure. We are still about 4-ft higher than we should be for this time of year. I would like to see the bottom of the power pool changed from 510 which is unacceptable. It should be at about 545. This allows the power company, which is also goverment owned, to do what they want with the lake. People talk about the lake getting too low but it does not ever have to do so. The flow from the spring fed Norfork River is enough to keep up with the city water usage from Mountain Home and the only way the lake can get too low is if they let too much water out and I do not trust them not to do that. It sure has not been a problem in recent years but could be. If they need power in the Southwest Power Administration distribution area they will let it out no matter how dry the lake gets down to the water inlet for Mountain Home City Water and they are going to change that soon in preparation. I do not trust the government to run anything. I worked two and three jobs to pay for my student loans and did not order pizzas live in luxury to have mine forgiven but did have G.I. BIll to help. Maybe some of these students should have served some time in the military to help them pay. The lake surface water temperature is 85-degrees and the main lake remains clear down to the thermocline of 30-ft. where the water is cold. The fish that were at 27-35 feet have moved a little deeper and are near 40 ft. Several Kentucky Bass are still at 27-feet. There is a top-water bite early morning and later in the evening with a lot of shad out there. All kinds of temperate bass and black bass are all together and can be caught on a jigging spoon. The 1/2 ounce white one is working well. Walleye are in 35-40 ft. of water near the bottom. Some big crappie are showing up but not the big schools yet. I will get a report on this when I get my work done later today. No, we are not on vacation and closed. I do not know why people are asking this as we are mostly full. If you are coming to Norfork this week and your normal place is closed give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 and we will find a place for you. I do not have any reason to go elsewhere for a vacation as I have all I need here at Blackburns. On September 6th we go on our off-season rates and our 1-bedroom cabins drop to $59/day with 2,3,4 bedrooms priced accordingly. Come on down. We will not charge you too much. Blackburns is the home of the $59 cabins and they are nice too.
