Caught on the Bink's Spoon.
The lake level is 553.60 and has dropped 1-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with one generator running most of the time. They are regulating the lake level to as close to the top of the power pool of 553.75 as they can with no effort to drop the lake going into the winter so far. The surface temperature was just under 49-degrees last evening and the water was pretty clear and you could see your lure down about 5-feet. The lake overall is in good condition. It got very cold last night with an ambient temperature near 20 but the wind has slowed and the warming trend has begun. The White River at Newport is 10.37 feet and dropping. When the Corps of Engineers manage the generation schedule they drop the lake down to past the power pool and when Southwestern Power takes over they slow way down the generation. We should be at about 548 for this time of year to have a little surge capacity for the spring rains. The level at 560 is where lake access starts to be impeded. Crappie and bass are still coming up shallow in the evenings to feed and can be caught on brush with a jig or slip float with a live minnow. Some of both are also on the bank behind the brush. The best bite is just before sunset until dark. Red meat fishermen are catching small stripers (5-8 pounds) and white bass deep on the jigging spoon. I do not fish deep because all of the fish die when brought up and you do not know what will bite or the size. You have to really want meat and several are thrown away that are under the 20-inch size limit for stripers. White Bass are ready to spawn and walleye are a couple of weeks behind them. Crappie are getting eggs. Come on down to Blackburns where your first boat stall is free and enjoy the best cabin and boat rental prices in the Ozarks. We will not charge you too much and especially welcome Police and Veterans. All cabins have big covered porches with no duplexes. No price increases on anything again this year.
