The lake level is 554.10 and has dropped 1-1/2 inches in the last 24-hours with generation about 1/2 the time. The White River at Newport is 19.76 feet and dropping and the water is stained an off-color greenish brown and you could see your lure down about 3-feet yesterday afternoon. The surface water temperature is 47-degrees and has not varied over a couple of degrees in the last month. The cold fronts just keep coming through over once a week and really slow fishing again after it finally picks up but that is typical for late february and early March. Most of the bass being caught are coming out of deep water and the best lure is an Alabama rig but that method kills a lot of fish. It is best to fish for them in shallow water unless you are a meat hunter. They can say what they want about fizzing them but most of them die later anyway. It is best to use a crank bait or stick bait in shallow wate especially after a rain on windy days. Crappie fishing is slow at best but a few are being caught. The absence of the big stripers in Norfork is really changing the fishing. Many more fish of different species are on shad in open water than before and staying on them later into the year. That is why you will see trollers that do not have a clue what is happening catch more crappie, bass and catfish when they never did before and were only able to catch red meat fish by dragging live bait or umbrellas through shad. That will change when things warm up and the bass and crappie spawn begins. Mid April and May are the best times for overall fishing on Norfork and a good time for top-water temperate bass. There will be no price increases on anything again this year at Blackburns and we continue to be the best value on both cabins and boat rental in the Ozarks. Come on down and we will not charge you too much. Why pay more? We put in some new brush piles this winter and will show you where they are when you get here.
