The lake level is 564.91 and has dropped 2-inches in the last 24-hours with one generator running continuously and spillway gates open equavalent to 3/4 of a generator. The surface water tmeperature was 57-degrees both on the main lake and in the creeks and the north wind was very cool. The water was stained more brown than the day before and did not clear any at all in Blackburns area. The White River at Newport is 24.11 and is stable. The north wind, cold front, full moon and dropping water is not helping fishing any. Male crappie are staging just off the spawning banks in Briar, Pigeon, Middle Pigeon and East Pigeon and Twin Coves. They are easily caught and this is a good time to release them. If not there is nothing to fertilize the eggs or guard the eggs from the bluegill and they are all gone shortly after spawn. Taking large numbers of fish at this time and for the next couple of weeks will really hurt future fishing. It is worse than killing pre-spawn females. People taking p[ictures and bragging about how many fish they are killing are only thinking of themselves and not the future. Catch a few, keep a few and release a few. About 1/2 the fishermen out there are guides and they are in competition on how many fish they can kill. Norfork is 1/2 the size of Bull Shoals and has three times as many guides. I have never seen so many. They are taking over social media. It is like we are on the edge of our seats waiting to get a play-by-play description of their experiences. Not. Smallmouth Bass are on their normal spring spawning banks and pre-spawn feeding. Norfork has a good number of 4-lb. smallmouth bass and they are sure fun to catch. Walleye are post-spawn feeding and showing up all over the place. It seems the lake is slow warming this year but on this date last year the surface water temperature was 58-degrees and the water level was 554.54 and I wish it was 554 this year. It flooded out anyway. All of the people that want high water should have to drag their boat to a launch, park theiir trailers a mile away and walk back and forth to the launch while others are blocking the launch and courtesy ramp. There is some reason all of the marinas, resorts and launches were built at this level many years ago and it was not because of high water every year. Things have changed and the water management needs to change with it. Top-water bite is on the way and is the best and easiest time to catch fish. Blackburns is still the home of the $59/day one bedroom cabins and all are individual with big covered porches and no duplexes. A free boat stall comes with your cabin. Come on down and we will not charge you too much. Friends do not charge friends too much. Loyalty only goes as far as how deep they have their hands in your pocket.
