Debbie, Jim and Marlene have been working hard on landscaping. You will like what you see when you get here. Check out Debbie's 60-lb. striper.
Caught fishing with Bink's Guide Service. 
The lake level is 557.38 and is the same as it was at this time yesterday with one generator running about 8-hours. The White River at Newport is 11.88 feet and dropping. There has been no rain and we are getting dry again. The lake is trying to clear and you can see your lure down 8-10 feet on the main lake and less back in the creeks. The surface water temperature was 80-degrees when Scuba Steve came in at 6:PM last evening. The top-water bite is now mostly for bass but when you see them surfacing drop that spoon down below them for stripers as they are going deeper with the increased water temperature but are still in the same area. White Bass are coming up under lights on docks at night when the shad move in. I am catching some nice catfish everyday but the gar are starting to move into the creeks and will slow that way down. Gar in - catfish out. We are getting way too many gar in Norfork. Some big bluegill have finished spawning and have moved in under Blackburns Dock. I have never seen so many fish there as now including bluegill, crappie, bass, catfish and walleye. They get fed regularly and the children really have a good time catching them. I use floating catfish bait, chicken feed crumbles commercial food that sinks slowly and cheese from Memphis Net. They wait for me to get there. After the holiday I will get out my scuba gear and check for a thermocline. It will not be long. You can also use an underwater camera with a temperature probe but mine quit working. It will begin at about 16-feet and go deeper as the water temperature increases and the warm sunshine penetrates the water. It rarely goes past 32-feet and usually forms at or just after memorial day. It goes away in the fall when the ambient temperature drops and the surface water temperature is lower than the top of the thermocline and the lake turns over and the water temperature is homogenous. Depending on the time of year and the sun angle the deep water stays in the low to mid 50's year around and starts at the depth where the sun no longer penetrates. This is often mistaken for the thermocline after the summer thermocline goes away in October but is always there. It is not the summer thermocline being driven deeper even though this is what happens. The two are totally different. This is what shows up on people's fish finders since it is more dense. There can be an oxygen bubble at this depth in the hottest part of the summer and stripers and a few walleye go there to survive. Blackburns is full now with about 8-ponttons rented but have a few openings starting on Monday. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Blackburns continues to have the best prices on both Cabins and Boat rentals in the Ozarks and a free boat stall comes with your cabin rental. All cabins are individual and have big covered porches with no duplexes. The big pool with slide is open. Come on down. We will Not charge you too much. If you are not staying at Blackburns you are paying too much. If you are here for the holiday check us out before you leave. It is nice here.
