Caught on the Bink's Spoon this morning in 36-feet of water. 
The lake level is 555.27 and has dropped 3-inches in the last 24-hours and 1-3/4 feet in the last week with sluice gates open equal to over one generator for the last 5-days. The White River at Newport is 7.1 feet and still very low. The surface water temperature is approaching 89-degrees and rising with the hot weather. The thermocline is also being pushed down and is now 29-30 feet. The water clarity has diminished and is now a greenish color and an algae bloom has begun. The hot weather is to last until the weekend. I am glad to see the water level dropping as it only takes one tropical storm or hurricane to hit Texas, go north into Oklahoma and turn right across Arkansas and give us a flooding rain. We are in the season. I would like to have Norfork at about 550 now and try to keep it down as long as possible until the spring rains begin. 548 is a good level going into April or May but they refuse to do this for some reason. They used to and we almost never got flooded out. The generators are still broken down and have been for a couple of months. My old maintenance crews in Idaho, Minnesota and Maine would have had them going by now with a sense of urgency but it is only tax payers money that is lost with the generators and no accountability. We need better management on the dams. Fishing is not the best right now but a few good fish are being caught by the good fishermen but it is not easy. Your best chance is go to main lake brush in 25-32 feet of water and drop a spoon. There is now an early morning top-water bite some days with bass coming up and biting small shad just under the surface. The walleye bite has slowed a bit. Walleye and crappie should start again as the water finally starts to cool. It was headed in the right direction and then the heat wave came. At least the lake is not too high. Things look good for the last holiday of the summer. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental goes on it's off-season rates September 6th and you can get a 1-bedroom cabin for $59/day and it includes a free stall for your boat. We do not offer a free boat stall for one night stays. I know these prices are too low but we do not want to charge our many repeat customers too much and want them to have an affordable vacation or fishing trip. If you are waiting on real estate to close, working in town on a project, visiting family who does not have room or here for medical reasons and do not want to pay high motel prices and want peace and quiet close to town give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Blackburns is the first to fill up and it will prevent you from paying way too much elsewhere.
