Tom Kelly is one good fisherman. 
The lake level is 553.38 and still creeping up with no discharge except for minimum flow for well over a week. Both generators are still inoperable. The White River at Newport is 3.56 feet and very low and still dropping. The surface water temperature is 65-degrees. The sun is shining again and we did not get much rain just 0.32 inches mostly in the afternoon. It looks to be nice for most part of the next week with highs in the 60's. The lake level has been stable for several weeks and they are reluctant to drop the lake lower than 553. The top of the power pool is 553.75 and when it gets above that they try and drop it back down quickly. It would be nice to know the plan but there is no acoountability. The public servant has become the public master. The lake is at a very good level though and I would like it to stay right where it is but the spring rains might have something to say about that. They are doing some work on the dam and need a stable level. Norfork is the oldest dam in the area. Maybe it needs bypass surgery. The water is clear on the main lake and I could see my lure down about 6-feet. It is stained a bit in the creeks but not bad. I tried bass fishing yesterday beating the bank where they are usually located in November but could only catch Warmouth and Bluegill. There are a lot of them shallow. The crappie are slow on main lake brush and walleye are fair just at sunset on shadowy banks. The red meat fishermen are catching a few stripers in the 5-8 pound range but are looking far and wide to find them. They are schooled and are shallow at dark and move out deeper as the sun gets high. Spoons are the best lure. I am leaving them alone and letting them grow. Bass and crappie should be good by now but are not. The crappie that I am cleaning are still void of any food in them. I do not know when they will start but Thanksgiving has always been good for me. I took six big Bluegill, two Crappie and two Kentucky bass to the trophy pond yesterday and that was all I could catch and I tried hard. Some report fishing is on fire, feeding heavily, in a feeding frenzy, hammering baits but it is not happening for me. I am catching a few but working hard for all of them but am not going out in the middle of the night and trolling around looking for open water fish. That is not for me. Blackburns still is the home of the $59/day one bedroom cabins and $79/day two bedrooms and they are all individual with no duplexes and all have big covered porches and come with a free stall for your boat. Why pay more unless you just have too much money? Call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. We are open all year and will not charge you too much.
