Bryan Deardoff with some Nice ones. Not many lakes have crappie this size and Scuba Steve knows where they are. 
The lake level is 553.29 and stable with just minimum flow and no rain. Minimum flow and a little from the siphon now and again are almost exactly what is coming in from the spring-fed Norfork River. There is not much water being turned over. The surface water temperature was 56.5 degrees last eveing at dark and Scuba Steve could see his lure down about 6-feet in the sunshine. The water clarity has not changed much except back in the creeks where it can change almost daily. The White River at Newport is 4.21 feet and still low. They are letting a little out of Bull Shoals and it is 7-feet below top of power pool and Norfork is 1/2 foot below. Norfork was 552.20 on this date last year. If they hold us up at this level all winter we are almost sure to flood out in the spring. Anything over 560 starts to cause problems. It got up to about 565.3 early last April. They are catching some red meat fish in open water from west of the 101 Bridge to just short of Cranfield Island in open water on shad but are looking far and wide for them. More looking that finding. there are boats trolling around everywhere. Most of the Stripers are from about 5 to 8 pounds and the White Bass and Hybrids are about the same size with the White Bass being the most plentiful. We have a record number of guides on the lake and they will be sorry that they are killing all of those small stripers as they are getting smaller and smaller. There are about 20-guides competing for about two customers. I am leaving the stripers alone and letting them grow and have caught my share in the past. I saw a broken school of shad coming out of Blackburns creek last evening and dropped a spoon but they were just White Bass. They are making a comeback after most of them going away with a fish kill a few hears ago. At least they reproduce in the lake while the Hybrids and Stripers are put and take and are stocked every year. I have not caught a walleye in a week but have been catching more Black Bass and Crappie and am having the best success in the evening. I release all largemouth and Smallmouth and only keep a few Kentuckies when i get a request for fish from someone who cannot fish anymore. I like it now that the larger crappie are biting. Them and Walleye are my favorite. Come on down and Scuba Steve will show you where the best brush piles are located. We will not charge you too much and your first boat stall is free.
