We like Christmas here at Blackburns and it is getting closer. 
The lake level is 553.31 and stable with no releases from the dam to amount to anything. We are starting to get dry again and could use some rain. We have received above average moisture for the year by about 7-inches but it came early. We have received rain about everytime we needed it this year. The White River at Newport is 3.78 feet and dropping and remains very low. There is no effort to drop Norfork Lake so far for the winter. The surface water temperature is 56+ degrees and stable but inching down. I remember one year it did not get below 50 and another where there was ice all the way out to the mouth of Blackburns Creek and I had to use my work pontoon as an ice breaker to get into open water. The water clarity remains about the same and I can see my lure down about 6-feet on the main lake. It is hard to predict but the weather in December has been great so far. The fishing started to get better a few days ago but has plateaued out. It has it's moments but you have to work hard for them. I am catching a few very large crappie and bass everyday in a couple of hours of fishing in the afternoon. That is just how I like it. They start biting for a few minutes and quit for several hours. I am getting it narrowed down to the times that are best. I fish brush piles and around them most of the time and have pretty good results and pretty much know where the fish are located after scuba diving for them for about 6-months and know the winter banks where they hang out. It is just a matter of when they start biting. More and more fish of different species are now following shad in open water in the absence of the larger stripers including flathead catfish and walleye and the trollers that never caught any of those are now catching some. Some of the larger crappie are also with them. Your best bet is to find broken schools of shad and drop a spoon on their heads. The black blobs usually do not contain feeding fish. Trolling live bait, an umbrella or clipping a weight in front of a crakbait and dragging them through schools of shad also works. Not much skill is involved and they miss the hook set and several of the fish but if you need meat it can be effective.I have a hard enough time driving one rod without tangling it up let alone a half dozen of them in rod holders. Bring a lot of fuel because you might have to travel several miles to find feeding fish. At least the brush piles do not move around much and I know where they are at all times. To each their own. There is something for everyone here on Norfork. Come on down to Blackburns and check us out. We will not charge you too much and the first stall for your boat in our dock is free. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation or if you are in the area for the holidays stop by. We have a lot of repeat customers but like a few new ones every year. We especially welcome Veterans and Police. Scuba Steve is a Veteran but does not require and much Policing as he used to for some reason. No we are not for sale.
