Some nice crappie are pre-spawn feeding.
The lake level is 555.17 and has dropped 1-3/4 inches in the last 24-hours with spillway gates open to an equivalent of 1-1/2 generators. They shut off the one operating generator at 5:PM last evening. The White River at Newport is 14.94 and dropping. They could take it up to 21-feet if they wanted to. The surface water temperature is 55-degrees and should warm quickly this weekend with the warm weather and warmer nights than they have been. It is to rain again on Tuesday. I saw some fish feeding in the Back of Blackburns Creek last evening just before dark and several big Bass under the dock. The larger Crappie are starting to pre-spawn feed a little better and want to spawn and the males will stage on the shoreline back in the creeks soon when the water gets to the mid 60's. I have no reports on Stripers but some larger White Bass are being caught. I am not seeing big schools of shad but several smaller ones scattered out. The wind changes from south to north with the cold fronts shifting the plankton back and forth. Bass fishermen are catching some on square bills back in Bennetts in the brown water. Things will get better soon. Blackburns is still the home of the 59/day one bedroom cabins with 2,3,4 bedrooms priced accordingly. A free stall at our dock comes with the cabin of two day stays or more. Best place, best price, closest to Mountain Home dining and shopping. You get more than your money's worth at Blackburns and that is rare anyplace wilh all of the price increases. We will have none here for 2024 and want our friends to have an affordable vacation.