Mike Dean with some nice ones yesterday.
The lake level is 554.71 and has dropped 2.5 inches in the last 24-hours with no generators running for 3-days but spillway gates are open to an equivalent of 1-1/3rd generatos. The White River at Newport is 12.23 feet and dropping. The slug from the over 3-inches of rain last week has worked it's way through the system and the creeks are clearing fast with the brown gone and replaced by a greenish color with good visibility. The warm ambient temperatures with warm nights are warming the creeks very quickly especiall near the shore and in shallow water. I had 59-degree water in Blackburns Creek last evening. The main lake was still 56.Several very large bass, crappie and bluegill have moved in under my dock and the large crappie are wanting to spawn badly and the males will move back in the creeks to make a nest very soon. Some are staging already. At 65-degree water they will be in full swing. Another cold front is coming through on Tuesday and it will slow things down a bit. They have not started to pre-spawn feed much yet but a few are being caught. Walleye are in their normal spring spots after spawn around Cranfield Island and will get better. My favorite time for them is when the first thermocline forms in May and they are on Main Lake points in 16-18 feet of water right on the bottom near the thermocline. Use a 1/4 once Bink's Spoon with some white on it and tap bottom around brush. Striper trollers with live scopes are getting frustrated. They see the fish down there and drag umbrellas and crank baits through them and they will not bite. They have finished spawning. Stripers are one of the few species of fish that ingest their own eggs. No wonder they do not reproduce in reservoirs. it would be nice if they did so so many would not need to be stocked and the effort could be extended to other species. The lake overall is at a good level and in excellent condition but fishing is just fair. The easiest time to catch fish is when the top-water bite is in full swing and that is at the end of April. It will begin sporatically soon but you will not be able to rely on it. Bluegill, bass and crappie are the best bite but none of them are good. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental continues to be the home of the $59/day one bedrrom cabins and $79/day two bedrooms. Three and four bedrooms are priced accordingly. They are all individual with no duplexes and have big covererd porches to get out of the weather. A free stall for your boat at our dock comes with the cabin. No price increases for 2024. Come on down. We will not charge you too much. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Some weeks are full already with people taking advantage of the best prices in the Ozarks. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness. I really do not mind people trying to copy me.
