Norfork Lake Arkansas near Mountain Home in the Ozarks Mountains Region Fishing Report and lake Condition by Scuba Steve from Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental.

Bart and Connie VanderVelde from Florida and Formerly from Chicago just left after over a week's stay. Bart has been coming to Blackburns for over 50-years. Image title

The lake level is 557.73 and has risen 1.2 inches in the last 24-hours with no generation for over two days. They are letting the lake creep up too high but it is still at a good level and one big rain away from being too high. I do not know why they do this. They were trying to keep it at the top of the power pool. They are running Bull Shoals hard but the White River is only at 13.60 ft and has leveled off. It looks like the most important thing is to regulate the White River to 12- feet at all costs for no apparent reason. I used to think there was a method to their maddness but not anymore. They keep reverting back to hold and hope everytime there is a little improvement in lake management. The only reason we are not too high now is becauses of low rainfall this spring. At least they finally got both generators running even though they do not run them very much. They are more concerned about making us take down overhead power and power poles at the dock and forcing us to unreliable solar. I had a 76-degree water temperature on the main lake last evening and warmer than that in Blackburns Creek. The Bluegill are spawning and there are males guarding nests that are near each other back in the shallow water. They spawn 3-4 times a year on Norfork and they are attracting big Bass and Flathead catfish.  The full moon is the 23rd and is not good for Catfishing but they do like the slowly rising water. Catfishermen are also catching some very large bass in the same areas and on the same live baits. Bass fishing is the best right now but several White bass are coming up early and late. I like it when the meat hunters are after the White Bass. It takes the pressure off the other fish. Stripers are scattered and I am not seeing any big schools and am wondering if they are there. I am finding maybe 2 or three at a time and they are already in deep water. People fishing for them in deep water know exactl;y what they are doing and also know they will die after being brought up but need that meat bad or do not know how to catch anything else. Some crappie continue to spawn but many are finished and are on brush. I am not finding the big schools of them either as several are in open water on shad. The few schools that I am finding are not the big ones. The main lake is still fairly clear and the creeks are stained green but overall it is in good condition and at a good level. There were a lot of boats out there yesterday and the onslaught will start Friday afternoon. People are anxious to get out there despite the high gas prices. If you spend 70-80 thousands of dollars on a boat you have to use it. The payments just keep coming due. Blackburns has 12-ponttons available to rent and they start at $115/day plus fuel and oil. We have one two bedroom cabin available starting Friday. Give Debbie a call at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. Come on down. We will not charge you too much or put you in a duplex cabin with no covered porch or charge you for your first boat stall unless you bring the Queen Mary. We have different sized stalls at our dock for different sized boats. No one size fits all.  You will like it here and the price is right. Several children were in the pool yesterday.