The Trettin and Schuler Families were here last week and report having a good time. Nice people and long-time friends. 
The lake level is 561.15 and has risen 1/2 inch in the last 24-hours with no generation for two days. They finally started generating at 9:AM this morning. The Whte River at Newport is 11.85 ft. and low again and is now below the self-mandated 12-ft. level. It if gets above that the whole world comes to an end as far as the Kings at the Corps office is concerned. There is no reason to have Norfork at this level let alone in July. After the election I will call my friend Donald about this. The next thing is they will mandate we remove electrical power from our docks. I do not think the Government likes us here at Norfork. The surface water is 83-degrees+ and the thermocline remains at 29-feet. The water is clear for this time of year with decent visibility for Scuba Diving. I am seeing more fish in deeper water on the opposite sides of the river channel in 45-50 feet of water on shad. Oxygen level does not seem to be an issure at this time and the Stripers and Walleye have not headed into the very deep water at 80-90 feet in the Oxygen bubble like they do when it gets very hot. I am sure not used to the cool weather in the last part of July. It is trying to rain a bit now but nothing serious. It is not scheduled to get out of the 80's in the near future. The grass is green and the flowers are blooming and the garden is growing with lows in the 60's. It looks like they will get another cutting of hay. Kentucky Bass are the best bite right now and are on main lake brush in 25-30 ft. of water during the day and come in to feed shallow on Crawdads in the late evening. Some very nice Bluegill are biting on Crickets around flooded Willows, on top of brush piles and under docks. I am not seeing very many White Bass but they are out there and have made a comeback after their kill-off a few years ago. I do not fish for them much but they are fun to catch. I leave them for the trollers with live scopes along with all of the red meat fish. I am also not seeing nearly as many Blue Cats as I uses to but the Flatheads and more numerous. I like them better anyway but like to see a good population of all Catfish. Once you get Catfishing in your blood it is hard to get out. A live Bluegill about 3-4 inches long is the best bait for them. You can keep your hotdogs and cut bait even though they work at certain times. Blackburns Resort and Boat Rental continues to have the best prices on both cabins and boat rentals in the Ozarks. A free stall for your boat at our dock comes with a cabin rental of two days or more. All cabins are individual with no duplexes and all have big covered porches. You do not have to bring a tent to go outside the cabin. Compare prices and call Debbie at 870-492-5115 for a reservation. It is nice here and we will not charge you too much. We are your Family and Scuba Diving Headquarters for Norfork Lake.
