The lake level is at 552.7 and is very stable even with the 2-inches of rain we got last week. They are generating just enough to equal the river inflow. The creeks go from green to clearing just about when they want to. You can see about 5-feet down on the main lake and the water next to the shore is clear. Surface temperature is 63 degrees and dropping very slowly. The people predicting colder water will make the fish explode are not right yet. I was doing better with the water in the higher 60's. There are some open water fish just around the point from Blackburns Resort Creek toward Cranfield on the flats in front of the third dock by Mallard point. They are mostly white bass with a few smaller Hybrids. More are just west of the 101 Bridge on the north side. They seem to be liking 50-feet of water 40-feet down but that varies with the time of day and the amount of sunshine. As far as i can tell the night bite with stickbaits has not happened. Sometimes it does not and I do not know how to predict that. There are a lot of shad and many of them do not have any fish under them. Crappie are on brush at 25-feet about 7-feet down and roaming. Pick out about 5-places and keep moving from one to another. They bite for just a few minutes and quit for two hours. They are very nice sized. A few walleye are with them. I try spoons first, minnows on a slip float next and then casting a grub and minnow over the brush and let it sink. They are right in the brush so use your marker buoy and go against the wind with your trolling motor. If this does not work I move. I am getting about 10 or 11 in a 2-3 hour period but they are 11-13 inches. The giant ones are alluding me again. I was catching them a month ago. I usually get bass on steep banks on drop offs this time of year but not yet. You umbrella trollers should do pretty well right now on open water fish. There are more shad than fish. I try not to predict but just tell you what is happening. I go out when the low pressure is just moving in and it rains me out and then after the high pressure has been around for a while. I have no confidence just after the rain or when the sun is first shining. I must have learned that somewhere or thought I did. I still try it during those times but seldom catch very many. I just like to be out. Blackburns Resort and Boat rental still has 1-bedroom cabins for $53/two people and 2-bedrooms for $65/four people and free boat stalls. Why pay more and we are open all year?
