The lake level is at 550.53 and is dropping a little over 1-inch/day with several hours of generation. The lake is trying to clear and the surface temperature is 52 back in the creeks and 54.8 in the deeper main lake. The lake is at a good level for this time of year and Blackburn's brush piles are at a good depth. There are cold fronts coming through about every day followed by high pressure and it is really affecting the fishing. The ambient high temperatures are varying from 60's one day and 40's the next. It is not susposed to freeze after tonight for the next week. It is very dry and there is a burn ban on here. We need rain very badly. Crappie, walleye and catfishing has dropped off considerable in the last week and open water fishermen are working hard to get temperate bass. One day they catch nothing and the next they find a school of feeding fish and get a bunch. You cannot count on it. They are finding open water fish on the North west side of Cranfield Island in a triangle around the Cranfield beach, Entrance to East Pigeon and the island. Some are also in Bennets around point 1-D near Walkers entrance and Talbot and in the back of float creek. They are catching mostly small stripers, hybrids and white bass. Do not count on what the fish usually do for this time of year because the flood really changed things up. The Norfork river discharge from the dam run brown for a couple of weeks last month and I have never seen that before except for maybe a day after a big rain. I am usually catching big crappie almost at will in December and was until recently. They are now scarce for me. Bass fishing is fair and some good ones in the 3-lb. range are being caught . One time they are next to the shore on the main lake and next they are in 25-ft. of water in the creeks on brush. I caught my limit of good ones on Tuesday and only one yesterday. Sometimes they bite grubs and the next spoons in deeper water and sometimes nothing. The wildlife is very hungry with no grass, acorns or other nuts available. I am feeding them and they are getting very brave to get something to eat. They too are usually scarce during and just after hunting season. I will work hard to try to find the walleye and crappie and let you know where as soon as I do as I am out there every day and have some very good fishermen reporting to me. Blackburns has cabins starting at $53/day with a free boat stall and all cabins are individual, have covered porches and we have no duplexes and lots of parking. if you have already winterized you boat we have rental boats available at a good price. We are open all year, are closest to town, dining and shopping and have bait. Blackburns guests Brett and Beau Govreau from St. Louis won the Toyota Bass Master team championship and received a boat, trolling motor, trailer and motor totaling $42,000. We like Bass masters. Their two day total was just over 26 lbs.