The lake level is 559.40 and has risen 5-inches in the last 24-hours with no generation since noon yesterday. it has risen 6-feet since the 3-1/2 inches of rain in four days last week. The surface water temperature is 56-57 degrees and a lot has changed. There was some brown water that came down from Missouri in the river with some debris and also from the north in Bennetts Bayou. It did not affect the fishing here in Blackburns Creek area except during this time the fish and birds have cleaned up most of the dead and dying shad from the cold weather in the middle of February and the birds are mostly gone. There was a lot of dead shad going through the spillway at the dam and the fish and birds were feasting there but not now. The main lake in this area still has some brown water in the middle of the channel moving south with the current caused by generation but the shore and creeks are mostly clear east of Mallard Point with just a little debris blown into the predominate wind blown cuts and shore. It will stick when the lake starts to drop a little and is not causing much of a problem except north of here. There are lots of places with good colored water for fishing. Some bass are on the banks and can be caught on a jerk bait, crank bait and small grub. Spripers in the 8-10 pound range are showing up in Bennetts but very few of any size. The night bite for the spawning stripers will start soon with the full moon approaching on the stick bait. Fish for walleye on shadowy banks with a soft plastic in the evening until almost dark and then switch to the jerk bait north of Cranfield by the walleye rearing pond. Some crappie and bass have moved to main lake brush in about 23-ft. of water and can be caught on small spoons. small jigs and minnows on slip floats. If it is sunny fish the slip floats just above the brush about 7-9 feet down in stained green water. The crappie that I am catching are full of eggs and the big ones have bloodlines. The small bluegill have moved in under Blackburns Dock by the hundreds and that indicates big bass and catfish will be after them soon. They always do. I would like to see the lake lower this time of year but I guess that is asking too much. If they had dropped it to 548 as I suggested it would be at 554 which would be perfect. The spring rains are here and we usually get about two cold fronts a week come through during the variable month of March and fishing changes almost daily. Top water bite for everything starts in early April and is in full swing by the 15th. That is the easiest time to catch fish. The overall condition of the lake is from fair-good and fishing gets better a couple of days after the high pressure gets here and up until it rains you out. Fish right up until then. Then repeat.