Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Crappie, largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass are currently the best bites on Norfork Lake. I fished this morning in strong northwest winds. Based on my experience between today and the last 4 days the fish have moved to slightly deeper water. In my last report I was catching fish in 20 - 34 feet of water. The same was the case for last Wednesday. This morning I could not find much in shallow water so I moved out to about 40 feet. I was fishing near brush and marked a big school of crappie from 30 - 40 feet down. I caught two fish immediately and then the wind started to blow harder. It is really hard for me to vertical jig a light weight bait in high winds. I kept drifting off of this small spot, my spoon was continually getting snagged in the limbs of the brush and my line drifted into my trolling motor, twice! It was very difficult fishing, but I kept at it. I hooked into two more fish, but both got tangle in the brush and got off. The next two also got tangled in a limb, but when I released pressure on the line the fish swam free of the branch and I landed both of them. I also caught spotted bass, largemouth bass and white bass at this same depth but on a point across the channel. Thursday and Friday I caught small fish in 20 - 30 feet of water. I fished Saturday, when I began to find fish in the deeper water, but again all were small.  I think that the weather front that rolled through here last Thursday and all the rain that we had over that last several days have driven them out into a little deeper water. I do feel that once the the lake stabilizes and assuming the air temps continues to be warm, they will start to move back to shallower water.

Last Wednesday was a really good day of fishing. I found crappie in the same spot as today and the wind was not so bad. I caught them in 20 ft of water inside of  brush. The school was on the move, and I lost them after catching 5 fish out of it. The bass bite was phenomenal as it was on Monday and Tuesday. I was fishing float creek and catching largmouth and spotted bass. Good size fish too. They were in tight to the bank. I drifted away from the brush and into about 34 feet of water and marked a few nice arcs on the bottom. I dropped my spoon to the bottom and hooked into a really nice fighting fish. It was a 17.5 inch smallmouth. I caught 3 more in the deeper water then lost the school. I moved back in tight to the bank and saw some hooks on a hump in 19 feet of water, dropped my spoon and hooked into another smallmouth. Caught 5 keeper size smallmouth in total, released 4 and kept one for a photo then released it.

I have been using 4 pound test monofilament line on a light action rod and reel. My main bait has been a 1/4 spoon and I have been vertical jigging the spoon very slowly. From the few crappie and spoted bass that I have cleaned I have found they are feeding on tiny tiny shad and crawdads.

I haven't fished for stripers lately, but have gotten the word that a few are being caught. (I have been having too much fun fishing for bass and crappie) I am planning to start looking for them in the morning. If I can't find them I will go after crappie and bass.

Norfork Lake level is on the rise and currently sits at 553.09. Sporadic power generation taking place. The level is only 1 ft above the normal pool of 552.. The lake surface temperature also has risen to 48 degrees with all the warm days we have had. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are muddy way to stained. The mud should clear out very soon.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.