Norfork Lake Fishing Report

What a great day on Norfork Lake in the Arkansas Ozarks! The temperature this morning was just fantastic. It was in the mid 60's and with the lake being warmer there was light fog lifting up from the lake, a gorgeous morning.

It was also a fun morning fishing. I caught white bass, smallmouth, largemouth, Kentuckys and walleye. I was in a slight predicament though, the fish were breaking the surface all around me plus I was marking fish on the bottom. I didn't know what to do first! (What a terrible situation to have!) I ended up starting to fish top water. I caught several largemouth and Kentuckys, but most were 1.5 pounds or less. I switched to a spoon and immediately landed a nice 3 pound largemouth, then another, all the while other fish were breaking the surface around me. I hooked a nice 3 pound walleye. I actually had another walleye, but while I was trying to get my net, the fish flopped on the surface and came off the spoon. I was fishing a main lake point in the Five Fingers area. The top water fish were being caught anywhere from the shore out to 100 feet of water. My spooning fish were caught in 30 - 35 feet of water. The fish are starting to go deeper, last week I was spooning fish out of 20 - 25 feet of water. If the weather stays warm we should be in our normal summer pattern of most fish being around the 40 foot mark. Vertical jigging with a spoon is the way I typically fish during the summer months.

I did try to find some deep striped bass at sun -up without luck. I fished Tick Point, then at the number 2 marker, and then the bluffs a little farther south-east of number 2. I caught several smallmouth, but did not mark any striper. White Bass are still coming up early in the morning and later in the afternoon. You can throw a small spinner or use your favorite top water bait. The whites are coming up in the Cranfield area as well as at Bennetts area. Crappie are still being caught in about 15 - 25 feet of water over brush. Live crappie minnows are working best. Blue gill are still hitting very well all over the lake. Nightcrawlers and crickets work the best, just be prepared for a lot of action. Catfish are still being caught on jug lines as well as trot lines. Live shiners and cut bait are working well.

The Norfork Lake level is falling about 2 - 3 inches per day and is currently at 561.6 feet, one foot below last week. The Corps. has estimated that the lake will be back to normal pool towards the end of July. The Norfork Lake surface water temperature is in the mid 80s. The lake is clear all over.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.