Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Just got back in from fishing on Norfork Lake. The night bite for striped bass is still happening. The bite had slowed for a few days with the cold front that rolled through, but I think things have stabilized again. I caught two after dark and lost another big one that straightened two of my hooks. I guess I'm going to need to change the hooks on all of my rogues before I use them. What was exciting for me is that I caught my first two stripers before dark on a Zara Spook. I was sitting on a point in the Cranfield area and the fish started to erupt around me. My first catch was the 14 pound striped bass in the photo. The fish moved out to deep water then cruised back into the shallow water. My second catch was a 10 pound striper. They were not coming up at this time, but the fish attacked my spook three times before I finally hooked it. He came clear out of the water, then the fight was on. I missed two other hits that had the fish popping the spook about a foot into the air. I hope tonight is an indication that the top water bite is ready to start, both morning and evening. I also caught two Kentucky bass on the Zara Spook and a nice largemouth on a rogue. All fish were released. The stripers that I released were in the 10 pound range.

The Norfork Lake level is at 555.21 and falling slowly. Two generators are currently being run. The surface water temperature is still at 67 degrees. The water is gin clear, the clearest I have seen for some time.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.