Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing is still in full swing in the heat of the summer. Live bait as well as vertical jigging is working really well. Most of the fish that are being caught are in the Diamond Bay area to the dam. Both early morning and the late afternoon bite is strong. The Stripers, hybrids and whites are schooling and once you find the school hold on for a lot of fun. I fished this morning with two of my guests. We fished the dam area in 45 - 70 feet of water off of main lake points. Today I found a huge school at around 6:45AM and it was nonstop action for about 45 minutes. Then I lost the school and couldn't find it again. I fished a few other areas and caught several small whites. We ended up catching white bass, hybrid bass and stripers. These were the first stripers/hybrids these guests have caught on Norfork Lake. I also fished Sunday morning in the same area as today and ended up catching 2 nice 9 pound hybrids. Cody is much more photogenic than me.

Nothing new on other species. I will have better info later.

The Norfork Lake level is still falling slowly and sits at 550.96. The Corps is running one to two generators sporadically during the day. The surface water temperature was in the high 80's to low 90's. The main lake is clear and the coves and creeks are slightly stained.

Happy fishing and hope to see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing has been pretty good over the last week. It does seem that I have a great day then the next day is mediocre. I guess that is why they call it fishing. Today was one of those mediocre days. I ran all over the lake this morning and ended up catching 7 white bass at the last stop closest to the resort. Yesterday was much better, I landed this 10 pound striper and missed three others and was only out for a couple of hours. I had to be back at the resort to check out one of our pontoon boats. Tuesday was an OK day. I had one of our guests with me and we caught white bass, hybrids and this nice 12 pound striper. We caught it at the same location where I caught all the whites this morning. I am finding fish from the Robinson area to the dam. Most fish are being caught on main lake points anywhere from 45 feet to 80 feet of water. The fish are at 40 - 55 feet depths. There is still is a little top water action just as the sun is rising so have your favorite top water bait ready to go. I like the Zara Spook jr. I am still vertical jigging with a spoon and will continue this method of fishing into the fall. I will start fishing closer to brush piles once the water temperature gets back in the low 80's.

Catfish are being caught on trot lines and jugs using live bait. Cut bait will work, but the turtles and gar seem to get there before the catfish. Blue gill are biting good on crickets and nightcrawlers. Crappie are still slow but will pick up once the water temperature gets in the low 80's. Black bass are feeding shallow early and late in the day then they go deep in the heat of the day. I have been catching a few walleye when I get into 30 - 40 feet of water and they hit the same spoon I am using for striper fishing.

The Norfork Lake water level is falling slowly and currently sits at 551.6. The lake is clear. The surface water temperature is in the low 90's.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Fishing on Norfork Lake at this time is outstanding. If you like to fish for striped bass, black bass and white bass then now is the time to come to Norfork Lake. I have been vertical jigging in 65 feet of water and am finding the fish stacked, suspended at 35 - 45 feet depths. The schools are so large that I can feel my spoon bounce off a fish as it is falling. Then all of a sudden the pole starts to bend. It has been amazing. After I limited out on stripers and hybrids I went to a nearby point and started jigging in approximately 30 feet of water. The whites, blacks and walleye are feeding on the bottom. I worked the same spoon I used for the stripers. I have been trying to release all fish that can swim back down, but some of the stripers are too stressed after coming up from 40 feet. The photo is of yesterday's catch. This morning I brought home 2 - 10 pound stripers and a 3 pound white bass. Linda couldn't get away for a photo op this morning. I have released over 10 fish each morning consisting of hybrids, whites, black bass and a couple undersized walleye. The spoon is working well. The live bait fishermen are also doing very well in similar type areas if not the same area.

The lake conditions are the same as last report with a slight fall in the water level.

See you all soon and happy fishing on Norfork Lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Fishing on Norfork Lake for striped bass couldn't get much better. The morning bite, as well as the afternoon bite, is in full swing. The attached photos are from the last two days. I limited out this morning and ran across school after school of striped bass, hybrid bass and white bass. I was vertical jigging in 50 - 60 feet of water. The fish were suspended in 35 - 45 feet of water. Will, with his limit of striped bass, fished last evening with Tom Reynold's of STR Outfitters. Tom was using live shad and fished similar depths and occasionally in deeper water. Dustin, with the two stripers, fished yesterday morning and was vertical jigging in the same area that I fished this morning. The fish are really active at this time. If I had taken a spook along with me, I could have caught many black bass. When the sun was just starting to come up the bass were chasing shad to the surface and erupting all around me.

Stripers and hybrids are being caught from the Robinson area and surrounding creeks down to the dam area. Early morning and late evening should be the best time to fish and then you can take advantage of the afternoon sun to play in the pool or lake.

The Norfork Lake level is holding steady and is at 552.47. The surface water temperature is still in the upper 80's to low 90's. The lake is clear and in great condition to fish, ski or swim.

See you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Stripers are schooling on Norfork Lake. Striped bass fishing has been pretty good over the last couple of weeks. Large schools of stripers and hybrids are being found from the Robinson area to the dam. Once you find the school drop a spoon and vertical jig, you will get a fish. I have had guests over the last week vertical jigging and catching some nice stripers, hybrids and white bass. Walleye have also been caught at the 101 bridge suspended in 25 feet of water. The photos are two different families/friends. One had three generations of family members on board with all catching fish. The little one had the job of the netting the big catch. One of the families was fishing out of a 20 foot ski boat and the other out of a bass boat. It shows that you don't always need a trolling motor to catch fish, but a sonar does help. These fish were caught in 50 feet of water feeding on the bottom. They were back in a cove that we have dubbed Hummingbird Hideaway Cove, since fishing in this particular cove at this time of year has been productive for me over the last 3 years. The bite is occurring anywhere between 6:00 and 9:00 in the morning. Live shad fishing has also been really good for the guides on the lake. It is a early morning and late afternoon bite. Take a break mid day to go swimming or just relax out on the water.

Black bass fishing has also been good. There is a little top water action early in the morning back in coves and creeks. Plastics are working well in 5 - 20 feet of water. Vertical jigging will pick up a few in 30 feet of water.

Catfish are being caught with live bait on trot lines and jugs. Crappie fishing is still very slow but will start to pick up when the temperature starts to fall. Pan fishing has been fantastic with nightcrawlers and crickets. My dock has produced many large slabs for our guests. White bass are still schooling in the backs of creeks and coves. Walleye are in similar areas to the white bass usually on the bottom in around 30 feet of water and close to brush piles.

The Norfork Lake level is holding fairly steady and is currently at 552.6. The water temperature is in the high 80's to low 90's. The water is clear in the main lake and slightly cloudy in the coves and creeks. One or two generators are being run sporadically.

I will see you on the water next week, my boats are currently rented.

Happy fishing.