Norforf Lake Fishing Report by Lou of Hummingbird Hideaway Resort 870-492-5113

Norfork Lake water temperature is finally starting to cool and the fishing is heating up. (Kind of corny, ha-ha) In all seriousness, fishing for several species on the lake has been very good and is improving daily.


The crappie bite continues to be excellent and the larger slabs are starting to move into the brush. Same places as my last report and same methods of fishing. Brush in 30 to 40 feet of water has been the best, as long as the top of the brush comes up to at least 20 – 25 feet of water. Vertical jigging a small ¼ spoon has still been working great. If you like to live bait fish, set up your rod with a slip float and cast to the brush with your live minnow. Small curly or paddle tail grubs tipped with a live minnow are also working very well. Best colors have been pink and white, green and white or a fire tiger type color.  Brush in coves, as well as, main lake brush are both holding some nice fish.


The bass bite has also been excellent. There has been very good topwater action at sunrise and sunset. You will find large and smallmouth bass, spotted bass and white bass all chasing shad. Cast your favorite topwater bait, such as, a Zara Spook or a Whopper Plopper and you will have a blast. Once the fish go

down, work the shoreline, pitching a 10 inch, dark colored worm right up into the sunken buck brush.
(2 to 5 feet of water) If you like to vertical jig with a spoon for bass, they are starting to school up on deep water flats in 35 – 45 feet of water. Some of my guests fishing out of our new Lowe fishing tri-toon found a large school of feeding fish in 40 feet of water off a small ledge. They landed 8 nice largemouth bass with the biggest one 18 to 19 inches long. It will not be long until the jerkbait bite starts working. We just need the water to cool down a little more for the jerkbait bite to really get going.


The striped bass are finally starting to show up, but very slowly. The heavy rains last weekend pushed the stripers back into the major creeks that had some cooler flowing water. As the water continues to cool the stripers will move out into the main lake and onto the big deep flats.


Norfork Lake level is dropping slowly, with some power generation and gate releases. The current depth is 557.16 feet MSL. The lake is currently dropping about 1 – 2 inches per day. The surface water temperature is slowly falling and is currently around 73 degrees. The main lake is clear to slightly stained with some of the creeks and coves stained. Overall Norfork Lake is in great fishing condition.


Happy fishing and see you on the lake.