Norfork Lake fishing has been pretty good for me over the
last week. Striped bass is the one species that was slow to bite during
September and the first part of October, but the bite has now improved
dramatically. A slower bite for stripers in the latter part of summer is not
uncommon, since warm water is not what the stripers want, so they just go deep
to the cool water and wait for their preferred water temperature of 60 – 70
degrees. We are to that point and they are starting to become aggressive. There
is a good after dark bite for striped/hybrid bass and the morning bite is
starting to take off. Various Norfork Lake flats have been the areas where fish
are being found. The best depth for the after dark bite has been anywhere from
25 to 33 feet of water. Trolling crank baits that dive roughly 16 feet has been
productive for a couple of our guests. Last weekend, several other guests found
nice fish feeding early in the morning on a large flat. The fish were in
roughly 32 feet of water and vertical jigging a spoon worked best. I have been
graphing various flats and have found feeding stripers each morning since last
weekend. The fish have been in 30 to 35 feet of water cruising around at all
depths.
Some fish are suspended 15 feet
down to the bottom. I have noticed that the larger fish seem to be suspended up
in the water column and the smaller ones are laying on the
bottom. In the same
areas you will also find large schools of white bass. Most are on the bottom
feeding, but some may be suspended. The news even gets better, feeding along
side of the striped/hybrid and white bass are many channel and flathead catfish
lying on the bottom. It will not be long until walleye move into the same area.
Vertical jigging a 1-ounce spoon has been my best method to catch all of the
above species. In order to catch these fish, I have had to experiment with
presentation methods. I have caught fish casting the spoon out and letting it
drop to the bottom. I then retrieve the spoon in a jerking motion, usually
trying to keep the bait close to the bottom. Vertical jigging has been
productive, but on a few occasions, I had to move slowly with the trolling
motor and let out more line until the spoon hits the bottom. I then give it a
hard forward jerk and then let it settle back to the bottom. Sometimes the fish
hammer the bait as I am jerking it and a few times they have picked the spoon
up on the fall and the line goes slack. You’ll need to reel the slack up very fast
until you feel the fish and set the hook.
Norfork Lake surface water temperature this morning was close
to 70 degrees. The lake has become fairly stable with just slight variations
either up or down and currently sits at 553.26 feet MSL. The lake is slightly
stained from the mid-lake area and heading north. The lake continues its slow
progression to a total lake turnover. I am starting to mark lots of bait a
little below 60 feet telling me the good cool oxygenated water is continuing to
fall lower and lower until eventually it will reach all depths and the lake
will be totally turned over. Some years it is an obvious abrupt turnover, but
typically it is a slow unnoticeable process.
Happy Fishing and enjoy Norfork Lake.
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