Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake's fall fishing is on fire. If you like to catch lots of fish, November has historically been a great time to fish the lake and this November is no exception. Yes, November is almost over so think about making that Norfork Lake trip and get in on the November 2015 fun! Striped bass, hybrid bass and white bass have been biting all day long. The size of the fish varies, but I have caught 5 stripers in the 10 - 14 pound range and and 4 hybrids in the 6 - 8 pound range over the last week. The white bass are huge and most being caught are in the 2 - 3 pound range. You will catch a lot of medium to small size stripers and hybrids along with the bigger fish, but this is what it is all about. Catching fish! I have found fish in 2 different types of area, 1- half way back in major creeks typically at a channel swing, and 2- on large flats. In both areas I have found the fish at 30 - 48 feet water depths. Most of my fish are being caught off of the bottom, but I have caught a few of the bigger stripers and hybrids suspended down 30 feet when I was in 45 - 50 feet of water. This morning I was fishing with John & Cameron and we boated many fish, nothing huge, but lots of them. The weather wasn't great for the fishermen since the wind was blowing 20+ mph sustained. It is really hard to stay on fish once you find them but if you stay on the fish they are biting. I, as well as my guests, have been vertical jigging with a 1/2 to 1 ounce spoon. Color hasn't really made a difference and the size doesn't seem to matter. I typically match the weight to the depth I am trying to get down to. Zero to 20 feet I use a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce, 20 - 40 I use a 3/4 ounce and 40 + I use a 1 ounce. Areas to check out are in the Cranfield area, 101 bridge area, 101 boat dock area, Float, Panther and Fall Creeks. I am sure there are many other areas holding fish, but these are the ones relatively close to my resort (Hummingbird Hideaway Resort).

For other species I really don't have any new information as I have been having a blast targeting the stripers, hybrids and whites. I will get after the crappie, walleye and bass in a few weeks.

The Norfork Lake level rose slightly with the rain we got yesterday to 549. 31. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are stained. The surface water temperature was in the mid 50's this morning.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake striped bass fishing is on fire. The fish have schooled up and are in the main lake. Over the last two days I have caught and released over 30 striped & hybrid bass. (all in the 5 - 15 pound range)The fish are in their typical August pattern. Find then in 70 feet of water to 150+ feet of water. Most of them are suspended down 50 - 80 feet deep, some a little shallower and some even deeper. I caught one yesterday 100feet down. I have mainly been vertical jigging with a spoon, but live bait, as well as trolling lures are also working well. To vertical jig at these deep depths, you will need to know how many seconds it takes for your bait to free fall down to 60 feet of water. This will be different for each rod and reel.What I have done in the past is sit my boat in 60 feet of water then I drop the bait straight down. I count 1001, 1002, ect. until it hits the bottom. Repeat this several times, but always keep your counting speed the same. Now when you'er out in 150 ft of water you can get to 60 feet by counting the number of seconds it took during your trials. The other method is to drop it to the bottom and reel up to your depth. A typical bait caster is 1.5 feet per crank and a spinning reel is approx. 2 feet per crank. Remember that each rod and reel combo will be different. For me the best striped bass bite has been from point 2 down to the dam. The lake is cooler than normal and the oxygen level is good at all depths for stripers. Most fish can be released and will swim away, but if they don't you need to keep it and have it for supper. Striped bass are really good eating as long as you clean them properly.

 

If you are a striped bass fisherman  or someone just wanting to catch a striped bass this is the time to come. Give us a call and we can get you set up with a cabin, a guide if desired or I will let you know the locations where I have been catching fish so you can try it on your own. Our phone number is 870-492-5113.

 

The lake level is falling approximately 4 inches per day and currently sits at 560.85. The surface water temperature is currently around 83 degrees. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are clearing. The Corps is generating most of the day with all generators.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

 

Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters with a double on. 8/23/13
870-421-1541

Paul with a 15 pounder 8/22/13

Ron with a 13 pounder 8/22/13

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The weather and the water temperature on Norfork Lake are perfect for your summer time pleasure. Whether it be skiing, tubing, swimming or fishing, Norfork Lake has it all.

Striper fishing on Norfork Lake has been outstanding lately. The fish have gone deep and you will find them on the bottom early mornings in 40 - 50 feet of water or suspended in 100+ feet of water 30 - 70 feet down. The stripers have finally started to school and when you find a school get ready!! Live bait is working great and vertical jigging a spoon through the school is producing some nice fish. Last Thursday I fished alone and landed 6 stripers by 8AM. I had to work at it but I finally got the first three fish to go back down, then I kept the next three fish. I am going to have to learn how to vent these fish because starting soon and for the next  couple months they will not be able to be released. When you catch your limit you will need to go do a little bass or crappie fishing. Friday I fished with my daughter and a couple of our guests. We had a great time. At about 6:45AM the stripers started to erupt all around my boat. Every rod bent to the water. We landed two and broke off two. Each time I rebaited and cast the bait out it got hammered within minutes. We ended up landing 5 stripers out of this school. The fish were from the surface down 40 feet. It was really fun. My top water rod with a Zara spook tied on had a malfunction so I could not cast it out which really disappointed me. I know I could have landed a couple more fish. This top water action is very unusual for this time of year. I also fished Sunday with my daughter and granddaughter. We ended up missing three good bites. I was on fish, a huge school which was 50 - 70 feet down in about 140 feet of water. Boats all around me were catching fish with live bait as well as by spooning. I guess I didn't have my bait deep enough as we only got one bite and missed it. My granddaughter had a blast playing in the bait tank :-) I think she was relieved we didn't catch a big fish because they scare her a little!!!

There is still a little top water action early in the morning for black bass. This action is typically just as the sun is starting to rise and can last a couple of hours. I have found bass around docks and also off of main lake points and creek points. The black bass are also starting to go deeper. You can find them on the bottom just outside of the brush line in 20 - 30 feet of water. They are also on sunken brush in 40 feet of water.

I have had reports that crappie have started to move to the deep brush in 30 - 40 feet of water. Live bait as well as small jigs are working. Crappie are also being found under docks.  Yesterday morning I netted 5 huge slabs by a dock where I was trying to net shad. These fished were 15 and 16 inches long. I released all.

Pan fish are plentiful under docks and in the brush. My granddaughter had fun fishing on my dock and caught some nice bluegills.

Catfishing with live minnows on trotlines are producing some nice fish. If you are pole fishing drag a nightcrawler on the bottom in coves after dark. You will find them in 20 - 25 feet of water and possibly  at shallower depths.

No reports on walleye, but they should be in the 20 to 40 feet range on the bottom off of points with rocky bottoms.

The Norfork Lake level is still falling slowly and currently sits at 570.59. The surface water temperature is in the upper 80's. The main lake is clear and the creeks are coves are continuing to clear.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

She said her arms were sore.

Big hybrid and walleye Day 2



Big Bass Day 2 - 5.28 pounds



Big hybrid Day 1

Finding the Big Bass in this limit of fish.

We would like to thank all the Bass Cat Owners who came to Norfork Lake this past week end. We know you were disappointed with the cancellation of your Owner's Invitational Tournament and appreciate those of you that still came to enjoy Norfork Lake. We look forward to your visit each year and are glad you came to participate in our first Norfork Lake Fishing Derby.

We had two great days for our 2011 Fishing Derby on Norfork Lake.  54 Bass Cat boats registered for the 2 day tournament and we mainly had good weather. The afternoon of day 1 brought in a few storms, but it ended during weigh-in. We weighed-in a total of 240 black bass at a total weight of 523.58 pounds. The stringers were somewhat light due the fish being spawned out in the last week or so. Big heads and skinny bodies. They are really starting to feed and will fatten up quickly. The overall winning team of Hannaford/Cooley weighed-in 10 fish at 24.14 pounds and were paid $2,015.00. Second place went to the team of Thorne/Mitchell with 9 fish at 23.61 pounds. Second place paid $1,140.00. Third place went to the team of Moser/Ziegler with a 10 fish limit weighing in at 23.56 pounds. Third place paid $685.00. The Fishing Derby paid a total of 11 places. Big Bass for day 1 went to the team of Stone/Stone at a weight of 4.72 pounds and paid $520.00. Big Bass day 2 went to the team of Drumright/Reihm which weighed 5.28 pounds and also paid $520.00. We also had a couple of fun pots for big walleye 2.52 and 3.33 pounds and big striper/hybrid 6.39 and 7.78 day 1 and day 2, respectively. Hugh Ethridge won for big striper/hybrid day 1 and the team of Hideyudi Manura/Todd McCoy won big walleye for both days and big striper/hybrid day 2. All fishermen and spectators seemed to have a great time and enjoyed watching  the fish being brought in to be weighed.

The fish were caught all over the lake in shallow to 25 feet of water depths. Spinner baits shallow and jigs worked deep seemed to be the baits of choice.

We want to thank the Norfork Lake Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this event. Thanks also goes out to the Arkansas Game and Fish for helping us keep these fish alive and delivering them back to the lake. Thanks goes out to the Army Corps of Engineers for all the help in expediting our tournament application and with the clean up at the Panther Bay boat launch and at  Cranfield Park. In addition to the above many thanks goes out to Panther Bay Marina for the use of their facilities for take-off, the Lake Norfork Inn for the use of their restaurant for registration and dinner, The Norfork Lake Bass Club for the rental of their weigh-in equipment, Sean's restaurant for providing the yummy food at registration with such short notice.  Thanks also to  the Baxter County Sheriff's Department for providing a courtesy boat at take-off and lie detector equipment and personnel for the final weigh-in. Finally many, many, many thanks to all the Norfork Lake Chamber members that volunteered to helped make this event a great success and a fun fishing derby.

Keep watching for future details of fishing events that the Norfork Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Norfork Lake Resort Owners are starting to plan. They will be a lot of fun with great fishing.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Striped Bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and crappie are all being caught on Norfork Lake. The fishing has been really good and will only get better as the temperature rises. I have guests striper fishing using medium size gizzard shad and they are just hammering the fish. All of their fish were caught on free swimming baits and the stripers came out of the water to attack the bait. The best bite for them seems to be in the late afternoon. The Bennett's area has been their top location, but they have caught stripers in East Pigeon and the Cranfield area as well. I have heard that the night bite is taking off. I can't confirm that since I have fished after dark in several areas and have found no stripers. Or at least they didn't like the flavor of rogue I was casting. I will keep trying and will find them eventually.

Crappie, bass and walleye fishing yesterday under the cloudy skies was really good for Ed, a Wisconsin guest. Ed was using a small paddle tail with a 1/8 ounce jig head. The paddle tail was in the darker colors with a lighter tail. He found fish in shallow water 7 - 15 feet deep back in coves. He found some fallen timber that was laying on the shore and stretched out into the water and caught fish all day long yesterday. This almost 16 inch crappie was his prize. Ed was fishing the Cranfield area and coves heading up river. The fish were lying on the bottom to a few feet off of it.

As mentioned earlier I fished last evening. I started trolling a couple of shallow running crank baits because the wind was blowing pretty brisk. As the sun was setting I started to cast the shore with a rogue. All of sudden fish started to break the surface. I cast my rogue into the break, cranked down two cranks and largemouths would just hammer the bait. In about a 45 minute period I landed 6 bass in the 3 - 4 pound range and lost several other. It was fun!! Once it got real dark the fish went down and I started casting the shoreline again. I fished until about 9PM with only one strike. I think it was a bass. I was fishing back in the Bennett's area.

The lake level is rising slowly and currently sits at 548.31. Minimal generation. The surface water temperature has fallen to 51 - 53 degrees due to the cool nights that we have been having. The water clarity is gin clear. The clarity may change a bit as there is rain in the forecast tomorrow, then the weather is to become gorgeous and warm again. Fishing in April should be out of site!

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The Norfork Lake striper bite has been off the chart using live bait. The morning and evening bites have been really good. Fish are being caught from Diamond Bay to the dam. Guests in the photos have been fishing all week long and have been limiting out in the mornings as well as the evenings. Jeff catches live shad and this seems to be the bait of choice. Last evening Jeff and I were fishing next to each other off a point in the dam area. I watched him land two nice 12 pound stripers and miss 5 others. I was vertical jigging with a spoon and only had one hit and missed it. They definitely wanted fresh bait instead of artificial. The fish were 38 - 45 feet down either on the bottom or suspended in about 55 feet of water. This evening I am going to try live shiners to see how and if they will work. I will let you know.

I have been catching black bass and white bass with catfish and walleye thrown in for good measure. I've been fishing in 35-40 feet of water. These fish are on the bottom feeding on shad. White bass are back in coves and creeks usually towards the center of the creek not on the banks. The black bass that I have found are on points or the sides of points in this same water depth. The lake thermocline is hovering in the 35 feet range and varies depending on where you are on the lake.

The Norfork Lake level has risen to 552.3. The surface water temperature has stabilized in the low 80s during the morning and the mid 80s in the afternoon. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are still murky.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The weather has been gorgeous the past week on Norfork Lake. The forecast is calling for warm sunny days with light winds for the upcoming Memorial Holiday Weekend. (We still have a few openings for those last minute plans.)

I have fished the last 5 mornings and have done well. I've caught largemouth bass, Kentucky bass, white bass, walleye, crappie and striped bass. The striped bass are are both deep and also pushing the shad to the surface. The past several days I have been using a spoon and vertical jigging, but today I got into some nice top water action. I caught these two stripers (one 14 pounds and one 10 pounds)on a Zara Spook. I caught these fish on 8 pound test monofilament line. I used my favorite spook, a junior sized one with a white body and chartreuse head. Stripers are being caught in the Fouts area, Float Creek, Panther Creek, Fall Creek, Cranfield area and the Robinson area. As you can see they are throughout our end of the lake.

On Sunday, a father and daughter team (Kevin and Abbie) took a guided trip with Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters and landed 4 nice stripers and lost 8 others. Tom was using live gizzard shad and caught the fish in 25 - 40 feet of water. He was fishing the Fouts / 6A area. The second photo is of Mary Ann, one of our Collinsville, IL guests. She spooned up this nice 10 pound striped bass suspended in 40 feet of water in the White Rock area. Doug and Mary Ann also caught white bass and black bass both on top water and vertical jigging and also trolled up a nice 6 pound hybrid in the Cranfield area. Another one of our fishing guests (not in a photo) has been catching nice sized largemouth and Kentucky bass. He has also caught several walleye, one 18 inches. Larry loves to use a jig and pig and last winter he made up over a hundred jigs in various colors. He also uses real pork rind instead of the plastic ones.

As you can see fishing has been pretty active lately. For the top water bite you need to be out on the lake before sunrise as the fish start to go deep as the sun gets above the tree line. Even though this morning the striper top water bite lasted until 9AM and was still going on slowly as I left. The top water action is spotty and the fish come up quickly and go back down. If you are in the right place at the right time your spook will catch these fish.

The Norfork Lake surface water temperature this morning was in the low to mid 70's, The lake level is rising slowing and currently sits at 560.18, 8 feet above normal pool. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are slightly stained.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Top water action is still active on Norfork Lake. Last evening I went out and bottom bounced a crawler harness. I caught all the blue gill that I wanted, but the walleye eluded me. When the sun started to set I moved to a main lake point near our resort. The whites, Kentucky's and stripers started to erupt as soon as the sun was low enough to be hidden by the trees. I kept this 8 pound striped bass and released a 10 pound striper.Both were caught on a Zara spook junior. (white/chartreuse) I also caught 6 medium size white bass. The stripers didn't stick around long, but the white bass kept coming up until dark. I headed out this morning before sunrise and sat on the same point as last evening. As the sun came up the white bass started coming up all over from shallow water to 80 ft of water. I caught my fair share, but decided to leave and see if I could find some striped bass. I went back into Bennett's and this time the Kentuckys were coming up near one point. I caught 6 bass with 4 that were 15 inches long. They do give a good fight. Again no striper. I headed home about 8AM since Linda wanted to go shopping. I guess this is only fair.

The lake level is rising slowly with the rain that we have had the last couple of days and is currently at 562.6. The Corps is running 1 generator about 12 hours per day. The water temp this morning was in the upper 70's and last evening it was in the low to mid 80's. The water is clear in the main lake and still stained in the creeks and coves.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

We have had fabulous weather here in Arkansas at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort. The watersports people are out in force; fishing, waterskiing, tubing, swimming, and jetskiiing. There is a place for everyone and all are having a great time on Norfork Lake. Our swimming pool is also getting a lot of use. The air temperature has been in the 80's during the day and 60's at night. I can't ask for anything better.

Fishing has been a lot of fun for me. I have been out every morning but one for the last week. I have been catching Kentucky bass (spotted), largemouth bass and today a couple of nice stripers. Yesterday morning I started in the Cranfield area and caught several Kentucky bass, but the top water action was not there. I left and headed to the Bennett's area and found some bass chasing shad on the surface. I started throwing my spook and caught about 6 bass with 3 keeper size. I headed back in and stopped at a point close to our resort and found the gar rolling on the surface. I threw my spook several times and caught several more Kentucky bass. I think you can find Kentucky and largemouth bass almost anywhere in the lake.

Today I headed to a totally different area for me. I found some stripers hitting the surface out in the middle of the lake in about 150 ft. of water. I ended up catching two stripers and missing two others. The striper on top water is a very early bite. You need to be at your site before daybreak and if it happens, it usually ends as the sun gets over the tree tops about 7AM. If you get lucky and get cloud cover, the topwater bite could last longer. When you check into our resort ask me about striper locations. I'll be happy to mark your map. After I left my striper spot I headed to do a little bass fishing. One of our guests gave me some Chomper skirted twin tail grubs to try out. It's a great bait. On my first cast I caught a 2.5 pound largemouth. After that I caught 3 Kentucky bass, one keeper size.

The white bass are starting to school back in the coves and creeks. You can find some top water action early in the morning and also late in the evenings as the sun is setting. I caught the above white crappie on a live shiner. To be honest, I actually caught the two pound plus fish on my trot line. It was one of the largest white crappie that I have seen. Catfish are still hitting the trot line. I get about 3 or 4 every morning. Many of our guests have been sent home with a bag of fish. Our lake catfish is a very good eating fish. Blue gill are hitting worms and crickets and you will get some nice sized fish.

The Norfork Lake level is 562.4 (10.4 ft above normal pool) and seems to be holding fairly steady. The Corps. has forecast that the lake has crested and they will start to generate more especially with the warm weather we have been having. The Norfork Lake water temp is in the low to mid 70's in the morning and rising to the upper 70's durinh the day. The water is clear with a slight stain in the coves and creeks, but that too is clearing.

By the way, the young lady in the photo above is my gorgeous granddaughter.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

It was very productive and fun fishing Norfork Lake this morning. I caught crappie, white bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass (kentucky) and striped bass. All from about 6:00 - 8:30AM and all (except crappie) on a top water Zara spook lure. I was using my favorite color pattern, a white body with a chartreuse head. The fish are starting to surface more, which is what I have been looking for. The feeding frenzies do not last long, but today when they went down they would surface again not far away. It was a blast. I started fishing in a cove by East Pigeon where I caught the crappie, white bass and largemouth bass. Most of the white bass were on the small size, but still fun. If I would have down sized to a Zara spook puppy I could have had a field day catching whites. I moved to the Cranfield area looking for striper top water action. I was fishing along a bluff and they started to come up. I caught two on top water. I also caught small, large and spotted bass in the same area. I was sitting in about 60 - 70 ft of water close to shore, but not casting distance. Once I looked across the lake and for 15 minutes I could see the most fierce eruption I had seen this year, but I have learned that if I start to chase the fish, by the time I get there they are gone, with great reluctantance I stayed put. My patience paid off as they came up again around me and I caught a nice 12 pound striper. I ended up releasing all fish caught today even though most were keeper size fish. One largemouth weighed 3 pounds.

The Norfork Lake level is 561.5 and rising slowly. One to two generators are being run 5 - 6 hours per day periodically. The Norfork Lake water temperature was in the mid 70's this morning and gets warmer during the day. The lake was calm with a slight ripple with south winds. The water is clear in the main lake and slightly stained in the creeks and coves. The current weather is just perfect for all types of water sports.

The fishing couldn't have been better this morning so plan your vacation soon to share in all the fun.

Happy fishing and see you at the lake or at least in our pool.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake produced top water action this morning. My better half (Linda) wasn't the fisherwomen who caught the fish, but she is the person who cooks up the fish. I tried to get her to hold them, but no luck. She also is not willing to get up with me and go out on Norfork Lake at 5AM. I just don't understand this!! I did get into a short period of striped bass top water action. I caught this 8 pound striper and also a diaper striper (undersized). I guess I was a little lucky that I was in the right place at the right time. They started hitting the surface around 6:30AM and it lasted just 20 minutes if that long. The bigger fish was a blast to catch. It came up at about 25ft from the boat. I casted a white with chartreuse head Zara spook a little past the surfaced fish. I was doing a walk the dog retrieval and thought I had missed the fish, but when it was only 4 ft from the boat it hammered the lure and dove straight down. It spooled half my reel so I think it went down to the bottom. It was a good fight. I was sitting in about 55ft of water. I casted a spook most of the day. I landed 6 largemouth bass, one weighing about 2 pounds and the rest around 10 - 12 inch fish. It was a fun few hours. I was fishing the Bennettes Arm area. A guest fishing in the same area caught several nice largemouth and a nice smallmouth, plus several more undersized fish. Big or small, I just like to catch fish, and I had a nice time this morning.

My trotline is still producing, caught a nice flathead and two channel catfish. I am using live shiners as bait.

The lake level is still rising slowly, currently sitting at 560.08. Water is clearing quickly all over except for in the backs of flowing creeks. Our south winds and warm days are really warming the water quickly. I was marking temps in the low 70's this morning and I am sure it will be much warmer in the afternoon. None too soon for the upcoming holiday weekend. The swimmers and skiers will enjoy the warmer water. The forecast is for sun and warm temperatures.

Happy fishing and see you all on the lake.

Springtime at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort

What a beautiful day. It is 82 and sunny right now (5:00 PM). We're in for more of the same for the rest of the week! I have to admit- I couldn't help it- I planted tomatoes even though I swore I was waiting til mid May this year. I do have enough saved back just in case I need to replant. The herbs and some flowers are planted, shrubs are trimmed (most of them), and the grounds have been mowed for the first time. We're not crazy about the mowing and trimming, of course, but the rest of it is pure enjoyment. The greenhouse I got for Christmas a couple years ago is still bringing me pleasure. There can be no place prettier than Mountain Home, Arkansas on a sunny spring day!

Lou didn't get out on Lake Norfork last night or this morning. He tried to ignore the backache he had but just couldn't do it. He is out fishing now though. He's trying a mid day into the night fishing shift. We also have guests out fishing as well so I'm sure there will be something to report later.

Enjoy these spring days.

Linda