Norfork Lake Fishing Report

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This morning was one of my best fishing days on Norfork Lake in the Arkansas Ozarks. I feel comfortable in stating that the fall bite has started. Fall bite meaning schooling fish that are in a feeding frenzy, some early and late top water action and a good bite after dark.

I caught so many heavy fish this morning that my right arm is actually sore this afternoon. What a thing to complain about:-)  I ended up catching 18 fish in total with a big variety; striped bass, hybrid bass, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass. I also caught fish using varied fishing techniques. I caught top water fish using my Zara Spook, used a spoon vertical jigging for deep fish and also caught fish on live thread fin shad for deep fish. At one time I had 4 fish on at once, 3 on live bait and one on my spooning rod. I did get to land 3 of the 4. All three fish landed were hybrids.

I started out from my dock around 6AM and headed to the mid lake area. I first stopped at a main lake point and was marking fish. I set out 4 down rods, but after about 15 minutes of sitting on my trolling motor because of the high winds I decided to move to other areas. I headed back into a creek along a deep bluff line and started to mark feeding fish. I dropped 3 down rods with live bait and was vertical jigging with a spoon. I hooked into one after another white bass with my spoon on. These were monster whites about 2.5 - 3 pounds. One of my live bait rods started to sing and I ended up landing a striper. A few fish started coming up to the surface so I grabbed my top water rod and casted out and after two twitches a nice smallmouth hammered the spook. I ended up landing another smallie and a hybrid bass. I was fishing in about 50 - 60 feet of water and the fish were mainly in the 25 - 40 feet depth range with some on the surface. I was fishing close to the bluff wall. The fish in the area disappeared around 9AM, so I headed across the bay toward the opposite side following the creek channel. I got to about the middle of the bay and a live bait rod started singing. I fought this fish for 15 minutes before the line broke. I was disappointed because this fish felt much larger than the first striper. I continued following the channel and came close to the opposite bank when I saw all the feeding fish on my graph again. I hooked into one with my spoon, then 3 of my live bait rods took off at the same time. What a dilemma! I picked up each rod with one hand, set the hook and set it back in the rod holder. I landed a hybrid on my spoon then started on the other rods. I was really fortunate that none of the fish tangled with each other. I continued fishing this area until about 11AM and was catching hybrids right and left. It was a really fun morning. The wind started to howl even stronger and started to blow into the bay so I headed for home even though the fish still were biting. Fun fall fishing morning, hopefully many more to come!

I also fished last evening for crappie. A boat was on one of the brush piles close to the resort where I have been catching many 13 - 15 inch crappie on so I decided to head the opposite direction closer to the 101 bridge. I started fishing brush in 30 - 35 feet and only landed a couple small bass. I moved closer to shore in about 20 feet of water and the crappie were stacked. They weren't the huge ones, but respectable 10 - 12 inch fish. I caught 5 and released all. I was using a 1/4 oz green and white spoon.

White bass are being caught back in creeks and also on main lake flats. Look for the bait fish and watch your sonar for feeding fish. Vertical jigging is working great.

I also have word that the night bite has started. The evening before last a friend caught a nice striper, hybrid and walleye. Slow rolling a Rogue is the preferred technique. Some of the best places to fish are main lake points that are shallow out into the lake, but still have deep water close by. I guess I will need to get out there soon.

The Norfork Lake level is currently at 548.68, with the surface water temperature in the high 50's to low 60's. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves stained. Minimal water generation lately.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

No fishing today, but I did get out the last two days on Norfork Lake. I am granddaughter sitting today. She has not gotten into fishing yet, but I keep trying. The cold spell, then the warm summer like weather have the shad moving continually. If you can find the shad you will find the fish. I have talked with 3 different striper guides today. I have also talked with two crappie guides while setting up fishing trips for spring guests. They are all having their successes and of course the slow days. Two days ago I went crappie fishing and caught several nice size black bass, no crappie. The bass are fat and sassy. I caught mine vertical jigging with a 1/4 oz spoon in 30 feet of water over (actually in) the brush piles. I was also told that one bass fisherman has been using a dark colored jig with a tail and catching quality fish anywhere from 15 - 30 feet of water. The trick is the speed. Barely move the jig over the bottom. The fish are looking for slow moving bait, but when they hit, they hammer it and are pulling like a freight train. More keeper size lunkers are being caught than I have ever seen in the past. Two guides fished several docks yesterday with live shad and just hammered the bass, one being 8 pounds.

The crappie guides are catching large healthy slabs suspended at about 20 feet over brush in 30 - 40 feet of water. Over the last several days they have also caught fish suspended at 9 feet in about 20 feet of water. The hot weather has moved them up. They aren't catching large quantities, but what is being caught is quality.

Striped bass are following the shad and the current problem is finding the shad. One day they are back in the creeks and the next they are suspended at 60 feet in the channel of 120 feet of water. One guide (STR Outfitters) graphed various hot spots all the way to the dam and found spotty fish. He ended up coming up to the mid lake area and found shad and stripers in 40 - 60 feet of water between the bridges. I fished the 62 bridge and Float creek yesterday and caught one small striper, but when I got close to the bank and points I was picking up some nice bass. I used live shiners yesterday.

I, along with the guides, believe that the spring bite should be one of the best we have seen in a long time. Lots of big fat fish. Start planning your fishing trips.

The Norfork Lake level is rising and currently sits at 553.2. The Corps is running one to two generators most of the day with short periods of no generation. We have had almost an inch of rain so far today so we should see another foot or more rise in the next day or so. The backs of creeks and coves look like chocolate milk with a mud line. From the mud line out towards the main lake the water is stained. It will take a while for the coves to clear especially after today's rain. The main lake is fairly clear, but when the lake stabilizes it will clear even more. The surface water temperature has risen to about 48 degrees.

Happy fishing and see you 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

Norfork Lake Fishing Report 4/16/09

What a catch! Last evening was definitely one of the best times I have had fishing on Norfork Lake. I started out from our dock at around 6PM. I ran up the river to the Red Bank area and decided to crappie fish for a while. I caught 4 nice slabs in less than an hour. I was using a white twister tail jig tipped with a live crappie minnow. The sun was setting so I moved across to a point and started casting a rouge, immediately caught a large and smallmouth (both under size), but still a blast to catch. I moved around a few different points and continued to catch bass, but around 9PM the action really started. I was on a point not far from the resort and the striped bass started to hit. I caught 3 stripers and two walleye between 9 & 10. The biggest striper was 11 pounds. I was throwing a bone colored, no eye suspending rogue the whole night (except for the crappie). This has become my favorite lure for the night bite. When I was bringing in my second walleye I looked down in the water and saw my fish and also saw 4 other eyes that had followed it in. The walleye were males, it appears they are still going through their spawn.

One of our guests have been fishing with live shad and yesterday caught, I think, 5 stripers and lost one (the big one). It looks like the stripers are still on the move and being caught anywhere from our resort up to the Red Bank area. I'm sure they are all over. Our guests from Texas really enjoyed being able to take home the majority of the fish I caught last evening. They have never tried striper before.

The lake level has risen slightly with the rains, but the Corps. is generating and keeping it close to normal pool of 552. The water temp is low to mid 50's. It should rise with the warm days and nights forecasted. And as normal the lake is clear most everywhere.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Happy Easter.

I took one our guests (Jackie) out on Norfork Lake last evening and he was excited to catch his first striped bass ever. They were not big, but keeper size, a lot of fun to catch, and good eating. His biggest surprise was the light tackle that I use. Only 8 pound test on medium weight rods. We ended up catching 3 stripers and one and a half walleye. The half walleye was lost at the boat. Actually one of the striper (the biggest one, of course) also broke off in the trolling motor. Night fishing is a challenge and I am still learning. We fished off of a point in Diamond Bay and caught the striper after 9PM, the walleye were caught after 10PM. We actually moved to a different point for the walleye.

The lake was calm last evening and the temperature in the main lake was a little above 50, back in Diamond it was above 55. The water is clear with a slight cloud back in the bay. The lake level is rising slightly at 552.07 but more than likely will rise more with our forecast of over an inch of rain today. They are generating one unit at the moment.

We had a couple staying with us last week who were crappie fishing and they ended up doing fairly good. Caught many big slabs back by point 8. They were amazed at the size of the crappie as they are used to fishing in lakes up in IL. This was their first time fishing on Norfork Lake and are planning to return.

We have current openings so book your trip soon. I will do everything possible to help you catch fish on Norfork Lake.

See you on the lake and happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

I tried out a few new areas on Norfork Lake last evening and did OK, but not great. The forecast called for 10 - 15 mph winds, but when I got out on the lake it was flat calm. I would have preferred a little wind. The lake temperature ranged from 50 on the main lake and up to 55 back in the creek. It was almost a full moon. The water is clear to slightly stained back in the creeks. If we get some rain today, it might cloudy up the creeks a little more.

I started fishing Float Creek (all the way in the back) around 6PM. Found a lot of bait fish in the 20 - 30ft range with bigger fish below them. I started bass fishing in about 15 ft of water and picked up a few smallish fish on a jointed tail shad rap, nothing to brag about .75 - 1.5 pound range. I chose Float Creek for walleye fishing. I have done well there in past years. Once the sun set I moved up closer to the 5A marker and started throwing a white rogue. I fished the 5A marker back to where the creek bends to the North. I ended up catching two under size walleye and 2 small striped bass. I also picked up two bluegill, the lure was as long as the fish. I caught 3 of the fish on a bone colored, no eye rogue with red hooks and the others on the white rogue. Both rogues were the suspending types.

I think that once the water temp stabilizes in the upper 50s, the morning and evening bite should take off.

A couple of my guide friends are out fishing the next couple of day so I will let you know how they do.

I guess I need to get back to working on our resort.

Have a great day and happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

I just got back from a successful fishing trip on Norfork Lake. I started heading to Diamond Bay, but once I went under the 101 bridge the waves started crashing over the side of my boat so I thought it wouldn't be so bad fishing closer to the resort. I headed to Hensley Cove which is on the bluff side of the lake from our resort dock cove. I started fishing the calm side of the cove with a shad rap and started catching last years hatchlings (large and small mouth). They have grown about 10 - 12 inches since last year. I guess they have had plenty to eat. This lake is really going to be a fantastic bass lake over the next few years. I decided to head across the cove to the windy side points. Immediately my screen turned black with bait fish. I switched to my standard suspending rogue for early spring and immediately caught two 1.5 pound large mouth bass. The sun had set and I thought maybe the striped bass would be on the points. I cast the windy point and had a huge hit, it was pulling drag and I was sure it was a striped bass. I finally got it to the boat and it was a 4.5 pound large mouth. I fished a while longer, but when I lost my second rogue to the shoreline trees, I decided to head home. I haven't had a lot of experience casting windy banks in the dark and that darn wind just does whatever it wants with a rouge. I will go back out in the daylight when its not windy and retrieve my lures.

I do release all large and small mouth I catch unless I ever get that trophy fish.

Happy fishing and see you on the water.

Norfork Lake crappie catch

Even though I have mostly been Striper fishing on Norfork Lake after dark I still have had time to do a little crappie fishing. The nice slabs were caught in 5 - 15 ft. of water. They are located over sunken cedar trees that I have placed in about 30 - 40ft of water. Your depth finder should show large schools of fish over them. The crappie are starting to move shallow, just look for fallen timber on the shore line, the fish will be close to it. I usually use a small plastic jig with a twister tail and 1/16th oz wgt. My preference in color is white or green.

If weather permits I will be heading out this evening for the Striper night bite. I have been fishing in the Diamond Bay area, but I think I will try Float Creek this evening. Most of my Stripers have been caught between 8 - 10PM. Wish I didn't have to sleep I could fish all night into the early morning then start working around the resort during the day time. But I guess I need to sacrifice somewhere!