Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Winter fishing on Norfork Lake near Hummingbird Hideaway Resort is in full swing. Fishing is good for most species. My favorite, striper fishing, has been good.  To find the stripers find the bait. Bait and stripers are both suspended 40 – 70 feet down in 80 – 120 feet of water. The stripers will be on top of the bait, buried in the middle of it and sometimes on the bottom of the bait stream. Electronics are very helpful this time of year in finding the bait and marking the fish. My favorite winter spot for striped bass is anywhere from the 62 bridge columns down to the Howard Cove area. The fish and bait are moving to different spots throughout this area. Four days ago, I was marking bait and catching stripers in front of Howard Cove and for the last several days they were located between the two bridges. On January 15^th I landed a monster 25 pound striper in front of Howard Cove. Yesterday a friend landed another 25 pound fish by the 62 Bridge. I don’t know why, but the bait moves and the fish follow. Vertical jigging with a spoon is working very well as is live bait.

The big 3 pound white bass bite is also very good. You will find them in the same location as the stripers. The whites will typically be buried in the bait down 60 feet. Vertical jigging with a spoon or live bait is working. When jigging with a spoon only light twitches are needed and you need to be ready to set the hook, the bite is very light. The same slow presentation for striped bass is working.

The bite for largemouth and spotted bass is good. Look for these fish at points on the deep water bluff lines. I have found the bigger fish in 40 – 50 feet of water and the smaller ones up in 20 feet of water. I like to vertical jig with a spoon, but jig & pigs as well as grubs are working well. ¼ ounce or a little larger jig heads should be used. Cast your bait out and let it fall to the bottom then work it back slowly. Watch your line as the bait falls since the fish may pick it up at any time.

Crappie fishing has also been OK. I have not been crappie fishing myself, but crappie are being caught on the deeper brush piles in 40 + feet of water. Crappie are suspended on the tops of the brush. Small spoons, grubs or live minnows are all good baits this time of year. Same as the other species work the bait slowly.

The Norfork Lake level is currently at 550.65. The surface water temperature is in the mid 40’s. The main lake is clear and the creeks and coves are still stained.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.



 

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake's striper and hybrid bass bite is still very strong. Today was no exception. I landed 4 stripers in the dark with live gizzard and thread fin shad. I started to fish about 5:45 AM in total darkness. I set out the first pole at 38 ft and was sitting in 42 ft of water. I used a 2 ounce weight with a 5 foot leader, all with 8 pound monofilament line. I started baiting up a second pole and looked over to the first rod and the line was straight out and the reel zinging away. I landed the striper shown in the 3rd photo down. I continued baiting up the rods and finally had 2 out. All of a sudden both rods got buried in the water and the fight was on. To my dismay both of the fish swam together and the lines tangled so I ended losing both of them. After this I only put out one pole and held onto it. This made things much easier. I landed another 3 fish in the same size as below and released them immediately and also missed several good bites. Once the sun rose (approx. 7 AM) the fish decided to leave my area so I had to start looking again. Today I used live bait, but prior to today I had been vertical jigging with a spoon with great success. Jackie and I fished last Thursday (top photo) and had a great time. We landed over 8 fish, mostly hybrids,all on a spoon. We found these fish part way back in a creek at a channel swing in 60 - 70 ft of water. The fish were schooled up and suspended 30 - 40 ft down. On Saturday John and Mary Kay (second photo) used live shad for their fish and they fished the same area that I fished Thursday. Today I found
the fish on a main lake point. The best bite for
stripers and hybrids are within 3 miles north of the dam and also east of the dam. It's a big area, but there's a lot of fish. If this year is anything like prior years the stripers will start to migrate away from the dam area sometime in September, but I have to say, this year has been anything but normal.

The black bass bite is also very good. Lately there has been some good topwater action at sunrise and sunset for largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass. Today, however, there was virtually no topwater action, but I did find some
nice schools of bass 30 - 35 ft down in 30 - 60 ft of water. I landed 4 really nice largemouth bass all on a one ounce spoon. What surface action I did see was right on the shoreline. I believe the recent frontal system rolling though our area drove the bass down to the thermocline.

White bass are also schooling, but I have not had much success in finding them consistently. I have found some really big whites when I am striper fishing and some medium size whites up in the Briar Creek area. Look for the whites on the deeper flats in 40 - 60 ft of water. I have spooned up some whites and have also caught some on a Kastmaster.

I haven't targeted crappie or walleye lately so I don't have a lot to report on them. There are still a few crappie sitting under docks, but I am sure most of the crappie and walleye left the brush piles for deeper water when the water warmed up. Watch for the crappie and walleye to move back onto the brush with the upcoming cool front rolling though this week. The last walleye that I caught was in 40 ft of water on the bottom, caught with a spoon vertical jigging.

The surface water temperature this AM was 82.5 degrees. The Norfork Lake level has also dropped a little and is currently sitting at 550.05 ft about sea level. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves stained.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Norfork Lake fishing has been exciting this spring. I love living in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. Come stay at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort and experience the fishing fun I have almost every day.

 

Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass fishing has been outstanding. The numbers and the size of the bass in Norfork Lake is getting better and better, year after year. Top water action has been good at sun rise and again at sunset. I have been catching most of my bass on Zara spooks and unweighted flukes, and am finding good fish on main lake points, as well as major creek points. If the point has good sunken brush in the water try fishing it. Mid day bass fishing you will need to go a little deeper. They are moving out and going down to 18 - 30 feet of water. Find some brush at these depths and you will find some really nice fish. Try using a jig and pig, Texas rigged worms, or your favorite bait. Work the bait along the bottom. For fishing after dark, throw a black spinner bait. I expect the bass fishing to remain the same for the next couple of weeks. Keep your top water baits ready and have fun. Billy's big bass in the photo above is going to become a wall mount. It was very nice 23.5 inch fish, if I am remembering correctly.

Striped bass fishing has gone though many changes since my last report. Top water action for stripers is slowing, but has not totally stopped. I have seen several big fish chase shad on the surface the last couple of days, but they seem to stay about 20 feet farther away than I can cast. Look for this top water action on the shoreline, as well as out in deep water. The feeding frenzies can happen in any depth of water. Most stripers are being found part way back into the major creeks. A few fish are starting to show up on main lake points which is a normal occurrence this time of year. The stripers are starting to go deeper. If you are a troller or live bait fisherman you will need to fish from the surface down to 40 feet of water and maybe even deeper. The fish are at all depths. Yesterday morning I landed 2 nice stripers, both suspended at 30 feet down in 70 - 80 feet of water. The fish that I cleaned yesterday were full of crawdads. This is telling me they are feeding on the bottom so get your spoons ready. I expect to see the stripers and hybrids start to move out to the main lake points and flats. Start looking for fish in the Robinson area as well as the dam area. Striped bass, hybrids and white bass should start to school before long. They will be feeding on the bottom so if you like to vertical jig with a spoon get it ready.

Catfish are moving into shallow water to feed. Use live bait, either large shiners, nightcrawlers or small bluegills. Jugs and trotlines are working very well.

Crappie are scattered, but starting to show up on brush in 20 - 30 feet of water. They will be at all different depths, so the trick will be to find the right depth. Live minnows are working the best. Some real nice crappie are showing up under my dock in about 25 feet of water.

Overall the prediction for fishing Norfork Lake is good to very good for the next couple of weeks!

The Norfork Lake level is rising slowly and currently sits at 560.47. There has been 6 - 10 hours of power generation over the last couple of days. The water surface temperature was 75 degrees yesterday morning. The main lake is clear and back in the creeks and coves the water is somewhat stained.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

 

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

There has been a lot of change to the fishing patterns on Norfork Lake since my last report. Fish are starting to move to their winter patterns and locations. The lake has cooled to the mid 50's which will make the fish more sluggish so you will need to consider that when you fish Norfork Lake. With cold clear water fishing you will still need to use clear, green or vanishing lines in 8 to 10 pound test for stripers and 4 pound for everything else. You need to slow your retrieval methods and presentations whether you are vertical jigging or casting. I am still using monofiliment line.

Largemouth and spotted bass have moved closer to the shoreline. I have caught a few nice fish on jerk baits and crawdad colored wiggle warts, but most of the bigger fish have come from vertical jigging in 35 - 42 feet of water. A lot of you may still feel this is deep water, but the big fish were in 50 plus feet of water not long
ago. I have noticed a few suspended bass, so when you find them throw a swim bait and get it down to their depth. The bigger bass have come from vertical jigging a spoon on the bottom. I have been using a 1 ounce to a 1/4 ounce spoon depending on water depth and the amount of bait in the area. The 1 ounce spoon seems to be working the best at the 40 feet level, but I have been using the 1/4 ounce more and more lately. The bass have also moved into and around brush piles. I have caught most fish off of bluff lines that have a secondary point (small cuts in the bluff line forming points), or at the end of the bluff line where a cove or creek begins. If there is brush in the area even better. I have found nice fish both on the main lake and also back in the major creeks.

Striped bass have also started to move more to their normal winter patterns. They have started to school and feed on small shad. I have caught stripers on both live shiners as well as a 1 ounce spoon. When I have found the fish schooling the spoon works the best. The schools have been suspended from 20 - 40 feet in 50 - 60 feet of water. I have caught stripers in the Red Bank and Float Creek areas, in or close to the channel. Other normal winter haunts for striped bass will be in the Cranfield area, Henderson area, Bidwell, 101 area and the Bennett area.
 

.The big Crappie are starting to move into brush in 30 - 40 feet of water. They may be suspended over the brush or inside of the brush. A lot of times it depends on the time of day and whether or not the sun is shining brightly. I have caught most of my fish vertical jigging with a small spoon around brush in 40 feet of water. Small grubs tipped with a small minnow, as well as minnows on a split bobber will work. We will start to see bigger schools of crappie in the brush. You still will need to work several brush piles because as normal, after you catch a few fish on on brush pile they seem to stop biting. When they stop biting move to other brushy areas and then come back to your first brush pile.

 

Walleye have also moved into shallow water areas, especially early mornings and late evenings. Vertical jigging has worked for me, but slow trolling a crawler harness will also do the trick. You will find walleye in the same brush areas that you are fishing for crappie. It will not be long until the walleye start their spawn. If you like fishing for walleye, up north around the Arkansas - Missouri border is a great place to fish for pre spawn and spawning fish.

 

When you are planning your spring fishing trip on Norfork Lake don't forget about staying at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort. Why stay somewhere else when you can stay at a resort that the owner actually fishes for all Norfork Lake species almost every day. We have very affordable pricing with clean and comfortable cabins that your wife and friends will enjoy. I will show you my favorite spots to fish and tell you the best fishing techniques to use at the time. I even like to get your cell number so I can give you a call on the lake if I get into fish. Where else can you get this service and comfort! Give us a call for reservations at 870-492-5113.

 

The Norfork Lake level is dropping about an inch a day and currently sits at 541.58. They seem to generate about 1/2 of the day in 2 - 4 hour increments. The lake surface water temperature is in the mid 50's. The main lake is clear with the creeks and coves slightly stained.

 

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.