Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Spring has finally arrived on Norfork Lake. It has been sunny and warm the last couple of days and more of the same is in store for us next week. There are a few days of rain forecast, but this will only help the spring bite get better.

The striped bass, hybrids, white bass, black bass and crappie are starting to get very active with the warming of the lake. Yesterday I was marking 50+ degree surface water temperature for Norfork Lake.

Ed, a guest from Wisconsin, was thrilled with the battle given to him from this nice 23 pound striped bass. He states that the stripers are much stronger fish then Muskies. He caught this fish yesterday trolling a Shad Rap back in the Bennett's Bayou area. He was following the channel in around 20 feet of water and his bait should have been about 7 to 8 feet down. He was also using light tackle with only 6 pound test. The fish are coming up. He also noted that there were other boats in the area, both trolling and using live bait, that he saw boating fish. Ed has also caught his share of white bass and hybid bass in many different areas of the lake. I believe the whites have started their spring run and fishing for them will only get better. Look for the whites and hybrids on shallow sand flats. Small crank baits, jigs, rooster tail spinners and gulp minnows should all start to work.

After working around the resort all day yesterday, I decided to see if the night bite was heating up. I have heard though the grape vine that stripers are being caught after dark, but I guess I was not in the right location. I was throwing several different colors of rogues and did catch a few nice largemouth but no stripers. The largemouth bass were caught right as the sun was setting, then I did have a few bumps after dark, but did not hook them. I only fished till about 8:30PM so the bite could have been later.

Crappie are on the brush and should be close to their spawn. Whenever I crossed a brush pile last evening the fish were just stacked from 5 to 15 feet down. The brush that I was marking was in 20 - 30 feet of water. Live bait on a slip bobber should be the most active bait, but throwing a small jig tipped with a minnow will entice a few fish.

The surface water temperature last evening was 50 degrees in the main lake up to 55 degrees back in the creeks and coves. The main lake is clear with the creeks off colored due to the rising water. The lake is rising slowly and currently sits at 545.2 feet above sea level. Currently no generators are running and they have mainly been shut down for that last week or so.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Yesterday morning was another great day for striped bass fishing on Norfork Lake. I took out Robert Lee of Lee's Lite Line (striper guide on Norfork Lake) and we had a very productive morning. We boated our limit of stripers in 2 1/2 hours, broke off 2 others and missed at least 4 short bites. We were using live bait, large gizzard shad and suckers, on down rods. I was setting the bait about 24 feet down and fished in 27 - 32 feet of water. We were fishing the Calamity area. I have also gotten reports that large shiners are starting to catch fish.

Bass fishing has been good. I have had a lot of luck off of main lake points at the end of a bluff line and points on channel swings back in creeks. The fish are anywhere from the shoreline to 30 feet deep. You can also find many bass hanging around brush piles.

Crappie are just stacked over brush piles. They are suspended from 10 to 20 feet down. The brushy area where I have marked fish is in water 25-30 feet deep. Small jigs and a Northland Tackle Bro's Bloodworm has been the ticket.

The Norfork Lake level is at 547.05. The surface water temperature is in the high 50s to 60 degrees. The lake over all is clear with the main lake being the clearest. The Corps is running generators sporadically during the day.

This is a short report, but I mainly wanted to brag about yesterdays catch!!

Happy fishing, Happy Thanksgiving and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Stripers are schooling on Norfork Lake. Striped bass fishing has been pretty good over the last couple of weeks. Large schools of stripers and hybrids are being found from the Robinson area to the dam. Once you find the school drop a spoon and vertical jig, you will get a fish. I have had guests over the last week vertical jigging and catching some nice stripers, hybrids and white bass. Walleye have also been caught at the 101 bridge suspended in 25 feet of water. The photos are two different families/friends. One had three generations of family members on board with all catching fish. The little one had the job of the netting the big catch. One of the families was fishing out of a 20 foot ski boat and the other out of a bass boat. It shows that you don't always need a trolling motor to catch fish, but a sonar does help. These fish were caught in 50 feet of water feeding on the bottom. They were back in a cove that we have dubbed Hummingbird Hideaway Cove, since fishing in this particular cove at this time of year has been productive for me over the last 3 years. The bite is occurring anywhere between 6:00 and 9:00 in the morning. Live shad fishing has also been really good for the guides on the lake. It is a early morning and late afternoon bite. Take a break mid day to go swimming or just relax out on the water.

Black bass fishing has also been good. There is a little top water action early in the morning back in coves and creeks. Plastics are working well in 5 - 20 feet of water. Vertical jigging will pick up a few in 30 feet of water.

Catfish are being caught with live bait on trot lines and jugs. Crappie fishing is still very slow but will start to pick up when the temperature starts to fall. Pan fishing has been fantastic with nightcrawlers and crickets. My dock has produced many large slabs for our guests. White bass are still schooling in the backs of creeks and coves. Walleye are in similar areas to the white bass usually on the bottom in around 30 feet of water and close to brush piles.

The Norfork Lake level is holding fairly steady and is currently at 552.6. The water temperature is in the high 80's to low 90's. The water is clear in the main lake and slightly cloudy in the coves and creeks. One or two generators are being run sporadically.

I will see you on the water next week, my boats are currently rented.

Happy fishing.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

The sun has been shining on Norfork Lake for the last week. Our guests are having a great time fishing in the morning, playing in the water in the afternoon, then fishing again in the evening. Can't ask for a better vacation than that.

Fishing has been great for the past week and seems to just keep improving. The white and black bass as well as stripers and hybrids are chasing the shad to the surface. It is Zara Spook time! One of my guests just came into the office really excited stating that he was in the Cranfield area and all of a sudden the water just started to boil. They had spooks tied on and had a field day catching white bass. He did say he saw some really big fish busting the surface farther out in the channel. Other guests have been fishing Float, Panther, and Fall Creeks with the same results. The top water action is currently in full swing in both early mornings and late evenings. Once the fish go down, vertical jigging is working. Fish are being caught on a spoon in 30 - 40 feet of water. Fish creek channel swings as well as main lake points.

Walleye are being caught with crank baits. The fish are back in coves in 15 - 25 feet of water. Try using a crawdad colored crank bait. Troll it slowly. I have also spooned up some walleye in 30 - 40 feet of water off of rock bluffs. It should be time for the walleye to be on the flats. Start checking out the Cranfield flats, Robinson Island flats, Koso Point flats. The fish should be in 25 - 40 feet of water.

Crappie are being caught on main lake and creek brush piles in 30 - 40 feet of water. Live minnows are still working the best, but twister tail jigs are also catching some nice fish.

The Norfork Lake level is falling slowly and is at 558.58. Only 6 1/2 feet above normal pool. The surface water temperature is in the mid 80's. The lake is clearer than I have ever seen. I can see fish swimming in 20 feet of water. It's amazing.

Have a great day fishing tomorrow and see you on the lake.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report

Good Morning all. For the past two nights the Norfork Lake night bite has slowed (stalled) for striper fishing. I have been out the last 2 evenings and not one striper bite. Due to the potential bad weather I have only traveled to the Cranfield area and have not tried any new areas. One of our guests is fishing the same area with the same results, but they have been catching keeper size walleye at night. (not me!) The walleye bite is slow, but they are catching several a night. I talked to or heard about 3 different guides (live bait) and they all had a very difficult day Saturday. I guess due to the changing weather patterns and changing barometric pressure it slowed the bite for all fishing for striped bass. The forecast for next week is fantastic looking at this time. Warmer consistent temperatures and no rain.

Our guest that is fishing the night bite is also doing good catching crappie and bass in the mornings. They have been using road runners with good success. They are fishing the brush piles that I have placed in Norfork Lake over the years. I talked with a basscat boat owner yesterday morning who was fishing around my dock and he states that the largemouth bass are currently sitting on their beds. They spotted many spawning bass. Haven't heard anything about the smallmouth. Yesterday I spotted at least 5 very large largemouth swimming under my dock during the day.

The lake is slowly rising and currently sitting at 552.7, with no generation. Water temp last evening was 56 degrees and steady. The water is still clear with a little stain back in the creeks and coves due to the current rain.

Well that's it for the fishing info, but another exciting bit of news, the hummingbirds are back. We spotted our first hummingbird yesterday. That always means spring is finally here.

Happy fishing and see you on the lake.