10/19/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week we saw a major cool down of Norfork Lake. This week with the predicted rain we should see a push up the creeks by the stripers to find schooling bait and cold water. I fished both Bennett's Bayou and above the Missouri line. Both places are holding fish but only Missouri has the most consistent bite. I usually start off above point 10 in 11' of water at first light and wait until the school comes sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 AM. This week when it did we hooked 3 and landed them all at the same time. By 7:30 I move out to deeper water and fished that until 9 AM. Then I moved down below point 10 and fished the deeper channel waters. The trollers are having great success in the shallow water trolling small crank baits. I saw 2 boats catch their limit of stripers in less than 2 hours. I'm still using big gizzard shad up to 8 inches. It seems the bigger baits are working the best, but the trollers are using small baits but trolling fast.
Bennett's Bayou has a similar pattern I start off at the cow pasture point in 12' of water and fish the area until the sun comes up. I then move off into deeper waters and fished the channel edge. The stripers are not very active there but as the water cools down it will be a major spot to fish. I have seen a few trollers and some fish are being caught around 10 AM but not many yet. The evenings are still the best time to fish the Bayou right now.
The walleye are being caught on crank baits trolled on long flats above Cranfield Marina. Crappie is a strong bite right now on 30' brush piles, small spoons, jigs and minnows are your best baits. Detailed maps of the new brush piles are available at various locations around the lake.
10/11/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake water cools down and stripers get active then we keep getting warm afternoons and the water warms up and the bite slows down. This past week I fished both Arkansas and Missouri waters and caught stripers on both sides of the state-line. The best bite is above Point 10 in 14' of water but only if it's a sunny day. Cloudy days with an east wind have the least productive bite. I also fished Bennett's Bayou and caught small stripers but there is plenty of bait around and it only takes the water to get into the high 60's and we will see a good bite. The walleye are biting on crank baits trolled on long flats above Cranfield Marina. The hybrids, stripers. and whites are schooling in the evening in Bennett's Bayou and some topwater action is happening early morning and late afternoon on the flats all around the lake. The same is happening in Brushy Creek in the south end of Norfork Lake. As the shad begin to move from the shallows and school you will see lots of action in the next several weeks.
Crappie is a strong bite right now on the brush piles and biting on small spoons, jigs and minnows. A detailed map of the new brush piles are available at various locations around the lake.
10/05/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
September was a difficult month for striper fishing. The lower end of the Norfork Lake was oxygen deprived and the stripers were shut down completely. The Missouri side of Norfork Lake offered some good fishing but was very inconsistent. The upper part of lake had cooler water and better oxygen but the fish were smaller. We are now starting our fall pattern as the oxygen has returned to the mid-lake area like Robinson Point area and the creeks. The water temperature at Udall is 62 degrees and near point 10 is 67 degrees while the main lake is around 70 degrees. The cool nights will keep the water temps from going up much but this week we will see some 80 degree days that will keep the water temperature stable. I have tried fishing Big Creek and found little success but that should change as the water cools. The best bite is still at the state line and above but again as that 62 degree moves down expect to see move fish at Calamity Beach and Twin Coves in the next several weeks. I did fish Robinson Point with some success but again its very inconsistent.. The stripers are staying between 35 to 45' of water on the ridge along the channel off the Robinson Point Island. They are also suspended at that depth in small groups all around the area in deep water.
The largemouth and whites bass are starting to school and some topwater action is happening in the early morning and late afternoon on the flats all around the lake. As the shad begin to move from the shallows and school you will see lots of action in the next several weeks.
Crappie are now on the brush piles and biting on small spoons, jigs and minnows.
08/17/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Each year that we have high water we experience a low oxygen level during late August. This is due to the lake level being lowered. As the lake is lowered the oxygen is being depleted. Stripers need 5 parts per million to be active and as the oxygen begins to decline and the water warms up the stripers begin to stress and move deeper in the lake to find more oxygen. By the end of August the oxygen is less than 1 percent and the stripers will begin to become dormant. This will last into the first part of September then they begin to move up the creeks. This year we have seen a early start to their inactivity. This past week on Wednesday I caught 5 stripers, Thursday we boated 6, and on Friday 0, the average is 2 or less. The stripers will move deep and quit eating to reduce the need for oxygen. Live bait and spooning has been the less productive catching stripers. Some are being caught trolling but it's not worth the money to fish the lower end of Norfork until later in September. The stripers will move to Robinson Point and up Big Creek as the oxygen returns.
But it's not all bad news. The walleye bite is very strong right now. They are being caught using bottom bouncers and night crawlers in 22 to 28' of water off the flat points, flats like Thumb Point and Skunked islands. I did a test run going up the lake past the state line and found schools of legal but small stripers that was feeding heavy during the early morning. The waters up there are shallow and will begin to cool down much faster than the main lake. Once it hits 80 degrees a major striper push will occur and you will see lots of actions. Until sometime in late October if you want to fish with us expect that we will be fishing above the state line which requires both Arkansas and Missouri fishing licenses. If you're a resident of either state you can purchase a (WRL) White River Border License that allows you to fish in either state, its $10 and good for a year.
08/03/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake continues to frustrate me. One day you can catch your limit in minutes then you only catch 1 or 2 stripers. After a couple of days of catching only a few fish Tuesday was the exception the stripers and hybrids went crazy in Hand Cove area. Acres of hybrids and stripers were feeding from 20 to 40' and it only took 20 minutes to catch a limit. What's crazy is the first fish we caught were in 70' of water and we caught it at 60'. Right now you have to fish all the water columns within a 4 hour trip.
Today I left the dock at 4:30 am and had poles in the water by 4:45AM. We fished for almost and hour and was on hundreds of stripers but did not get a bite. I moved to my second spot and found hundreds of hybrids feeding at 30'. We caught 1 quickly but we spent over an hour following the school but only caught a short striper. They would not bite. Some of the problems is all the short storms and fronts and the full moon. Stripers are like deer they will feed all night on a full moon. We caught a nice striper and at 8:30AM at our fourth spot again we were all over the stripers we could not get them to hit. If we did not have the hot weather it probably would be better to fish in the afternoon.
The thermocline is at 25' and we are seeing stripers at all water columns. Some of this to feed on crawdads and the other is to find better oxygen. You will see a lot more of this as we move into August.
07/13/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake is in a state of flux. The stripers have migrated from the mid-lake area and are now being caught in Diamond Bay and the points around the dam. The oxygen level is good at 100' near the dam and the other parts of the lower part of the lake the oxygen levels are OK. Each morning I start out fishing by 5:30 AM but rarely catch a striper until 6 AM. I cannot figure out where the early mornings are hanging out. The thermocline needs to set into its normal level around 34' with the high temperatures this week should drive it down. Right now we are catching stripers in 20' to 80' deep all at one time. It's crazy on what we're doing. My setup has 2 free-lines and six downlines all set from 20 to 80'. Normally I set the lines all the same but now you have to stagger your lines just to catch stripers. Today I caught a striper on a free-line, one at 60', and one at 80'.
The other major problem is there is no consistent secondary bite. Once the main bite is over which usually ends around 7 AM, we are having a difficult time getting stripers to bite. You can see lots of stripers on the bottom but they just look at the bait. Once we can figure this out we should catch a limit each time we go out and the stripers quit biting due to the oxygen depletion.
07/05/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The severe thunderstorms this past week upset the stripers. Fishing was very good until Thursday due to the lighting storm we had Wednesday afternoon. That storm changed the bite from good to poor and the fish get in a funk and become inactive. It takes several days to see a change. Friday the bite picked up and Saturday is was great. My son found a big school and the clients caught their limit in 30 minutes. My clients got into the action but we missed more than we caught. Saturday late afternoon another big storm passed and today, Sunday we saw the same inactivity. The only thing that has saved our trips is the small stripers 18 to 23 inches. They are still high in the water column and we continue to catch them on our free lines which consist of a split shot and hook set back about 75' from the boat. The bigger fish are suspended at 60 feet. Once the weather remains stable we will see those fish become active then the fun will begin. For now continue to fish water depths in the 50 to 100' range to catch stripers. On the lower, southern end of Norfork Lake, fish the points at first light then move to the bluff walls where the channel hits the bank. My first light setup is 2 long lines 50 plus feet behind the boat with a split shot and gizzards. Downlines are set at 30, 40, & 50 feet. Once the sun is up all the downlines will be set at 60'.
The best walleye bite is bottom bouncers with night crawlers along the old shoreline. You get lots of bites but few legal walleye. Fish rounded points that have a gradual slope.
06/29/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake is still in a state of transition. The stripers have not migrated down towards the dam. Limits of stripers are being caught at the 62 bridge. Float Creek, Panther Bay, and Fall Creek. The lake temperature is still around 83 degrees and the thermocline is only at 17'. As the water temperature continues to rise the stripers will be going deeper due to the thermocline should be around 32' at its peak. Look at water depths in the 50 to 100' range to find stripers. Trollers are catching stripers at 60' in Diamond Bay on swim baits and A-rigs.. On the lower end of the lake fish the points at first light then move to the bluff walls where the channel hits the bank. My first light setup is 2 long lines 50 plus feet behind the boat with a split shot and gizzards. Downlines are set at 30, 40, & 50 feet. Once the sun is up all the downlines will be set at 60'.
Bass and walleye fishing is also good. They both are suspended over the shoreline buck brush. Top water plugs and flukes are working and dropping a night crawler over the brush will produce walleye. Also bottom bouncers with night crawlers along the old shoreline will produce walleye.
06/07/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake is hot. Literally the lake temperature went from 72 plus last week to 85 degrees today. It might cool down a little with coming rains but don't expect much. From now thru September it is advised to not throw back any legal stripers. Studies have shown that 75% of stripers caught in water temperatures above 75 degrees will die within 7 days. Catch your limit, call it a day, and enjoy your striper dinner.
The full moon this past weekend had the stripers feeding before light. Then about an hour after light and once the sun came up the shallow water bite quits. For the early bite we are using threadfin shad on a freeline with a small split shot. The stripers and hybrids are about 20' down and feeding on schooling shad. If you're lucky you can catch your limit very quickly but all things have to go your way. Once the early bite is over I switch gears and move to bluffs with a channel swing and set out 2 freelines 100 to 150' behind the boat then 6 downlines set at 60 feet. Most of my fish are caught on the downlines. I target water around 80' deep. The stripers are feeding heavy on crawdads and will attack the shad swimming just above them. This technique will become the standard way you fish for stripers for the next 3 months. Stripers are being caught at Cranfield, Panther Bay, Crystal Cove, Diamond Bay, and the main lake points heading towards Big and Brushy Creeks.
05/17/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Ho-ray the Norfork Lake threadfin shad have finally started their spawn and the stripers and hybrids are feeding heavy. The bass are also feeding and with this week's upcoming weather pattern we should see an explosion of fish activity. Get your swim baits and Zara spooks ready for a workout. We have been fishing from Crystal Cove to Big Creek and finding and catching limits. The fish are relating to bluffs and points near the bluffs and also big flats that drop off into the channel. If the south wind has been pounding a north point for a day or so make sure you fish it. The fish are chasing the shad that has been blown into the point. With the high water the bait is now in the brush covered by water the shad must spawn on objects. The fish will be feeding on the shad so make sure you work the shoreline with your baits. Good places to look are Cranfield Island and points heading north, Crystal Cove, Diamond Bay, the points heading south like Thumb Point.
The walleye are biting on bottom bouncers with night crawlers. They are relating to the old shoreline in 18 to 24' off the points. The crappie are still deep and they are being caught trolling flicker shad over deep brush piles.
04/26/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I was wrong last week when I said this past week would see lots of fish activity on Norfork Lake. The warm weather promised never materialized. Instead we had rain almost every day with some heavy downpours. There was some shad spawning in Big Creek Wednesday afternoon. I was crappie fishing with no luck because the crappie are still off the banks. My son was catching shad and found threadfin spawning in a debris slick on a bluff wall. I assumed that was happening all over the lake until Sean told me the main lake was only 60 degrees. Sean had several good days fishing the main lake points near the dam but the weather kept changing the pattern. One day stripers active on the main lake and then the next day they were way up the creek. Nothing is consistent right now. Once we see consistent warm nights and south winds the whole lake will see topwater bites and lots of feeding activity.
The stripers should begin to feed on the main lake points and near mid-creek bluffs and on the flats up the creeks. Some good places to try this time of year are; Cranfield Island, Crystal Cove, Koso Point, Dam Cove, Big and Brush Creeks, Woods Point, Diamond Bay, Thumb Point & School Bus Point.
04/06/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
We have not been doing much fishing due to the virus travel shut down. Our clients are abiding to restrictions and have been postponing their upcoming trips. The lake rose up to 571 which 18' above pool, two gates at the dam are open 1 foot but this will only maintain our level. Until they get serious about reducing the lake we will continue to see the lake rise since we are getting rain every 2 or 3 days.
The warm weather will improve fishing for Norfork Lake stripers, bass, and crappie. The crappie is the best bite right now. They are moving closer to shore as the water warms. I would expect to see a early spawn by this weekend if we do not get much rain this week. Stripers will be in there normal spring pattern. Fish the main lake points early and wait for the wind then fish the windy banks using shad or shiners. The other pattern is to move to the upper end of creeks in the stained water and fish the flats staying in 30' or less. Run planner boards next to shore and long lines along with a couple down lines.
Minnows and small jigs will be the most productive baits to catch crappies in the brush. The best three creeks right now are Big Creek, Bennett's Bayou, and Pigeon Creek.
03/29/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
It was a great week to be on Norfork Lake. The biggest problem we had was the rising water and debris which covered most of Bennett's Bayou on the north end of the lake. The first half of the week striper fishing was on fire. Lots of stripers were caught trolling and fishing with live shad and shiners. The biggest caught in the Bayou was 24 lbs. The bite was both morning and evenings. Once the sun came out on Thursday fishing slowed down, some of that was all the boats and the fish getting use to the bright sunlight. My son Sean decided to fish the Big Creek area on Friday and caught a fat 24 lb striper. They practiced CPR, catch, take picture and release. The water was clearer in the southern part of the lake. He caught stripers both Friday and Saturday well into the late mornings from Point 1 to 1C. The fish are shallow even if its deep water, Sean is using 5 to 7 inch gizzard shad on planner boards and free-lines. Stripers are still being caught around the bluff near Blue Lady resort and the flat above it and Crystal Cove.
I have given up on spider rigging for crappie right now due to the high water and instead I'm using 1 pole flipping the buck brush with minnows and jigs. We fished Bennett's Bayou Thursday and caught a few for dinner. It took awhile to figure out what brush and how deep the crappies were. We missed quite a few and caught some shorts. The good news is as the weather warms and the lake levels off the crappie with start to move up to spawn. Minnows and small jigs will be the most productive baits to catch crappies in the brush. The best three creeks right now are Big Creek, Bennett's Bayou, and Pigeon Creek.
03/25/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I did not do much fishing this past week due to the weatherman saying we would have rain all day when I had trips scheduled so we canceled and guess what, no rain. We did get a lot of rain but most of it had been at night. The lake is 12 feet over pool and it looks like it will keep going up. We did try and fish Friday morning but the lake rose 3 feet overnight and the debris line in Bennett's was a mile long. They are catching stripers along the bluff walls in front of Fout's marina and on the flat heading towards 6B. The water was warm Friday so we decided to catch some shad. We moved to the back of the left arm of Bennett's and found crappie and shad in 2 feet of water. The water was muddy and the temperature was 58 degrees. We the influx of new water the temperature will fall but the dirty water holds the temperature better so once this cold front passes we should expect some great action on the flats for stripers. The crappie are moving up and you should expect to catch a limit fishing the new brush line as the water rises.
Keep fishing the creeks for crappie, don't be afraid to go way back into shallow water. We were baiting on Friday and the water was 58 degrees and found crappie in 2 feet of water. Once we start getting some warm nights the crappie will move back and start feeding again. Minnows, jigs, and small spoons are catching limits of crappie. The best three creeks right now are Big Creek, Bennett's Bayou, and Pigeon Creek.
03/17/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I fished this past week in Bennett's Bayou for stripers. The warm weather, full moon and the lake draw down changed the shad bait pattern. Most of the bait was on the flat by Fout's and the big flat before the Walker's arm of the bayou. The warm strong winds early in the week moved the shad up the creek arms and was very thick in both arms of Bennett's. I caught fish on the flat by Fout's and on the big flat but it was slow since the big bait balls were not there. I moved up to the right arm and found bait 20 feet thick the length of the right arm but by then it was late in the morning and I only had one strike. My son was in the left arm and was looking for bait. The water temperature way up the arm was 64 degrees. He found lots of bait and crappie. The crappie had moved up in the 2 feet of water feeding on small shad. The anglers who figured that out were catching them very fast. The patterns all changed with the cold rain and temperature drop Saturday. Sunday morning the highest water temperature was 50 temperature and the creeks was 49 degrees. The upper creek arms dropped 8 degrees. The bait moved out to the flat to find their comfort zone. Sean and I had a 2 boat trip and we started off with a bang. We had each a little boy and the parents and grandparents split the party up. Each boy caught a 12 lb stripers and numerous small stripers. The fish were caught on the big flat before Walker's arm in 40 plus feet of water. We were using small gizzard shad and shiners on long and down lines.
With all the rain and cold weather this week I expect the window to catch stripers is very early and then late afternoon. Until we can get some sunshine and warm south winds the all day bite we normally have will not happen.
Keep fishing the creeks for crappie, find a brush pile with their tops at 15' or deeper and you will find crappies. Minnows, jigs, and small spoons are catching limits of crappie. The best three creeks right now are Big Creek, Bennett's Bayou, and Pigeon Creek.
03/09/20
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I started fishing this past week and had some success for both stripers and crappie, The warm weather has moved the stripers up the creeks. The stripers are feeding on small shad so shiners and small crank baits are working the best. You can catch stripers from Fout's marina to 1C in Big Creek in waters ranging from 18 to 35'. I have been using shiners on long lines with a split shot, small balloons set at 20', and down lines set from 10 to 20'.
I took y crappie boat out to make sure everything was working and sure glad I did because it seemed that what every I touch broke. I spider rigged for crappie and yesterday the fish are piled on the brush piles and not roaming yet. I did manage to catch a 14 & 15” crappie, white bass, largemouth, and a 7 lb striper plus broke off 2 more stripers. A 16' crappie rod does not perform well for stripers. I did spot lots of crappie being caught off the brush piles. I fished both arms of Bennett's Bayou and saw lots of action.
White bass are up the creeks and the upper part of Norfork lake near Udall, they are catching them from the shorelines and boat using small jigs and spoons. The left arm of Bennett's Bayou is the hot spot right now.
Crappie fishing is doing great. Keep fishing the creeks, find a brush pile with their tops at 15' or deeper and you will find crappies. Minnows, jigs, and small spoons are catching limits of crappie. The best three creeks right now are Big Creek, Bennett's Bayou, and Pigeon Creek
09/09/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The bite has died at the dam. The oxygen level is so low the stripers are not moving and laying in the mud to keep alive. The lake usually starts a slow temperature drop but with the hottest weeks next week I see no relief. We did have 2 good outings then on Friday Sean and I both had clients and I caught 1 and Sean had no bites. I suggest if you're trying to striper fish you will need to find cooler waters and make sure if you hire a guide have him tell you where your fishing if they say the dam cancel your trip. Both Sean and I fished up toward Calamity Beach and found active fish and bait, the water is a little cooler and since it's not that deep the fish have move oxygen due to some current coming from the river. I will fishing up there until the lake turns over in late October, it's a long boat ride but worth the effort if you want to catch stripers. The best will be 6 to 8” gizzard shad fished on downlines and long lines weighted with a split shot.
If you do not want to travel that far wait until its start getting cooler at night and the water temperature gets into the mid seventies then Try the creeks and Robinson Point. One trick is go up the creeks until you find a drop in the water temperature, the stripers will be close by.
09/02/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The bite continues at the dam. Our clients limited out on each outing this week. The fish have gone deeper due to the low oxygen. The latest report said the oxygen was 2 percent which is enough to keep the stripers alive and semi-active but not much more than that. We are still using 4 oz sinkers to get the bait down on the bottom then we bring it a foot and keep the baits at 1 foot off the bottom no manner what depth were fishing. Again all the fish begin caught is within 500 yards of the dam, Quarry swim beach, the buoys and Dam Cove, and Long Point are holding most of the fish. A trick that has been effective is a short 10 lb leader with very small hooks.
Almost all the fish being caught are on live bait. Every day I fish I see less and less fish. I feel within the next week or so the fish will leave the dam and scatter around the lake. Try the creeks and Robinson Point. One trick is go up the creeks until you find a drop in the water temperature, the stripers will be close by. The water above Calamity Beach is starting to cool so it will not be long before I begin to fish on the north end of Norfork Lake.
08/27/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The August full moon has helped the striper bite this year on Norfork Lake. I had 5 guided trips this past week and all but the last 1 caught their limits. Today we boated 8 and missed or broke off 10 more. The bite has been awesome for us. I'm fishing at the dam and caught limits of stripers that must be kept because of the depth of the water column the fish are in. My son is fishing north on the Missouri side of Norfork Lake and catching big stripers that can be released. I went with him on Tuesday and boated 7 that were between 12 and 20 lbs. The last 2 days he has boated a 22 and 26 lb striper, again all of them have been released. They are also catching stripers above the state line before Udall but those must be kept since the water is warmer. The fish are in 30' of water on the bottom. I plan on going up tomorrow, Monday to find them and also fish for the bigger stripers. We are using small baits south and big 8 to 10” baits up north. Again all the fish begin caught is within 500 yards of the dam, Quarry swim beach, the buoys and Dam Cove, and Long Point are holding most of the fish. A trick that has been effective is a short 10 lb leader with very small hooks. Almost all the fish being caught is on live bait. This pattern will continue until the oxygen bubble burst and the stripers can start moving from the deep water. This will only happen when the lake cools down so expect this pattern to continue until mid to late September. The water above Calamity Beach is starting to cool so it will not be long before I begin to fish north.
08/05/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake stripers bite was better this past week I limited out one day and had several days that if we hooked all of the bites, we would have our limit. What we are finding is there is no early bite. We have been leaving the dock at 5:30 AM and really get no bites until after 6:30 AM so this week we are leaving at 6:30 AM. Some days the bite starts around 6:30 and ends by 7:30. What I found was the active fish move out and if you wait and keep changing your bait you will get bit later in the morning. For example I have fishing one location and catch a couple of fish by 7:30, then I move to a place by the dam and try for another striper. I then move back to the original location and catch some later fish. Saturday I moved around everywhere and could not get a bit so I went back to my original spot and found some fish but they did not bite until 8:50 and then we had 3 move bites by 10 AM. We caught 2 16 & 18 lbs and lost 2 in that size range. I feel that the real bite is somewhere between 8 and 10 AM. I also feel there is an afternoon bite which I plan on trying on my next off day. I continue to fish from Koso Point to the Dam. Dam Cove and along the buoys the guides have been catching fish in the 80’ range. Most of the stripers I have catching are at 80’ right off the bottom. In-line spinners, spoons, trolling and live bait all are producing catches.
07/29/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake stripers are not acting normal this year. From July 4th they have gone deep and we are catching them from 60 to 80' using both threadfin and gizzard shad. In years past during the month of July we would be fishing the flats in 50 to 60' of water and the stripers would be schooling and feeding on crawdads. Usually the stripers go deep in the middle of August and quit biting after Labor day on the lower end of the lake until the water cools. This year they are feeding on craws but we cannot find any schools and they are holding in deep water along the bluffs in the channel and open water off the channels. This has been the most frustrating year of fishing I can recall. No matter how good of bait we have it's a struggle to put together a quality limit of stripers on a regular basis.
Every method is being used on the lake and each method is producing fish but not every day. In-line spinners, spoons, trolling and live bait all are producing catches. Each day you can find stripers but getting them to hit is another story. We continue to search for new places to catch active fish on our off days to make sure our clients have the best opportunities to catch a striper.
The best places to look is the main channel to the dam, the area around the Cell Tower, Koso front and back, the channel from Hand Cove to the Dam, Shoal Creek and Dam Cove.
07/15/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The stripers are beginning to school on Norfork Lake, but not in the locations they usually can be found this time of year. The hybrids are going crazy off the deep points from Big Creek to Point 1. About 6 AM they are feeding on threadfin shad and the topwater bite may last up to and hour. The best live bait bite starts around 5:45 AM and can last up to 7 AM but usually not in the same area. You have to keep moving around the area your fishing since the schools are very deep 60 to 80' and keep moving around off the deep side of points from School bus Point to Koso Point. You have to stay in deep water to catch fish this year. Channel swings next to deep points are the best locations. The 3 baits are working very well right now are live gizzard shad, spoons, and a Kastmaster buck tail with a spinner.
I have not seen many fish caught trolling this past week but I'm sure they have been catching some on swim baits and big umbrella rigs. Stripers are also being caught in Shoal Creek around 6:30 in the morning along the bluff wall. The only problem is it's not every day.
The walleye bite is turning on using bottom bouncers with shiners with a nightcrawlers off the points in 30 to 35' of water from Georges Cove to the dam.
07/08/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This is a strange year for stripers fishing on Norfork Lake. In fact in all my years of guiding I cannot recall how the stripers are acting this year. Last year I talked about the thermocline needing to move down this year it did and the stripers went deep. Right now almost all the fish myself and my son catch are at 60 to 80'. Most of the fish being caught are between 60 and 70' and the bite usually starts around 6 AM and last about 1 ½ hours. There is a period where the stripers move to the channel edge and feed heavy in 72' on the bottom but the bite does not last long and then they move back out into the deep water following the channel. Last weekend I had a great 3 days of catching stripers. By Monday I fished the same spot and did not have a bite. In fact both Monday and Tuesday I only had 2 bites and no fish. Wednesday I moved to Dam Cove and we caught 6 and by weeks end my son was limiting out each day while I also was catching good quality stripers. I was not limiting but my clients were having a good time seeing all the action. The only artificial technique working is spooning. The trollers by me did not catch a single fish this week. Stripers are being caught in Shoal Creek around 6:30 in the morning along the bluff wall. The only problem is it's not every day. There is no consistent bite anywhere right now. Hopefully the hot weather and lowing of lake will get the stripers into their normal summer pattern. I continue to fish the main lake from Thumb Point to Hand Cove and the Dam Area, this pattern will hold true well into September.
07/01/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The stripers are still inconsistent. One of the main causes is the thermocline which is by now around 32' this year it's at 25' and the bait is staying higher and the stripers are still not in big schools yet. They are feeding on crawdads on the flats but they are hard to find feeding. I have been doing very well catching stripers off the bluffs in 125 to 150' of water. Some early fish are being caught at the 30' foot level and later in the morning I have them in the 60' range. The bites start around 5:45 am and last about 1 hour where I have been fishing. By 7:30 on the southern end of the lake the bite for the most part is over. If you do not have your limit by then you will not get it. Some fish are being caught using big umbrella rigs but I have not seen any fish caught using a spoon. The best bait right now is gizzard shad in the 4 to 10” range. My rod spread is 2 floats with 2 oz weights set at 38 and 42' and 7 down rods set from 30 to 60' each rod is set at a different depth. I continue to fish the lower end of the lake off the bluffs but some guides are catching them on deep flats early. You need to get out an use your deep finder to find some fishing on the flats, otherwise find a fish on a bluff and start fishing if there's one there will others around.
I continue to fish the main lake from Thumb Point to Hand Cove and the Dam Area, this pattern will hold true well into September.
The walleye have moved to their summer pattern. They are feeding just below the mud line which is at 22 feet you can also catch them in the 28 to 32' range. The best bite is usually from 8 to 11 am. Long line trolling crankbaits and bottom bouncers set just off the bottom running spinners with night crawlers.
06/17/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The stripers in Norfork Lake are now in their summer pattern. We have been catching fish from 30 to 60' in large schools in the channels near bluff walls. The best bait has been mid-size gizzard shad 4 to 7 inches on a down line set just above the fish. The cold over night weather has dropped the lake from 82 degrees to 77 degrees but should come up fast unless the rain that is predicted this week is cold, then it will remain the same. The thermocline is around 20' and the water below is very murky it will stay that way until the lake returns to its normal pool. Fishing has been good the past week. Both Sean and I have been limited out each day. Sean's client caught a 42” striper that was very skinny and only weighted 22 lbs it should have been in the 30 lb range. The fish could not be released since the fight took too long it was a shame to have to clean a big fish but that what happens this time of year.
On Tuesday I had first time clients that had not fished for stripers. Nick is 13 years old and by the end of the trip it was fishing like a pro. We had some luck at our first spot but the bite slowed so I had earlier found fish that were feeding around 7:30 in the morning. I moved there and setup my normal fishing pole routine of 2 float rods and 5 down rods. Jeff's rod went down and right when I netted his fish the front pole went down and that continued around the boat has each rod went down I was netting another fish. The same time the 2 float rods were hit but we were too busy fighting the other fish. The float's were 30 yards from the boat and by the time we started fighting those fish they had come all the way to the boat. In all we boated all 7 fish, we were lucky since some were hybrids and we could release them and the others were kept to fill their limit. It was an experience both Jeff and Nick will never forget nor will I.
I'm now fishing the main lake from Thumb Point to Hand Cove and the Dam Area, this pattern will hold true well into September.
The walleye have moved to their summer pattern. They will be feeding in the 28 to 32' range. The best bite is usually from 8 to 11 am. Long line trolling crankbaits and bottom bouncers set just off the bottom running spinners with night crawlers.
06/10/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Water is everywhere we had a 4 ½ inch rain this week and the lake continues to rise. Norfork Lake is at 573 which is 7' from the top of the pool. This is very late in the year to see such a rise but this year has been extraordinary in weather. The water temperature is now 80 degrees and the stripers for the most part are now content under the thermocline. The stripers are finally moving to deeper water however they are still being caught just under the thermocline but I have seen stripers feeding at 60 and deeper. We are catching stripers consistently in the 35 to 50' range in water depths of 100 plus feet. This past week I have been fishing up in Big Creek past Woods Point and catching fish consistently but not any numbers. One day the bite is strong than the next we only catch a couple of fish. I have pre-fished all over the lower half of the lake looking for consistent fish to catch but I'm not having much luck. I was scheduled to take a party of 4 out Saturday morning but I gave them my results from this past week and they decided to take a pass. I was glad since it was going to be their first time striper fishing trip and I wanted to make sure they had a good time. It's no value to me to just take a client for the money and they have a bad experience. I did pre-fish and I found some fish where they were supposed to be this time of year. We caught 1 and missed 4 I felt good that the fish were there and I will be able to catch them this week. My client would have had fun but not much action so we were both winners on Saturday. I'm now fishing the main lake from Thumb Point to Hand Cove and the Dam Area, this pattern will hold true well into September.
The walleye have moved to their summer pattern. They will be feeding in the 28 to 32' range. The best bite is usually from 8 to 11 am. Long line trolling crankbaits and bottom bouncers set just off the bottom running spinners with night crawlers
05/28/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The shad has yet to do a full spawn in Norfork Lake but the stripers have decided they could not wait so they have switched their diet to crawdads. They are feeding on crawdads on the flats early then moving to deep water to feed on shad. We had a cold wet spring with very few days of warm weather and more rain than I care to see again. The lake is now 14.6' over the normal summer pool and we will have that for foreseeable future as all the lakes and rivers are over the banks and they have no place to put the water. The best bite is the first 2 hours unless we have overcast skies. I have been using gizzard shad ranging from 3 to 8 inches. Now the water has warmed up. It's now time to keep your fish, the current water temperature is above 76 degrees and going up with the current weather pattern calling for warm weather. The stripers have gone deep we are catching stripers from 31 to 50' on downlines. The stripers are being caught in Crystal Cove, Bidwill Point, the east side of the 62 bridge and the points on the backside of Henderson marina. We are catching stripers in the Big Creek and Brushy Creek on the channel swings in waters ranging from 40 to 100'.
The walleye bite has slowed down they will be moving to their summer pattern. They will feeding in the 28 to 32' range. The best bite is usually from 8 to 11 am. You will catch them using bottom bouncers set on the bottom running spinners and nightcrawlers.
The high water will alter the crappie bite. Until the water warms up they will stay in the deep brush piles but once it warms up look for stained water and find some buck brush. The best method is to dip and cork and minnow into the brush. It's very effective in catching spawning crappie.
05/20/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The week that was supposed to be did not happen. We had the warming spell and full moon but the shad did not spawn. The later part of the week we had colder weather and heavy rain and that cooled the water down. The stripers are still feeding heavy at first light until the sun comes up then the bite dies. What I have seen the last few days is fish are now suspending in the 35 to 45 feet range which means downline fishing is starting. I have caught several stripers on downlines which is a 2 to 4 oz weight with a leader and hook straight down thus it's called downline fishing. I now have started fishing channel swings next to bluffs and I have long lines, planner boards, and downlines to cover the whole water column. I will next start using weighted floats set at 35 and 40 feet with 6 inch gizzard shad as bait. We are still fishing the Big Creek area but have move out of the creeks and now fish the mid area. Soon we will be fishing both Big Creek and the main lake in deep water flats next to bluffs. The other method to catch stripers is pitch live bait into the brush early morning and late afternoon evenings. Pitching live bait into the brush is very effective. Some guides use this method very effectively but you will get hung up a lot and miss a lot of fish that are roaming. A better method is to stay out and fish the old shoreline. I have found over the years the fish still relate to the old shoreline when the lake rises. They just move up when they are active then move back as the sun comes up.
The walleye bite is very strong right now. My sources tell me they are using bottom bouncers set at 15 in 25 feet of water with either a night crawler or Flicker Shad crankbait trolled at .75 miles an hour off the points. Lot of shorts are being caught along with some nice size keepers.
The high water will alter the crappie bite. Until the water warms up they will stay in the deep brush piles but once it warms up look for stained water and find some buck brush. The best method is to dip and cork and minnow into the brush. It's very effective in catching spawning crappie.
05/12/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The past 2 weeks I have seen wild swings in fishing on Norfork Lake. At the end of last weekend and the beginning of this past week the water was warming and the shad was beginning to spawn. The striper fishing has been getting better each day, the best bite has been Crystal Cove area and around point 6. But the rains came along with cold nights and dropped the water temperature back to the mid sixties. The lake also rose 7 feet and cooled the water down. This will all change if we can get back to warm weather the shad are full of eggs and ready to spawn. I expect with the warming trend scheduled for later this coming week and the full moon we should see an explosion by the coming weekend. The higher water is great for the spawn, all the young fry will have great cover to grow. The stripers and bass will be feeding heavy on the shad and the topwater bite should be excellent. One trick I use is a Bass Assassin on a weighted hook. I throw it into the brush and work it as a topwater bait and if I see a swirl on the bait I just stop my retrieve and let it drop since its weedless you will not get hung up. The bass will hit the dropping bait and if do not get a hit I let it go down a couple of feet and do a hard jerk and that usually triggers a strike.
Stripers and bass will be on the points early morning and late afternoon evenings. Pitching live bait into the brush is very effective. Some guides use this method very effectively but you will get hung up a lot and miss a lot of fish that are roaming. A better method is to stay out and fish the old shoreline I have found over the years the fish still relate to the old shoreline when the lake rises. They just move up when they are active then move back as the sun comes up.
The higher water will alter the crappie bite. Until the water warms up they will stay in the deep brush piles but once it warms up look for stained water and find some buck brush. The best method is to dip and cork and minnow into the brush its very effective in catching spawning crappie.
05/05/19
By Steve Olomon of Steve's Guide Service
With the rain we had this past week Norfork Lake is up about ten feet and the water temp is in the mid to upper 60’s. The upper end of the lake the water is stained with some debris floating. the rest of the lake down to the dam and up Big Creek is clear. There is not very much top water activity going on. When there is some, it’s just a few coming up sporadic. If they are close enough to cast to they will usually hit your lure. Throw a spook, soft jerk bait or a wake type bait. When the fish aren’t feeding on the surface I throw a swim bait and it will catch stripers, hybrids, whites, walleye and all three bass species even caught a couple crappie. At night throw a stick bait to the edge of the brush close to the bank and retrieve the lure SLOW back to the boat.
04/22/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I have the full moon blues. What is normally a great month (April) to fish when the full moon appears has turned into a nightmare. The water temperature was up to 62 degrees and heading up when a cold snap happened and the lake went back down to 52 degrees. Normally the lake should be around 68 degrees and with the full moon the threadfin shad would be spawning and the fish activity would be crazy. Right now with the clear water and cold nights it has taken forever for the lake to get back to 60 degrees. Hopefully that should change this week and we can get the lake temperature back up and let the spawning process begin. I figure is will be another week or so before we will see any type of spawn. The crappies have moved back to deeper water and being caught over the new brush piles but until it warms up they will stay put.
This past week I fished all week and I thought it was gone to be great after Monday. I pre-fished Bennett's Bayou Monday morning and had fish going crazy around 8 AM. So the next day I took my clients up there and we did not have a bite in 5 hours of fishing. The following morning I took my clients south to Big Creek and we only had 3 bites. They had booked 2 trips so I suggested we fish the evening since the moon was coming up late and it was almost full. We ended up with 10 stripers and hybrids in the boat. Friday and Saturday nights we fished and caught stripers but the each night the bite was slower. Now I'm off a couple of days and will let my son find the morning fish before I start fishing again on Tuesday. The moon will be fading and staying up during the day so that will help on the daytime fishing.
04/14/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week we saw a lot of big fish caught on Norfork Lake. Most were released however some people just cannot help themselves and instead of getting a replica of the fish they decide to kill it. The number one question I get asked is are you catching any big ones and the answer is not often and when we do we ask that you release it. We caught 4 this week that were to 18 to 25 lbs and they all went back into the lake. When you have the ability to release a big fish this time of year you should because this lake never has enough big ones. It takes years to produce a 30 fish but only a few seconds to end its life. When we get to the warm water period you will need to keep the fish but now is the time of year to release it. If you follow the guides on the White and Norfork river they all release the big browns to be caught again. Let's start doing the same on Lake Norfork.
When the south wind blows on Lake Norfork in the spring it's time to fish the north banks mid-morning. A case in point is that I had put off taking a client for two weeks due to the weather and finally decided the time was right and took them Wednesday. We started at 6AM and by 9:20 we had no bites and I was kicking myself for taking them. I noticed the wind was starting to blow so I told them lets go fish the wind. Our guide boats are built for high rough water and we have no problem fishing two foot waves. I told them to a hang on and in 20 minutes we had 5 stripers in boat and missed as many. My son went out that evening in an even stronger wind and caught just as many but bigger. We both did it again on Thursday. I was by myself and I finally had to just fish with 2 rods because the bite was so strong. Friday morning was just the opposite, the temperature dropped 40 degrees and we had a northwest cold wind and the main lake dropped 8 degrees. I went to the same spot and only caught 1 that morning and my son only caught 2. On Saturday I went up the creek and found 62 degree water and caught 6 again by myself fishing the windy shores. I saw some hybrids breaking the surface so I expect to see more topwater this week as we return to warmer weather.
The night bite in Diamond Bay is in full swing and should continue for the next several weeks. Now is the time to hit the lake. The fish are aggressive and ready to bite.
04/08/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Spring has finally sprung and the stripers, bass, and crappie are biting all over Norfork Lake. Limits of crappies are being caught in Bennett's Bayou, Big Creek, & Brushy Creek. Some days they are close to the shore while other days they are on deep brush piles. Jigs, minnows and small spoons are working the best. The lake is warming up fast and the first major shad spawn is coming up soon. It will happen on the full moon period in April and May. We should start seeing top water action all over the lake as the stripers begin chasing bait. Our bite the last couple of days has been very early then it picks up again around 10 am. The stripers are hitting gizzard and threadfin shad on floats, long lines and planner boards. Everything is less than 10' deep even over deep water. By week's end you will able to catch stripers early off the main lake points on the south end of the lake and once the wind begins to blow the bite will happen again on the main lake. The water is so clear that once the sun is up the stripers shut down but once the wind blows and creates waves they will hit a shad again on the windy banks. We have caught stripers in Bennett's Bayou and Big Creek along with some being caught off deep water main lake points at first light. The night bite should be in full swing and continue for the next several weeks. Now is the time to hit the lake the fish are aggressive and ready to bite.
03/31/19
By Steve Olomon of Steve's Guide Service
The Norfork Lake level is normal and the water temp is in the low fifties in the main lake to the upper fifties up in the creeks. the water clarity is clear main lake and stained up in the creeks. The upper end of the lake is a little warmer. The are a few white bass coming up chasing bait along with some bass also. You can catch the top water fish on just about any top water bait. I like to use a Zara Spook. The bass are hitting jerk baits, crank baits and swim baits, The whites are hitting swim baits as well. I haven't seen any surface activity for hybrids or stripers but it will happen soon when the water warms a little more and the weather gets more stable. There are some stripers hitting at night. The bite is only going to get better as we move into April.
03/31/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
We continued with our evening fishing this past week on Norfork Lake. My clients who were fishing in the morning were still struggling to catch stripers so we decided to take what the lake was offering. The night bite was fair but not as good as when we had the full moon. We had a couple of days with a south wind but most days it stayed out of the north or northwest and was cold. By week's end the morning bite was picking up. My clients reported they were catching limits of hybrids from north of Cranfield to Biar Creek. They were fishing the bluff walls where the channel was and catching them using shiners and long free lines with only a split shot. On the south end of the lake we fished Friday morning but got a very late start and managed to boat 2 stripers on planner boards next to the shore. We had 3 more strikes before the rain set in. The lake temperature was near 55 degrees and I feel would have been in the low 60's if it wasn't for this cold snap we are having. With that said we should see some great fishing the next several weeks for stripers and crappie. I have been seeing large schools over the new brush piles Fish & Game put in the lake. They will start moving towards the shore as the water continues to warm up. Overall we should have great morning, afternoon, and night fishing beginning this coming weekend.
03/26/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week has been the hardest to catch a morning striper in years. I fished Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday mornings in Bennett's Bayou and Big Creek and did not have one bite. The full moon was the main problem, like deer hunting, the stripers were feeding in the late afternoons and all night. I canceled my Tuesday trip since there was no action for my clients. My Wednesday clients decided to go on a afternoon and we hooked up 9 times boating 8 stripers and hybrids by dark. My son went out about 8 at night and threw some stick baits and hooked 8 and boated 2 in 45 minutes. My Wednesday client had booked a 2 day trip but could not go in the evening on Thursday so we did a morning trip. We left at 5:45 am and went up to Cranfield to fish the points where some stripers had been caught. Again we did not have 1 bite but found large schools of largemouth bass off the pine trees in Pigeon Creek. His grand boys had a great time catching 2 and 3 lb bass all morning. Friday night I took my clients out in Big Creek and again hooked up with stripers. Saturday night in the rain my son and I both had clients and he boat three and I only could boat hybrids I had over 6 strikes using gizzards but we could not get a solid hookup. The late afternoon and night bite is the strongest right now and as the south winds blow the night bite will only get better. Fish the shallow flat banks mid-creek starting around 4:30 to dark in Big Creek, Bennett's, and Brushy. Some crappies are being caught off the stickups in Bennett's but the majorly of crappie have moved shallow I have catching good size crappie in 4' or less throwing my shad net. I asked a crappie fisherman how deep is was fishing and he said 10 to 20' and he was having no luck. I told him to go shallow but he looked at me like I was crazy. I have big schools of crappie on bush piles while I'm striper fishing in Big Creek, Bennett's and Pigeon Creek.
03/18/19
By Jake Dale of Reel Fish Guide Service
The winter time fishing on Norfork Lake, this year, has been precarious. Although December and January harvested nice fish with regularity, by February the fish finally caught on that it was winter time in the Ozarks. In colder water, a fish's metabolism slows. A slower metabolism means the fish hold on to what they eat for longer periods of time and won't have to feed as often. You'll certainly want to be there when they need to feed! Our team boated many nice fish most days, they just really had to work for them and put their time in on the water.
Now... Let's talk about Spring! The water temp on the main lake is resting between 46°and 48°. You'll find warmer water in the creek arms. If we're fortunate enough to have some warm nights or warm rains, it won't take long to warm the water.
In early Spring, I prefer the after dark bite. Once the water temp hits the mid 50°'s, I'll be casting suspending rouges at good looking banks. There's nothing quite like a Striper trying to rip a rod from your hand in the black of night! This time of year these fish put up a tremendous fight!
If after dark fishing isn't your forte... There's plenty of options for the daytime bite! Long lining shad, casting swim baits, throwing road runners, trolling umbrellas, spooning, and ripping in-line spinners. Find bait and you'll find the fish.
Late in the Spring, I'll throw top water baits as the sun comes up, followed by a few hours of shallow trolling. When you catch your first Striper on a top water bait... It changes the way you sleep. So sharpen your hooks, do your homework, put your time in, and we'll see you on the water!
03/18/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
What a weather week we just had. We started the week catching limits of stripers and hybrids and ended it with cold weather winds and very little fish activity. The threadfin that was abundant up on the flat past Fout's was blown out and the fish followed Small hybrids and stripers are still around but have very sluggish to bite. We did catch fish Saturday but the bite was very light and you had it get on the bite as soon as saw the hit. The good news is the weather looks consistent and is warming. Today in Bennett's Bayou we had 52 degree water and it will only get warmer. The bait and fish will move back into the creeks as the water warms. If you're looking for walleye there is a strong bite from Calamity Beach to the 160 bridge. Both live bait and stick baits are catching limits of walleye. With the water warming up I saw crappies being caught off the stickups in Bennett's today, you should be able to find them in good numbers by weeks end.
Stripers and hybrids will start to feed now that the big front moved past us. You will be able to catch fish in the Fout's area, Big Creek above Reynolds Island and also Brushy Creek. I caught Fish around 6B in Bennett's Bayou. Shad, shiners, spoons, and umbrella rigs have been catching all of the species. As the south winds begin blowing, start fishing the northern bays and banks. The night bite will start after that so fish the northern banks as they warm the fastest in the spring. These same patterns will happen in all the creeks on Norfork Lake.
03/10/19
As of this writing, the Norfork Lake level is at 557.75 feet above sea level. For perspective, this means the lake is 1 foot higher than normal summer pool level. It is 4 foot higher than the normal winter pool level and decreasing about 6 to 7 inches per day. The water of the Big Creek Arm of Norfork Lake where Hand Cove Resort is located is pretty clear right now. It is normal that you can count pebbles on the lake bed when standing on the outside edge of our dock. We are just days from that point. Once again, for perspective purposes, the shoreline is just at the edge of the buck brush. This means even if you are a frequent visitor to the Hand Cove Resort area, you might not even notice that Norfork Lake is a little above normal. To sum up, Norfork Lake is in great shape with manageable levels, excellent lake access, very good clarity, and in a good position to begin the spring fishing season. By the way, the top water temperature at our dock is running 50 to 54 degrees dependent on the weather and daily amount of sunshine. That magic 60 degree number should be reached a little sooner than normal.
I am expecting another good spring fishing season. If fact, the crappie and bass bite has been relatively strong in the Big Creek Arm most of the winter and is likely to continue. For those looking forward to that striper night bite, watch for that to begin toward the end of March. I will let you know when “The Night Shift” is in its early stages along with the top water action.
Norfork Lake is in a good spot for a very good summer season. The level is fine, the beaches are out of the water, the sand is showing, the lake is clear and beginning to warm. For the best dates, now is the time to make your summer vacation reservations.
03/10/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are wrong and change the game plan. I had been catching threadfin shad in the marina for 2 days and could not keep them alive. I called on some experts and got lots of advice that I tired but nothing worked. On the night of the second day I woke up and said its time to switch baits. In the morning I went to Gerry's Quick Stop and purchased 2 lbs of large shiners. I started fishing where I had caught fish the previous weekend but after 2 hours and no bites I moved to the flat above Fout's marina and started catching stripers right away. By the end of day one trip we boated 8 hybrids & stripers, we also missed as many fish. Day two we caught fish right away but also kept missing them. The stripers were bigger on day two and finished with a limit but only kept 5 keeping of the bigger fish. There are large schools of threadfin shad on the flat by Fout's marina and on the flat above Fout's. I have been running 10 rods, 2 planner boards, 6 long lines with only a split shot, and 2 downlines set at 20'. We caught or had bites on all the type of rigs.
Stripers and hybrids will continue to feed prior to their spawn. You can catch fish in the Fout's area, Big Creek above Reynolds Island and also Brushy Creek. I caught Fish around 6B in Bennett's Bayou before the run up. Now they have moved out to deeper water around Fout's Marina and Crystal Cove. The best bite was from mid-morning until late afternoon. Shad, shiners, spoons, and umbrella rigs have been catching all of the species. The threadfin shad are dying by the thousands and will continue to until the water temperature hits and stays above 50 degrees. We need warm nights and south winds to warm the water. Once that happens the lake will explode with fish being caught all over the lake. Once the south winds begin blowing, start fishing the northern bays and banks. The night bite will start after that so fish the northern banks as they warm the fastest in the spring. These same patterns will happen in all the creeks on Norfork Lake.
03/03/19
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake spring looks like it's gone to wait until late March based on the forecast in spite of the weather the spring fishing has started. I have fished some in January and February but only had limited success. For my fishing trips I had scheduled in February, I canceled or moved them to March thinking the weather would be better but it's not, so I just gave up and started fishing. The water temperature is around 45 degrees but will warm up on the sunny days. On several occasions I have found water temps in the 52 degree range and caught gizzard and threadfin shad. The backs of most creeks was the warmest but now the lake is being lowered due to the run up of over 10' above pool and the creeks will clear up. Stripers, hybrids, and whites were being caught around 6B in Bennett's Bayou before the run up. Now they have moved out to deeper water around Fout's Marina and Crystal Cove. The best bite was from mid-morning until late afternoon. Shad, shiners, spoons, and umbrella rigs have been catching all of the species.
Threadfin shad are holding in most marinas right now and if you have a cast net you can catch them before light most days. My brother came down for the weekend so I took him fishing Friday afternoon and fished the 6A area. He caught his limit in 2 hours using gizzard shad. On Saturday I caught some threadfin to go along with the gizzards I had and we started fishing around 9 am. It took over and hour to catch the first one, we then missed 2 and by noon only had 1 on the stringer. I could not get a bite on the threadfin and was running out of them. I rigged up 2 free lines with only a split shot and went shallow. We had been catching the fish in 45 to 60' of water but the bite quit. I moved closer to shore in less than 30' of water and caught a big hybrid and the biggest striper of the trip. It was getting cold so we quit but my brother caught his limit 2 days in a row. Not bad for not fishing since the beginning of February.
The stripers will move up the channel towards Fout's and the big flat towards Bennett's as the warmer weather begins. Once the south winds stay consistent start fishing the northern bays and banks. The night bite will start soon make sure you fish the northern banks as they warm the fastest in the spring. These same patterns will happen in all the creeks on Norfork Lake.
12/23/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake winter striper bite is great if you can find the shad, otherwise its slow. I fished Float creek Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday and caught stripers each trip but only 1 time did I catch a limit. There is limited bait holding in Float but there seems to be stripers in the 50 to 60' of water. On Tuesday and Wednesday we caught all our fish from 49 to 58', the stripers were holding on the bottom but they were not very aggressive. On Saturday with caught only 3 and they were in water depths 60 to 70' and our lines were set at 54'. I never marked any fish but we caught 3 using 6” gizzard shad. My clients were from Florida and never caught stripers. It was a father and 2 boys. Each caught 1 fish so they were pleased. I was not since I expect to catch a limit each time out. On Saturday one of my clients fished Big Creek and caught 1 striper. He then trailer his boat up to 101 area and caught 2 more. There seems to be more bait and stripers being caught around the Blue Lady area from the mouth of 101 cove up towards Crystal Cove. Right now I would look for the bait and not worry about the stripers since the fish are following the bait they will show up.
The stripers will be in large schools along with the white bass. Shad, shiners and spoons are the best baits. Since they are now schooled up, using those baits expect the action can be very fast. Trolling will produce fish but since you're moving, you are not staying on the schools long enough to catch many. Even though its cold, winter striper fishing is one of the best time to catch lots of fish and have the lake to yourself. The good part of winter striper fishing is the fish will stay in this pattern for the next several months so there should be not a lot of traveling looking for fish. When you find big balls of shad, the stripers will be close by.
The stripers will move to the channel towards Crystal Cove and stay on the big flat and channel near Howard Cove and Blue Lady. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
12/17/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake winter striper bite is going strong now. I went out Tuesday looking for some stripers since I struck out the week before. We headed towards Fouts Boat Dock but was slowed down to a crawl by the heavy fog bank that started at the 62 bridge. We creeped all the way up to Fout's where I had caught so many winter stripers last year and looked from there back to Bidwell Point and could not find bait or fish. My next move was to look in Float Creek. I have structure scan so I'm very certain when I see fish they are stripers compared to 2D sonar that show lots of hooks that look like big fish but when you view them using structure scan you realize your viewing small fish. I finally found some good white lines that I knew were stripers. I threw out two long lines and then set out 7 downlines. It didn't take long and we hooked up with a fat well feed 12 lb striper. We caught a small hybrid, several largemouths, and catfish while I continued to search for stripers. I moved out to deeper water and found small schools of stripers in 60' of water on the bottom. When I put the shad I was using for bait on their noses they would slam the bait. In the first school we caught 1 and missed 1. The next school we hooked up with 4 all at once and managed to land 3. It was a great way to end our trip. The moral of the story is keep looking, use your electronics and have faith once you find fish. Winter fishing is fun and you never know when the bite will come since they will feed all day long.
The other good area for stripers right now is above Cranfield towards Steward Point. Lots of whites, hybrids, and stripers are being caught using spoons and cast masters. The stripers will be in large schools along with the white bass. Shad, shiners and spoons are the best baits. Since they are now schooled up, using those baits expect the action can be very fast. Trolling will produce fish but since you're moving, you are not staying on the schools long enough to catch many. Even though its cold, winter striper fishing is one of the best time to catch lots of fish and have the lake to yourself. The good part of winter striper fishing is the fish will stay in this pattern for the next several months so there should be not a lot of traveling looking for fish. When you find big balls of shad, the stripers will be close by.
The stripers will move to the channel towards Crystal Cove and stay on the big flat and channel near Howard Cove and Blue Lady. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
12/09/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Sometimes it's easy to say what is happening on the lake then actually being on the lake. This time of year I do not fish everyday like I do in the spring and summer so when I do go out, I make the best of it. This past week I went to areas where I had been fishing and telling everybody “that's where you should fish”. I had caught fish there the week of Thanksgiving and had a client fish the area the following weekend so I was pretty sure I would catch stripers without a problem. The weather was suppose to warm with light winds. I know better than trust the weather but I did anyway. The trip turned out to be cold with winds that churned the lake into white caps. I went to all my recommended areas and found fish but could not get a bite, not one. It was the first time in months that I was skunked. Sometimes it's better just to stay home.
With that being said, it is still a great time of year to be on Norfork Lake catching stripers. The stripers are in their winter feeding pattern in 50 to 80' depths. You will find them feeding in the 40 to 50' range. The stripers will be in large schools along with the white bass. Shad, shiners and spoons are the best baits. Since they are now schooled up, using those baits expect the action can be very fast. Trolling will produce fish but since you're moving, you are not staying on the schools long enough to catch many. Even though its cold, winter striper fishing is one of the best time to catch lots of fish and have the lake to yourself. The good part of winter striper fishing is the fish will stay in this pattern for the next several months so there should be not a lot of traveling looking for fish. When you find big balls of shad, the stripers will be close by.
The stripers will move to the channel towards Crystal Cove and stay on the big flat and channel near Howard Cove and Blue Lady. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
12/04/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's stripers are moving out form the flats into their winter holding pattern. I was catching stripers in the 25 to 30' range and now they have moved into the 50 to 80' depths. You will find them there feeding in the 40 to 50' range. The stripers are now in large schools along with the white bass. Shad, shiners and spoons are the best baits. Since they are now schooled up, when using those baits the action can be very fast. Trolling will produce fish but since you're moving you are not staying on the schools long enough to catch many. Even though its cold, winter striper fishing is one of the best times to catch lots of fish and have the lake to yourself. The good part of winter striper fishing is the fish will stay in this pattern for the next several months so there should be not a lot of traveling looking for fish. When you find big balls of bait the stripers will be close by.
The stripers will move to the channel towards Crystal Cove and stay on the big flat and channel near Howard Cove and Blue Lady. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
11/25/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite continues to stay strong. The stripers, hybrids, largemouth, and white bass are feeding heavily right now. Greg at Hand Cove Resort tells me that the crappie bite near and over the brush piles is heating up. Speaking of brush piles, Greg also told me that many of the Norfork Lake brush piles are getting a “makeover” beginning the first of the month. Watch for more details to come.
I fished 3 days this past week and caught all the species in every area I fished. Right now I have been starting on the flat pass Fouts marina early and then later in the morning I move close to the channel alongside Fouts marina. Early the fish are in the 30' range and as the morning evolves they move into deeper water. Most of fish I have been catching are from 20' to the bottom. If you're lucky you run into a massive school of stripers and hybrids. That's when the fun begins. All the rods will get hit at once and if your quick enough you can put 2 or 3 in your boat. They are hitting shad, shiners, and spoons plus some people are trolling umbrella rigs with swim baits and catching some. The fish are still in the channel from the turn past Fouts Marina to 6B however they are also being caught on the flats up near Cranfield Island, Howard Cove past Blue Lady, and the Fouts area. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
11/18/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite is going great. The stripers, hybrids, and whites are in their late fall, early winter feed. If you want to catch a grand slam of stripers, hybrids, and whites now is the time. I have been hunting all week but I had a client come down from the north and fish an area where I caught stripers the previous week. They were using shiners and spoons and caught their limit of stripers each day with a bonus of hybrids and whites. The fish are still in the channel from the turn past Fouts Marina to 6B however they are also being caught on the flats up near Cranfield Island, Howard Cove past Blue Lady, and the Fouts area. The fish are feeding heavy on shad. The largemouth are also on the feed off the points. Float Creek will begin to hold fish as the water turns colder. Stripers tend to congregate near and in the four corners area of 5A.
The stripers will stay in waters from 28' to 35' until the shad moves out towards Crystal Cove. Then you should find them in 40' to 60' of water. We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the shad and the stripers are nearby.
The crappie bite is very strong on the deep brush piles. Limits are being caught using a small spoon or minnows. The white bass bite is strong on the flats by Cranfield Island and the big flat around Fouts using small spoons.
11/11/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite is moving into the winter pattern. We fished both the Calamity Beach area and Fouts Marina area. The striper bite was strong in the beginning of the week in both areas but by the end of the week the Fouts area was by far the best place to fish. This pattern is the same as it was last year. The stripers stack up in the channel from Fouts to 6B. Roaming schools of fish pass by moving into the creeks to feed. We caught them all day long each day we fished. The last good bite on Wednesday was at 3:30 in the afternoon. They will stay in waters from 28' to 35' until the bait moves out towards Crystal Cove then you should find them in 40' to 60' of water. We are using shad but shiners will be an effective substitute to shad. The best method is downlines set off the bottom about 2'. I also had 1 rod set about 20' down to catch the roving hybrids that are in the higher water column. Float and Panther Creeks should also hold stripers plus Big Creek. Follow the same pattern, find the bait and the stripers are nearby.
The crappie bite is very strong on the deep brush piles limits are being caught using a small spoon or minnows. The white bass bite is strong on the flats by Cranfield Island and the big flat about Fouts using small spoons.
11/04/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite continues to change weekly. Every time I think an area of the lake is done until spring the stripers surprise me and move back into that area and bites anything you put in the lake. This past week I was busy guiding pheasant hunters but my son fished and found lots of topwater action near Fouts marina. The largemouth were hitting topwater plugs for over an hour but the stripers were not biting anywhere around the area. The fish are there but I think the bite is in the afternoon rather than morning. Sean then went back to Calamity Beach on the flats but did not have bite until after 10 AM. Then striper schools began to show up in 30' of water and they caught and released stripers for over 3 hours. Sean asked his clients how many fish they had caught and they said they had no idea since the action was non-stop. This is typical for this time of year. Last year I was fishing Big Creek by 1C early but could not get a bite. I stayed up later in the morning and started catching stripers. I then started my trips at 10 AM and caught stripers the whole mid-day during November. When you find the stripers they are in their fall feeding pattern so hold on and enjoy the day.
The crappie bite is very strong on the deep brush piles limits are being caught using a small spoon or minnows. The bass bite is also very strong all over the lake.
As the water continues to cool the bait is schooling up and has moved shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area.
10/21/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite has been uneven this week. Last weekend we were catching limits of stripers around School Bus Point and Reynolds Island. The big storm we had on Sunday and cold snap that followed blew all the stripers out of the area, I fished Monday there and did mark many fish and only caught catfish and white bass. I moved back to the state line area and hooked up with 7 bites on the first trip. The next day we had fog and only caught 1 and missed a couple more. I have been catching stripers there every day. One trip I took my clients up where we only caught & released bigger stripers. We hooked up with a fat 18 lb striper that gave the client a good fight and great picture. It was returned to fight again. The stripers are moving down from Udall. The water up there is 61 degrees whereas the state line area its 67 degrees. Both Sean & I fished that area on Saturday and we boated 3 quality stripers plus a few smaller ones. The cold snap has driven most of the shad out of the shallows but the upper part of the lake had plenty of bait. As long as the shad stays in the area the stripers will continue to feed and be catchable.
The lake temperature continues to drop and will be in the sixties all over the lake by the end of this week. The crappie bite is very strong on the deep brush piles limits are being caught using a small spoon or minnows. The bass bite is also very strong all over the lake. Greg at Hand Cove Resort tells me there has been a fair topwater bite most days recently. The best has been near and into the entrances of Big and Brushy Creeks.
As the water continues to cool the bait is schooling up and has moved shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the shad and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
10/15/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper bite is heating up. We are catching stripers up past the state line and in the south end in the Big Creek area. Again live bait is the best bait for both morning and afternoon fishing. This past week I fished the Big Creek area and caught limits using small and medium size gizzard shad. There was also a lot of top water action when the wind was not blowing. The stripers are schooling up and we were getting multiple bites as we pass over a school. I have not started fishing until I can find the fish. Once I find them the bite will last up to 9 AM then it dies off. Up north the bite is strong from the state line to the above the Udall boat ramp. Be very careful in this area because of shallow spots in the lake. The water temperature has dropped to the low sixties and the stripers are exploding on the baits. The stripers are very active and can be released to fight another day.
The lake temperature continues to drop and will be in the sixties all over the lake by the end of this week. The crappie bite is very strong on the deep brush piles. Limits are being caught using a small spoon or minnows. The bass bite is also very strong all over the lake. As the water continues to cool the shad is schooling up and has moved to shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the bait and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
10/08/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Norfork Lake's striper migration has begun. I have seen 2 striper guides fishing the Robinson Point area but I suspect they are not having much luck. The latest oxygen report shows that area has less than 1 percent of oxygen. They will be catching hybrids but stripers are moving to areas that contain lots of bait and oxygen. I started north of the state line on Wednesday and went up to 4 feet of water and caught a fat 14 lb stripers. I then moved down and fished an area that was loaded with white bass. I marked some fish but had no takers. I went back on Thursday and caught 7 stripers, white bass, walleyes, and catfish. My son had a trip on Friday and they caught their limit with 2 fish in the 12 to 14 lb range. I went up on Saturday and missed the bite but did catch 3 good ones. On Sunday we got a late start. I started fishing up the river about a ¼ mile of where I had caught the fish on Thursday and promptly caught a 8 lb striper. I have been using 2 to 3 inch gizzard shad using just a split. I set out 4 rods and have been doing very well. My son was pre-fishing up there and he was also using down lines with 6 inch gizzards. I put 4 downlines out too and on types of rigs with had triples. I limited out with 9 stripes in 4 hours and had many more chances to catch more. This stripers are very active and can be released to fight another day. As the warm water cools the action will get very hot. Down river you should start to find stripers in Big Creek and Bennett's Bayou but we need to get that water temperature down to the mid-seventies or lower for the bite to be strong.
The lake temperature had dropped 7 degrees but the warmer than normal weather has pushed the temperature back to 80 degrees. Until the temperature gets normal for this time of year do not expect to catch many stripes on the main lake. The best bite are the walleye that are 80' deep in the dam cove areas and hybrids.
As the water cools the bait will begin to school and will move to shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the bait and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
10/01/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake live bait striper bite on the lower part near the dam has collapsed. Last Thursday was our last good day but it was very slow compared to the past weeks. On Friday I tired fishing various areas around the dam and found our bait dying at 50' and the stripers we have been catching in the 80' range mostly gone and the ones still there would not bite. You can find a few hybrids on the bottom and the trollers are catching some in the 50 to 70' range. These are reactionary bites but putting bait down and catching fish is over. If you put fresh bait down ever couple of minutes you can entice a hit but the bait dies quickly. I tired fishing Robinson Point and the bait died at the 50' range. The fish have migrated and should show up in the mouths of all the major creeks arms in the next several weeks. A few stripers are being caught up in the cooler water up by the 160 bridge but be careful because it's very shallow. There is a good topwater bite for small hybrids and white bass at the mouths of Big Creek and Brushy Creek at first light and early evening. This should start happening all over the lake as the water cools. The lake temperature has dropped 7 degrees but we need it down to the low seventies before much striper action will happen again. This coming week the weather is turning warmer again so this will slow the lake temperature from falling too much. I plan on fishing the Clamity Beach area this coming week but do not expect much but you never know.
As the water cools the bait will begin to school and will move to shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the bait and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
09/24/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake striper bite continues near the dam but we should see a major change in the coming weeks. I expect by next weekend we should begin to see a shift in the migration of stripers. With the current weather pattern, the lake temperature will be lower. It's currently 80 degrees but the rain and cooler nights of late, the temperature will fall. Now the fish are hanging around 80 to 93' off the bottom. We are catching limits of stripers and a few walleye each trip out. The bite is very strong using gizzard shad. I have been lowering my bait to the bottom and bring it up 2'. The walleye are also biting on the shad. A small spoon worked slowly will catch you a limit if you stay in waters near the dam. White Bass and Hybrids are surfacing and feeding in the back of Koso Point at sunup. There is also a strong top water bite on the flat above Blue Lady.
As the water cools the bait will begin to school and will move to shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the bait and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers that you catch.
09/17/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake striper bite will continue near the dam until the water begins to cool. Instead of the water getting cooler its going up with the warm afternoons. No rain increases the chances that the stripers will be near the dam for awhile. The latest oxygen level shows there is no oxygen for the stripers other than the dam area. Stripers need 5 percent of oxygen to be active. As each percent is reduced the striper activity decreases. Right now at 70' the oxygen is 2 percent. The stripers are still feeding but you need to get your bait right on their noses. I'm using 4 oz barrel weights and a short 18' leader and dropping it to the bottom then reel up a couple of turns. Gizzard shad is my bait of choice, they are more active than threadfin in both size and activity. I had a guide fishing next to me using threadfin shad and while I was getting bites he was watching us catch fish after fish. While we were catching our sixth fish for a limit he finally caught 1. Fish live bait right now, I have watched the trollers and spooners fish everyday and only see 1 or 2 fish caught. When the water cools the bait will begin to school and will move to shallower water in the mouths of the creeks. Check Big Creek if you're on the lower end of the lake and Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks in the mid-lake area. The Fouts area will begin holding fish along with areas from Red Bank to the 160 bridge. Find the bait and you will find the stripers. They will be hungry and begin their fall feeding pattern.
09/03/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite continues to be excellent on Norfork Lake. In fact on Friday the action was so fast we finished up quickly so I invited a local who fishes my me to come on to my boat. We hooked up the other persons rod who stayed in their boat and in another 25 minutes they both had their limit of stripers. I limited out the last four days very quickly. Today, Labor Day, my clients were done in 45 minutes. A tourist had been fishing by us the last 2 days with their grand children with no luck. Today it was just Jenna and grandpa so we had Jenna get in my boat and setup grandpa and they both caught their limit of stripers. Jeanna caught her 3 so fast she could not get one in before they was another one on the pole. I enjoy seeing these kids smiles on their faces when they catch the biggest fish of their lives and now know they can catch fish. Grandpa was smiling ear to ear. The stripers are moving deeper and I'm now catching them in the 70 to 80' range with gizzard shad. The guys using threadfin shad are catching them but not at the rate we are. Threadfin life span is very short at these depths so you have to change them out every 5 minutes whereas the gizzards can stay down to up to 20 minutes before you need to change them. When that school comes by the lively bait will always catch more fish. Spoons are not working right now the stripers do not want to move much to feed. They are catching some trolling but nothing like live bait is right now. The stripers are now within a quarter to half mile of the dam off the points in waters ranging from 70 to 130'. The best bite is after light starting around 6:30 and lasting up to 9 am.
08/26/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite continues to be excellent on Norfork Lake but the stripers are concentrating within sight of the dam. Thumb Point, Koso Point and all the areas around and near the dam are where the majority of the stripers are. They are also in the channel and open water from Quarry Marina to the dam. The trollers are having success catching open water stripers but as the oxygen continues to decline the stripers are moving closer to the bottom. Early morning, before light you can catch hybrids in 50' of water in front of Koso Point. As the sun appears the fish are going deeper, we are fishing off the points by the dam. The stripers we are catching are healthy and feeding but they now being caught at the 60' level in depths ranging from 70 to 110'. This trend will continue until the water temperature gets into the low 70's. As the stripers continue to move down the trollers will have a harder time since the stripers are hugging the bottom they cannot get their lures close enough to them for a hit. Jigging a spoon is the better way to catch a striper if you're not using live bait. We are catching limits of stripers both morning and late afternoon. This a great time of year to get out there and catch some good eating fish. Your best spots will be the front and back of Koso Point, Thumb Point and the points by the dam. Don't forget to scan and look at the river channel, I catch limits of fish by just fishing the river channel from Koso to the dam. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers that you catch. Catch your limit and quit for the day or change your target species. Save some fish for your next trip and watch them grow into trophies.
08/13/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake striper bite has been very good this past week. We fished everyday and had limits each day up to Sunday. Sunday the wind was strong and from the east and the schools we have been seeing did not show up. Between my son and I we did catch 11 stripers but that's the lowest number caught this past week. Fishing is awesome right now my son and I are catching limits both morning and evening. Everybody has been catching stripers using live and artificial, trolling, and spooning. The best bite is using live bait. If you can get our before light say 5 AM and hit points with slopping flats around 35 to 40' like Koso, Thumb, Point 1, and Dam Cove. You should catch your limit of hybrids and stripers before light or shortly thereafter. Once the sun comes up the fish move to deeper water but are still catchable. We are catching stripers from 70 to 130'. The striper schools are roaming and when you hit them you will have 3 or 4 rods down like we had today. There is nothing like having 7 rods out and 4 of the 7 are on the floor with fish and others have no bait on them. The stripers continue to move towards the dam. Do not be afraid to fish the channel from the dam north. You will find roaming fish out ready to take your bait. The white bass and small largemouth's are feeding all over the lake. The problem is they are only around 10” and stay up feeding for only a few seconds then move another 50 yards. It's very hard to stay on them. Your best bet is find a large cove where they are feeding and watch how they are moving, the fish will move in a big circle. After the first 2 feeds you should be able to figure out there direction and be in position to catch them.
08/07/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite on Norfork Lake is awesome right now. My son and I are catching limits both morning and evening. I see everybody catching stripers, guides both live and artificial, trollers, and spooners. The best bite is using live bait. If you can get out on the lake before light, say 5 AM and hit points with slopping flats around 35 to 40' like Koso you can limit on hybrids and stripers before light or shortly thereafter. Once the sun comes up the fish move to deeper water but are still catchable. Today I caught stripers in 42' of water and 1 hour later I had our limit in water depths of 130'. The trollers are having good luck this year because the stripers are high in the water column and eager to feed. In years past the stripers tend to stay close to the bottom and trolling lures is very difficult to reach them. The best bite now is within sight of the dam from Georges Cove to the dam and from Thumb Point to Hand Cove. Look on any point or side of points starting in 40' of water and keep moving out zig zagging until you find them. The white bass and smallmouth bass are feeding all over the lake on this year's shad hatch. I see them in the main lake and half way up the creek arms. One very good spot is the big flat below location 6B past Fouts Marina. Small topwater plugs or spoons are the best bait to catch them.
07/29/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Striper fishing continues to be the hot bite on Norfork Lake. Right now everybody who either live bait fishes, trolls or spoons is catching stripers. This year with the normal water levels the lake has an excellent level of oxygen from 35 to 100' of water. This means the stripers have plenty of areas to roam and feed. August should be a great time for striper fishing. The crowds will be gone the weather will be good and should see lots of stripers caught. In years past when the water levels and oxygen are good, a great afternoon bite will start at Robinson Point from the island south to above 80' of water. I have fished Robinson Point both in the morning and evening in August and have produced lots of limits and some trophy fish. It's worth checking it out. You will see me out there some evenings. The best bite right now is from Georges Cove to the dam and from Thumb Point to Hand Cove. The areas I have targeted is secondary points with a channel swing in waters starting 50 to 130'. The shallow fish will be feeding on crawdads while the deeper fish will be feeding on this year's shad hatch. The small white bass and largemouth bass are feeding both early and late on the young shad. Any topwater bait will produce a strike. These fish are small but you will have lots of action. The topwater bite starts early and sometimes you will see feeding fish all day long. The evening bite looks like it will be great. We fished several evenings this past week and caught multiple limits and several good size fish. Look for stripers in water starting at 40' and move out until you find them. The bite will last up until dark. The stripers are on the points with sloping flats near the dam. Stripers are still being caught from Diamond Bay off point 2 in the channel, Georges Cove, Koso Point, Hudson, Hand Cove, Dam Cove and Thumb Point
07/22/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week has seen a lot of Norfork Lake stripers caught. My son and I have landed multiple limits of stripers daily. The striper bite right now is almost entirely live bait. Some are being caught trolling using umbrella rigs and spoons. However if you want to catch numbers right now hire a live bait guide. That is your best chance of catching your limit and a big fish. Today (Sunday) I zigged twice before I zagged and found a new spot with lots of active stripers. My current spot has been good but it has slowed and other guides have found me and moved in on the spot. My son and I spend most off days fishing for new spots with active stripers. A lot of people look for the guides then move in thinking that's the best opportunity to catch a striper. This seems to happen a lot in the summer and is one of my pet peeves. On Sunday we went over 2 hours without a bite but the last 2 hours made up for it. The stripers were shallow next to a buff and deep water. We were catching them in 50' with our lines set at 40'. We also caught fish off the buff in 80' of water with our lines set at 50'. If you find some fish suspended in 40 to 50' of water no matter how deep the bottom is go ahead and start fishing. Most likely a school will come around. Find a shaded buff next to a channel and you will find active stripers. The evening bite has started again. Look for stripers in water starting at 40' and move out until you find them. Saturday evening they were feeding heavy at 44' on the bottom. The bite will last up until dark. The stripers are on the points with sloping flats near the dam. Stripers are still being caught from Diamond Bay off point 2 in the channel, Georges Cove, Koso Point, Hudson, Hand Cove, Dam Cove and Thumb Point.
07/15/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite continues to be great the first 2 hours of light on Norfork Lake. I did find a striper bite after 7 am but it took a lot of searching to find active fish. What I found was stripers that were off points next to a channel swing in waters ranging 60 to 120'. The stripers are feeding on crawdads then moving to the deeper water to find this year's hatch of shad. Once you find the fish you will limit out very fast. We average less than 30 minutes to get a limit. Since I set out 7 rods we usually will have 2 to 4 rods get hit when a school swims by. The oxygen is great this year with good levels as deep as 115' we should see a great bite well into September. As we get to August I expect to see some great action on Robinson Point every few years when we have good oxygen and normal water levels the stripers will school on Robinson Point, the best bite is usually middle afternoon into evening. We will also see a strong movement towards the dam. You should find large schools of stripers on the lake side of Koso Point near or next to the channel. This should be fantastic late summer fishing season.
Stripers are being caught from Diamond Bay off point 2 in the channel, Georges Cove, Koso Point, Hudson, Hand Cove, Dam Cove and Thumb Point. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Grow Trophies, Catch Your Limit And Go Home.” Catch your limit and quit for the day or change your target species. Save some fish for your next trip and watch them grow into trophies.
07/11/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite on Norfork Lake is still strong for the first 2 hours in the morning. I have yet to find a secondary bite after 7:30 but will spend time this week finding new fish to catch. This week we have multiple days where both Sean and I have limited out in less than 2 hours. In any given morning we will have enough bite to use over 40 shad apiece. Some bites happen so fast the client cannot react to hook the fish and others are just plain misses. There is still an afternoon bite but most times it really starts at sundown and only lasts for less than an hour. Now that we are in the summer pattern you will find them feeding in 40 to 120' of water. In the 40' range they will be on the bottom feeding. In deeper water the fish can be found in the 35 to 40 range feeding on shad. We are catching stripers using 3 to 5 inch gizzard shad. The lower end of Norfork seems to be where the better bite is. I'm seeing stripers guides from the upper portion of the lake fishing near us. This tells me that the fish are moving south looking for cooler water with more oxygen. Some places to start looking is the channel off point 2 from Diamond Bay to the Bluffs, Georges Cove, Koso Point, Dam Cove and Thumb Point. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Grow Trophies, Catch Your Limit And Go Home.” Catch your limit and quit for the day or change your target species. Save some fish for your next trip and watch them grow into trophies.
07/01/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper bite has gone from good to outstanding this past week on Norfork Lake. The week before we had a hard time catching any size or numbers now we are limiting out in less than 2 hours on each trip. This past Saturday and Sunday morning our clients caught 10 limits of stripers in less than 24 hours. The difference between the morning and evening bite is the heat and timing. The evening bite is happening late during the trip it usually starts at sunset and right after dark. The morning bite starts around 6AM and last for 2 hours. This is especially great because the heat is only starting versus the evening when the hear index is off 100.
The Walleye are still biting but you do not have to go early but the heat is the biggest problem sitting out on the lake with the heat index of over 100. The best bite is from 8AM to 10:30AM and 4PM to dark. The 101 Dock area , Robinson Point, Thumb Point, the back of Big Creek, and Diamond Bay to name a few are producing limits of walleye. Spin rigs with nightcrawlers are producing the best. The rigs should have a 30” lead. You will have to try various colors to find the color and blade shape that they want that day.
The stripers are now in their summer pattern you will find them feeding in 40 to 60' water. In the 40' range they will be on the bottom feeding. In deeper water the fish can be found in the 35 to 40 range feeding on shad. The good news is the bite is lasting longer in the morning. We have been catching stripers up to between 8 and 9 AM. The walleye are biting all over the lake on bottom bouncers using spinners and night crawlers, crankbaits, and spoons. The best bite is 8AM to 10 AM and 4PM to dark. Look for them on the flats in waters ranging from 24 to 32 feet. We also catching stripers while fishing anywhere from 50 to 120 feet of water. The walleye are usually around the 35 foot range in the deep water. Stripers continue to feed on shad and crawdads. We are catching them using 3 to 5 inch gizzard shad.
The lower end of Norfork is now turning on. Find a point or flat and you should find feeding stripers. The walleye are everywhere. Just pick a long flat on the side of a point or if the point has a flat try that. You should be able to mark them they will be right off the bottom.
Remember we are now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Grow Trophies, Catch Your Limit And Go Home.” Catch your limit and quit for the day or change your target species. Save some fish for your next trip and watch them grow into trophies.
06/24/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Striper and walleye fishing on Norfork Lake is good but inconsistent. Depending on what part of the lake your fishing you will either limit out or look at lots of stripers on you locator and not get a bite. The area around the bridges seem to hold more active fish. I keep seeing pictures of limits of stripers caught each day. The lower lake has lots of stripers. Sometimes you will see 100 stripers on your screen but only get 1 bite. The stripers are stilling feeding on crawdads but the their main source of food is the 1” shad that hatched a month ago. The evening bite seems to be better than the morning bite. You will need to wait out the fish. It's like deer hunting. The last 45 minutes of light produces the best bites. The stripers can be found in 40 to 120' of water each morning. The ones on the bottom feed the least which is the opposite for this time of year. We are fishing 7 downlines with each line set at different depths from 30 to 45'. The stripers are still hitting free lines that have a small split shot set back 80' from the boat. The side of buffs and points are holding the most fish. Stripers are being caught on shad and trolling using umbrella rigs and swim baits.
Walleye are biting but you do not have to go early. The best bite is from 8AM to 10:30AM and 4PM to dark. The 101 Dock area , Robinson Point, Thumb Point, the back of Big Creek, and Diamond Bay to name a few are producing limits of walleye. Spin rigs with nightcrawlers are producing the best. The rigs should have a 30” lead. You will have to try various colors to find the color and blade shape that they want that day.
The stripers have set into their summer pattern of being higher in the water column at early light then moving deeper as the sun comes up. The good news is the bite is lasting longer in the morning. We have been catching stripers up to 9 AM. It's slower after 7 AM but you can catch them. The walleye are biting all over the lake on bottom bouncers using spinners and night crawlers, crankbaits, and spoons. The best bite is 7AM to 10 AM and 6PM to dark. Look for them on the flats in waters ranging from 24 to 32 feet. We also catching stripers while fishing anywhere from 50 to 120 feet of water. The walleye are usually around the 35 foot range in the deep water. Stripers continue to feed on shad and crawdads. We are catching them using 3 to 5 inch gizzard shad. Threadfin shad are also working plus spoons.
Right now, the middle of the lake is still the best bite for stripers, Crystal Cove, Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks. The walleye are everywhere. Just pick a long flat on the side of a point or if the point has a flat try that. You should be able to mark them they will be right off the bottom. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Catch Your Limit And Go Home. Catch your limit and quit for the day or change your target species. Save some fish for your next trip and watch them grow into trophies.
06/18/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Striper and walleye fishing on Norfork Lake is the hot bite right now. The stripers have set into their summer pattern of being higher in the water column at early light then moving deeper as the sun comes up. The good news is the bite is lasting longer in the morning. We have been catching stripers up to 9 AM. It's very slow after 7 AM but you can catch them. The walleye are biting all over the lake on bottom bouncers using spinners and night crawlers, crankbaits, and spoons. The best bite is 7 to 10 AM and 6PM to dark. Look for them on the flats in waters ranging from 24 to 32 feet. We also catching stripers while fishing anywhere from 50 to 120 feet of water. The walleye are usually around the 35 foot range in the deep water. Stripers continue to feed on shad and crawdads. We are catching them using 3 to 5 inch gizzard shad, threadfin shad is also working plus spoons. Right now, the middle of the lake is still the best bite for stripers, Crystal Cove, Robinson Point, Float and Panther Creeks. The walleye are everywhere. Just pick a long flat on the side of a point or if the point has a flat try that. You should be able to mark them they will be right off the bottom. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Catch Your Limit And Go Home. Catch your limit and quit for the day, save some fish for your next trip.
06/11/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper fishing on Norfork Lake continues to be very good for the first 2 hours each morning. Now that we are entering the dark moon phase you can expect to find feeding stripers later in the morning on the flats in water depths 40 to 60'. We are still catching some stripers on long lines and planner boards but each day our downline bite is increasing. This means the fish are staying under the thermocline and feeding on crawdads. Later this month we will be fishing downlines and weighted floats as the stripers feed on the bottom. Stripers are still being caught in the middle of the lake. Crystal Cove continues to have good action along with Float Creek, Panther Creek, and Robinson Point. This will continue for most of June with Robinson Point being the hot spot for late June and early July. I have watching some anglers trolling using big umbrella rigs catching stripers in deep water. The best bait is live shad either threadfin or gizzard. Some stripers are being caught using small bluegills and shiners. The evening bite will pick up as we move into summer. Use the same techniques but the best bite is usually the last 45 minutes of day light. Remember we now in the summer period of striper fishing so you should stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. The slogan for the summer is “Catch Your Limit And Go Home. If you catch six fish and release 4, 2 will die if not all of them. Catch your limit and quit for the day, save some fish.
06/04/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The striper fishing on Norfork Lake is still very good for the first 2 hours each morning. The stripers have moved off the banks and are roaming the deep channels in water depths ranging from 50 to 150'. We are seeing each day the stripers are now feeding on crawdads early and moving off the bottom and start chasing shad once light appears. Later in the morning you should move to the flats and catch them feeding on the bottom on crawdads. The lake is warming is now around 84 degrees and a thermocline is now around 30'. Topwater striper action is mostly over. We continue to catch stripers on weighted floats set a 30 and 38', long lines with split shots set back 100' from the boat and planner boards with the bait 20' behind the board. The hot spot is Crystal Cove. Anglers are catching stripers trolling, live bait, and spoons. The stripers are moving down the lake as the water warms up. Some stripers are being caught on Robinson Point in the 40 to 50' of water range near the bottom and in the deeper areas of Big Creek. The stripers are feeding on crawdads. Start very shallow then continue to move out till you find them, This pattern will occur all over the lake as the water continues to warm.
Now we are in the summer period of striper fishing it is time to stop releasing legal stripers caught on live bait. Studies have shown that between 16 and 20 percent of stripers caught on live bait will die within 5 days of being released. The percentage increases as the summer continues by August it will be around 40 percent. Catch your limit and quit for the day, save some fish. If you go to https://www.arkansasstripers.com/catch_and_release_kills_stripers.htm you can view the findings.
05/27/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The fishing on Norfork Lake is on fire for the first 2 hours each morning. The stripers have moved off the banks and are roaming the deep channels in water depths ranging from 50 to 150'. We are seeing each day the stripers are now feeding on crawdads early and moving off the bottom and start chasing shad once light appears. After the first two hours the fishing slows down and by the third hour it's over. In normal years you then move to the flats and catch them feeding on the bottom but that has not started. The lake is warming is now around 82 degrees and a thermocline has started. Each day we are seeing less topwater striper action. By the end of the week I do not expect to see any stripers feeding shallow. Right now we are catching them on weighted floats set a 30 and 38', long lines with split shots set back 100' from the boat and planner boards with the bait 20' behind the board. We have caught limits each day for the last ten days so now is a very good time to get on the lake. The stripers are moving down the lake as the water warms up. You should now find them at Robinson Point in the 40 to 50' of water range near the bottom and in the deeper areas of Big Creek. The stripers will be feeding on crawdads. Start very shallow then continue to move out till you find them, This pattern will occur all over the lake as the water continues to warm
05/20/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The fishing on Norfork Lake continues to improve. The shad are still spawning and the stripers are on a very early morning bite. We are catching stripers as soon as we get a bait in the water somewhere around 5 am. The bite does not last long and is usually over by 7am. I am seeing a shift in the bite due to the hot May weather. This past week I boated over 35 stripers in three days but the weekend with the boat traffic and people fishing slowed the bite. What's now happening is the stripers are beginning to feed heavy on crawdads and this means they are very shallow then they are moving to deep water. I have yet to find a consistent deep water bite but it's only a matter of time and you will catch them later in the morning. Right now we are catching them on weighted floats set a 15 and 30', long lines with split shots and planner boards with the bait 20' behind the board. The odd thing this past week is where I have been catching them, normally it has been off the points but we found large schools of male stripers in waters 90 to 140' feeding on shad before and shortly after light. There is some topwater but it does not last long. Start looking at Robinson Point in the 20 to 30' of water range near the bottom. The stripers will be feeding on crawdads. Start very shallow then continue to move out till you find them, This pattern will occur all over the lake as the water continues to warm. We are near or at the 80 degree water temperature all over the lake. The lake is also being drawn down and few inches everyday so start planning on switching to a full summer pattern within the next week or so.
05/13/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake weather is starting to feel like summer and the striper fishing is really turning on. The shad has not spawned yet but they are very close but it may still be a few days. The top-water bite is very sporadic right now. As the shad move to the shore the top-water bite will turn on. We have caught limits the last five days and I expect it just get better and better. We are fishing within fifty yards of the shore using long lines and planner boards. We caught a 20 lb striper today on planner board using 5” gizzard shad. The striper was released for another person to catch another day. The striper bite is now all over the lake. Find a point before light and use a swim bait until light then try a top-water lure. If you have no hits within 15 minutes move to the next point. Once the sun comes up the bite is over unless you're using live bait then you can catch fish up to nine o'clock. I have been fishing mostly long lines with a small split shot. As it gets lighter and the sun comes up I will let out over 100' of line on the 2 back poles and 75' on my side poles. This had been very effective catching stripers once the early morning bite stops. If you're interested in catching a striper both Sean and I have open dates the later part of this week. We both expect some great action as the lake warms up. The last rain raised the lake 3' but the main lake is crystal clear and should stay that way. There is a mud line way up the creeks but it is clearing up as it moves to the main lake. May should be a great month this year for lots of action and limits of stripers
05/07/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The Norfork Lake weather is starting to feel like summer and the striper fishing is turning on. The shad has not spawned yet but they are very close but it may still be a few days. The top-water bite is very sporadic right now. As the shad move to the shore the top-water bite will turn on. We have caught limits the last five days and I expect it just to get better. We are fishing within fifty yards off the shore using long lines and planner boards. We caught a 20 lb striper today on planner board using 5” gizzard shad. The striper was released for another person. The striper bite is now all over the lake. Find a point before light and use a swim bait until light then try a top-water lure. If no hits within 15 minutes move to the next point. Once the sun comes up the bite is over unless you're using live bait then you can catch fish up to nine o'clock. I have been fishing mostly long lines with a small split shot. As it gets lighter and the sun comes up I will let out over 100' of line on the 2 back poles and 75' on my side poles. This had been very effective catching stripers once the bite stops. If you're interested in catching a striper both Sean and I have open dates the later part of this week. We both expect some great action as the lake warms up. The last rain raised the lake 3' but the main lake is crystal clear and should stay that way. There is a mud line way up the creeks but it is clearing up as it moves to the main lake. May should be a great month this year for lots of action and limits of stripers.
04/29/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
It's starting to get warm and Norfork Lake fishing is picking up. The only problem we had was the full moon. On every full moon the stripers feed at night like deer and the bite is over very early after the sun comes up. That's a good thing for those anglers that like to fish the “night shift”. The only time that the stripers continue to bite is when the threadfin shad spawn which will happen very soon. Threadfin spawn when the water temperature hits 65 degrees, the current temperature in the creeks is 62.5 degrees so if this warming continues the shad should start spawning this coming weekend. Once the shad spawn, the stripers will move to the shore and start feeding heavy. With the water in the buck brush the shad will spawn on the brush and the stripers, hybrids, bass, & white bass will all be chasing the bait. It is the most fun time of the year. Stripers will feeding heavy and shallow. Top-water, swim baits, and live bait will all produce limits of fish.
Start looking half way up the creeks, all the creeks will have shad spawning. The main lake will be a little later but they should start early next week on all the points all over the lake. May should be a great month this year for lots of action and limits of stripers.
04/23/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Another crazy week of weather on Norfork Lake. We had some warm days but the wind was from the east for four days and it blew out all the bait and dirty water from the creeks. So as fishing got better the latter part of the week, catching bait became harder. The first part of the week fishing was slow but by week's end the stripers and hybrids were more active. We are still fishing the Big Creek area but we are now catching stripers on the main lake points later in the morning after the wind picks up. I caught three days of limits for my clients with the biggest striper being 22 lbs which was released after some nice photos. We are still using long lines with just a small split shot and planner boards with short leaders. The planner board baits are usually 8” to 10” gizzard shad that is kept right at the surface. The more wind you have the better chance you have of catching a big fish. Each day we have multiple strikes on these baits but few hookups since it takes a lot of time and skill to set the hook and play the fish. The best baits have been 3” to 5” gizzard shad. We use these baits since they last a long time on the hook and can take repeated hits and still stay alive compared to a threadfin shad that will die on the first hit. Stripers are also being caught up near Twin Coves and around the Crystal Cove. The topwater bite has yet to begin but if the weather continues to kept warming the lake it will not be long. The night bite should also pick up as the nights are staying warmer which keeps the water warmer.
04/16/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Another crazy week of Norfork Lake weather that produced lots of inconsistent patterns. We started the week cold and with good fishing. As the week wore on, we had lots of high winds, bad storms, rising water, high boat traffic, and slower fishing. We ended the week with cold weather but better fishing. We were catching good numbers of stripers up in Big Creek from Woods Point to 1C all last week and weekend. The lake level was consistent then the they opened the spillways about 1 foot and that changed the current in the lake and drew the fish out of the creeks. The stripers were still in the area but quit biting. I spent one morning fishing there and realized what was happening and moved to Point 1 and began catching stripers. The pattern stayed that way until Thursday when they closed the spillway. The fish were still inactive but then did start biting later in the morning in Big Creek again. Friday it picked up and Saturday Sean caught 13 stripers on planner boards with only a 6' leader near the shore. I on the other hand had only caught 3 but the fish were there. You just had to be at the right spot along a bluff wall to catch them. Once this cold spell moves out we should see better action as the lake warms up and we get some consistent weather. Greg at Hand Cove Resort reports the night bite is still happening although the weather has greatly affected the bite. He expects it to be more consistent by the end of the this week. I have seen some surface action the last two days which means the topwater action is not far behind. Better sharpen those hooks for some reel ripping action.
04/08/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Well we started April with cold, rain, and snow on Norfork Lake. I figured striper fishing would be dead until we started getting warmer weather and south winds. The direct opposite happened I had a trip on Monday and caught over 12 stripers and hybrids in 2 different spots using 2 different techniques. Sean fished Wednesday and caught over 18 stripers using just downlines in 25' of water. Both Sean and I fished Saturday and Sunday and we caught over 40 stripers and hybrids. The main difference is how we fish for stripers in the spring and now. Usually we fish using small split shots on long lines and free line planner boards. The stripers by now are very shallow and aggressive, they were that way the week before but with the rain and cold they went deep. We are now catching them just like we catch them in the summer, 3 oz weights set 1' off the bottom. When you find them they are very aggressive. We have had triples on many times this week. Look for stripers half way up the creek along the channel in 50' and keep moving shallow until you find them. Look for them in the Cranfield, Bennett's, and Big Creek areas. Look at the points and sharp turns along bluff walls half way up the creeks. Kevin. a guest of Hand Cove Resort, boated a 35 pound 39 inch striper Saturday night in the cold. That tells us a couple of things. First, the night bite is developing. And second, there are some big fish in Norfork Lake's Big Creek area. Greg at Hand Cove Resort reports the night bite is happening although it has been a little sporadic. It will be very good for a few nights, and then quit for a few. He expects it to be more consistent by the end of the coming week. That means the topwater action is not far behind. Better sharpen those hooks for some reel ripping action.
This past Saturday I experience a series of first for me. When we left the marina we had a strong north wind, heavy snow and bitter cold. I would have never believed we would catch fish left and right for over 2 hours. I had lines break because the rod eyes were froze and the line was cut when we hooked a fish. I have never fished in April where I was colder than I was in December when it was 14 degrees when I started fishing.
04/01/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
Thank God March is finally over I have never seen a March like this in terms of weather and fishing. A normal March brings warm days with south winds and some rain. This March was nothing like that, when we did get a warm day with south winds it was followed by cold north winds, rain, and cloudy days. The lake level was 547 at the beginning of the March and it ends with a lake level of 558 and our rainy season has not begun yet. I can only hope we can get some stable weather and that the CORPS can run some of this water off before June. With this being said there are some bright spots. The crappie have move shallow in 2 to 3' of stained water. The night bite for stripers is strong and the stripers are feeding on big baits. The stripers are still in deep water 15 to 40' of water but they are very shallow in the water column, the fish that are blowing up on our big baits are less than 10' feet deep. I'm running my planner boards with only 5' from the board to the bait and stripers are blowing the baits out of the water. Fish are being caught in the Cranfield, Bennett's, and Big Creek areas. Fish the points and sharp turns along bluff walls half way up the creeks.
Start looking for top water action early and late afternoons off the points and bays half way up the creeks and beyond. You will start seeing stripers feeding around Cranfield Island, Cow Point, Bennett's, Brushy Creek, and Big Creek just east of Hand Cove Resort. Once the water starts to reach the 60 degree mark Norfork Lake will turn on fire.
Everything will bite better with warmer weather. The best place to find fish is Bennett's Bayou and the Twin Coves area. Up past Cranfield there is lots of bait in the area, much more than Big Creek, which could bode well for Big Creek since the predators may be more interested in whatever you present. But as always, as we say find the bait and you will find the fish.
03/26/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
From the beginning of this week to the end we have seen a steady improvement in the weather and the fishing. The best bite early in the week was the Fout's area but everybody started fishing the area and the bite slowed down. With the warm weather the last couple of days the stripers started biting all over the lake. Stripers have been caught in the Twin Coves area, Buzzard Roost area and the Big Creek arm. The best method has been with either shiners or shad with just a split shot or no weight far back of the boat. Saturday I started seeing stripers feeding on the surface and we caught and broke off stripers on big 7” gizzard shad using planner boards. This tells me the stripers are starting to feed and we should see a big uptick in action once the big rains are over this week. Start looking for top water action early and late afternoons off the points and bays half way up the creeks and beyond. You will start seeing stripers feeding around Cranfield Island, Cow Point, Bennett's, Brushy Creek, and Big Creek just east of Hand Cove Resort. Once the water starts to reach the 60 degree mark Norfork Lake will turn on fire. The walleye have spawned up near Udall and are in their post spawn mode which turns the bite off until they recover from the spawn. The bite should improve in the next week with the warm weather. Everything will bite better with warmer weather. The best place to find fish is Bennett's Bayou and the Twin Coves area. Up past Cranfield there is lots of bait in the area, much more than Big Creek, which could bode well for Big Creek since the predators may be more interested in whatever you present. But as always, as we say find the bait and you will find the fish.
03/19/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This week's word on Norfork Lake is inconsistent. You can catch stripers one day and then the day next nothing or just a few. On Wednesday we went to Bennett's Bayou to pre-fish for my next day's trip. We had doubles and caught several limits in over an hour. The next day we had a debris line and the stripers had moved. We did catch 1 limit but it was very slow and it took all morning to do that. The next day my son went down to Big Creek and in a little over and hour he caught 15 stripers. Both of us went there Saturday thinking it would be a great day. We had heavy fog and lots of boat traffic. I only caught 1 keeper and he caught 2. Saturdays are hard on the fish. Everybody wants to get on the lake and fish but the traffic really spooks the shallow water fish and will move them off their spot and then he's hard to find them. Sunday I went back to Bennett's and started up shallow with no bites then moved out on the flat and again no bites. I saw one of my clients on the east side of the flat and told him to move over to this other flat where I was heading. Before I knew it he had a double on and caught 3 fish before I had a bite. He was using shiners and I was using shad. We then missed 1 and loss a good one after a short fight. We did end up catching a 8 and 11 lb striper before we quit. My client caught 5 and lost 5 more. The best method was a split shot and a hook with about 50' of line out. It's simple and very effective since the fish are relating to the bottom instead of high in the water column. Once the winds shift around to the south and we get some warmer nights Norfork Lake will really turn on for all species. Lots of largemouth bass are being caught on crankbaits and spinner baits and the crappie are also biting. The walleye are spawning up near Udall and the bite is good. Everything will bite better with warmer water and weather. The best place to find fish is Bennett's Bayou, there is lots of bait in the area much more than Big Creek, as we say find the bait and you will find the fish
03/11/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week we saw some wild weather on Norfork Lake. The winds blew all week with Tuesday being the worst. You would think with the cold weather and windy conditions the stripers would quit biting. On the contrary I mainly fished the Bennett's area most of the week while my son fished the Big Creek area. In four days we boated over 50 stripers with our clients or us pre-fishing, with most of them were released. Friday night a heavy rain came in and really shut down the fish. On Saturday we only caught 10 stripers and hybrids. The fish are holding in waters between 20 and 30 feet. We are using small gizzard shad. Most of the fish are being caught using down lines set at 16'. We have also caught a few on planner boards and balloons. Once the winds shift around to the south and we get some warmer nights Norfork Lake will really turn on for all species. Lots of largemouth bass are being caught on crankbaits and spinner baits and the crappie are also biting. Everything will bite better with warmer weather. The best place to find fish is Bennett's Bayou. There is lots of shad in the area much, more than Big Creek, and as we say find the bait and you will find the fish.
I received a call from Barry Stokes who has a sports show on Fox News Southwest about fishing on Norfork Lake for stripers. Barry was filming a show on Bull Shoals for walleye. The weather turned bad so they did not catch any walleye but they did film a bass show. He came over on Friday and did some pre-fishing. Since they only use artificially lures he was having a hard time finding any active stripers. I told Barry where and how to fish for them but he could only catch whites and largemouth. I fished Bennett's on Saturday and he came by and again asked about where he could find some stripers. I told him where to go and he found some but could not get them to bite. He got out his drum foot pedal and started banging his boat. I have seen this on TV but never in person. Barry had a swim bait ready as he banged the boat. He would see a fish come off the bottom and drop his jig down and bang he caught a hybrid. He caught an 8 and 11 lb hybrid and 12 lb striper using this method. He filmed his show catching those fish. If I would not have witness this I would never have believed it. It's true that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
03/05/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This past week I fished for striper, walleye, and crappie on Norfork Lake. The stripers are just about ready to turn on. The water temperature in Bennett's Bayou is ranging from 51 to 55 degrees depending on how long the sun stays out and how cold it was during the night. The shad are shallow in both creeks. I caught small gizzards, threadfin, and 7” gizzard in 3 to 10' of water. I keep seeing fishing reports from fellow striper fishermen about the dirty water, these individuals do not understand the striper if they continue to make comments about stained and muddy water. The muddy water is the warmest on the lake and the shad will go to it first then the stripers will follow. I have caught stripers in water so muddy I did not know the size of the fish until I netted it. These individuals say they keep turning around when they see dirty water. I run to it and will fish it until late April. The other comment I keep seeing is they are not marking fish or bait. First the bait have moved shallow and waiting to spawn once the water warms up. The stripers are also in waters less than 30' so when you motor over them they scatter. If you have side scan you can see them. If you want to catch stripers right now and well into March get some shiners, find the warmest water, put out long lines with just a split shot, or planners boards with only a split shot and you will catch stripers.
I fished for walleye on Friday up at Udall and caught 1 short. I did see some keepers caught. They are mostly males right now, the females are still deep waiting for warmer water which will happen soon. The water temperature is around 51 degrees. By this coming weekend we should see some nice size walleye being caught.
Saturday and Sunday I fished Bennett's Bayou for crappie. I was spider rigging using long rods. On Saturday I only caught 2 and lost a few. I went back on Sunday and caught 6 keepers, they were all females. The water temperature was 52 degrees and the fish were caught slow trolling in 10 to 12' of water with a double hook setup and minnows. Again it's just a matter of days before they turn on their pre-spawn feed.
I plan on continuing chasing walleye and crappie in the upper part of the lake and creeks on the main lake. Right now they are catching both off brush piles using small jigs and minnows. I will be fishing up near Udall using live bait for walleye and long line trolling for crappie in the creeks off the main lake like Bennett's, Pigeon Creek, and Big Creek. Lots of big crappie are caught trolling small jigs and minnows.
02/18/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
This week I have fished Norfork Lake for walleye up by Calamity Beach and the state line. The first day the water temperature was 40 degrees at Calamity and 43 degrees at the state line. The first day we caught 1 short walleye and missed 3 more. Today the water temperature was 43 degrees at Calamity and 52 degrees at the state line. The first day we caught our fish at the state line, but today the fish had moved from the line because of the warmer water. We tired moving up the river but about a mile up the lake the water level was too low to continue. We moved back to the colder water and started fishing near the shore in 5 feet of water and we caught a 19” keeper and a short in quick session. We did not catch anymore, but it was late in the morning and the bite was over. What surprised me was the farther up the river the water temperature continued to rise. It seems just opposite of what I expected. The crappie are also being caught off the brush piles on both sides of the state line.
I plan on continuing chasing walleye and crappie in the upper part of the lake and creeks on the main lake. Right now they are catching both off brush piles using small jigs and minnows. I will be fishing up near Udall using live bait for walleye and long line trolling for crappie in the creeks off the main lake like Bennett's, Pigeon Creek, and Big Creek. Lots of big crappie are caught trolling small jigs and minnows.
02/05/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
I missed the last week's fishing report due to our trip to the Chicago Sports Show. I'm back this week and then we will go to the Jonesboro Sport Show February 9th. If you are around the Jonesboro AR. area stop by our booth and we can spend some talking fishing. Right now the Norfork Lake water temperature is in the low 40's and will stay that way for the next several weeks. Once we start getting some consistent south winds we should see a quick warm up. We are experiencing the normal winter shad kill. We are seeing thousands of small 1 inch threadfin shad dying along the shoreline. Small threadfin shad cannot tolerate water temperatures in the low 40's very long. The good news is the shad kill generates tremendous opportunity for catching trout on the White and Norfork rivers. Throw a small silver spoon and you will have lots of action. The stripers have gone into their February hiding routine they seem to disappear every February so if you want to catch one, try going up a creek with a good water flow. This time of year on the lakes and rivers in Tennessee they catch stripers in 30' of water or less. Here I would look at Bennett's Bayou or up pass the state line. Historically the largest winter stripers are caught at the 160 bridge at night throwing bucktail jigs. I plan spending my February chasing walleye and crappie. Right now they are catching both off brush piles using small jigs and spoons. I will be fishing up near Udall using live bait for walleye and long line trolling for crappie in the creeks off the main lake like Bennett's, Pigeon Creek, and Big Creek. Lots of big crappie are caught trolling small jigs and minnows.
01/22/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The cold and snow last week sure changed Norfork Lake. The water temperature dropped almost 4 degrees and moved the stripers. I pre-fished Thursday morning and started where we caught all the fish the previous week. I found plenty of shad and that usually brings the stripers. We fished all morning and only had 1 bite. Friday I took my clients to where the bait was and fished for another 7 hours moving all around the Blue Lady and 101 flats. I was always on shad and had 2 stripers hooked but we never boated them. Sometimes in life you look at all the wrong places to find what's right in front of you. The assumption is in winter find the shad and you will find the stripers. When the water turns cold the shad will always move deeper and the stripers will follow. I have followed that logic all the time in the winter with great success. The next day I started looking in Float Creek since there was bait and a few fish caught there the day before. My son Sean was out looking around and text me an image of a massive amount of stripers and hybrids in 28' of water with no bait around. We immediate went to Duck Blind Point and hooked up and landed 3 stripers. We stayed on the fish but they quit biting when the sun went behind the clouds and the wind turned east. Sean also found stripers shallow in Float Creek near the boat docks. The moral of the story is quit doing the same thing over and over and don't be afraid to change up your pattern. You just may find the mother lode of stripers.
01/14/18
By Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters
The warming trend on Norfork Lake was short lived this past week with temperatures going below freezing for several more days now. I was fishing the Fout's Marina flats before it became cold for the shad. The water temperature had dropped down to 46 degrees and everything moved to warmer water. I had not fished for 10 days due the cold and our first sports show of the year. We went out this past week searching for stripers. We found them on the Blue Lady flats in 40 to 52' of water. The water temperature was 48 degrees. The cold snap did move the fish far this time but I suspect this current one will move them to deeper water more near the mouth of 101 Boat Dock at Howard Cove and into the channel and towards Bidwell Point. We found large schools of stripers and hybrids roaming. The schools will not be stationary so you have to keep moving and stay in the depth you have seen them and wait for the next school to come along. We were using small shad and shiners with 9 rods set out. I had 2 balloons set at 30 feet and 7 down rods set at 20 and 30 feet. The bite is very strong when the sun is out and only a slight wind.
This next week I would look for stripers in Float Creek, 101 Area, Bidwell Point, the flat above the 101 bridge, and the channel between the 62 and 101 bridge. The shad will settle in depth ranges from 40 to 80 feet but most of the time the range will be 40 feet. You should see large shad balls with stripers on top and inside the ball. Set your bait right above the shad since most of the fish are staying inside the shad balls then coming up in big bunches to feed. Small shad works great but large shiners and spoons will also work now and thorough to spring.