NORFORK LAKE FISHING REPORT

The fishing on Norfork Lake is on fire for the first two hours each morning. The stripers have moved off the banks and are roaming the deep channels in water depths ranging from 50 to 150 feet. Each day we are seeing the stripers feeding on crawdads early and then moving off the bottom and chasing shad once daylight appears. After the first two hours, the fishing slows down, and by the third hour it’s over.
In normal years you would then move to the flats and catch them feeding on the bottom, but that has not started this year. The lake is warming and is now around 82 degrees, and a thermocline has started. Each day we are seeing less top-water 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 at 30 and 38 feet, long lines with split shots set back 100 feet’ from the boat and planner boards with the bait 20 feet behind the board. We have caught limits each day for the last 10 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 40 to 50 feet of water 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 until you find them. This pattern will occur all over the lake as the water continues to warm.
 

Ozark County Times

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