NORFORK LAKE FISHING REPORT

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 a.m. It’s very slow after 7 a.m., 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 a.m. and 6 p.m. to dark. Look for them on the flats in waters ranging from 24 to 32 feet. We’re 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 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, “Catch your limit and go home.”
Catch your limit and quit for the day. Save some fish for your next trip.
 

Ozark County Times

504 Third Steet
PO Box 188
Gainesville, MO 65655

Phone: (417) 679-4641
Fax: (417) 679-3423