July has been really busy for us at the resort, so fishing has taken the back seat for the time being. I have been able to get out once or twice a week, but not my normal 5 to 6 days a week. Yesterday, my granddaughter and I headed to the dam area to look for striped bass. We found quit a few fish in two different areas, but none wanted what we were offering. This morning Jordan slept in, so I headed out to do some walleye hunting. I found aggressive fish on a large gravelly round main lake point. The walleye that I was marking were on both sides of the point. One side has a drop off and this was the best area. The walleye seemed to be in 28 to 32 feet of water on the bottom. I was trolling two purple Flicker Minnows and getting the bait to the bottom. I knew when these fish hit as they would bury the poles immediately. It was fun. I ended up landing 10 walleye and one 16.5 inch smallmouth. I had my limit of 4, several times but kept releasing the 18 inch fish hoping to get a bigger one. It did not happen. The best bite for me started at sunrise and lasted until about 7:30, then the bite slowed down. Last week I landed several walleye and a handful of nice spotted bass in the same area as this morning. The spots were stacked in 27 feet of water towards the bottom. Today the spots were not in the area.
The lake surface temp was about 83 degrees this morning on the main lake. The water level is falling very slowly and sits at 561.02 ft msl. There is a thermocline formed around 30 feet deep. The water is clear on the main lake and slightly stained in the creeks.
Hummingbird Hideaway Resort has a few cabins available during the remainder of July and in August. Give us a call for details if you are looking for a great place for a family vacation or just a quiet get away on the lake. Call at 870-492-5113. Fishing is good this time of year for most species. Along with catching striped bass, the large mouth & spotted bass are still sporadically surfacing back in the creeks and coves. The crappie are biting and the walleye bite is good.
Come make some everlasting memories at Hummingbird Hideaway Resort on Norfork Lake in the Arkansas Ozarks.
