Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Fishing Reports
| BOONE RESERVOIR: - 4/10/08 The Lake level as of 4-9-08 is 1369.9 feet above sea level with water temp around 62 degrees in early morning and warming up through out the day . Bass There have been some good size Smallmouth and Largemouth caught on rocky banks and on steeper buffs. Most of the fish have been caught on Crankbaits, Jerk baits, Rogues being worked on top water later in the evenings, Swim Baits are a good choice worked very slow on steep banks and bluffs, Tube bait’ s and Jig’s have been popular Green Pumpkin seems to be the color of choice . Crappie Crappie are doing well they have seemed to have went a little deeper also good stringers have been caught around Pt. 21 and Pt.22 from the bank and by boat and above Jay’s dock in the Allison cove. Most of the fish have been caught on live minnows and small jigs in 8-18 feet of water. The fish seems to be holding on brush piles and close to bluffs. Striped Bass and Cherokee bass (Hybrids) Fish are still being caught in the Watauga Arm from pt.17 to pt.19. Evenings have been good for some topwater action using long A’s swimming them on the surface. Plastic Jerk baits have been productive also around the dam. There have been some caught from the bank on chicken livers around deer lick island. CHEROKEE RESERVOIR: - 4/10//08 The water level is rising with surface temperature at 55.6 degrees. The water has a light stain color on the main lake. Upstream, the water is muddy with floating debris. Bass fishing is fair along shoreline areas with jerk baits, jigs, or spinner baits. Fish one to 10 feet deep. In early morning, try rat-l-traps and Carolina rigged lizards. Crappie fishing is good at times. Fish creek channels and submerged trees along bluffs with live minnows or green, purple, or pink flies. Fish close to brushpiles or 2 to 10 feet deep. Cherokee bass (hybrids) can be found in areas of Point 9 to 11, Point 18 to 19, and around Fall Creek Dock up to Three Springs. Fish with silver spoons from the surface to 20 feet deep. Watch for surface breaks or gulls feeding on shad. Striped bass are mainly active on the upper parts at Cloud’s Creek up to the steam plant. Fish early with shad or jigs. FORT LOUDOUN RESERVOIR: 4/10/08 WATER CONDITIONS The water level above the dam is 811.0 ft. above sea level, which is up another half foot over last week, with temperatures right around 60-65 degrees at the surface. The lake is a mostly clear with a dark green tint. There does seem to be more floating debris here and there, so watch for sticks and logs. SUMMARY The striped bass are really becoming quite active over the last few days, with some being caught in the 20 to 50 lb. range. Jerkbaits are the ticket for some of the bigger fish. Medium divers are great choices. Bass are really biting just about everywhere you fish, with rocks and boathouses being the best choices. Both largemouth and smallmouth are biting very well and the crankbait and the shaky head worm are the top producers, with the jig and pig doing almost as well. The crappies have really turned on during this past week, with some really nice 15 inch black crappie being caught all over the lake. The water temperature is just about right to make the fish more active. CRAPPIE Excellent 5-12 feet The crappies have really schooled up this week and the big 14 and 15 inch fish have moved up to the edges of the channels. Try to get on the edge of the creek channel. Cast out into the deeper water of the channel, and work your float and fly back toward the shallower water. The fish usually bite right at the edge of the channel. They are up in the shallow water too, but seem to be holding at the edge next to deeper water. Grubs tipped with minnows on a float is a top producer. Good color choices right now seem to be chartreuse or white. Another good combination is two grubs rigged 12-18 inches apart with chartreuse on one and white on the other. Louisville Point is very hot right now along with Poland Creek. Turkey Creek and Sinking Creek are both producing some good keepers right now too. Ish Creek is also a good choice for some good keepers. LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS Very Good 3-10 feet There have been some very nice bass caught recently, but we’re still waiting for the big, big bass to move up to shallower water. The shaky head worm in watermelon color is really doing well around the boathouses and docks along with Zoom lizards and Power lizards too. Crankbaits like the Shad Rap and Rattle Trap and the Bandit Flat Max are catching some really nice bass in the 2-5 pound range. Red is the color of choice for some bigger fish. Rocky points next to deeper water or creek or river channel drop offs are holding some good size bass. Sometimes they are right up on the bank in two feet of water. Boathouses and docks are holding a lot of bass. Spinnerbaits are starting to take a few decent size bass. The crankbait seems to be the top producer right now. CATFISH Good 5-12 feet There have been some really nice channel cats caught in the same places the crappies are biting. So, use the same technique as you would for crappie, and catch some good 2-5 pound catfish. They seem to be mostly up in the Poland Creek area holding in the same brush piles as the crappies. Grubs tipped with minnows are a good bait to try. SAUGER Improving 5-15 feet The saugers are starting to bite upstream toward the forks of the river, and the dollflys and the 3 inch grubs in white or chartreuse is doing pretty well. They should improve over the next few weeks as spawning time grows closer. Bouncing the jig and grub off the bottom as you drift is a good way to locate these fish. STRIPED BASS Good 3-15 feet The striped bass are really turning on this week with some being caught up to 50 lbs. Shallow diving and medium diving jerkbaits like redfins and Rapalas are a couple of the top producers right now. Watch for the fish to start breaking while they are chasing the baitfish up into the shallower water, and then cast your plugs into the breaking fish and start jerking it back to the boat or bank. NORRIS RESERVOIR: 4/10/08 WATER CONDITIONS The water elevation is 1013.2-feet, which is 4.4-feet higher than it was last week. The water level is expected to rise 6-inches over the next two days. The lake surface temperature, taken in the afternoon, has warmed from the high 50’s to 64 degrees in the main lake body on the lower end. The headwaters are 63-65 degrees. The headwaters of some of the creeks may be as much as 5 degrees warmer on sunny afternoons. There was a bit of colored water coming in above Point 16 on the Powell River arm. That section was also log-choked from the water rise. Boaters going upstream on the Clinch and Powell arms will encounter a lot of floating logs, branches and assorted debris which can damage lower units. Boaters need to be careful; hitting floating objects is possible almost anywhere at this time of year. In protected areas, anglers may find a plankton bloom which is giving the water a dark streaked appearance. SUMMARY The rapid rise in the water level has some anglers looking for fish. But, those who adjust to the increased depth by fishing a few feet deeper are finding fish. SMALLMOUTH BASS responded to the warmer water temperatures by moving into shallower water, becoming more accessible to anglers. Catches are good in shallow rock formations on points. Night fishing on shallow gravel points has been good. CRAPPIE are hitting well if you find the right brush pile. Main channel brush piles or sunken trees on steep banks are producing some nice crappie. STRIPED BASS are moving upstream for the spring run; fishermen are running a lot to locate these fish. LARGEMOUTH and SPOTTED BASS improved considerably despite the water rise, hitting in the backs of the hollows and head of the creeks on wood structure. Many are in water less than 5 feet deep when they hit. WALLEYE and SAUGER were being caught in the headwaters with catches slowed a bit by the high, muddy inflow. Fishermen trying to reach the headwaters from downstream on the Powell were slowed or stopped by log jams. Walleye are staging on the lower end on the rocky shorelines, with some moving to red clay banks. REDEAR SUNFISH (SHELLCRACKERS) are in every brush pile on the Loyston Sea to Hickory Star section. These have been incorrectly called hybrid bluegill. They get much larger than bluegill and can be caught on red wigglers, wax worms and small spinners. A good identifying characteristic is the red or orange crescent on the back of the opercular flap (gill flap). ***** STRIPED BASS Fair Surface to 25 feet. Island F to Black Fox Creek on the Powell. Some reported in Sycamore Creek. A few reported at the mouth of Cedar Creek and a couple of miles upstream from the mouth of Davis Creek. Some surface feeding was observed at Union County Dock, and a few were caught in that vicinity. Umbrella rigs or trolled 1/2 ounce doll flies, 3 or 4 inch shad colored Bass Assassins or Flukes cast to the points, or live shad driftlined or trolled. 3/8-ounce leadheads with 3-inch Flukes/Bass Assassins, cast to the points are working above 33 Bridge. Trollers or driftline anglers may encounter a lot of floating debris on calm mornings. LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS Good. Shallow in the hollows near brush on spinners or jerk baits. Best early in the morning in the back of coves and creek hollows. Very close to the rocky banks on brightly colored Bandits or large pig'n jigs in mud- stained water sections. In the hollows, ½ ounce spinners have taken some nice fish. Tip hair or rubber skirted jigs/doll flies with small (101 size or close) pork chunk trailers and cast to the rocky banks and points. SMALLMOUTH BASS Good 8 feet on larger broken rock, but are also as shallow as 2 feet where large, broken rock is in the shallows. At dusk or dawn, also near the bottom on long, sloping gravel/sandy clay points at about 4 to 8 feet. Night fishing is good. Bandit crankbaits in shad or crawfish patterns on windswept rocky banks. Fish as close to the rock as possible at about 8 feet deep. 3/8 to 1/2 ounce brown or black pig'n jigs with hair or rubber skirts, or 1/4 ounce, dark green doll flies tipped with small shiners or tuffy minnows have worked very well. On high air-pressure days, try soft plastic jerk baits, 3-inch smoke or crawfish color pattern plastic grubs on leadhead jigs fished steadily on steep, clay banks where there are deeper shelves for structure. Large shiners fished on the bottom on gravel/clay points at 5 to 10 feet deep are catching good smallmouths. WALLEYE Fair in the headwaters because of the rapid rise in the lake level. Night anglers’ luck slowed with the increased water inflow and current upriver.16 to 20 feet, on the bottom, on both river arms, except in the shoals at night when the fish can be as shallow as 5 feet. 3/8 to ½ ounce leadhead feather jigs in brown, orange or yellow, tipped with tuffy minnows. Or leadhead jigs tipped with plastic Twisters in the same colors. Or trolled on the bottom with long billed Rebels or Thundersticks in firetiger or blue-shad colors. The Powell River above Point 17 and to Earl’s Hollow. The Clinch from Point 33 to the shoals above Indian Creek, on the bottom in mid-channel. CRAPPIE Good in creek hollows and on main channel, deep brush. In brush, 10 to 15 feet deep, as deep as 20 feet on some days, in brush near the bottom. Troll small doll flies or leadhead jigs with twisters, on the bottom at 20-feet deep in Sycamore Creek, or in Davis Creek where some stringers averaged 1 lb per fish this week. Walleye fishermen have caught some white crappie in the river headwaters. The Powell River above Union County Dock was good if you found the right brush pile. Boating was treacherous because of floating logs. Use medium tuffy minnows or 1-inch tube jigs or 1/32 oz or 1/64 oz popeye flies tightlined into the main channel brush/tree tops channel and hollows. Or tightline into deep brush with the same rigs or with tuffy minnows. Lost Creek has been fair for the lower end, as has Vasper Hollow, Big Ridge Hollow and Davis Creek. Stained water sections of the main channels, and the head of larger creeks where the water is stained are best. MELTON HILL RESERVOIR 4/10/08 WATER CONDITIONS The water level above the dam is 793.6 ft. above sea level. This is a little over 2 feet higher than last week. The surface temperatures are right around 60-65 degrees with cooler temperatures in the early morning hours and warmer water at the steam plant when it is operating. Remember, there is still some debris floating here and there, and a few big logs floating around too. The entire lake is mostly clear now and the creeks and branches have cleared out too. There seems to be an algae bloom going on right now which is causing some streaking and discoloration of the water in a few places SUMMARY The warmer water temperatures have really made a big difference in the activity of the fish over the past week. The bass, the crappie, the muskies, the catfish, the striped bass are all biting just about anywhere you want to fish over the entire lake. Just about any minnow imitating crankbait is catching some good numbers of 1-2 pound bass. A good place to try is reactor cove, or any rocky points or watch for the bass to drive the minnows up onto the mud flats. The crappies are biting very well over most of the lake, and the float and fly is the bait of choice. The musky fishers are doing very well around the Bull Run area. The striped bass are mainly around the Reactor Bend area. The crappies are mostly in the Bull Run Creek area and up in the creek. The cats are in the steam plant discharge area. LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS Good 5 to 20 feet Some decent size bass are being caught while chasing minnows up onto the mud flats. When you see the bass breaking around the flats, sling a minnow imitating crankbait up into the middle of the flat and drag it off into deeper water and the bass will chase it down and grab it. Tree tops are producing some fair size bass. Rocky banks and points seem to be holding some fair sized ones too. Brown hair jigs in 3/8 to 1/2 oz. size is a good choice. For bank fishers the boil at the head of the Bull Run steam plant discharge is producing some good size largemouth bass on night crawlers or the 2-3 inch shad caught in throw nets. Pitch it out and let the boil drag it around until you catch one. SMALLMOUTH BASS Fair 5 to 25 feet Smallmouth are starting to hit better, and are in the boil at the steam plant along with the largemouth. These bass are also on the mud flats chasing minnows along with the largemouth. Don’t forget to try the shallow humps that are next to deep water. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits are top choices along with small crawdad imitating jigs in crawdad colors, in the 3/8 to 1/2 oz. size. The float and fly is always a good choice for smallmouth, and it works for crappie too. CRAPPIE Good 3 to 10 feet There are still quite a few crappies being caught up in Bull Run Creek and some of the other creeks. Try floats with minnows or little jigs tipped with minnows. These fish seem to be gathering up on the mud flats and schooling there in about 4-6 ft. of water. If you go to the ramp in Bull Run Creek, go under the bridge at the ramp, go straight back, and there is a big mud flat before you go around the bend. The mud flat is still within sight of the bridge. Try chartreuse grubs tipped with a minnow. Try about 4ft. deep with a float, and just work the grub by moving the float a couple of inches at a time, then let it sit still. Most of the time, they will hit when it is sitting still. STRIPED BASS Improving 7 to 20 feet Keep an eye on the gulls! When you see them swirling around like a tornado, going around and around, that means the big stripers are under the baitfish pushing them toward the surface preparing to strike at the big school of baitfish. Watch for the breaking stripers and throw a minnow imitator into or around the school, you can pick up some very nice striped bass and sometimes a largemouth or two will be in the bunch. Sometimes you have to crank up the boat and run over to the place where the fish are breaking and start casting about 25-30 yards back from the breaking fish. 10 to 12 inch skipjack herring is another good bait for huge stripers. The bait must be very much alive and swimming before the stripers will even look at it. They are all over the lake, but sharp bends in the river channel are a favorite hangout for big stripers. MUSKY Improving 3 to 10 feet The muskies are becoming more active and the numbers of fish being caught and the ones that get away are much more frequent over the last couple of weeks. A nice 36 incher was caught just below the mouth of Bull Run Creek. A couple of good lures to try are the Believer, and the Shallow Invader, which are both proven Musky catchers. Pitch either of these lures up close to the bank and try a jerk and reel type retrieve WATAUGA RESERVOIR: 4/10/08 The Lake level as of 4-9-08 is 1951.80 feet above sea level with water temp 53 degrees on lower end and 56-58 degrees on the upper end of the reservoir. Bass The fishing has slowed this week but some Spot’s, Smallmouth and Largemouth were caught on steep rocky banks and along bluff and also crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Jerkbaits and flukes are a good thing to be throwing on shale and rock banks 5-10ft. The upper end of the rivers down to cove ridge area seems to be where everyone is fishing as the water is a few degrees warmer. Color of choices have been chart/white spinnerbaits, black and silver or bone color jerkbait, crawfish color crankbaits and white flukes Walleye – A few walleye have been caught at night around pt.6 and pt.9 off of points on Long Bill Rebels and spoons. This coming week should be the start of some good walleye catches at night with water temps coming up near the 60* mark Trout – Rainbows have been caught on lower end of lake, Rat Branch, and TVA ramp also around Milligan boat ramp on upper end of lake. They have been caught on night crawlers and powerbait. Lake Trout – A few Lake Trout have started to show up around pt.2 up to pt.9 trolling anywhere from 50-95 feet. The fish is not concentrated in any specific depth. |