Fishing Report Archives

The late fall crappie bite along Kentucky Lake has been a bit sluggish this week in the aftermath of a significant cold front that dropped snow across the area last week. Presently, lake levels are more than two feet above their normal winter pool elevation with readings in the 357.6 range at midweek. The reservoir has fluctuated a bit this past week; falling at times but rebounding as well. Surface temperatures are in the 50 to 52 degree range. Water color is a bit stained in the Paris Landing sector and upper Big Sandy basin but not too dingy to fish. Since the cold runoff from the melting snow action has tapered off for most crappie anglers. Both deep water anglers and those fishing midrange to shallow manmade fish attractors have struggled this week to put together decent numbers of keeper size fish. A week or so ago some decent catches were reported by anglers stalking the deeper main lake ledges in depths of 22 to 25 feet. Some anglers fished even deeper than that! However, this week anglers ventured back out when calm days allowed and returned to the productive areas that had paid dividends last week only to find the fish reluctant to bite. Experimenting with both live minnows and jigs tipped with minnows didn’t seem to stimulate much activity for most anglers, although a few rare reports credited low numbers of boaters managing to land double-digit stringers. At midweek temps were already beginning to moderate and projected to be in the upper 50’s or warmer by this weekend. That should help the crappie bite but it’s not what statewide duck hunters wanted to see for the opening weekend of the statewide season! Tipping jigs with minnows is still the most productive bait presentation and poplar color combinations have been chartreuse with silver sparkle skirts or similar variations. Bass anglers have diminished in numbers as not a lot of boats are challenged the cold weather but that will change on any given day once the sun pops out. Some are fishing jig and craw combos, Rattle Trap style crankbaits and deep running crankbaits in shad colored variations. A lot of current has been present along the main Tennessee River channel area this week and will continue for more than another week as TVA pushes a lot of water through the system and attempts to bring the reservoir back to normal winter pool elevation, which will create more storage capacity should heavy rains return. Watch for some improvement this weekend and next week if moderate weather lingers.