Steve McCadams

After a long stretch of below average temperatures across the Kentucky Lake region that had a fall feel in the air summer weather is returning and things are heating up for the region’s fishing scene.

The Memorial Holiday period was considerably cooler than normal, which was somewhat uncanny for pleasure boaters and jet skiers but suited others just fine.

Presently lake levels at Kentucky Dam are 359.2, which is up a few inches from last week at this time but still pretty much on course as the reservoir rests near the summer pool elevation.

Water color is clearing and in good shape for the fishing. Surface temps reflect the recent stretch of cool weather and are around 73 degrees but warming fast and will likely be in the upper 70’s in the next few days.

Still biting good are bluegill as they’ve crossed into the post spawn phase to some degree but continue to linger around shallow bedding areas in 1 to 4 foot depths. The bite has been good, although the fish are showing signs of scattering out somewhat coompared to the previous few weeks when they were at peak spawning phase.

Anglers should still be able to find good numbers around shoreline buck bushes, grassbeds and some blowdown trees. And, some fishermen are finding them backing off the banks and catching pretty decent stringers while casting grubs, crickets and small jigs tipped with Berkley Power Bait nibbles or bits of red worms and night crawlers.

Numbers of shellcracker have diminished somewhat in the last week or so, which is not unusual as they hit post-spawn phase and scatter out.

Decent stringers of catfish are still being taken by anglers fishing the rock banks and also by bluegill fishermen tying into them as they stalk the shallow bluebill beds. The catfish will linger in the shallow areas after spawning as the bluegill beds offer ample feeding opportunities.

Bass fishermen have had two patterns going; one out on some main lake ledges and the other banging the banks around shoreline habitat.

Both patterns have produced lately as the cooler surface temps seemed to have influenced some bass to stay put around shallow zones ranging from river island rims to back in the bays relating to stickups. Soon shad fry will be hatching, if not already, and that will lure a lot of bass to stay hot on their trail as they relate to shallow structure.

Meanwhile, several boats have been observed targeting the ledge bite. Most are tossing big deep diving crankbaits, Texas rigged worms or craws while also throwing some swim baits and Carolina rigs as times.

No doubt some bass pulled off the banks already and have fallen back to secondary ledges out on the main lake. That pattern will improve this next week too as surface temps rise.

If current enters the picture the ledge bite should get better as a few nice smallmouth will enter the picture along with some schools of largemouth following the shad. A few scattered schools of white bass will show up at times too mixed in with the largemouth and smallmouth joining the feeding sprees.

Crappie continue to come in as a few veteran guides and anglers are finding them in midrange depths. The post-spawn time frame of June can yield some nice stringers if you know where to look.

Deeper brushpiles and stakebeds in depth ranges of 12 to 15 feed will attract decent numbers of crappie that sort of suspend or ride it out there until hot weather takes over. Some anglers report catching scattered fish still in stakebeds and brush in the 9 to 12 foot depth range too.

Most report tipping their jig with a live minnow to entice bites. Others are relying on live minnows exclusively for their presentation.

Some days the crappie are finicky and reluctant to aggressively take a jig or minnow but patience and persistence is required to catch the sluggish fish that can be located on the sophisticated sonar units. The units may show the fish coming up to the bait but apprehensive on taking it!

Summer doesn’t officially arrive on the calendar until June 20. However, the weathermen indicates daytime highs are about reach the low to mid 80’s with some humidity.

That summer season feel is about to dominate the fishing scene it appears.