The surface temperature is 81 degrees in most locations. The elevation of the lake was at 741.4 feet on 9/22/09. This is nearly 1 foot above the normal seasonal level. We have had a lot of rain the past several weeks and the lake is full.
Rain, dove season and college football may be a few reasons the number of anglers being found on the lake is low. Those that are fishing are having mixed results. A few crappie are being caught in deep water areas near some type of structure.
Night fishing for crappie is still the better way to catch numbers of crappie. Bass anglers are struggling to find consistent bass. The better catches are coming from deep water or areas adjacent to the same. Fishing lures requiring a slow presentation is producing more fish than reaction baits.
The number of rockfish being caught is about average with good numbers coming from the upper arms of the lake. Shad is the best bait. Smaller stripers are being caught in areas downstream.
Catfish, bluegill, and white bass are all being caught by those that are targeting them. These species are being caught on the normal baits in all the normal locations.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Watts Bar Lake - Fishing Report
The lake is full and stable, water dropping a little.
Crappie are being caught on very deep structure in or near secondary channels. Some crappie are being caught near river blowdowns. Night crappie are being caught under lights at night. Minnows or jigs offer equal opportunities for catching numbers or slabs.
Bass are being caught near main channel banks and in deep secondary areas. Secondary areas are more consistent than other areas. Most anglers are casting lipless lures into the bait fish while looking for a few feeding bass.
White bass and striped bass are being caught more often near primary drops associated with humps. The edge that gets hit with current flow is normally the general area to fish. Spinner-type lures worked deep will offer the best opportunity for catching fish.
Bluff areas along the river are one of several areas that are being fished for bluegill. Worms and crickets are being used for bait.
Drifters are catching catfish in the main channel. All the normal baits associated with catfish have been productive.
Have a good fishing experience and take a kid fishing today.......
Crappie are being caught on very deep structure in or near secondary channels. Some crappie are being caught near river blowdowns. Night crappie are being caught under lights at night. Minnows or jigs offer equal opportunities for catching numbers or slabs.
Bass are being caught near main channel banks and in deep secondary areas. Secondary areas are more consistent than other areas. Most anglers are casting lipless lures into the bait fish while looking for a few feeding bass.
White bass and striped bass are being caught more often near primary drops associated with humps. The edge that gets hit with current flow is normally the general area to fish. Spinner-type lures worked deep will offer the best opportunity for catching fish.
Bluff areas along the river are one of several areas that are being fished for bluegill. Worms and crickets are being used for bait.
Drifters are catching catfish in the main channel. All the normal baits associated with catfish have been productive.
Have a good fishing experience and take a kid fishing today.......
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Watts Bar Lake Fishing Report
The water level is at full summer pool. Catfish are being caught in the main channel in all areas of the lake. The water above the Hwy. 58 Bridge on the Tennessee River is the best area. Most baits associated with catfish angling are being used.
Crappie are being caught at night while fishing underneath lights. Minnows and jigs are being used. Large bay areas are areas that anglers have had success. Bridge pilings are another area that can be targeted.
White bass are still being caught near mid lake humps and ledges in the main channel. Spinner-type lures are better than other lures while trying to catch white bass. Some rockfish are being caught near the mid lake humps. The tailwaters below Melton Hill Dam has had very few anglers and in two trips below the dam last week there was not any current.
Bass are being caught along all the primary areas normally targeted in the summer. Those include humps, flats, and points in the same area. It seems that the number of fish being caught in the large secondary waters has become greater than those being caught in the primary waters. The reason is probably because of the significant numbers of shad moving into these areas. An example of such an area would be Caney Creek. Plastic worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are being used most often.
Crappie are being caught at night while fishing underneath lights. Minnows and jigs are being used. Large bay areas are areas that anglers have had success. Bridge pilings are another area that can be targeted.
White bass are still being caught near mid lake humps and ledges in the main channel. Spinner-type lures are better than other lures while trying to catch white bass. Some rockfish are being caught near the mid lake humps. The tailwaters below Melton Hill Dam has had very few anglers and in two trips below the dam last week there was not any current.
Bass are being caught along all the primary areas normally targeted in the summer. Those include humps, flats, and points in the same area. It seems that the number of fish being caught in the large secondary waters has become greater than those being caught in the primary waters. The reason is probably because of the significant numbers of shad moving into these areas. An example of such an area would be Caney Creek. Plastic worms, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are being used most often.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Watts Bar Fishing Report
The Fishing has been awesome this Spring and Summer Lots of Bass, Striper's and nice Crappie, Oh yea...
The lake was full on July 30, 2009, Lots of rain this month and the surface water temperature was in the low 80’s. Bass are being caught most often while fishing in the summer areas. Large river flats, points, ledges and humps are being targeted more often than other areas.
Some fish are being caught in the major secondary areas along points and drops. Those secondary areas that are worth trying will have a considerable number of baitfish. These baitfish can be found while using electronics or by observing the shad breaking the surface of the water.
Catfish are being caught by those in search of them. Catfish have not been fished for as heavily in this lake as they have in other local lakes.
White bass and rockfish are being caught more often in the mid lake areas near primary humps. Spinner-type lures are used more often than other lures.
Crappie are being caught close to the tailwaters in small numbers. Night anglers are reporting large numbers of crappie being caught while fishing underneath lights in the mid to lower area of the lake. Minnows and jigs are being used for bait. Some bluegill are being caught along bluff walls and current breaks while using the normal stuff for bait.
The lake was full on July 30, 2009, Lots of rain this month and the surface water temperature was in the low 80’s. Bass are being caught most often while fishing in the summer areas. Large river flats, points, ledges and humps are being targeted more often than other areas.
Some fish are being caught in the major secondary areas along points and drops. Those secondary areas that are worth trying will have a considerable number of baitfish. These baitfish can be found while using electronics or by observing the shad breaking the surface of the water.
Catfish are being caught by those in search of them. Catfish have not been fished for as heavily in this lake as they have in other local lakes.
White bass and rockfish are being caught more often in the mid lake areas near primary humps. Spinner-type lures are used more often than other lures.
Crappie are being caught close to the tailwaters in small numbers. Night anglers are reporting large numbers of crappie being caught while fishing underneath lights in the mid to lower area of the lake. Minnows and jigs are being used for bait. Some bluegill are being caught along bluff walls and current breaks while using the normal stuff for bait.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Fishing Report on Watts Bar Lake
The current elevation is near normal summer level. The surface temperature is in the seventies. Most bass anglers are fishing primary areas or areas adjacent to the same catching some on top water. Points, ledges or rocky banks that are windward are being targeted by a large number of anglers using shakey head and other lead head plastic grubs of assorted color. Crankbaits are getting the reaction bite and plastic worms rigged all sorts of ways are being used for the deeper fish.
White bass and rockfish are being caught most often along humps or areas where the current confluences or funnels. Spinner-type lures will offer the better chance of catching white bass and shad will be the better offering for rockfish.
Crappie are being caught in numbers while fishing at night underneath lights or a lantern. Minnows are the most popular choice for crappie. Fishing larger bays or creeks near the river will increase the odds of being able to find a large school of crappie.
Catfish are being caught on all the normal catfish baits while drifting in the primary water. Jug fishing is working very well right now catching the channel cats and the blue cats.
Bluegill are being caught along bluff walls and around docks on crickets and night crawlers and also in the back of the long coves the big bull brims and shale crackers are being caught too.
White bass and rockfish are being caught most often along humps or areas where the current confluences or funnels. Spinner-type lures will offer the better chance of catching white bass and shad will be the better offering for rockfish.
Crappie are being caught in numbers while fishing at night underneath lights or a lantern. Minnows are the most popular choice for crappie. Fishing larger bays or creeks near the river will increase the odds of being able to find a large school of crappie.
Catfish are being caught on all the normal catfish baits while drifting in the primary water. Jug fishing is working very well right now catching the channel cats and the blue cats.
Bluegill are being caught along bluff walls and around docks on crickets and night crawlers and also in the back of the long coves the big bull brims and shale crackers are being caught too.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Watts Bar Lake Fishing Report
The water surface temperature is near 70 degrees. The current lake elevation, as of 5.12.09, is at normal summer pool.
Bass are spawning and some are being caught in post and pre-spawn patterns. The heaviest fish are being caught in areas leading into the shallows in water depths six to ten feet deep. Topwater lures, plastic worms and jigs are being used as often as any other lure.
Most crappie are being caught in brush or near blowdowns in transitional areas. Crappie are being caught in all stages of spawn. minnows and jigs are the most used bait for crappie. White bass are being caught in the upper portion of the Tennessee and Clinch rivers and where the small creeks and rivers enter the lakes.
A few rockfish are being caught in the same areas that the white bassare being caught. Shad, jigs and crankbaits are being used for bait.
Catfish are being caught in or near the tailwaters more often that the areas downstreatm from there and also in the large area of the river jug fising. All the normal catfishing baits are being used to catch catfish.
Bass are spawning and some are being caught in post and pre-spawn patterns. The heaviest fish are being caught in areas leading into the shallows in water depths six to ten feet deep. Topwater lures, plastic worms and jigs are being used as often as any other lure.
Most crappie are being caught in brush or near blowdowns in transitional areas. Crappie are being caught in all stages of spawn. minnows and jigs are the most used bait for crappie. White bass are being caught in the upper portion of the Tennessee and Clinch rivers and where the small creeks and rivers enter the lakes.
A few rockfish are being caught in the same areas that the white bassare being caught. Shad, jigs and crankbaits are being used for bait.
Catfish are being caught in or near the tailwaters more often that the areas downstreatm from there and also in the large area of the river jug fising. All the normal catfishing baits are being used to catch catfish.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Fishing Report on Watts Bar Lake
The water surface temperature is 62 degrees in the shallow bays during the evening hours. The lake elevation is within one foot of normal summer pool. Bass are being caught on lipless crankbaits most often. There are a number of other lures that are also being used. The best lure selection is probably the lure that a given angler has the most confidence in and is the most efficient at using. Transitional areas are being fished most often. These are the areas that are in between the spawning water and the deep water creeks. Gradual sloping banks or flat banks that have at least four feet of water seem to be the areas that anglers should be focused on. Crappie fishing is improving, but the numbers of crappie being caught are not great. Jigs and/or minnows are being used to catch crappie. The crappie are scattered and are being caught in water depths ranging from two to fifteen feet. Brush will increase the odds of catching a few crappie. White bass are being caught at a greater rate than previously reported in the areas above Kingston in the Clinch River and above the I-75 Bridge in the Tennessee River. Crankbaits and jigs are being used by most anglers. Some rockfish are being caught in the same areas. Some catfish are being caught in the tailwaters and in the bay areas. Crappie trollers are catching several catfish.
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