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.

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.

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.