TWRA Weekly Fishing Forecast

TWRA Weekly Fishing Forecast

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Boone Reservoir – 4-25-23

Forecast Contributor – Richard Markland, Region 4 Fisheries Technician

Reservoir Conditions– Reservoir elevation is 1379.05. The water temperature is 62-63* degrees. Water clarity 10-15’ visibility, some debris floating so use caution while pm the water.

Bass- Fishing is good. Largemouth are being caught on small crankbaits or small shad like baits, spinnerbaits by fishing along rocky banks/bluffs or trees or around docks. Smallmouths are being caught by crankbaits, spinnerbaits and casting shad like baits.

Crappie– Fishing is good. Crappie are being caught on deep structures in creek channels. Anglers are using minnows or Bobby Garland baits on treetops. Target structure in the 15’-25’ range in mid-creek back to shallower water.

Striped Bass/Hybrid Bass– Fishing is fair. Most of the fish are being caught around Misty Waters, Candy Creek area on Holston side and Deerlick area on Watauga side casting spoons, shad type baits. Some has been caught on topwater back in the creeks, starting to see some topwater action in the evenings.

Chickamauga Lake – 4-27-23

Forecast Contributor – Billy Wheat, Follow on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/riprapfishingadventures and www.riprapfishing.net 

I’m trying to think of something right now you can’t catch a bass on around here! Topwater, flipping, square bill and Senko are all working with the water creeping up and up and the water temperature that dropped starting to rise these bass are feeling it! They are in all stages and a big one can hit you on any cast! From 1foot to 20 feet a wacky rig to a Carolina rig. Now is the time to just have fun and go fishing on Lake Chickamauga. The shad spawn is hit and miss but it’s coming on strong! Bluegill and Shellcracker beds are popping up so it’s time for “Frogging On The Chick Baby”.

Dale Hollow – 4-26-23

Forecast Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk.

Reservoir Conditions- 

Lake elevation currently sits at 647.5’, hopefully this week’s rain will help bring the water up to help the spawns. Dale Hollow Dam is pulling, on average, 1,500 cfs daily. Water temperatures have jumped around all week, but main lake is 60-62, and the creeks are 63-65 degrees. Water clarity is good, main lake is 10-15’ visibility and the creeks are 3-6’ visibility. This weekend the moon will be waxing at 60%. The last wave of spawners will be moving up with this last full moon. The majority of black bass and walleye are post-spawn.

Bass- Fishing is good. The fishing was hot up shallow until the latest cold font, now the fishing has slowed. Largemouth are still hanging around the creeks but are very finicky. Slow down with soft plastics on wacky rigs, shaky heads, or drop shots around laydowns and willow trees. Smallmouth are mostly post-spawn and very hungry. They are eating ned rigs and jigs on main lake, rocky banks, and points in 0-15 FOW. Target these areas especially when there is a shade line. Live bait fisherman are catching smallies on shiners on the bottom in 12-15 FOW. Grass on main lake points is also producing large & smallmouth bass, a small swimbait or topwater over the tops is producing quality post-spawn fish.

Walleye– Fishing is great. Anglers are catching big walleye on bluff shelves mid-lake on shiners. Anglers can also catch walleye on clay points that have grass with shad imitating baits at night and early in the morning. The night light bite has started, and these post-spawn walleyes are feeding! Post up on a point or rock bluff with a green light and shiners and wait for them to come in.

Trout- Fishing is okay. The trout are spread out this time of year, but as the water warms, they will start to confine around the dam area of the reservoir. As for now, bass fisherman are catching anything from 10’’ stockers to 5lbers on swimbaits or crankbaits around the mid-lake area. It’s hard to say this time of year where to target trout, but anywhere on the main lake or creeks you have a decent chance of hooking into one.

Crappie– Fishing is okay. The crappie are in full spawn, making it more difficult to catch them. The only fisherman that are having success, are on the upper end of the lake fishing brush in 5-20 FOW with jigs and minnows. With the low water levels, the crappie haven’t migrated to the bank like in the past as heavy, so the brush they were staging on in pre-spawn is where they’re still at. The bite is harder to come by, but the fish are still there.

Catfish– Fishing is great. Big channel catfish are being caught on the bank. Limb lines with nightcrawlers, are doing well on lower end of the lake creeks. Throughout the lake, catfish are being caught on worms while fishing laydowns.

White bass- Fishing is good. The white bass are still spawning on the upper reaches of the E. Fork Obey River above Compton Bottoms ramp. These fish are spawning on sandy bottoms in the larger pools. Any small jig or minnow will occasionally distract them to bite. Be mindful of the spawn and be respectful of what you take home. Also, be careful of shallow shoals on the upper reaches of the river.

Bluegill & Redear Sunfish- Fishing is good. Fisherman are catching good panfish on the upper end of the reservoir on worms around brush and clay banks. No one is catching bull shellcrackers or bluegill yet, but their spawn is coming up next and is around the corner.

Douglas Lake – 4-13-23

Forecast Contributor Brad Burkhart –  Follow on Facebook

Hello Spring!

Good day all. Douglas is fishing very well right now. One of the easiest bites to get on is the spinner bait deal.

Now this work’s about all over the lake, all you need is some steep bank (preferably dark shale) that leads into a spawning flat or pocket. It’s best to parallel the bank and sit your boat in about 15’, that way you will cover the vast majority of the strike zone this time of year. I also like to fish a glide bait now too…..even if they don’t eat it they will most often go back to where they came from and a quick pitch with a jig or Senko will catch that fish every time.

Wanting to see it is “real time” I have spots available for guide trips. Just shoot us a message. Thanks!!

God Bless,

Brad Burkhart @bradburkhartprofishing

Hiwassee River – 4-27-23

Forecast Contributor – Justin Spaulding, Region 3 Trout Biologist.

River Conditions- Dry and cool conditions in the valley continue which make for good wading and comfortable weather. Anglers wanting to float can time the pulse of generation that has been typical every four hours. There were a few days of spilling that made wading and floating a dream.

Water temperatures have been hovering in the high 50s with these cool nights.  Conditions look cool for several more days.  Regularly scheduled trout stockings are in full swing.  Trout are stocked from the Powerhouse down to 411 on a rotational basis at least twice per month.

Trout- Fishing remains great and just about everyone is catching fish. With these cool cloudy days, the hatches will be more dependent on those periods when the sun pops out and warms things up a few degrees. Olive and pink colored flies and artificials have been working with fish feeding in the water column.  Be ready with several sizes and colors of dries. Powerbait and worms are effective as ever for those that can keep them in the strike zone.

In between pulses, seek out deep or flowing water.

Normandy Lake – 4-20-23

Forecast Contributor Captain Jake Davis –  midsouthbassguide.com – Follow on Facebook

TVA continues to bring the water levels back up its 874.42 today.  Normandy continued producing some nice fish.  Crankbaits, Texas Rigs or Tightline Jigs have been our go to as the shad spawn starts.  We found several really nice bass using Crankbaits at the end of points in 3 to 8 feet of water. Walleye can be caught trolling crankbaits or drifting minnows/crawler harnesses on flats and in the river.  I’m being told the Crappie are doing good, you can catch them around brush in the river and standing timber. Keep an eye on the habitat that TWRA and TN Bass Nation put out the last couple years Water temperatures range from 66 to 69 degrees.  Please wear your life vest all the time while on the water.  Give me a call to book your trip, Springtime fishing is the best on Normandy…  Capt. Jake 615-613-2382 or msbassguide@comcast.net

Norris Lake – 4-26-23

Forecast Contributor – Paul Shaw, Norris Creel Clerk.

Water Temp: Mid-60’s at dusk on the upper end. To the high 60’s and low 70’s in the shallows on the lower end. The upper rivers (at Hwy 25E) were clear and 61 degrees.

Water Clarity: 4 to 6 feet, good color. The upper end rivers are running in clear.

 Water Elevation: 1,013.6 (midnight) Rising slowly. Check the free TVA Lake Info app for daily elevations, predictions, and flow rates.

 Largemouth Bass: Good in coves where some are searching for spawning locations. Willow leaf spinners have caught most, with medium crankbaits, hard jerk baits also picking up some. A few have hit topwater plugs.  Bass can be seen accumulating in the coves in anticipation of what may be an early spawn. Fish shallow to 10 feet in the coves and near cover and broken rocks.

Smallmouth Bass: Fair.  Soft swim baits on lead heads, medium runner crankbaits, small hair jigs tipped with tuffy minnows, plastic grubs, and swimbaits retrieved across spawning areas. Target white gravel points and shorelines where many are spawning at 8-12 feet, bottom depth.

Walleye: Fair upriver in the Clinch River shoals near Hwy 25E and Indian Creek. On the Powell, above Slate Creek, Earl’s Hollow and farther upstream has had some good catches on the right days. 3/8 oz jigs tipped with plastic grubs or on trolled crankbaits, both worked along the bottom at 15 feet and shallower. Main body catches are fair at night, slow during the day. The main body fish are not yet spawning. Night fishing with Mann O’Lures or spoons jigged under lights, or Shad Raps, or snagged shad/alewife cast to the shoreline are picking up some, but it’s hit ‘n miss at best.

Bluegill: Slow. To 20 feet on steep, broken rock banks on crickets or on Beetle Spins or Rooster Tail spinners.

Shellcrackers: Slow. Some have been showing up in the Mill Creek embayment. Redworms, night crawlers, wax worms, Beetle Spins along the bottom especially in the Mill Creek and Poor Land Creek areas. The best action for these fish is a month away.

Crappie: Slow in the daylight hours. Good at night in Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, and upper Davis Creek in the coves near the cemetery boat ramp. Shiners or tuffy minnows tightlined to 10-15 feet near brush. Popeye jigs or Bobby Garlands are getting some at dawn in Sycamore Creek and Little Sycamore Creek.

Striped Bass: Moderate to good upriver in shoal areas. Above Indian Creek on the Clinch River arm has seen improving catches in the pools between shoals.  Shad or alewife, umbrella rigs, or large swimbaits. In the main lake body, smaller stripers have been caught in the Loyston/Lost Creek area, Gourd and Rabbit Islands. Upper Cove Creek catches were fair. Look for stripers to be moving toward the headwaters of the larger creek embayments and upward to the headwaters of the Powell and Clinch rivers. These fish are moving upstream with the season.

Pickwick

Forecast Contributor Tyler Finley – Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tyler.finley.750

Pickwick Lake has been putting out some solid bags. Fish are moving up and biting all over the lake. Largemouth can be caught in the pockets down lane flipping a jig. Up the river smallmouth are beginning to spawn. They can be caught using a shaky head worm in the horseshoe and gravel bars around McFarland. It is a good time of the year to get out on Pickwick and fish around as they are full and moving up to spawn.

Tims Ford – 4-20-23

Forecast Contributor Captain Jake Davis – Follow on Facebook

Fishing slowed down for the first couple days this week but picked back up nicely.  Lake temperatures are between 67 and 69.3 degrees and the lake level climbed to 884.59 and projected to hit 884.86 over the weekend.  Our primary focus this week, remained just outside the spawning flats and pea gravel banks with some wood.  Shad spawn had started but again slowed and is only in a couple areas.  Sped Craw, Crankbait, spinnerbaits and Jigs are a good place to start.

We continued to catch a few fish spread out on secondary points and around brush piles. Best lures have been Ned Rig, Tightline Mussel Crawler jigs tipped with Twin Tail grubs bite. Texas Rigged creature baits, produced as well.  Crappie are on deep water docks, brush piles and treetops.  Stripe and rock fish are still can be found off points, on river channel bends with bucktail jigs, swimbaits and live bait.  Please wear your life vest all the time while on the water and watch for floating logs as the water rises… Give me a call to book your trip, Spring and early summertime fishing is the best on Tim’s…  Capt. Jake 615-613-2382 or msbassguide@comcast.net

Watts Bar Reservoir –April 19^th – April 24^th, 2023

Forecast Contributor – Nathan Rogers, Region III Creel Clerk

The weather was clear most of the weekend. Temperatures were around lower 50’s to mid to lower 60’s. Lake visibility was poor most of the weekend due to some storms throughout some nights. Water temperatures decreased the past few days due to the cold spell this weekend.  Water level is almost to summer pool with about 1 foot left to fill.

Reservoir Conditions

Water Temp:

• Creeks: 65.2 degrees Fahrenheit
• Tennessee River: 62.4 degrees Fahrenheit

Water Clarity: Tennessee River channel averaged 3 feet

Water Level: 740.1 feet

Water Flow:

• Watts Bar Dam: ~6400 cfs
• Melton Hill Dam: ~500 cfs
• Fort Loudon Dam: ~4650 cfs

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