Full pool 1,073 feet. Lake level is at 1,047 feet, down almost 1 foot from last week. Water temperatures are in the low 60's. Smallmouth Bass-Good. Fish are being found on rocky points and humps. The larger fish are coming in 20-30 feet of water. Spoons, shad and brightly colored crank-baits, white spinner-baits and six inch purple ribbon-tailed worms are catching fish. Carolina and Texas-rigs and jigs are popular for the deeper fish. Crank-baits and worms worked parallel to the bank have been producing catches. Largemouth Bass-Fair. The recent cold front has made catching decent sized fish tougher. Most of the larger fish are being caught 20 feet deep or more on drop-offs along points. Rat-L-Traps, deep to medium running shad-colored crank-baits, white spinner-baits and small trick worms have been popular. Striped Bass-Good. Fish have been hugging the bottom at a depth of 30-35 feet. Weighted shad fished on the bottom is producing some catches. The top water action has heated up with a lot of breaking fish being found. The areas around Points 2 and 3 and between Points 24 and 25 have been active. Crappie-Good. Fish are 10-15 feet deep and are found near the bottom around submerged wood structures or along steep rocky banks. Minnows or jigs tipped with minnows are catching most of the fish. Catfish-Good. Fish are being caught 15-35 feet deep. The main channel area Point 21 and 23 is producing some nice fish near deep drop-offs near rock bluffs. The outside curves of main channel swings and the bottom of bay areas have been holding fish also.
Douglas
Full pool 990 feet. Lake level is at 959 feet, down 1 ½ feet from last week. Water temperatures are in the low 60's. Largemouth Bass-Great! Fish are being found from the surface to 30 feet deep and are hitting about anything you want to throw at them. Spoons, jigs, Carolina and Texas-rigs, swim-baits, flukes, spinner-baits, buzz-baits, Rattle-L-Traps and crank-baits are all having success. Smallmouth Bass-Good. Deep diving crank-baits, spoons, jigs, tubes and Carolina and Texas-rigs used on rocky points and banks are catching fish. Crappie-Good. Anglers are finding fish 10-15 feet deep with trolling rigs or 8-10 feet deep with minnows tight-lined near brush. Gray flies with chartreuse heads have been popular.
Ft. Loudoun/Tellico
Full pool 813 feet. Lake level is 811 feet, down about 6 inches from last week. Water temperatures are in the low 60's. Smallmouth Bass-Good. Fish are more active and are chasing baitfish into the shallows. Deep to medium running crank-baits in red or orange, jerk-baits, white or chartreuse spinner-baits, swim-baits, Carolina-rigs and jigs are all catching fish. The drop-offs on the deep side of points is holding the larger fish. Largemouth Bass-Good. Fish are much more active due to the cooler water and are being found in less than 10 feet of water. Rocky banks and wood structure are good locations. Crank-baits, spinner-baits, buzz-baits and other top-water lures fished at dawn, dusk and at night are catching fish. Striped Bass-Fair. The canal area continues to hold fish as does the areas below Chilhowee and Ft. Loudoun Dam. Live skip-jack in 8-12 inch range and chartreuse or yellow buck-tail jigs are popular. Breaking fish are being found and can be caught with top-water baits and Rattle-L- Traps. Crappie-Good. Fish are schooling up again and are moving back onto flats and around submerged brush. Fish are being caught trolling 1/16- ounce jigs with blue or silver hair and tipped with either minnows or tri-colored grubs in smoke and clear sparkle or chartreuse in less than 15 feet of water. Fish are also being caught tight-lining minnows or under floats.
Norris
Full pool is 1,020 feet. Lake level is at 1,003 feet, down about 1 foot from last week. Water temperatures are in the low 60's with some cooler water upstream. Smallmouth Bass-Good. The water seems to be stratified with fish being found at two different depths. Smaller fish are being found from the surface to about 8 feet deep while larger fish are in the 18-25 feet depth. Pop-R's, Spooks, flukes, buzz-baits, swim-baits, Rat-L-Traps, crank-baits and rubber-skirted jigs have been producing. Main channel points and rocky banks near deep water are holding fish. The area between Loyston Sea and 33 Bridge has been producing catches. At dusk and at night Carolina-rigs, jigs and Colorado bladed spinner-baits have been catching fish along fairly steep sloping banks. Spoons and jigs are finding fish on the tops of humps in about 20 feet of water. Largemouth Bass-Good. Buzz-baits, swim-baits, flukes, jerk-baits and crank-baits are catching fish. Submerged wood and large rock near the mouths of creeks have been good areas to find fish. Crappie-Improving. The cooler and colored water in the upper end of the lake has the fish biting better than they are on the lower end. Early and late in the day fish are 5-10 feet deep near wood, large rock or creek channel ledges. During the day they may be as deep as 25 feet. Small flies and mini tube jigs or 2 ounce hair or feather jigs tipped with minnows are picking up many of these fish. Striped Bass-Good. Some nice top water action can be found early in the mornings near rocky points or mid channel breaking in schooling shad. Most of the larger creek areas are seeing increased action. The areas around Bear Hole Bend, Lost Creek and Anderson County Park are producing fish. Fish are well scattered throughout the water column. Tight-lining live bait at the depth of the shad is producing fish. Walleye-Slow. Improving water conditions have dispersed the fish making them difficult to locate in any numbers. Daytime anglers are catching fish trolling deep diving crank-baits or small nickel plated spinner/night-crawler rigs across points and humps in 30-35 feet of water.
Melton Hill
Full pool 793 feet. Lake level is just under 794 feet, down a few inches from last week. Water temperatures are in the low 60's. Largemouth Bass-Good. Crank-baits, jigs, finesse worms, lizards and brush-hogs are catching fish along rocky points and banks. Creature baits that resemble crayfish fished on jigs have been catching the most fish. Green or blue flake have popular colors. Smallmouth Bass-Improving. Junior brush-hogs, lizards and worms have been catching fish 15-25 feet deep. Top water baits like Zara Spooks and Pop-R's are catching fish early and late. Medium to deep running crank-baits colored in shad or red are catching fish. Crappie-Fair. Fish are being found 17-22 feet deep near timber in creek channels. Live minnows continue to catch most of the fish. Fish are chasing shad again in the area around Reactor Bend. Small minnow imitating lures such as Rat-L-Traps and shad-raps are being used. Musky-Good. The cooler water temperatures have increased the feeding activity of musky. The area around and just down-stream from the steam plant continues to produce fish. Large chartreuse spinner-baits, large jerk-baits in trout imitating colors, Bulldogs, shallow invaders and large jerk-baits fished near lay-downs have been catching fish. Catfish-Improving. The area around the steam plant is holding a lot of baitfish and this is attracting catfish as well as all predatory fish.
Watts Bar
Full pool 741 feet. Lake level is at 738 feet, down several inches from last week. Water temperatures are in the upper 50's and low 60's. Smallmouth Bass-Fair. Fish are being found from the surface to 20 feet deep. Jigs, medium to deep running crank-baits and Rat-L-Traps fished on main and secondary points have picked up a few fish. The best bite is yet to come. Largemouth Bass-Fair. Fish are being found near rock and wood structure in 15 feet of water or less. Rat-L-Traps, crank-baits, spinner-baits, buzz-baits and soft plastics are all catching fish. Striped Bass-Improving. Fish are being caught below the dam during light generating periods and early and late in the day breaking where schooling shad can be found. Shallow pockets that have baitfish are starting to show feeding fish.