To Paris Landing Motel
Mar 23, 2026
Mar 22, 2026
LATE MARCH BITE LOOKING POSITIVE…SPAWNING PHASE INCHES CLOSER
Kentucky Lake - 3/19/26
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)
Warmer days are in progress for the Kentucky Lake fishing scene as near record daytime highs are on the threshold this weekend across the region. Highs could reach the 84-to-86-degree range Saturday/Sunday and that will no doubt heat up fishing fever, which has already been running pretty high on the big lake. Also rising have been lake levels. Elevation as this report was formulated has the lake creeping up to the 357 level, which is up several inches over the last week or so and a bit above normal for third week of March.
Watercolor is clear. A slight stain was present in the upper Big Sandy and West Sandy, but it was mostly due to recent high winds whipping up shallow shorelines. Surface temperature is around the 56-degree range but will increase the next few days based on the weather forecast of very warm weather and sunny days. Anglers can expect the water to warm into the 60-plus degree range quickly.
Remember it’s March and yet another cool snap will enter the picture by Monday. Highs are expected to only be around 62 degrees Monday but slowly rebound Tuesday and back to the 74-degree range by next Wednesday.
Crappie will respond favorably to the rising surface temps and move up pretty fast. Anglers can expect increased activity in the 4-to-8-foot depth ranges. Midrange depths of 8 to 12 will appeal to increased numbers too as fish transition to the staging areas just out from spawning territory. It’s time for fish to camp out on the doorstep of their favorite spawning spots. That seems to be happening now, and the timetable is pretty much on schedule. Peak spawning temps occur in the 62-to-66-degree range once the water gets there (and stays there) with weather stability.
Already crappie have been on the move, stair-stepping their routes from deep water winter venues to midrange depths. It’s not unusual for anglers here to find fish in several different depths at the same time. It often indicates fish are just on the move. Reacting to changing conditions out there is why fish may be scattered at different depths at different times. Male crappie are just beginning to show darkening shades of color. Once spawning time arrives, they undergo hormonal changes that produce that beautiful deep dark purple or darkening appearance.
That peak hasn’t arrived yet, but the biological clock is ticking! What works best for the fish and those who pursue them is stability in both lake levels and weather patterns. It’s not unusual for interruptions in both to occur in early April. Seems there’s always an uninvited cold front still hiding somewhere just waiting to rock the boat of anglers and interrupt the bite. Those gale winds and whitecaps escorting falling temperatures sure disrupt the party.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Lake’s normal curve by TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) for reservoir filling has the lake scheduled to begin its annual rise on or about April 1. A slow but gradual rise in lake levels is the norm with a goal of summer pool level (359) by May 1 each year. If you do the math that’s a 5-foot difference between winter (354-range) and summer pool levels here. All that depends on rainfall. Sometimes flooding rains greatly influence TVA’s normal plan. Fluctuation can occur. Anglers don’t like it but drastic changes in lake levels can happen quickly, upsetting the plans of fishermen.
Drastic changes in lake levels has an impact. A fast-rising lake tends to scatter fish. Of concern to fishermen are bass and crappie moving up to spawning habitat on shallow shorelines and then, as they’re about to drop or broadcast their eggs, water levels fall out fast. Both quick changes in lake levels plus dramatic cold fronts that lower surface temps overnight are not the friends of high spawning success. Sometimes the bass and crappie are right on the verge of spawning only to have dramatic changes occur which sort of puts the brakes on ideal fishing.
Fish have been known to react to the negative changes and lack of stability by delaying or holding off spawning and reabsorbing their eggs. Perhaps it’s Mother Nature saying now is not the ideal time. Maybe it’s changing the timetable a bit, signaling to fish to ride it out and wait until things improve. Since the lake was formed fishermen have discussed (and cussed) the weather, changing lake levels and unstable behavior of fish when drastic changes occur that offsets the aggressive spring spawning bite.
Hard to predict all the potential variations. About the only control fishermen have is being there. You can’t catch them if you don’t go! Expect some dandy stringers of slabs to be taken this next week. Scores of anglers are applying a variety of techniques in a variety of depths.
From bass fishermen have come reports of hefty stringers being caught on a wide variety of lures and color combinations. From the old reliable crankbaits to jig and craw combos plus both Alabama and Carolina rig presentations. Tossing those swim baits on spinning rods has yielded some nice bronze backs too as smallmouth are on the verge of spawning.
A few tournament reports have winning 5-fish limits weighing well over 20-pounds lately on both Barkley and Kentucky Lakes. It won’t be long until any stickup will be begging to have a spinnerbait cast its way. And a topwater jerk bait presentation isn’t too far away from producing either.
Spring officially arrived last Saturday. The fish sort of thought it sneaked in the door back in early March!
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)
Warmer days are in progress for the Kentucky Lake fishing scene as near record daytime highs are on the threshold this weekend across the region. Highs could reach the 84-to-86-degree range Saturday/Sunday and that will no doubt heat up fishing fever, which has already been running pretty high on the big lake. Also rising have been lake levels. Elevation as this report was formulated has the lake creeping up to the 357 level, which is up several inches over the last week or so and a bit above normal for third week of March.
Watercolor is clear. A slight stain was present in the upper Big Sandy and West Sandy, but it was mostly due to recent high winds whipping up shallow shorelines. Surface temperature is around the 56-degree range but will increase the next few days based on the weather forecast of very warm weather and sunny days. Anglers can expect the water to warm into the 60-plus degree range quickly.
Remember it’s March and yet another cool snap will enter the picture by Monday. Highs are expected to only be around 62 degrees Monday but slowly rebound Tuesday and back to the 74-degree range by next Wednesday.
Crappie will respond favorably to the rising surface temps and move up pretty fast. Anglers can expect increased activity in the 4-to-8-foot depth ranges. Midrange depths of 8 to 12 will appeal to increased numbers too as fish transition to the staging areas just out from spawning territory. It’s time for fish to camp out on the doorstep of their favorite spawning spots. That seems to be happening now, and the timetable is pretty much on schedule. Peak spawning temps occur in the 62-to-66-degree range once the water gets there (and stays there) with weather stability.
Already crappie have been on the move, stair-stepping their routes from deep water winter venues to midrange depths. It’s not unusual for anglers here to find fish in several different depths at the same time. It often indicates fish are just on the move. Reacting to changing conditions out there is why fish may be scattered at different depths at different times. Male crappie are just beginning to show darkening shades of color. Once spawning time arrives, they undergo hormonal changes that produce that beautiful deep dark purple or darkening appearance.
That peak hasn’t arrived yet, but the biological clock is ticking! What works best for the fish and those who pursue them is stability in both lake levels and weather patterns. It’s not unusual for interruptions in both to occur in early April. Seems there’s always an uninvited cold front still hiding somewhere just waiting to rock the boat of anglers and interrupt the bite. Those gale winds and whitecaps escorting falling temperatures sure disrupt the party.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Lake’s normal curve by TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) for reservoir filling has the lake scheduled to begin its annual rise on or about April 1. A slow but gradual rise in lake levels is the norm with a goal of summer pool level (359) by May 1 each year. If you do the math that’s a 5-foot difference between winter (354-range) and summer pool levels here. All that depends on rainfall. Sometimes flooding rains greatly influence TVA’s normal plan. Fluctuation can occur. Anglers don’t like it but drastic changes in lake levels can happen quickly, upsetting the plans of fishermen.
Drastic changes in lake levels has an impact. A fast-rising lake tends to scatter fish. Of concern to fishermen are bass and crappie moving up to spawning habitat on shallow shorelines and then, as they’re about to drop or broadcast their eggs, water levels fall out fast. Both quick changes in lake levels plus dramatic cold fronts that lower surface temps overnight are not the friends of high spawning success. Sometimes the bass and crappie are right on the verge of spawning only to have dramatic changes occur which sort of puts the brakes on ideal fishing.
Fish have been known to react to the negative changes and lack of stability by delaying or holding off spawning and reabsorbing their eggs. Perhaps it’s Mother Nature saying now is not the ideal time. Maybe it’s changing the timetable a bit, signaling to fish to ride it out and wait until things improve. Since the lake was formed fishermen have discussed (and cussed) the weather, changing lake levels and unstable behavior of fish when drastic changes occur that offsets the aggressive spring spawning bite.
Hard to predict all the potential variations. About the only control fishermen have is being there. You can’t catch them if you don’t go! Expect some dandy stringers of slabs to be taken this next week. Scores of anglers are applying a variety of techniques in a variety of depths.
From bass fishermen have come reports of hefty stringers being caught on a wide variety of lures and color combinations. From the old reliable crankbaits to jig and craw combos plus both Alabama and Carolina rig presentations. Tossing those swim baits on spinning rods has yielded some nice bronze backs too as smallmouth are on the verge of spawning.
A few tournament reports have winning 5-fish limits weighing well over 20-pounds lately on both Barkley and Kentucky Lakes. It won’t be long until any stickup will be begging to have a spinnerbait cast its way. And a topwater jerk bait presentation isn’t too far away from producing either.
Spring officially arrived last Saturday. The fish sort of thought it sneaked in the door back in early March!
Mar 18, 2026
Mar 14, 2026
Prespawn Phases Underway; March Has Anglers Off Balance
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)
Report for March 12, 2026After a bout with above average temps earlier this month when a big dose of early spring weather descended on Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene fishermen are now juggling with unpredictable March weather.
Slightly cooler conditions have greeted fishermen at times compared to the parade of warm weather the first week to ten days of the month that spoiled anglers here into thinking spring was arriving early.
March is a month with many faces. Anglers can expect fluctuation in daytime highs, wind and a mixture of rain in any given week.
Some decent stringers of crappie are still coming in daily. Despite some inclement weather there’s still some success stories from anglers braving the elements.
Crappie are in their prespawn phase and already showing movement toward secondary bays and up on main lake flats. As they stair-step their route toward spawning areas and move up from deeper main lake ledges to warmer water fishermen are canvasing lots of different depths and zones in their pursuit.
Lake levels this week were hanging around the winter pool range of 355. However, there were some minor fluctuation in elevation this week. Earlier in the week it fell to 354.5 but began rising slowly at midweek. Water color is relatively clear across the reservoir. Some stain in the upper Big Sandy and West Sandy area is present. Water color is clear throughout the Paris Landing sector.
Surface temperatures had cooled slightly from last week when some areas recorded 58–degree water in shallow pockets for a day or two. That has changed some and will likely fall a few degrees in the days ahead as Monday night’s forecast says a cold night of only 20 degrees lies ahead.
Looks like a warm weekend is ahead but a cold snap will arrive by Monday/Tuesday. Daytime highs will only be below normal, struggling to reach the upper 30’s and low 40’s. Temps will begin to moderate at midweek. That March weather roller coaster will be rolling again!
With the cooler days will come chilly northwest winds by early next week, which bay curtail the bite for a short time. From midrange depths of 9 to 14 feet have come decent numbers of crappie taken by boats slow trolling jigs over open water using “long line” techniques. A wide variety of color combinations were credited. Both Roadrunner style jigs and curly tail grubs were producing.
Earlier this week some anglers found the deep bite going and discovered fish relating to structure in 16 to 20 foot depths at times. It’s that time of the year when several different depths and patterns may produce on Kentucky Lake at any given time.
Prespawn crappie often suspend as they stage in open water awaiting a warm up of surface temps into the upper 50’s and low 60’s that will trigger them to blitz toward shallow water.
A lot of movement was taking place last week courtesy of the warm spell. It’s not unusual for March cold fronts to sort of put the brakes on early spawning phases. That’s happening now to some degree as the biological clock of crappie and bass was about to get ahead of itself during that the recent spring fling.
Anglers fishing jigs and minnows in a vertical presentation around deeper brushpiles and stake beds in 10 to 16 feet were finding fish playing their game. They were having to move around a bit to accumulate limits but managed some impressive coolers full of slab crappie.
Prespawn crappie are known to put on the feed bag in preparation for the annual ritual. Their egg sacs are bulging so the fish are weighing heavy at times.
Several anglers are landing fish tipping the scales at 1 1/2 to two pounds. Some even larger!
The culprit now is the relentless wind. It giveth and it taketh away! Some days the gale force breeze dictate where boaters can go, eliminating a lot of productive areas.
Look for crappie to hang out away from spawning cover this week if surface temps fall back into the lower 50’s. The next warm spell should stimulate a lot of transition toward shallow areas once the water climbs into the upper 50’s and low 60’s if warm sunny days enter the picture.
Another week, depending on weather, should see male crappie start moving up and sporting hormonal changes to a darker color. Usually the last week to ten days of March delivers signs the fish are on the threshold of spawning as they take on a structure oriented mood and relate more to cover.
After the next week’s cold front passes watch for crappie to begin a blitz toward more shallow venues. Active spawning phases will kick in once the lake warms to 62 to 66 degree. Look for a lot of transition to take place these next two weeks.
Still producing for bass anglers have been Kentucky Lake’s endless gravel points and big chunk rock shorelines.
Tossing crankbaits is quite effective now. Anglers can cover a lot of water targeting rocky terrain back in the bays and pockets that warm up quicker.
From shallow roadbeds to rip-rap banks, bass are in prespawn. Suspending jerk baits plus deep and shallow runner cranks in crawfish, Tennessee shad and chartreuse variations are the ticket. Carolina and Alabama rigs work too as do a variety of Rattle Trap style presentations.
Those targeting smallmouth are tossing some swim baits out on main lake humps but it’s time for the bronzebacks to blitz too towards bays and creeks.
March madness will kick in quickly. For some it already has. Watch for activity to continue to change in the days and weeks ahead.
Wise are the anglers who adapt and change with the conditions.
Mar 8, 2026
Monthly Meeting
The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, March 10th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.
Hope to see you there!
Cypress Bay Marina & Resort Season Opening 3/20
Cypress Bay Marina & Resort – Season Opens March 20th!We’re getting ready to kick off the 2026 season at Cypress Bay, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the lake!
Gas Dock & Lighthouse Store Hours (Starting March 20th – through April)Friday: 12 PM – 6 PM
Saturday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Sunday: 9 AM – 4 PM
Need a cottage for this summer?Our cottages are already starting to book. Reserve your stay here:
New for 2026: Rental boats will be available starting in early May — more details coming soon.
We will also have two 50 ft slips available in mid-April.PM us for details.
We’re excited for an amazing 2026 season at Cypress Bay.
See you at the Bay!
Feb 28, 2026
Let's Go Fishing!
Kentucky Lake 2/26/26
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)
Mild temperatures are returning to the Kentucky Lake fishing scene for this weekend and next week doesn’t look too bad either although some rain will enter the region by midweek according to the long-range forecast. Presently lake levels on Kentucky reservoir are falling slowly after a slight rise since last week. TVA is reporting the reservoir resting around an elevation of 355.1. Watercolor has been clear. Surface temp is around 45-degree range. TVA is discharging around 58,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) through Kentucky Dam so there is a little current in the main river channel area.
Crappie anglers are catching a few good stringers on both minnows and jigs as they stalk brush piles and stake beds in 9-11-foot zones. However, some fishermen are backing out to deeper water and finding a few fish in the 12-to-18-foot depth range on main lake drop-offs. This time of the year anglers have to watch the wind as it often dictates where they can go out on the main lake areas. Strong winds and white caps are not a friend of fishermen.
A few bass fishermen have been out stalking the gravel banks and rocky points. Most are tossing crankbaits in crawfish and shad-colored variations. Others are casting swim baits and Alabama rigs with pearl or sparkle grubs.
Meanwhile, the weather looks favorable for the approaching weekend with mild conditions in the long-range forecast next week although several rainy days could enter the picture. March is a month with a little bit of winter left and a little bit of spring entering the picture. Anglers best be prepared by taking the overalls and rain gear on any outing this time of year!
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