Steve McCadams
Cooler Conditions Should Boost Fishing Scene
Report for October 16, 2026
Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has seen a mixture of weather the last week to ten days. Thanks to an overdue cool spell that descended on the region late last week there has been a nip in the air.
The change was welcomed by area anglers as several days last week were hot and above average as to day time highs.
Surface temperatures have been dropping in the aftermath of the cool front. Late last week readings were hanging on to the 71 degree range. By time you read this the reservoir should be down in the mid 60’s range.
That will perk up the fall fishing scene a bit. A little frost on the pumpkin wouldn’t be all bad.
Lake levels have been low. Elevation dipped down to the 354.7 range earlier this week, the lowest reading thus far since TVA began winter fall drawdown back in the early summer.
Also low have been discharge rates through Kentucky Dam up until this week. Last week TVA was pulling only 14,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through Kentucky Dam but discharge rates have now increased to over 50,000 cfs.
Heavy rains in the aftermath of the hurricane fell across portions of middle and east Tennessee and that water is now moving through the system.
Last week the region was concerned about the aftermath of hurricane conditions that entered the Gulf and threatened to bring heavy rains to our area. It didn’t happen.
TVA was prepared as lower elevations on a lot of its reservoirs was prepared to absorb a lot of runoff. The agency had ample storage capacity had we gotten flooding rains.
Presently, portions of the region are still a bit thirsty and could use a good soaking rain.
Crappie fishing has been sort of hit and miss for a lot of anglers as of late. Some decent stringers have been taken but the shallow bite has been slow to materialize.
That is in the process of changing as the cool spell will lower surface temperatures across the lake and that should see a few more crappie and bass move toward shallow bays and shorelines.
Schools of shad were already seen roaming backwater bays on those stagnant calm days last week. Large numbers of threadfin shad were roaming about.
Anglers prior to the cool snap were having to back out to deeper main lake ledges, testing depths of 13 to 17 feet at times to corral stubborn crappie. Decent numbers were taken from deeper water by anglers tightlining both jigs and live minnows.
Trouble with the live bait presentations were battling the aggressive yellow bass that devoured live minnows like a school of piranha with a taste of blood. Schooling yellow bass were cleaning the hooks of anglers as fast as they could drop down and attempt to stalk submerged brushpiles and stakebeds.
The schooling yellow bass are a nuisance at times and will eat up your minnow supply quickly.
Best to pick up and move to another spot in a last-ditch effort to preserve the minnow bucket supply. Once they occupy an area they’re like green flies at a picnic.
Crappie fishermen have been trying to locate fish in the shallow areas such as 6 to 9 foot depths. There they discovered big numbers of small fish. Finding a few 10-inch keeper has been challenging in shallow structure.
That scenario should rapidly improve this week so anglers are likely to see an improved bite in the shallow to midrange depths.
Bass fishermen have been slugging it out in the trenches too. It has been tough out there for most.
Some boaters have remained in a summer pattern while attempting to locate some schooling fish on main lake ledges. It has been very challenging at times.
As more shad move up the shallow topwater bite should improve along gravel banks, especially in the early morning and later afternoon lowlight conditions.
Tossing chrome and blue colored Rattle Trap style lures has worked but covering a lot of water has been required. Bass were roaming and in pursuit of shad schools that were out on the main lake sandbars and back in bays as well.
Whenever a little wind was present the bite improved. On those stagnant days when the lake was like a mirror the bite has been sluggish.
