LAKE LEVELS RECEDE…ANGLERS ANXIOUS FOR A RETURN TO NORMAL CONDITIONS

Kentucky Lake 4/16/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Good news for Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene! Lake levels are falling, and temperatures are rising. At midweek Kentucky Lake finally crested. Lake levels are slowly receding after a long bout with high muddy water. Fishermen on the big pond have been battling adverse conditions for a long spell in the aftermath of major flooding earlier this month. In additional to high muddy water have been high winds too plus below average temps

It has been mean out there for most anglers but it appears better days are fast approaching. After cresting around the 363 mark at Kentucky Dam (normal for mid-April is around the 357 range) TVA began dropping the water a few inches daily. Due to a lot of flooding to our north along the Ohio and Mississippi River TVA has been limited on discharge rates. That dilemma is beginning to ease up.

Normal summer pool is 359 on Kentucky Lake and target date on that is May 1, each year. Whether or not TVA pulls it back down to normal curve in the next week to ten days remains to be seen. Meanwhile, fishermen of all sorts are attempting to pattern fish and outguess their whereabouts during all the fluctuation. It has been a guessing game for most.

Surface temps this week kicked off around 62 degrees due to a cold front which was accompanied by chilly northwest winds. A warm spell is now underway escorted by southerly winds. Daytime highs are forecast to climb into the upper 70’s and low 80’s the next few days with a few rainy days expected. No heavy rains are anticipated. Surface temps will likely rise to the mid to upper 60’s soon.

The rise in surface temp should restart the crappie march toward shallow areas. There were a few people who caught very scattered crappie in visible stickups and buck bushes at the peak of the high water, but it was challenging. There has just been too much water that had the fish and fishermen off balance. Covering the lake surface has been an abundance of floating debris. That’s improving too as lake stages fall.

Cat fishermen casting from the rocky shorelines were catching some pretty good stringers. The fish moved up fast during the rise and will still hang around rocky banks and shoreline habitat in the days and weeks ahead in preparation for spawning. Bank fishermen should have nice opportunities on catfish plus meandering bluegill and shellcracker that are moving up into grass beds and other shoreline structure. That’s should improve daily as the water warms.

The scattered crappie bite ought to settle down and improve for the average angler who has been sort of confused lately. A few boats have scored decent stringers of crappie during the unstable conditions but muddy high water has been a factor. Falling lake levels should pull a lot of the dingy water out of bays in the coming days. The overall fishing scene should get a boost.

More boats are likely to resume slow trolling jigs and pushing spider rig presentations. Shallow to midrange flats and areas back in the larger bays ought to start producing some spawning fish that have been roaming and staging out in the middle of nowhere during the periods of changing weather and lake levels. Hopefully high winds will begin to settle down in the approaching days as well.

Still paying dividends have been manmade fish attractors in 9 to 14 feet. A few days ago anglers were letting out more line in an attempt to fish what would normally be referred to as midrange depths. What was normally 10 feet deep was 14 feet or more! Through all this wild spree of changing lake stages has been concern from crappie anglers as to the status of the spawn. Many worry the fish will drop some eggs in shallow areas as TVA pulls the plug.

Meanwhile, scores of crappie anglers are anxious to stalk the stickups and search for some spawning crappie around buck bushes, willows, etc. The next few days will keep anglers off balance a bit as they attempt to move about and establish a pattern. All the changing conditions lately have humbled anglers and understandably so.

Bass fishermen should see the shallow shoreline bite improve. Tossing a spinnerbait, Texas rigged craw or worm and some topwater should enter the picture. Several are pitching and flipping jig and pig combos around the endless amount of stickups.

The lake is on the path to normalcy. It’s fast returning to better watercolor and normal elevation. Perhaps the worst is over and bright days lay ahead for anglers who deserve it!

Crappie Cup Showdown

 Cypress Bay Marina & Resort

How about a Fall Crappie Tournament? Register Now at PL Outdoorsman or the Lighthouse store in Cypress Bay Marina & Resort! We are proud to be hosting our first fishing tournament!

Easter Eggstravaganza

Paris Landing/Kentucky Lake KOA Holiday

Open to the Public. Starts at 10 am

HIGH LAKE/DINGY WATER KEEP FISHING SCENE OFF BALANCE

Kentucky Lake 4/10/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Too much water best sums up the fishing scene lately across Kentucky Lake and the entire region. It’s going to get better, but this past week has thrown a real curve to the overall fishing scene as the reservoir is more than four feet above normal for mid-April. As this report was formulated elevation at Kentucky Dam was around 362. Normal summer pool is 359 so the lake has been high and muddy for most fishermen. Lots of floating debris out there too so be cautious when boating about.

Anglers are anxious to see when the reservoir will crest. That should happen soon. However, so much water to our north along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers has influenced the rate of discharge. TVA was discharging 129,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) on Thursday but that’s considerably less than a week ago due to flooding elsewhere. Soon as the crest occurs watch for TVA to increase discharge rates. Once the reservoir begins to fall it will help rid the lake of all the muddy water too.

Surface temperatures have been around 64 degrees and will warm more this weekend and early next week. Some crappie have been taken by anglers moving about searching for decent water color. For most it has been tough sledding, but a few boats moved about and found crappie biting in 8 to 12 foot depths. No doubt crappie will move up to buck bushes and shoreline habitat the longer the high water stays around. Bass are moving up too. Several nice stringers of catfish have been caught the last few days as well by shoreline fishermen.

Catfish really follow the rise and move up to new feeding opportunities along shallow shoreline bushes, trees and small pockets. They are definitely on the prowl right now. Night crawlers are working well.

A few bass fishermen are frantically searching about trying to establish a pattern but it’s tough to do right now as most fish are roaming. Some anglers are tossing spinnerbaits along the abundant shoreline habitat or flipping jig and craw combos or offering jerk baits and some floating fluke style baits in shallow grass as it warms up. Most bass fishermen when using a spinnerbait are utilizing a big willow-leaf blade and slow rolling it around stickups or over submerged grass beds. They’re fan casting and just trying to cover a lot of water rapidly.

Even a few bluegill and some early arriving red ear (shellcracker) sunfish are showing up in the shallow shoreline cover. Some decent stringers have been taken by anglers using nightcrawlers and wax worms. Although not spawning just yet the sunfish army moves rapidly when rising water and warmer surface temps coincide. Finding submerged grass beds mixed with some pea gravel substrates will likely pay dividends. These babies can get real aggressive real quick!

Meanwhile, crappie anglers are scratching their heads wondering how to pattern scattered fish these days. It should be the peak of spawning phases, but both the fish and the fishermen have been mixed up lately. So, watch for the slabs to make a blitz toward visible shoreline stickups each passing day. Lots of folks are yearning to find the crappie residing in the buck bushes of Kentucky Lake. Everyone likes to fish visible structure. They should get the opportunity these next few days.

The combination of stained water warming rapidly usually invites crappie to move up and spawn in shallow habitat. An abundance of floating debris has made it tough for trolling techniques lately. Long lining and spider rigging style methods are vulnerable to all the trash in the water that plays havoc with lines. It messes up the whole presentation.

With so much change taking place on the lake this past week---from cool fronts at times to flooding and muddy water---it has been challenging out there to say the least. Hang in there as better days are on the way. This high-water mess will be out of here soon.

Meanwhile, crappie and bass anglers are concerned about the fish running up shallow and dropping their eggs as falling lake levels occur. That’s a concern right now among the ranks of all fishermen on Kentucky Lake..

Are The Catfish Biting?

 In case you are wondering if the catfish are biting - yes, they are.

Battle of Paris Commemoration

 

HIGH WATER/INCLEMENT WEATHER CONCERNS ANGLERS

Kentucky Lake 4/3/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Inclement weather and rising water has been on the minds of Kentucky Lake anglers (and everywhere else across the region) this week. In the aftermath of heavy rains, thunderstorms and tornado alerts the reservoir is rising due to massive runoff from torrential downpours. Earlier this week Tennessee Valley Authority had already begun releasing a large volume of water through Kentucky Dam in anticipation of flooding conditions. Some areas within the watershed were expected to receive 9 to 10 inches of rain by the approaching weekend said the National Weather Service. Anglers and all lake users were in a “wait and see” mode as to just how much rain we get and how high lake levels will actually rise.

Lake levels on Thursday as this update was formulated were in the 355.5 range. No doubt that elevation will rise in the days ahead as flooding is underway. As storms entered the picture at midweek Kentucky Lake’s crappie spawn was about to begin as warm weather had influenced surface temperatures. The fish had been biting as surface temps climbed to the 62-plus degree range, stimulating spawning urges. However, high winds were challenging anglers lately. Most have opted to stay off the lake due to unruly conditions.

Once the storm front passes this weekend a cool snap will follow. Daytime highs will only be in the low 60s and nighttime temps will fall to the low to mid-40s. That will likely have a negative impact on the fishing scene for a few days, especially when combined with rapidly rising lake levels.

With a dramatic rise in elevation ahead anglers can expect both bass and crappie to scattered and follow the rise. If the reservoir jumps to the summer pool elevation of 359 range or above it means shoreline habitat will be inundated. If that happens bass and crappie will move up to buck bushes, grass beds and willow trees quickly, searching for spawning cover. Of concern to anglers when these dramatic changes occur is a quick fall in lake levels as the spawn is underway.

Bass and crappie could move up and begin spawning in shallow habitat only to see a drastic drop in lake levels leave eggs and small fry high and dry. That’s not good for the spawn but it all depends on how fast TVA pulls the reservoir back down once a crest occurs.

Presently the fishing scene is facing a lot of unknowns. Right now anglers are waking up to a new lake every day as water levels change and muddy water enters the picture in some areas.

I’ll have updates posted by early next week as the fishing scene changes.