FALL FISHING SCENE/WEATHER STILL NICE TO ANGLERS

 Kentucky Lake - 10-9-24

By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

Thanks to an extended spell of nice weather the fishing scene across Kentucky Lake has suited anglers just fine. Fall has been kind to fishermen the last week or two with a little ride on the weather roller coaster at times in terms of temperatures. Lake levels had been holding around the 355.5 lately at Kentucky Dam. Surface temperatures have been reluctant to let go of the 72-to-73-degree range but watch for that to fall as cooler nights will continue to pull that down toward the upper 60’s soon.

Watercolor has been good with a slight stain. Last week the current diminished to 33,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) for a few days, which is a good range for cat fishermen stalking the main channel area.

A few boats have been working the main channel banks and finding the catfish bite pretty good in the 35-to-45-foot depth range.

The fall crappie bite has been fair the last week or two for a few anglers. Some report the fish acting quite finicky on the bright days when high skies influenced a sluggish bite. A few fish were still lingering in deep water on main lake ledges in the 17-to-20-foot depth range. However, anglers targeting the deep main lake areas indicate several small fish were taken but big numbers of keeper size fish were challenging.

Some anglers credited their catches to 9-to-14-foot depths where scattered crappie were taken in the midrange stake beds and brush piles. A few credited their success to minnows; others opted for jigs. Popular colors have been Monkey’s Milk, Mayfly and some unpainted lead heads with dull colored skirts. Tipping jigs with Berkley Power Bait has enticed a few fish to bite. Sharing the midrange structures have been loads of yellow bass and even a few aggressive bluegill.

Bass anglers have been chasing their prey on some main lake ledges at times. Tossing swim baits has been producing bass that are running schools of roaming shad. The shallow bite has not turned on for most bass fishermen this fall. Most of the fish have opted to stay on secondary sandbars and some main lake ledges.

Surface temperatures have been slow to cool the last two weeks. The cool snap earlier this week likely influenced the water to cross the upper 60’s temperature threshold. So far, the fall bite has made most anglers work pretty hard to earn bites. That can change quickly so hang in there.