WEATHER ROLLER COASTER RETURNS

Kentucky Lake - 11-21-24

Report Contributor - Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene will receive a visit from the weather roller coaster in the days and week ahead. A windy cold front is in progress, sending temps down into the low 30’s at night with daytime highs projected to only make the upper 40’s for a few days. While that will curtail what has been a pretty good week for both crappie and catfishing it appears anglers will get a rebound by early next week as the weatherman says a couple days will bounce back to the low 60’s to kick off the week. However, the short warm spell will pave the way for another cold front that’s expected to arrive just before Thanksgiving.

Lows late next week will dip below freezing a few nights accompanied by some rain. The weather roller coaster is indeed underway. Lake levels are in the 354.8 range this week with slight fluctuation underway. Watercolor remains clear. Surface temps have dropped into the upper 50’s courtesy of the cold fronts and chilly nights. Earlier this week daytime highs reached 73 degrees as an extended spell of above average temperatures lingered past mid-November but that has changed quickly.

Some nice stringers of crappie were taken recently as fishermen enjoyed light winds and mild temps which allowed them to move about in the open water areas. Depths of 9 to 12 feet were giving up decent numbers of good size fish. The bite was good and improved over the previous week.

No doubt the approaching cold front and northwest winds will change the picture for a few days and likely diminish the bite. Watch for a quick rebound Sunday and Monday when nice weather returns but the honeymoon will be short. Drastic temperature changes and high winds will enter the picture a few days before Thanksgiving. Several days of below average temps are in the forecast.

Catfishing was good the last week or so as increased current stimulated the bite. Nice size fish were taken in the 30-to-35-foot depth range. Once the current increased late last week so did the bite. For the last several weeks lack of rain and mild weather had not favored the catfish bite, but anglers know that can change quickly once heavy rains enter the picture and flows in the Tennessee River channel increase.

It looks like unruly weather will dominate the Kentucky Lake fishing scene for a few days but once December rolls around watch for some mild conditions to return in the aftermath of these recent cold fronts.

 

Plan Now For Santa's Night of Lights

 

LATE FALL SCENE HAS VARIEITY OF WEATHER

 

Kentucky Lake - 11-14-24

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

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene as of late has seen quite a mixture weather patterns ranging from heavy rains at times to windy days and some fluctuation in temperatures. Lake levels this week have stayed around the 354.8 range after dropping down very low a week or so ago. Recent rains have replaced drought conditions that plagued the region throughout the late summer and fall. Watch for lake levels to rise some in the next few days as heavy rains have fallen recently across the area but no drastic changes are expected. Watercolor remains clear.

Surface temperatures and cooled some since last week and are now down to the 62-to-64-degree range. The long-range forecast indicates mild temps will hang around until Thursday (Nov 28th) of next week when rain will return, and daytime highs will fall to only 42 degrees and dip to 34 degrees at night. Until then anglers should have pretty mild fishing conditions.

Crappie have been taken in some midrange manmade fish attractors this past week around the 9-to-14-foot depth range. However, several fish are still lingering out on main lake cover in the 14-to-18-foot depth range as well. Both jigs and minnows have been producing. Popular colors have ranged from Bobby Garland’s mayfly, monkey’s milk, blue/chartreuse, and purple/chartreuse just name a few. Tipping jigs with either a minnow or Berkley Power Bait crappie nibble has also enhanced the appeal to sluggish crappie. Some boats are vertical tightlining jigs and live minnow rigs while others are relying on the old bottom bumping double hook rig at times.

Bass fishing has been fair for some tossing shad-colored crankbaits around visible structure, but a few boats are backing off the bank and still targeting sloping secondary sandbars out on the main lake or within the mouth of large bays.

Some white bass are chasing shad at times and busting the surface and largemouth and some smallmouth are running with them. Tossing chrome/blue Rattle Trap style lures work great and allow anglers to cover a lot of water while making a series of long fan casting style presentations.

A few bass have been taken along gravel banks and riprap roadbeds as well. Shallow running Bandit and Shad Rap Rapala crankbaits have worked well. Some spinnerbaits have worked too around shallow stake beds, tree laps and logs along shorelines. Additional current has returned to the main Tennessee River channel lately in the aftermath of additional rainfall.

The late fall fishing scene can be productive for both bass and crappie anglers.

Monthly Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, November 12th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!

COOLER DAYS COMING FOR FISHERMEN

Kentucky Lake - 11-7-24

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

After a long honeymoon with above average temperatures, it looks like a nip in the air is about to arrive. For the last several weeks Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has seen hot and dry conditions dominate but recent rains have finally drenched a thirsty region. Rain the last week or so has fallen on some extremely dry woods and added a little fresh water to the lake area. Some of the rain had high winds at times that rocked the boat of anglers hoping to extend their parade with pretty days where light winds and above average temperatures greeted them.

Last week warm days lingered---at times daytime highs climbed to the 80-to-81-degree range---and almost broke record high temps for this time of year. Surface temperatures reflect the extended spell of high temps and readings the last week or so were in the 66-degree range, which is several degrees above normal for mid-November. Watch for a rapid drop by late next week once the cold front rolls in.

Lake levels have remained low throughout the fall due in part to a lack of rain. Readings last week at Kentucky Dam dropped to the low ebb of 354.2 a few days but have since risen slightly to the 354.8 range. If projected rains continue watch for a slight rise in elevation by the weekend. Watercolor remains clear across the reservoir. Discharge rates at Kentucky Dam have been around 23,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) so there’s a slow current present in the main Tennessee River channel.

Crappie fishing has been fair for a few anglers working deep manmade fish attractors such as stake beds and brush piles in the 11-to-15-foot depth range. A few fish have been taken even deeper in the Paris Landing sector as some anglers experimented in depths of 16 to 22 feet in their quest to locate scattered fish as TVA had been pulling the lake down to winter pool. Boaters stalking the shallow route of 4 to 8 feet areas have not fared well according to most reports. A few scattered crappie were taken by anglers casting jigs and vertical presentation techniques of both jigs and minnows. However, most indicated the fish were very scattered and the bite was sluggish for shallow zones.

That’s not all surprising as above average surface temperatures the last few weeks have likely had a negative impact on the shallow bite. In early to mid-November the normal surface temp range should be in the upper 50’s to low 60’s. Meanwhile, a few anglers using Live scope sonar have landed some nice stringers from midrange to deeper depths but they are having to make several stops. Most are tipping a jig with a minnow to entice bites.

Bass anglers are still slugging it out in the trenches and finding the bass stubborn to bite. Sluggish fish are still being caught by a few boats working the main lake sandbars. A few credited their catches to the use of Carolina and Alabama rigs retrieved slowly over shad schools on sandbars. Crankbaits and swim baits have worked too as have chrome colored variations of Rattle Trap style lure selections as covering a lot of water and fan casting has been the best technique.

Slow current is present out on the main Tennessee River channel lately. TVA had decreased discharge rates and not many boats were seen stalking catfish out on the riverbanks.

Kickoff To Christmas This Saturday

 

NEAR RECORD HIGHS LINGER FOR ANGLERS

 Kentucky Lake 10-30-24

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

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has been holding on to near high temperatures as November pushed the pumpkin month off the calendar. Most days have seen above average on daytime highs. Sooner or later cooler days will descend but even next week’s forecast has a mixture of warm days sandwiched between some possible light rain and daytime highs in the low to mid 60’s, which would be more normal for this time of year. The region is in need of some rain.

Lake levels this week have fallen to the lowest elevation this fall. Reading is down to the winter pool level of 354.6, which is a few inches lower than last week at this time. The watercolor remains clear across the reservoir. Surface temperatures have been in the 66-to-68-degree range but should fall slightly next week as cooler conditions enter the picture.

Meanwhile, boaters beware out there as more shallow sandbars and stumps are just barely below the surface so use caution and observe channel markers. The lake has been a beautiful place lately as fall colors have been at their peak. Still, plenty of time to get out there and partake of the parade of trees still showing nice red, orange, yellows and just a mixture from God’s paintbrush.

The overall fishing scene has been fair but had to endure a few windy days at times. Wind is normally not a big factor for fall fishing but lately the hot weather sort of stirred things up at times. Several nice days have been mixed in as well.

The crappie bite has been a bit sluggish for shallow zones of 4 to 6 feet. Warm surface temperatures have lingered later than usual and that has likely influenced the shallow bite somewhat. That can change quickly, however, cloudy days with light rain and cooler conditions descend. Most of the decent stringers have come from anglers fishing jigs and minnows in depths of 14 to 18 feet at times. Some reports of fishermen stalking midrange depths of 9 to 12 feet have managed to find some scattered keeper size fish, but they’ve had to make several stops in their quest.

Falling lake levels the last week or so can also influence the fish to fall back to deeper water for a short period of time. The fish have not been aggressive in the shallow zones this fall like they have in times past but again, that can change quickly as weather conditions change.

Bass fishermen are still staying out on the main lake for the most part and swinging away on ledges and open water sandbars in hopes of finding some schooling fish. Tossing crankbaits and swim baits have been the most popular choices with the reliable Rattle Trap style lures working well as anglers cover a lot of water.

Scattered sightings of white bass have been seen and anglers are catching a few while tossing white Rooster Tails and small spoons.

The catfish bite has diminished somewhat as current has subsided out on the main river channel. TVA had pushed back on discharge rates through Kentucky Dam this week as flows were only 25,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). There’s still some good fall fishing ahead as November has been known to produce some good crappie fishing.