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CRAPPIE SPAWN NEARS…TVA’S BEGINS RESERVOIR FILLING APRIL 1st

Kentucky Lake 3/27/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Rising lake levels are coinciding with rising surface temperatures. For Kentucky Lake’s early spring fishing scene it’s a Mecca for anglers yearning to hit the peak of spawning phases. TVA’s curve for reservoir filling begins April 1st each year. A slow rise will be underway until the lake reaches summer pool’s target date of 359 on May 1st.

If you’re waiting for good fishing then wait no longer. The bite for both bass and crappie is well underway, despite some unruly wind at times. Lake levels this week have been around the 355.2 range. Water color has some stain in places but overall it’s in great shape.

It has been a good week for anglers across the whole region as hefty stringers of crappie and bass are coming in. The reservoir’s annual spawning phase for crappie is right on the threshold. Surface temperatures increased this week and crossed the 60-degree threshold in portions of the lake, especially throughout the Big Sandy sector. That’s triggered movement of crappie toward shallow spawning venues in the last few days. Readings at midweek had climbed out of the low to upper 50’s to just slightly above the 60-degree surface temp in West Sandy and the upper end of Big Sandy around the New Hope and Country Junction area. That region normally warms quicker than other areas.

Male crappie are showing hormonal changes as their pigment turns darker each day, a sure sign the spawn is close at hand. Dandy stringers of slab crappie crappie were being caught on a regular basis by anglers using a variety of techniques ranging from long line trolling to spider rigging and vertical jigging over man made fish attractors. Once surface temperatures reach the 62 to 66 degree range with some stability then active phases of spawning will be underway. All signs point the annual ritual will begin next week.

Traditionally, the active phases of crappie spawning take place across Kentucky Lake during the first two weeks of April. Weather can influence that as cold fronts sometimes arrive and push the parade back a few days. Next week it appears a cold front will descend Monday and Tuesday which will likely throw a curve to anglers for a day or two as northwest winds will likely bring a few whitecaps and chilly days to the fishing scene. However, anglers should see a rapid rebound as the long range forecast shows daytime highs returning to the upper 70’s by the middle of next week.

The midweek warm up should really stimulate the crappie to blitz toward shallow to mid range depths and begin spawning. Depths of 4 to 7 feet will produce a lot of fish. Some fish have been taken in that depth range already in the upper Big Sandy. No doubt fish are on the move.

Boaters across the lake are scoring some nice stringers. It has been a good week. D. J Loversll of Paris Landing Outdoorsman bait and tackle shop on the lake highway says he’s seeing some impressive crappie come in and this week weighed a slab that reportedly tipped the scales at 4.2 pounds! The trophy was reportedly taken in White Oak Creek earlier this week. Some boats are covering a lot of water by slow trolling Road Runner style jigs in the chartreuse/red and chartreuse/blue color combinations while others are pulling white twister tail grubs on their lead heads. A variety of colors have been producing.

A lot of crappie are suspended, staging out over main lake flats waiting to move up. When this happens the trolling techniques are very effective here. Boaters spider rigging and slowly meandering across shallow flats and back in the bays are also reporting success as the fish move in. Some places that were void of fish last week are now attracting good numbers as a lot of movement has taken place.

It’s transition time for crappie. They’re migrating from the deeper main lake venues into secondary bays or shallow flats in preparation for spawning. Females will begin dropping their eggs by the end of next week. Other techniques paying dividends are vertical jigging over man made structure such as brush piles and stake beds. Using live minnows has worked well too.

The last few days bank fishermen are picking up a few more fish as they cast minnows and jigs on slip-bobbers. Now that crappie have migrated to shallow shorelines bank fishermen are beginning to land some nice stringers from areas that were not holding fish a week ago. It’s party time for Kentucky Lake crappie!

Bass fishermen are landing some lunker largemouth lately as they toss crawfish and shad colored variations of crank baits around gravel banks. Also working has been suspending jerk baits and crank baits. Jig and craw combos are on the list as well as some spinnerbaits now that surface temps are warming. Soon top water presentations will enter the picture as well.

Spring fishing time is here!

WARMER DAYS/HIGH WINDS GREET ANGLERS

Kentucky Lake 3/13/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net


Rising temperatures as mid-March rolled around have stimulated the interest level of both the fish and fishermen. Spring fever has been running high among the ranks of anglers anxious for the seasonal transition. Spring officially arrives Thursday, March 20th but recently it felt like it came in early and daytime temps jumped to the upper 70’s, stimulating the both the bass and crappie bite on Kentucky Lake this past week.

Above average daytime temperatures often come with a trade off in early March, that being gusty winds and a threat of thunderstorms. That’s in the forecast for the weekend with slightly cooler temps on the backside of an approaching front. Watch for some stability to return early next week once the disturbance passes through the region. Kentucky Lake water levels have fallen to the low ebb of winter pool this week. Readings across the reservoir are 354.4. Surface temperatures have risen in response to the recent warm spell and were around the 53-degree range, even warm in some places.

Water color had cleared in the main lake areas but still a slight stain lingers in some bays and up Big Sandy areas. However, it’s a good color for crappie fishing. Some good stringers of slabs have been coming in from anglers taking advantage of the nice days. At times the wind has dictated the routes of fishermen hoping to stalk the open water areas of Big Sandy and elsewhere on the lake.

Depths of 7 to 12 feet have produced good numbers of big prespawn slab crappie which were moving up in preparation for the annual ritual. As surface temps climb to the mid-50’s crappie begin stair-stepping their way toward spawning territory but not before staging in mid-range depths for a short period.

Female crappie are sporting a hefty profile at present, bulging with eggs and weighing heavy. Several crappie eclipsing the 2-pound range have been taken lately.Mid-range structure in the form of shallow stumps and various man made fish attractors are appealing to crappie as they hang out just off the banks and await warmer surface temps to pull them shallow.

Crappie will begin spawning phases once water temps reach the 62 to 66 degree range. That’s usually the first week or two of April but sometimes, if warmer weather descends, spawning can begin in late March. The prespawn phases now underway it’s a great time to catch big slabs as the females are bloated and soon males will begin to transition to a deeper purple color as their hormonal changes see a darkening of their pigment. Anglers just have to tolerate the unstable moods of March weather. Nice one day; windy the next. Warm a few days; cold and brutal in the aftermath. It’s March Madness!

Bass fishermen are seeing more big fish move up to shallow gravel and rocky points in response to the rising surface temps. It’s crank bait heaven across Kentucky Lake this time of year. Lots of other lures produce too but a variety of colors in shallow and deep running crank baits are the cat’s meow this time of year. Big sow bass are already moving up back into bays and pockets, staging in the warmer water and just waiting for the right time to start fanning the shallow shorelines for spawning beds. Soon slightly higher lake levels will arrive, inundating grass beds and for bass it will begin.

Low lake levels will hang around until April 1 as that’s TVA’s curve schedule to begin reservoir filling toward summer pool. The normal schedule has a target date of May 1 for summer pool (359) so a gradual rise in lake levels will soon begin.

They're Movin' In

 Tim Cole, a frequent guest at Paris Landing Motel

Caught this morning 2lb. 4 oz.

Get Ready For Earth Hour

 

Monthly Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, March 11th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!

FISHING SCENE IMPROVES…TEMPS RISE AS LAKE LEVELS FALL

Kentucky Lake 2/26/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

The roller coaster for Kentucky Lake anglers has been a wild ride recently but it’s calming down. Both temperatures and lake levels have fluctuated the last week or two, keeping fishermen off balance. Things are improving as rising temperatures greeted falling lake levels recently. That’s improved the overall fishing scene. Stability was long overdue.

Fishermen have rapidly bounced back to active duty, returning in force to their favorite fishing holes. Boat ramps were filled recently with anxious anglers yearning for a return to normalcy. Lake levels are back down near normal winter pool levels. TVA really pulled the plug last week after the rapid rise in elevation in the aftermath of flooding conditions over a week ago. Elevation at midweek was 354.7, which is about normal for late February and early March.

Watercolor continues to clear and is in good shape for winter crappie and bass anglers. Surface temps were rising at midweek when daytime high reached 75-degree range. Since then, slightly cooler conditions have returned. Water temps were in the low 40s but rising.

Both the bass and crappie bite has bounced back as surface temps warmed and stability in lake levels returned. Tossing crawfish variations of crankbaits have been productive as have shad variations too. Anglers are targeting gravel banks and big rock points, especially in the bays off the main lake. Watercolor in the main river channel area had some dingy color but elsewhere it’s clearing rapidly.

Crappie fishermen are stalking some deep main lake ledges and focusing their efforts on the 16-to-20-foot depth range and finding action there. No doubt the fish fell back to some deeper water when lake levels fell drastically during the cold spell. Look for that to change daily as fish respond to not only slightly warmer surface temps but stability in lake levels. That should see more fish enter mid-range depths of 9 to 14 feet. Brush piles and stake beds in that depth range should be holding decent numbers of crappie.

A few days crappie were scattered and suspended and not relating to structure. Sometimes the fish are roaming when lake levels are changing but will return to cover quickly when stability returns. As the schools of bait fish move up so will the crappie. Shad will respond quickly to the warming trend and likely continue moving toward shallow to mid-range areas.

The long-range weather forecast indicates mild to moderate weather so watch for crappie to respond favorably for fishermen if the wind will cooperate. This time of year the sudden warm-ups are often accompanied by strong southerly winds so it’s a trade-off sometimes. March is here with all its different faces. Anglers know they will have some nice days but the month has a reputation for unstable weather and wind.

Fishing Report

Kentucky Lake 2/19/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Unstable conditions have dominated the fishing scene since last week's flooding roared down the Tennessee River. A rapid rise sent the lake's elevation jumping above summer pool (359) but already the reservoir has crested and began its descent. TVA has been pushing a large volume of water through Kentucky Dam again this week. Strong current has been present in main channel areas and even behind islands. Added to the mess came a dramatic temp change and snow flurries. While warmer days are in next week's forecast anglers are dealing with instability as the region mops up from the mess and struggles to dry out. Crappie are likely to rebound soon as temps rise amid falling lake levels.

RISING LAKE LEVELS AHEAD FOR ANGLERS

Kentucky Lake 2/12/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net


Inclement weather continues to dominate the Kentucky Lake fishing scene this week. Nasty winds and several days of downpours have dampened the spirits of most of the winter crappie fishermen this past week. According to the long range forecast it appears cold weather will linger into next week as below average temperatures are the story for next week’s weather too. Fishermen haven’t gotten much cooperation from the weatherman lately, but they really can’t complain as they’ve had several nice days mixed in this winter that allowed some nice stringers of crappie to be taken.

No doubt scores of fishermen are now suffering from cabin fever as a week or two of bad weather has kept most at bay, dodging the rain or huddled around the fire waiting on the return of favorable conditions. Not to worry; pleasant weather is on the horizon.

Meanwhile, prior to the recent weather dilemma a few winter crappie fishermen were scoring decent stringers while fishing both minnows and jigs around manmade fish attractors located in the 9-to-14-foot depth range. Some credited their catches to even deeper structure located out on the main lake area in 16 to 20 feet.

Kentucky Lake is rising slowly and a lot of runoff has entered the system this past week. TVA has done a good job of keeping lake levels normal as of late but watch for an increase in elevation to occur in the days ahead. Lake levels as of this posting were in the 354.7 range. Upstream at Pickwick TVA was discharging a large volume of water so Kentucky Lake will be rising some in the days ahead.

Current is now a factor in the main river channel as TVA has increased discharge rates at Kentucky Dam the last few days to 248,000 cfs (cubic feet per second). That’s pushing a large volume of water through the system at the present time.

Anglers will be addressing rising lake stages for the next week or so. It will be interesting to see how much the crappie scatter during the rising lake situation. The fishing scene will rebound quickly once nice weather returns and stability returns to the lake’s elevation.

Monthly Meeting

  The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, February 11th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!

How's The Fishing?

Kentucky Lake 2-6-25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene had some unusually warm weather recently that had anglers out and about. Several days with above average temperatures had anglers testing the water for crappie. A few days the daytime highs climbed to the lower 70’s and upper 60’s, stirring fishing pox among the ranks of winter anglers.

Some nice stringers of crappie were taken too. Most successful anglers credited their catch to depths of 9 to 14 feet, which has been the norm lately. There were some reports of fish coming from deeper depths of 16 to 20 feet as well around the Paris Landing sector.

Lake levels have remained relatively stable lately despite some heavy rains across the region at times. Currently the reservoir is resting around the 354.8 range, which is near the winter pool mark. Watercolor has been clear.

It appears things are about to change, however. A cold front is in the forecast for later this weekend and will influence the fishing scene well into next week. Daytime highs are expected to be cold with highs only making it to the upper 40’s in the long-range forecast. February is always a month full of surprises. Looks like cold days are returning for the Kentucky Lake fishing scene at least until late next week.

WINTER FISHING SCENE REBOUNDS WITH WARM-UP

Kentucky Lake 1-30-25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net

Riding the weather roller coaster lately have been both winter fishermen and weary waterfowlers. The last couple of weeks have seen ice take over a lot of shallow water areas and send the duck hunters back to the fireplace only to see spring weather slip in the door and really turn things around.

Winter fishermen are on the rebound and hit the lake last week once above average temperatures descended and chased away the ice and cold northwest winds. Anglers wasted no time returning to the boat ramps and open waters of Kentucky, Barkley and Reelfoot Lakes. To say fishermen had been suffering from cabin fever the last half of January would be a gross understatement. They’ve had to yield to the winter weather quite a bit these last few weeks so once the weatherman changed sides and started forecasting nice weather and rising temperatures they hit the ground running.

Last week fishermen were out testing the waters of Kentucky Lake throughout the Paris Landing sector and up into West Sandy as well. Several boats were seen stalking crappie out on main lake areas once a heavy rain passed through for a day or two. Water levels have been at the low ebb elevation of 354.2 recently across Kentucky Lake. However, watch for that lake level to rise as a heavy rain last Friday across the region sent a lot of runoff into the Tennessee River. No doubt TVA was prepared for the drenching as having the reservoir down to its low ebb of winter pool created huge storage capacity, so the lake was able to absorb the lion’s share of the flooding that entered the picture locally.

Odds are by the time you read this column and report the lake will be rising a bit. Both bass and crappie anglers may have to address a little current in the near future, especially those fishing near the main Tennessee River channel areas. Back in the bays rising lake levels may send crappie and bass up to meet the fresh rising water where all sorts of baitfish will be roaming the newly inundated territory. Keep an eye on the TVA website to monitor the changes in lake levels on a daily basis for Kentucky reservoir. You can access the various lake by going to www.TVA.com.

Meanwhile, crappie anglers have scored some decent stringers the last week or so by stalking deep structure out on main lake ledges and humps. Depths of 9 to 14 feet have given up fish around submerged structure such as brush piles and stake beds. There’re always a few angles testing out the deep sides of ledges and testing the 16-to-20-foot depth range. With jigs and live minnows, they often find some deep fish out there too. And there’s always seems to be a few fishermen targeting shallow areas too hoping a few winter crappie are roaming there.

A few bass fishermen have come alive since the rising temperatures lured them out of their comfort zones this week. Watch for a few bass to be taken around some shallow banks the longer this warming trend holds on. Others will pursue some smallmouth out in places where the current will put them on deep submerged sandbars and points on the down current side of deep-water hideouts. They’re out there waiting for the current to deliver shad right to their doorstep.

With the recent warm spell, it has teased anglers a bit. Wise are the ones who take advantage of it as they know this time of the year weather can change quickly and fall right back into a frigid forecast. Enjoy the honeymoon with warm weather here in early February. Just don’t expect it to linger too long!

WINTER FISHING WOES

 

Kentucky Lake 1/15/25

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

Mean winter weather has not cooperated with Kentucky Lake’s winter fishing scene lately. It hasn’t exactly cooperated with duck hunters either! However, seems there’s always a few people testing the waters of Kentucky Lake regardless of the weather! Frigid temps have curtailed activity lately. That’s kept most anglers off the water and close to the fire.

There were a few days when the weatherman allows a short reprieve from north winds and falling temps but very few. Lake levels have stayed pretty close to the low level of winter pool lately. Readings this week were in the 354.9 range. Watercolor has been clear. Surface temps are in the low to mid 30’s. The lion’s share of winter fishermen are waiting it out indoors and hoping there’s a break in the weather soon.

Some crappie anglers ventured out a day or two when the weather moderated but it was a short honeymoon as bitter temps quickly replaced a day or two of warm up. Crappie were taken in the 9-to-15-foot depth range by anglers fishing jigs and minnows around manmade fish attractors. Some tested deep main lake ledges at times and found a few scattered fish holding in the 17-to-20-foot depth range. Some reports indicated a few fish were even deeper than that!

Meanwhile, fishing pox is starting to affect local anglers yearning to get out and about. Hang in there. Sooner or later mild days will rebound, and you can get out on the water and scratch that itch! 

Monthly Meeting

 The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, January 14th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!

Snowy Day At The Park

 Snowy view of our bridge.  Photo courtesy of Paris Landing State Park.

FISHING SCENE VICTIM OF WEATHER

Kentucky Lake 1-2-25

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

Another visit from the Siberian Express has curtailed the winter fishing scene. Frigid temps for the last week or so kept most anglers at bay, doing the majority of their fishing at the coffee shops or up close to the fire somewhere. Anglers had been catching some pretty good stringers of crappie before the brutal weather descend but several back-to-back days that never eclipsed the freezing mark sort of cooled the spirits of local fishermen. Watch for a rebound as anglers are anxious to get back out and test the water. They’ve been suffering from cabin fever for about a week and shown signs of irritability.

Lake levels have been low and stable. Elevation this past week slept around the 354.5 range. Watercolor has been clear. Surface temperatures were in the low 30’s as some thin sheets of ice were reported in shallow backwater areas recently. Odds are the crappie are waiting for the return of a few fishermen who had been catching them in 9-to-14-foot depths. Some fishermen reported finding them deeper around the 15-to-18-foot depth range around deep brush piles and stake beds. Jigs were producing but some credited their catches to live minnows or jigs tipped with minnows.

After a week of brutal weather watch for both the fish and the fishermen to get back in the grove quickly if the weatherman will cooperate. A few days of rising temps and light winds can see the bite resume quickly.