FISHING SCENE WARMS UP

Kentucky Lake 5/15/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net


Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has been good and it’s heating up even more with the arrival of some hot weather now entering the picture. Surface temperatures have climbed to the 74-degree range and may rise even more this week as daytime highs were projected to reach the mid to upper 80’s for a few days and then fall back to the normal low 70’s. Lake levels have been a few inches above the normal summer pool elevation of 359 this week. The watercolor is clear.

Still dominating the conversation among the ranks of anglers up and down the lake is the fantastic bite underway by bedding bluegill and red ear sunfish (shellcracker). It has been holding up on a consistent basis as impressive stringers have been taken by anglers targeting the 2-to-5-foot depth range.

Pockets just off the main lake and shallow backwater bays have been home to spawning bluegill and shellcracker for the last few weeks. The powerful panfish have been fanning those craters in shallow gravel and mud bottoms for egg deposits. The bite has been good. The bite should hold up for another week or two as the fish enter a post-spawn phases. Early summer is still a good time to catch them, but nothing compares to the peak spawning phases.

Also filling the coolers of Kentucky Lake anglers have been hefty stringers of catfish. Both channel and blue catfish have been spawning around shallow structure and hanging around the bluegill beds too. Plus, those rocky shorelines have really been appealing to spawning catfish.

Most anglers are relying on nightcrawlers for bait, but a variety of commercial baits are working well too. Levees and any rip-rap rock shorelines such as the old railroad levee east of Big Sandy at Danville on the Tennessee River, Paris Landing bridge approach, the little rock island up Big Sandy adjacent to Sulphur Well Island and rocky banks beneath the power lines on Big Sandy are but a few of the popular catfish producing spots.

Bass fishermen are finding fish shallow at the same time some of their friends are backing off the banks and targeting the post-spawn pattern. The post-spawn pattern usually sees bass backing off the banks as surface temps rise to the mid to upper 70’s. Lately several decent stringers have been taken as some anglers stay on a shallow pattern and continue to pitch and flip Texas rigged craws and worms around buck bushes, blowdowns and logs. Grass beds are holding bass too. Tossing a spinnerbait and buzz baits or jerk baits have been accounting for some good fish still lingering in shallow areas.

Out on the ledges anglers are relying on big crankbaits to help them cover a lot of water. Shad colored variations, along with black and chartreuse have been productive colors as the ledge bite begins to improve. Tossing big Texas rigged worms in the green pumpkin pepper, along with swim baits and hopping a jig and craw will continue to be popular choices as summer approaches.

A few nice stringers of post-spawn crappie are still coming in from anglers who are stalking midrange depths of 9 to 15 feet out on main lake areas. However, some crappie are still relating to structure back in the bays in midrange depths too. Tightlining jigs and live minnows has worked well. Some boats trolling crankbaits and Roadrunner jigs are finding several suspended crappie in the 9 to 15 depth range as they cover a lot of water out on main lake areas.

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene chalked up another good week as the bite has been good.

Monthly Meeting

 The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, May 13th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!

Care Camp Basket Raffle

 Paris Landing / Kentucky Lake KOA Holiday (6290 East Antioch Road, Buchanan, TN)

The baskets are coming in and it's going to be a great time here at Paris Landing KOA! Come and stop by next weekend to see what great community businesses have donated for this great cause AND be the lucky winner of these items! We hope to see you...and bring your friends!

SPAWNING TIME FOR BLUEGILL/SHELLCRACKER…BASS/CATFISH BITE GOOD

Come Catch Some Catfish

Kentucky Lake 4/29/25
Report Contributor, Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer stevemc@charter.net


Lake levels have stabilized around normal summer pool (359) range and watercolor is good. Surface temperatures are warming fast and have now crossed the threshold of the 70-degree range. Active spawning phases are underway on Kentucky Lake for both bluegill and shellcracker (red ear sunfish). If you’re waiting for a great time to go fishing, then wait no longer. These next few weeks will see aggressive activity from these powerful panfish as they establish spawning beds in shallow pockets and pea gravel shorelines. Shallow grass beds or visible buck bushes or shallow logs are a few of the popular spots to check out.

Right now, depths of 1 to 4 feet are holding them. Baits of choice for shellcracker are redworms, nightcrawlers, wax worms or maggot larva. Crickets work too but they are the choice of bluegill too. The window of opportunity is actually quite wide as spawning will continue throughout the month of May. The next full moon in May 12 and veteran bluegill and shellcracker fishermen have always found good fishing around the full moon phase.

Meanwhile, stop by your local bait and tackle shop to stock up on terminal tackle. Long shank #6 light wire hooks, split shots and plenty of bobbers will be needed. To the list add long nose pliers and a towel too. And don’t forget the cooler or fish basket. It’s labeled as fishing’s finest hour. Spawning time for gills and shellcracker brings the kid out in all of us. So, take those youngsters out now and introduce them to the great sport of fishing. That bobber disappearing never goes out of style! You just might return to your younger days too when the gills and crackers are biting!

Catfish have been hitting good too. They’re moving up on the shallow rock banks plus meandering around shallow pockets just off the main lake in search of spawning territory. They often hang around the bluegill beds too and feed off the eggs or small fry once they started hatching out. Nightcrawlers have worked best but there’s always a variety of baits used by cat fishermen in their pursuit.

Several bass have been taken in shallow buck bushes lately as the lake is resting around the summer pool level of 359 and that inundates plenty of shoreline cover. Weed beds and buck bushes are holding enough water for bass to hang around and it’s a great time for anglers to toss topwater jerk baits and buzz baits plus floating fluke style worms, frogs, spinnerbaits and Texas rigged craws or worms. At the same time anglers are flipping and pitching a jig/craw combo around shorelines and some river islands.

Some boats are already backing off the banks and fishing a post-spawn patter on secondary ledges. Tossing big crankbaits in the blue/chartreuse color has produced results. So have Carolina rigged craws and Texas rigged worms. As surface temps continue to rise more bass will be moving out to those secondary ledges not far from shorelines.

Crappie are also in post-spawn phases as most of the females being caught have already dropped their eggs. Several crappie are lingering around deeper brush piles and stake beds at the present time while some fish are suspended out over deeper water. Several boats trolling Roadrunner jigs and curly tail grubs have been scoring good stringers as have boats spider rigging using the multipole presentation of jigs and live minnows. Productive depths have been 7-to-12-foot depth ranges.

However, whenever crappie are in post-spawn anglers can still find a few lingering around shoreline buck bushes at times. Dunking a jig or minnow around the shallow stickups can still produce a few dark males hanging around shallow structure!