Paris Landing Tourism League: 2026

Apr 14, 2026

6th Annual Veteran's Crappie Tournament

April 18

6th Annual Veteran's
Crappie Tournament
Sunset Marina on Kentucky Lake
Questions: Shane Barker 731-514-3325 or
shane.barker7@yahoo.com

Apr 13, 2026

Monthly Meeting

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

Hope to see you there!

Apr 12, 2026

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

EXCELLENT WEAHTER FOR KY LAKE FISHING SCENE

Fishermen all around the Kentucky and Barkley Lakes fishing scene have enjoyed a week of excellent weather that has really put pep in the step of all anglers. Warmer days are in progress, and the weekend looks good for both turkey (season opens Saturday in TN) hunters and fishermen. The weatherman deserves a tip of the hat this week for ALL outdoorsmen. Pretty good life for outdoorsmen these days; they can choose to chase turkeys by morning and fish in the afternoons!

Current conditions on Kentucky Lake have water levels a bit ahead of schedule and somewhat above normal for this early in April. TVA has been releasing very little water (only 12,000 cubic feet per second cfs) through Kentucky Dam this week so very little current is present out there on the main Tennessee River channel.

Surface temperatures are in the 65-degree range. Watercolor is mostly clear. Lake elevation was at 357.9 as of this report. That’s about two feet or so ahead of schedule on TVA’s normal curve for spring lake levels but the fishermen are doing just fine.

Good stringers of crappie have been taken this week from the 7 to 10-foot depth range. Several other depths are giving up fish too as those drifting and trolling out on main lake sandbars around the 10-to-13-foot depth range have caught fish too. A wide variety of methods continue to produce fish. Bank fishermen are fooling a few into taking both jigs and live minnows as casting techniques are working. Slow retrieving the bait beneath slip bobbers has paid dividends lately as male crappie are up there on the gravel banks and around shallow submerged brush and stumps

Those out on the main lake areas are vertical fishing jigs and minnows too around submerged stake beds, brush piles and stump rows and accounting for coolers full at times. The fish are staging in midrange depths and slow trolling techniques are producing some nice stringers too. Long lining methods have yielded limits lately for a lot of anglers as their efforts to pull Roadrunner style jigs plus curly tail and tube skirted jigs have been quite productive. Chartreuse/blue, red/chartreuse, blue metal flake and pearl are just a few of the popular choices.

Spawning is underway as females are bloated with eggs and will likely spawn this week. Some may have already begun spawning phases due to the early spring warmup the area has enjoyed. The biological clock has been a bit ahead of normal due to the above average temperatures in early April this year.

Already showing up are a few scattered bluegill and redear sunfish (shellcracker) on shallow gravel shorelines. They're not bedding yet but just responding to the warm water. However, redear will spawn ahead of bluegill so that bite is already beginning to accelerate. Bedding bluegill will continue to show more interest each week as the surface temps rise. By the end of April odds are early bedding bluegill will be in the mood and spawning phases should begin. More shellcracker will continue to show up too on shallow gravel and mud banks as those pockets heat up.

Bass fishermen have been landing some nice smallmouth as the bite picked up this week. Some anglers reported catching five fish limits of bass anchored by all smallmouth. The bronze backs have been in the spawning mood. From suspending crankbaits to curly tail grubs and various finesse bait presentations, smallmouth have been aggressive. Dandy largemouth have been taken on rocky and pea gravel points as anglers toss crankbaits plus jig and craw combos plus Texas rigged craws and lizards.

Spring has sprung here on the big lake. Anglers have had spring fever for several weeks. This recent stretch of nice stable weather has really stimulated the interest level for all sorts of fishermen. Even a few catfish have been taken by bank fishermen casting nightcrawlers around shorelines. Soon the catfish will be moving up to rocky banks for spawning phases too.

It’s a great time to be out on Kentucky Lake holding a fishing pole and enjoying the sights and sounds of spring.

Carl Perkins Center Cast-N-Blast

Click on image to enlarge.

Apr 9, 2026

An ATM For Your Convenience

Welcome back Foundation Bank. Thank you for supporting the PLTL.

Kentucky Lake crappie are Chompin 🐟🎣🚣‍♂️

The Lake Lodge at Paris Landing

The Lake Lodge at Paris Landing guests Steve & John crushed em today!! Their big fish was 2.60

Kentucky Lake crappie are Chompin

We have a few April dates left and some in May. Book your Spring trip with us today

Still just $100 per night.

Apr 8, 2026

Jeeps In Paris Landing

If you would like to be a part of this fantastic event supporting Veterans in West Tennessee, please contact 45 South Offroad at 45southclub@gmail.com
ALL PROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY TO VETERANS PROGRAMS!
All interested vendors, food trucks or car show entries can be registered at https://45southoffroad.wildapricot.org/events

Apr 5, 2026

Photo Op With Hot Lips

Paris Landing / Kentucky Lake KOA Holiday is with Downtown Paris Association and Paris, TN-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.

We had hundreds of names requested and couldn't just pick one, so we took three! Come take a picture with our catfish!

Apr 1, 2026

Kentucky Lake Crappie Are On Fire

The Lake Lodge at Paris Landing is in Buchanan, TN.

Kentucky Lake crappie are on fire

Call The Lake Lodge at Paris Landing to book your trip. Dates are filling very fast.

Call 731-571-8304

$100 per night. covered boat parking

Mar 29, 2026

Mar 23, 2026

Congratulations

To Paris Landing Motel

Mar 22, 2026

LATE MARCH BITE LOOKING POSITIVE…SPAWNING PHASE INCHES CLOSER

Kentucky Lake - 3/19/26
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

Warmer days are in progress for the Kentucky Lake fishing scene as near record daytime highs are on the threshold this weekend across the region. Highs could reach the 84-to-86-degree range Saturday/Sunday and that will no doubt heat up fishing fever, which has already been running pretty high on the big lake. Also rising have been lake levels. Elevation as this report was formulated has the lake creeping up to the 357 level, which is up several inches over the last week or so and a bit above normal for third week of March.

Watercolor is clear. A slight stain was present in the upper Big Sandy and West Sandy, but it was mostly due to recent high winds whipping up shallow shorelines. Surface temperature is around the 56-degree range but will increase the next few days based on the weather forecast of very warm weather and sunny days. Anglers can expect the water to warm into the 60-plus degree range quickly.

Remember it’s March and yet another cool snap will enter the picture by Monday. Highs are expected to only be around 62 degrees Monday but slowly rebound Tuesday and back to the 74-degree range by next Wednesday.

Crappie will respond favorably to the rising surface temps and move up pretty fast. Anglers can expect increased activity in the 4-to-8-foot depth ranges. Midrange depths of 8 to 12 will appeal to increased numbers too as fish transition to the staging areas just out from spawning territory. It’s time for fish to camp out on the doorstep of their favorite spawning spots. That seems to be happening now, and the timetable is pretty much on schedule. Peak spawning temps occur in the 62-to-66-degree range once the water gets there (and stays there) with weather stability.

Already crappie have been on the move, stair-stepping their routes from deep water winter venues to midrange depths. It’s not unusual for anglers here to find fish in several different depths at the same time. It often indicates fish are just on the move. Reacting to changing conditions out there is why fish may be scattered at different depths at different times. Male crappie are just beginning to show darkening shades of color. Once spawning time arrives, they undergo hormonal changes that produce that beautiful deep dark purple or darkening appearance.

That peak hasn’t arrived yet, but the biological clock is ticking! What works best for the fish and those who pursue them is stability in both lake levels and weather patterns. It’s not unusual for interruptions in both to occur in early April. Seems there’s always an uninvited cold front still hiding somewhere just waiting to rock the boat of anglers and interrupt the bite. Those gale winds and whitecaps escorting falling temperatures sure disrupt the party.

Meanwhile, Kentucky Lake’s normal curve by TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) for reservoir filling has the lake scheduled to begin its annual rise on or about April 1. A slow but gradual rise in lake levels is the norm with a goal of summer pool level (359) by May 1 each year. If you do the math that’s a 5-foot difference between winter (354-range) and summer pool levels here. All that depends on rainfall. Sometimes flooding rains greatly influence TVA’s normal plan. Fluctuation can occur. Anglers don’t like it but drastic changes in lake levels can happen quickly, upsetting the plans of fishermen.

Drastic changes in lake levels has an impact. A fast-rising lake tends to scatter fish. Of concern to fishermen are bass and crappie moving up to spawning habitat on shallow shorelines and then, as they’re about to drop or broadcast their eggs, water levels fall out fast. Both quick changes in lake levels plus dramatic cold fronts that lower surface temps overnight are not the friends of high spawning success. Sometimes the bass and crappie are right on the verge of spawning only to have dramatic changes occur which sort of puts the brakes on ideal fishing.

Fish have been known to react to the negative changes and lack of stability by delaying or holding off spawning and reabsorbing their eggs. Perhaps it’s Mother Nature saying now is not the ideal time. Maybe it’s changing the timetable a bit, signaling to fish to ride it out and wait until things improve. Since the lake was formed fishermen have discussed (and cussed) the weather, changing lake levels and unstable behavior of fish when drastic changes occur that offsets the aggressive spring spawning bite.

Hard to predict all the potential variations. About the only control fishermen have is being there. You can’t catch them if you don’t go! Expect some dandy stringers of slabs to be taken this next week. Scores of anglers are applying a variety of techniques in a variety of depths.

From bass fishermen have come reports of hefty stringers being caught on a wide variety of lures and color combinations. From the old reliable crankbaits to jig and craw combos plus both Alabama and Carolina rig presentations. Tossing those swim baits on spinning rods has yielded some nice bronze backs too as smallmouth are on the verge of spawning.

A few tournament reports have winning 5-fish limits weighing well over 20-pounds lately on both Barkley and Kentucky Lakes. It won’t be long until any stickup will be begging to have a spinnerbait cast its way. And a topwater jerk bait presentation isn’t too far away from producing either.

Spring officially arrived last Saturday. The fish sort of thought it sneaked in the door back in early March!

Mar 18, 2026

The Battle of Paris Commemoration Date Set

Mark Your Calendar

Mar 14, 2026

Prespawn Phases Underway; March Has Anglers Off Balance

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

Report for March 12, 2026

After a bout with above average temps earlier this month when a big dose of early spring weather descended on Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene fishermen are now juggling with unpredictable March weather.

Slightly cooler conditions have greeted fishermen at times compared to the parade of warm weather the first week to ten days of the month that spoiled anglers here into thinking spring was arriving early.

March is a month with many faces. Anglers can expect fluctuation in daytime highs, wind and a mixture of rain in any given week.

Some decent stringers of crappie are still coming in daily. Despite some inclement weather there’s still some success stories from anglers braving the elements.

Crappie are in their prespawn phase and already showing movement toward secondary bays and up on main lake flats. As they stair-step their route toward spawning areas and move up from deeper main lake ledges to warmer water fishermen are canvasing lots of different depths and zones in their pursuit.

Lake levels this week were hanging around the winter pool range of 355. However, there were some minor fluctuation in elevation this week. Earlier in the week it fell to 354.5 but began rising slowly at midweek. Water color is relatively clear across the reservoir. Some stain in the upper Big Sandy and West Sandy area is present. Water color is clear throughout the Paris Landing sector.

Surface temperatures had cooled slightly from last week when some areas recorded 58–degree water in shallow pockets for a day or two. That has changed some and will likely fall a few degrees in the days ahead as Monday night’s forecast says a cold night of only 20 degrees lies ahead.

Looks like a warm weekend is ahead but a cold snap will arrive by Monday/Tuesday. Daytime highs will only be below normal, struggling to reach the upper 30’s and low 40’s. Temps will begin to moderate at midweek. That March weather roller coaster will be rolling again!

With the cooler days will come chilly northwest winds by early next week, which bay curtail the bite for a short time. From midrange depths of 9 to 14 feet have come decent numbers of crappie taken by boats slow trolling jigs over open water using “long line” techniques. A wide variety of color combinations were credited. Both Roadrunner style jigs and curly tail grubs were producing.

Earlier this week some anglers found the deep bite going and discovered fish relating to structure in 16 to 20 foot depths at times. It’s that time of the year when several different depths and patterns may produce on Kentucky Lake at any given time.

Prespawn crappie often suspend as they stage in open water awaiting a warm up of surface temps into the upper 50’s and low 60’s that will trigger them to blitz toward shallow water.

A lot of movement was taking place last week courtesy of the warm spell. It’s not unusual for March cold fronts to sort of put the brakes on early spawning phases. That’s happening now to some degree as the biological clock of crappie and bass was about to get ahead of itself during that the recent spring fling.

Anglers fishing jigs and minnows in a vertical presentation around deeper brushpiles and stake beds in 10 to 16 feet were finding fish playing their game. They were having to move around a bit to accumulate limits but managed some impressive coolers full of slab crappie.

Prespawn crappie are known to put on the feed bag in preparation for the annual ritual. Their egg sacs are bulging so the fish are weighing heavy at times.

Several anglers are landing fish tipping the scales at 1 1/2 to two pounds. Some even larger!

The culprit now is the relentless wind. It giveth and it taketh away! Some days the gale force breeze dictate where boaters can go, eliminating a lot of productive areas.

Look for crappie to hang out away from spawning cover this week if surface temps fall back into the lower 50’s. The next warm spell should stimulate a lot of transition toward shallow areas once the water climbs into the upper 50’s and low 60’s if warm sunny days enter the picture.

Another week, depending on weather, should see male crappie start moving up and sporting hormonal changes to a darker color. Usually the last week to ten days of March delivers signs the fish are on the threshold of spawning as they take on a structure oriented mood and relate more to cover.

After the next week’s cold front passes watch for crappie to begin a blitz toward more shallow venues. Active spawning phases will kick in once the lake warms to 62 to 66 degree. Look for a lot of transition to take place these next two weeks.

Still producing for bass anglers have been Kentucky Lake’s endless gravel points and big chunk rock shorelines.

Tossing crankbaits is quite effective now. Anglers can cover a lot of water targeting rocky terrain back in the bays and pockets that warm up quicker.

From shallow roadbeds to rip-rap banks, bass are in prespawn. Suspending jerk baits plus deep and shallow runner cranks in crawfish, Tennessee shad and chartreuse variations are the ticket. Carolina and Alabama rigs work too as do a variety of Rattle Trap style presentations.

Those targeting smallmouth are tossing some swim baits out on main lake humps but it’s time for the bronzebacks to blitz too towards bays and creeks.

March madness will kick in quickly. For some it already has. Watch for activity to continue to change in the days and weeks ahead.

Wise are the anglers who adapt and change with the conditions.

Mar 8, 2026

Monthly Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Paris Landing Tourism League (PLTL) will be held Tuesday, March 10th, at 6 pm at the Senior Center inside the Paris Landing Emergency Complex.

Hope to see you there!