Kentucky Lake - 7/8/26
By Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)
Overall fishing conditions improved recently, sending a few more boats out there to the front lines of fishing. A few short weeks ago hot and humid conditions curtailed activity among the ranks. Fishermen got a slight reprieve, courtesy of cloudy days and frequent rain accompanied by daily thunderstorms. Surface temperatures are holding around the 87-to-88-degree range. Watercolor remains clear.
Lake levels have been staying slightly above TVA’s normal curve as a slow drawdown normally begins in early July. The reservoir’s winter drawdown usually begins in early July as the long slow decline begins in order to increase storage capacity. Presently, the lake’s elevation is hovering around the 359.5 mark as this report was formulated. That’s above normal summer pool but watch for the reservoir to begin a slow but gradual fall in the days ahead. No doubt heavy rainfall in the region has had an influence on lake levels.
Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene experienced slightly cooler conditions lately compared to the previous week or two when daytime highs reached the upper 90’s, swelling the heat index to the three-digit range. Anglers rebounded a bit this week and returned to their favorite summer haunts, in hot pursuit of catfish, bass and crappie. A few have flirted with some white bass schools that were beginning to tear holes in the placid surface at times.
In the weeks ahead the white bass bite should improve, and anglers need to keep a sharp eye out for surface feeding frenzies. It’s high time the white bass were chasing shad out around main lake sandbars. For fast action anglers best, be prepared by having several rods rigged and ready with Rooster Tails, small silver spoons and even some chrome-colored surface lures that tear up the water and grab the attention of the aggressive white bass. Hitting a “blow up” of these popular game fish as they ambush a school of threadfin shad is about as good as it gets on a hot summer day.
Known to exhibit a fight to the finish attitude, white bass sort of mimic a blood thirty school of piranha. When they go on a tear best make several rapid-fire casts and seize the moment. Best to put the catch on ice as they won’t live long in the live-well during high surface temperatures of summer days. And skim that red streak out when filleting to avoid any strong taste and you’ll find a tasty morsel awaits you.
TVA has been pushing around 34,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) through Kentucky Dam. That’s enough to stimulate the catfish bite out there along the main Tennessee River channel banks. Decent stringers have been caught recently by anglers targeting the 35-to-45-foot depths. Some days even deeper. Drifting with the current or just slowly using the trolling motor at times in an attempt to stay on the balls of baitfish has worked. Big balls of baitfish in the form of threadfin and gizzard shad attract the catfish. Thanks to the current the bite is holding up.
Bass fishermen are finding the main lake ledges holding decent schools of summer bass. Tossing big crankbaits in the white/chartreuse, pearl, bone and chrome are a few popular color combinations tied on the rods of anglers. Tossing finesse baits has worked well as have chrome/blue colored Rattle Traps. Texas and Carolina rigged worms in green pumpkin pepper, cotton candy and June bug have produced lately. Still worthy of testing are the shallow grass beds and shorelines where fallen trees are harboring schools of minnows. Even on the hot days bass are still up there following their forage base. Spinnerbaits, buzz baits and assorted topwater jerk baits are productive choices.
Sluggish crappie are showing up in the creel of a few die-hard anglers who are dunking live minnows around deeper structure. Bites are quite light at times as the fish exhibit a somewhat finicky mood. Summer crappie will bite so don’t count them out. Trolling crankbaits plus vertical presentations of live shiner minnows around deep structure will pay dividends at times.
Some big hatches of mayflies have occurred lately and that has pulled both bass and bluegill to the shallow shorelines where steep banks appeal. Mayfly hatches will continue for the next few weeks so keep the light tackle handy. Mayfly hatches are as much a part of summer as heat and humidity.
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