TWRA Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports

NOTE - TWRA wants to build a comprehensive report each week of the state’s lakes. If you do not see a report for your favorite lake and you are someone who can provide a report, please contact us at Ask.TWRA@tn.gov and provide us with your contact information.  

Center Hill – 4/29/26

Report Contributor – James Bond, 007's Guide Service - 007’s Guide Service

Lake Level - 633 and dropping

Surface temp - high 60's to low 70's depending on location

Bass - it has been a bonanza for bass fishing lately as we near the end of the spawn. Topwater baits have been phenomenal if you can find an area where shad are spawning. 

Crappie - we are still catching crappie deep and shallow and many still have eggs, while others have already spawned out. The biggest females seem to have already settled into their summer patterns and can be found roaming open water. My go to has been a medium diving crankbait trolled behind the boat at 1.5mph. 

Walleye - the walleye spawn has finished for the most part and the bulk of the walleye are returning to their summer areas on the lake. They are super hungry right now and can be caught on a wide assortment of lures at many different depths. Don't be afraid to try some new areas and you just might find a big school. 

Catfish - no report

Capt. James Bond

007's Guide Service

For booking call James at 601-720-6193 or visit us on Facebook  

Cordell Hull – 5/6/26

Report Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk

Flow Rates-

·         Cordell Hull Dam- average outflow of 5,800 cfs per day

·         Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland)- average outflow of 3,500 cfs per day

·         Dale Hollow Dam- average outflow of 1,000 cfs per day.

·         Roaring River- average flow of 11.5 cfs

Reservoir Conditions-

The reservoir elevation is currently sitting at 503’. The surface water temperatures on the lower end of the reservoir are consistently in the low 70’s. The surface water temperatures on the main river channel on the upper reservoir are cooler, 55-60 degrees with flow. Water clarity on the river channel throughout the reservoir is good, 5-10’ visibility. The clarity in some of the creek arms on the lower end is roughly 4-8’ visibility. The current moon phase of this writing is 79% waning; the next full moon phase is predicted to be on May 31st. The shad spawn should be done throughout the lower end and may still have a little juice on the upper end around Gainesboro.

Bass- Fishing is good.

The upper end of the reservoir still has cool surface water temperatures, so some stragglers may still spawn between now and the next full moon event. The rest of the black bass are fully in post spawn patterns, with fish already guarding fry around the dam. Most of the big females are being caught around the mid-reservoir while flipping laydowns and grass. On the lower end target isolated wood or current breaks on the flats around the main river/creek channels. You can still find plenty of “buck bass” roaming the bank. You can catch these fish flipping the wood cover on the banks or backing off and fishing the rock with crank baits or dragging baits. If you are struggling to get bit on the bank, back off and fish the 3-5’ range where the old waterline used to be before the water came up.

Crappie- Fishing is good.

Throughout the reservoir I am still hearing reports of crappie in all phases of the spawn. On the lower end of the reservoir, most crappie should be finished and should be hanging around deep brush or bait balls on flats near the creek channels. Spawning fish will be on shallow wood in pockets and flats from Granville-upstream. Lots of crappie are being reported to be caught on our TWRA deployed artificial structure in these creek arms. You can find fish attractors on the TWRA On The Go app under “Where To Fish” or search “Fish Attractors” to access the interactive map on tnwildlife.org

Sauger/Walleye- Fishing is slow. 

I am hearing of a few sauger being caught around Celina fishing on the bottom or trolling plugs around holes in the channel. The fish are spread out by now and anglers will have to work to get consistent action.

Striped Bass- Fishing is decent. Anglers are catching some quality stripers around the mid-lake area. Trolling live bait on planner boards around creek channels or flats near the river channel have produced some quality fish.

Sunfish- Fishing is good. Bluegill should be starting to bed, followed by Redear “shellcracker” sunfish. Look for the “honeycomb” bedding areas in pockets around wood or grass with a gravel bottom. The big bull gills will be very aggressive in defending these beds. Any sort of small lure or live bait presentation should be successful.

Fall Creek Falls – 5/1/26

Report Contributor – Region 3 Fisheries Staff

Lake Conditions- Fishing for crappie and bass has remained stable through April, with an improvement in panfish fishing towards the end of the month. The 10 fish feeders around the lake have been operating since early April. They are throwing feed twice per day, once at 6 am and again at 7 pm. Please remember to pick up your trash when fishing the lake. Live minnows are available for purchase at the Fall Creek Falls Boat Dock. Back in March, we added 3 dozen new fish attractor structures to the lake with help from Tennessee Tech University students. Most of these structures were placed offshore in deep water (>10’), Check out the  TWRA online Boating and Fishing Site Access Site Map for up-to-date fish attractor GPS locations. Surface water temperature is around 65-70⁰F and water clarity is 8-10ft. Limited rainfall this spring has created exceptionally clear water conditions. Consider downsizing your line if you aren’t getting bites.

Largemouth Bass: Bass fishing has been good. Most bass are being caught offshore and are being caught using a variety of artificial lures (like spinner baits, jerk baits, ned rigs, and soft plastics on shaky head jigs). Anglers have noted success fishing for bass near schools or spawning aggregations of sunfish. Large bass have been seen bedding occasionally near the boat dock, and an 8lb female was caught a couple of weeks ago. You may see the occasional bass on a bed, but the spawn has largely wrapped up, and fish are returning to normal patterns. Daily bass creel limit is 10 fish per day, and only 1 (one) over 16 inches may be harvested.

Bluegill and Redear Sunfish: Fishing is good. The majority of sunfish are caught using live bait, mainly worms, while fishing from the bank. Smaller rooster tails, trout/panfish magnets, and small poppers are good artificial options. Redear began bedding last week, increasing the number and size of fish caught and kept. Try fishing from the banks near feeders or walking a little farther from areas with easy access to fish. Daily Bluegill/Redear (in combination) creel limit is 10 per day, no length limit.

Catfish: Fishing effort for catfish has been relatively light during daylight hours, with most catfish anglers starting close to sunset. Most anglers either brought their own bait (hot dogs, nightcrawlers, or chicken livers) or caught Bluegill for bait. There was an increase in angling for catfish during the last weekend of April, and anglers noted that catfish had begun to hang out around the feeders. The Bluegill creel limit still applies when using Bluegill as bait. Daily catfish creel limit is 5 per day, 16-inch minimum length limit.

Crappie: Fishing is good. Crappie are being caught from the bank in front of the hotel, the boat dock, and offshore near natural structures, such as beaver lodges. Most successful anglers are using bait, including minnows and worms. There is no creel or length limit on crappie at Fall Creek Falls Lake.

Fort Loudoun Reservoir – 4/16/26

Report Contributor – Sydney Feistner, Region 4 Creel Clerk

Fishing has been really strong the past couple of weeks on Ft Loudoun, with water temperatures settling into the low 70s. Fish are in a solid late spring/early summer transition. Bass are relating to points, secondary ledges, and shallow cover early and late in the day. Topwater action has been productive in the mornings, while soft plastics and crankbaits are getting bites as fish move a little deeper during the day. Smallmouth appear to have finished spawning and are moving out to deeper water, while largemouth are still mid-spawn and holding shallower. Overall, the bite has been consistent and active.

Hiwassee River below Appalachia Powerhouse – 2/26/26

Report Contributor - Tic Smith/Southeastern Anglers Guide Service

Water Temperature – 45 to 50 degrees

Water Clarity – clear

Water Level – TVA has been running mostly 2 generators this week.

Fishing conditions – Fishing is continuing to improve with some larger fish being taken recently. There may be a few more shad come through this weekend as we had water temperatures drop down to 40 degrees with that last cold snap. Water temps will warm through the weekend which should get the hatches of blue wings and little black stoneflies going. There could also be some small caddis in #18 that come out. 

Nymphs – standard pheasant tails with or without beads #16 to #18. Zebra midges are producing as well. Larger nymphs like hares’ ears and pats will produce in the faster water.

Dries- midges, bwo and Adams parachutes #18, gray caddis #18, black caddis #16

Streamers – white zonkers #6, buggers in olive, white or black #6-#8

Kentucky Lake - 5/6/26

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

CATFISH/BLUEGILL ACTION GOOD...AS ARE SEVERAL SPECIES

Catfish are on the prowl. Just this week several success stories are coming in from anglers tying into some hefty stringers as the fish head shallow to rocky banks for spawning. After some cool snaps recently that sort of paused the active spawning spree of bluegill and catfish the game is back on in full force. Early May’s full moon sort of triggered the spawning phases of bluegill, shellcracker and catfish along the shallow areas of Kentucky Lake. Another full moon returns at the end of the month.

Surface temperatures are in the 69-degree range in early morning hours and warming to 72-degree range at midday. Those temps could jump a few degrees whenever back-to-back warm days return. Watercolor is clear. Lake level is 358.8 as of this report and still a few inches shy of normal summer pool elevation, which is 359.

It’s a great time to be a fisherman here on Kentucky Lake as several different species of fish are biting. And, for the most part the weather has stabilized, offering better fishing conditions for all sorts of anglers. Lake levels were still a few inches below the summer pool level of 359 as the week got underway. TVA’s normal curve for reservoir filling targets May 1 as the arrival of summer pool yet the reservoir is still a few inches shy of TVA’s prediction. Anglers are hoping the reservoir climbs to normal level soon. That works better for scores of bass, catfish and bluegill anglers at this stage of the spring spawns.

Just a few inches of water makes a significant impact here in early May. Buck bushes and weed beds need just a little more water. Bass fishermen love the shoreline habitat once it’s inundated with enough water to cover grass and the variety of structure. Another important factor about summer pool level is the abundant shoreline habitat inundated once higher levels arrive. That’s plays a vital role in the survival rate for young of the year, known as fry.

Once these massive schools of tiny fry hatch out, they’re vulnerable to larger predator fish. That’s part of the biological chain and good for the lake but the fry need cover to hide in once they hatch. That’s why a little more water in the shallow shoreline structure is important for more reasons than one.

Lately bass anglers have yearned for more water around buck bushes so they can pitch and flip Texas rigged craws and lizards or perhaps spinnerbaits and assorted topwater presentations. Some nice stringers of bass are showing up despite below normal lake levels but that’s about to change. A few cool snaps and very windy days have played havoc with fishermen at times, altering their planned route out on the lake.

To say it has been a windy spring is an understatement! It’s high time more stability returned to the fishing scene. May is usually a predictable month so perhaps normalcy will return soon and aid anglers.

Meanwhile, in addition to the catfish spawning phases now underway are aggressive bluegill jerking bobbers out of sight. Bluegill are bedding and the bite has been good. A few cool days and chilly winds curtailed the bite as even these feisty panfish are sensitive to slight drops in surface temperatures. Their bite diminishes when nasty northwest winds blow in but it will rebound quickly once gently southwest breezes return and daytime highs climb into the upper 70’s and low 80’s.

Anglers are backing up and casting to bedding areas as watercolor has been clear. Shallow bluegill and redear are shy and can spook easily in clear water. Producing well have been crickets, red worms, nightcrawlers, wax and mealworms. Artificial hair jigs and grubs have worked too.

Depths of 2 to 4 feet are producing good numbers of both bluegill and a few shellcracker have been mixed in. Several fish are bedding out in 4-to-7-foot depth ranges away from shorelines. Casting ultralight tackle with a 1/16 to 1/32-ounce hair jig has been deadly on the gills and crackers. They love that slow moving bait as it drags across the bottom. A lot of fishermen are just tightlining their presentation, choosing to forgo use of a bobber as they fan cast open water shallow sandbars and beds discovered on side scan sonar units.

The next few weeks should produce some good bluegill fishing but shellcrackers will become more finicky as May matures. Shellcracker are known to begin spawning ahead of bluegill and this year they got underway in mid-April due to the warmer weather.

A few crappie are still showing up in the creels of anglers, but the fish are now in a post-spawn phase. They will still bite but habits have changed a bit as the fish are more scattered compared to a few weeks ago. Their thin physiology shows the post-spawn phase is here and the fish, while relating to midrange structure in depths of 5 to 12 feet, are not as congregated or as aggressive as they were two weeks ago. Live minnows are working well for crappie anglers right now. Some are tipping jigs with minnows too in hopes of enticing stubborn crappie to respond.

Right now, it is a good time to be on Kentucky Lake. Always take the raingear and sunscreen. You’ll need one or the other on any given day. From catfish to crappie and bluegill to bass, fishermen can pursue their favorite fish right now and have a pretty good chance of catching decent stringers.

Melton Hill Reservoir – 4/16/26

Report Contributor – Sydney Feistner, Region 4 Creel Clerk

Fishing has been really strong the past couple of weeks on Melton Hill, with water temperatures in the low 70s, and the lake is continuing to pick up. The bite has improved with the warming water, and fish are becoming more predictable. Anglers are finding success with targeting points, bluff ends, and submerged structure. Reaction baits are starting to shine, and there’s been a noticeable increase in feeding activity. Melton Hill should continue to improve and fish well in the coming weeks. It’s a great time to be on the water.

Nickajack - 4/30/26

Report Contributor: Tristan Owenby, Facebook 

FINALLY, we got some much-needed rain! The fish are still all over the place you can catch them in every stage. There are still some fish way up shallow and there are a few schools found out deep pulled out on the ledges.

Got a few cold nights coming up that could throw a wrench in them really be getting out deep just yet. The funniest way to get a lot of bites is still the wacky rig and a swim jig has been a key player up shallow on the fish starting to move deep and the fish that are already out there are eating a swimbait very well.

Give me a call and let’s get on the head end of this ledge bite and go swing on a few or go out and just learn some more about your electronics and how to locate these fish in their summer haunts. 931-314-1951

Normandy - 4/20/26

Report Contributor: JC Stephens & Jesse Taylor, Region II Creel Clerks

Reservoir Conditions

Elevation Avg: 870 ft

*Summer pool: 875ft

*Winter pool: 864ft

Avg. Discharge Daily: 79 cfs

Water Temp Avg: 73℉

Water Visibility Avg: Approx. 3ft / 1M

Moon Phases:

*New Moon: 05/17/2026

*Full Moon: 05/01/2026

Fishing Conditions:

BLACK BASS: (Largemouth, Spotted, Smallmouth)

Bass fishing has picked up this week. Most bass have been found in less than 5ft of water near the mouth of creeks and near gravel banks. Anglers this weekend had more luck fishing in the back of coves. Many anglers use soft plastics on a Texas rig or a Carolina rig. Some have been using crankbaits or Alabama rigs. Be on the lookout for bait fish on the radars.

CRAPPIE: (Black Nose, Black, White)

Crappie fishing was slow this week. They have been found in under 10ft of water on or around brush piles. You can also fish near the bridge pylons, usually around 10-15ft. On warmer days, look for shaded areas under docks, or downed trees for a possible catch. Many people use jig heads with various colors of plastic minnow and live minnows to potentially trigger a bite.

WALLEYE:

Walleye should be in the river and around creeks at this time. They are most often found in 10ft – 15ft of water usually on rocky banks and gravel points. The best time to find them would be early morning and dusk. You could try using different crankbaits, ned rigs, jigging spoons, or even minnows to get them to bite. A lighter color has also been seen to work better in low light conditions. `

CATFISH: (Channel, Blue, Flathead)

The bite has picked up for catfish, but they have mostly been caught by bass fishermen. You may have some luck in creek mouths, brush piles, or near ledges around 15ft – 30ft deep, and they should be moving up as the temperature rises. On warmer days in the afternoons, they might move up shallow. Most People fish with shrimp, chicken livers, live and cut bait, leaving the bait to sit on the bottom.

Norris Tailwater – 5/4/26

Report Contributor – Scott Dalton, Wildlife Tech 1

Fishing along the tailwater has been a little tough with the super clear water, however, fishing has been good. There have been a few Sulphur hatches starting which is getting the rainbow trout in a frenzy. Make sure to check out TVA app for the flows.

Make sure to check TVA's website for the generation schedule, and flow rates on the river. 

Old Hickory - 4/20/26

Report Contributor – Noah Cartwright, Region II Creel Clerk

Water temps hovered in the high-60°s/low-70°s this week.

Bass: If you like to catch 10–12-inch bass, you’re in luck. I’ve had no issue finding folks catching fish, but the odd 3+ pounders were few and far between. Most of the fish I saw being caught were in that 10–12-inch range. An odd thing I noticed with both bass and crappie anglers were fish barely grabbing the bait, making setting the hook tricky. I saw fish getting caught all over the lake and up in the river, not much stood out as far as golden ticket baits. 

Crappie: I did see some improvement, or at least some nice anomalies for folks. Generally, the crappie still struggle committing to a bite for most folks, leaving a lot of boxes and coolers pretty empty. An odd thing I noticed with both crappie and bass anglers were fish barely grabbing the bait, making setting the hook tricky.  I did find several good boxes of a dozen or more fish, however, caught in about 15-20 feet of water out of brush piles. 

Striper: Folks coming up a little early to Striper fish were struggling when I was out last week, compared to those I had seen the previous week. Fish in general were harder to come by for folks, but with temps rising as quickly as they did that can be expected. It’s still early, so there’s plenty of season left to catch some great fish.

*Due to a low frequency of pressure/interviews, the species report you just read is a re-run of the previous week* 

Sauger/Walleye: Late in the season, folks are still catching some decent sauger and walleye, though I didn’t see anything crazy. A lot of folks were catching a lot of short fish, but pretty much everybody was still able to catch at least a handful of good-sized, good-quality fish. I’m still seeing a few terrific-sized walleye getting caught, though fewer and fewer each time I go out. Most folks were still seeing their best success in the river downstream of Carthage, rather than all the way up by the dam. 

*Due to a low frequency of pressure/interviews, the species report you just read is a re-run of the previous week* 

*If a species is not reported on, I have not seen/talked to enough folks fishing or catching that species to give an accurate, good quality report.

Percy Priest - 4/20/26

Report Contributor – Noah Cartwright, Region II Creel Clerk

Water temps hovered in the high-60°s/low-70°s this week, with the water level still about four and a half feet below full summer pool. 

Bass: Much like in previous weeks, the bass bite this week is alive but punching down a class or two. I’m still seeing good quality fish being caught, with plenty of 4’s serving as most folks’ big fish, but little like the crazy bite we saw about a month ago. As the water is still low for mid-April, folks have not had the opportunity to fish a lot of their favorite spots for this time of year as many of those spots are literally high and dry at the moment. I saw fish getting caught all over the place: down-lake, up in the river, semi-shallow (4-7ft.), and in deeper water (8-12ft.). Rock ledges and points were safe bets throughout the week. Little stood out to me bait-wise - just about anything pulled in decent fish. 

Crappie: This winter and spring’s crappie bite has been a sore spot amongst many of the Priest faithful. Lots of hardcore anglers that I normally see having no trouble finding two-dozen skipped the water altogether for much of this year so far. A combination of weather factors seems to have contributed significantly to the difficulty of the fish. As with previous weeks, it hasn’t been much to find folks with decent boxes of 5-12 fish, but anything over that was exceedingly rare. Lots of folks have had to skip out on fishing shallow for them entirely, with the majority of the fish I saw getting caught coming out of 8-15 feet of water, brush and trees. Jigs seemed to be the better fish-getter. 

Hybrid/Striper: Hybrid fishing success has remained pretty good throughout the week, though the jump to record high temps certainly impacted them. Folks who were catching them shallow struggled to catch much more than the previous week, but folks trolling for them were still able to catch some good fish. 

*Due to a low frequency of pressure/interviews, the species report you just read is a re-run of the previous week* 

*If a species is not reported on, I have not seen/talked to enough folks fishing or catching that species to give an accurate, good quality report.

Reelfoot Lake - 5/6/26

Report Contributor-Reelfoot Lake Tourism Council

Like most of our area, we have received about 1.5” of rain, which certainly helps, but much more is needed.  Reelfoot Lake is low but navigable.

Fishing the trees and pads has proven to be successful. 

Watts Bar Reservoir – 4/24/2026 - 4/27/2026

Report Contributor – Nathan Rogers, Region III Creel Clerk

The weather was warmer with lows in the 50’s with highs throughout the day, warming up to 80. Current throughout the reservoir is still low, but the area finally received some rain this weekend, with more coming this week. Water temps are rising into the 70’s. The water levels are starting to rise; the latest depth and discharge rate I have recorded is below. For any discharge or elevation info, check out the TVA Lake Info App. Wear life jackets if planning to go out during high water and heavy current conditions.

Reservoir Conditions

Water Temp:

-                      Middle section of reservoir: 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit

-                      Upper section of reservoir: 67.2 degrees Fahrenheit

Water Clarity:

-                      Tennessee River (River Channel): 3 feet

Water Level: (as of April 27^th)

-                      Reservoir elevation: 738.27 feet

-                      Headwater (Ft. Loudoun) elevation: 738.60 feet

-                      Headwater (Melton Hill) elevation: 738.38 feet

Water Flow: (as of April 27^th)

-                      Ft. Loudoun Dam: ~ 7064 cfs

-                      Melton Hill Dam: ~ 0 cfs

-                      Watts Bar Dam: ~ 6136 cfs

Observed Species Information

Middle Section of Reservoir:

Bass: Many anglers are finding success on offshore flats and ledges fishing Texas or Carolina rigs, dropshots, and forward-facing minnows. Some anglers are still finding success on banks with soft plastic worms/creature baits, but many fish are finished spawning and transitioning back deeper.

Crappie: Most anglers found success in deeper creeks (roughly 10-15 feet) throwing and/or trolling small jigging minnows as well as live minnows. Riley/Stamp creeks have been good for White Crappie. Anglers are still catching some egg-filled White Crappie, but the majority of Black Crappie have already spawned.

Catfish: Bites are starting to increase throughout the reservoir, but in this section most anglers found more success drifting live/cut bait along main channel ledges of mouths of creeks.

Upper Section of Reservoir:

Crappie: Anglers found most success in current breaks below the dam or inlets off the main river using live minnows or small jigging minnows. As stated above, many White Crappie are still egg-filled in this area as well.

White Bass: Most anglers were catching White Bass while attempting to catch Crappie. Many were caught while trolling small crankbaits along banks o

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