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 Tailwater (Caney Fork River) – 10/01/26

Report Contributor – Justin Spaulding, Region 3 Fish Biologist

River Conditions- Be sure to check the generation schedule the day of your trip, as forecasted flows often change: Center Hill Lake Levels 

Fall is here, and the river is still fishing well. The spring drought meant we were able to retain a lot of cold water throughout the summer rather than an extended release for flood control. Compared to last year, we have significantly higher dissolved oxygen, and water temperatures are cooler. The reservoir below the thermocline is low on oxygen, but limited hydropower generation coupled with the orifice gate use has fostered conditions mostly above state standards. The use of two or three hydropower units in the late summer and fall is particularly detrimental to the fishery. We have had isolated excessive generation this summer, but overall the Army Corps has been able to balance multiple projects throughout the watershed for the betterment of the resources.

Cool air temperatures and dry conditions mean the Army Corps has been generating just a few hours each afternoon, even on weekdays. Tailwater temperature is still around 51F at the orifice and 56F during generation. As a comparison, this time last year, generation temperatures were 64°F, and the orifice was nearly 60F.

Trout- Fishing has been good. I was on the river last week cleaning water quality sensors, and most people I spoke to were catching fish. There have been a few slow days, but most trips are still excellent with 10-15 fish days. Project Healing Waters just held their annual event at the Campground, and their anglers had their best year in a long time. We have had excellent Brown Trout survival, so if you are harvesting fish, double check your catch and make sure you are legal. Brown Trout need to be 24 inches long to keep.

Spin anglers have been doing well with small jerk baits, spinners, or mousetail jigs. Fly anglers have been effective with emerger patterns or wooly buggers. Caddis have been hatching as far upstream as Lancaster, so don’t forget the dry flies on a sunny day.

We are stocking around 6,000 Rainbow Trout in October. We will be closely monitoring water quality to see if we can stock some of these near the dam or if they will need to go further downstream. Additionally, we have around 1,500 Snake River Finespot Cutthroat Trout headed to the river towards the end of October. Cutthroat have the same 14-20 inch protected slot limit and five fish creel as Rainbow Trout. Finally, we will be stocking around 30,000 fingerling Brown Trout in late November.

Cordell Hull – 9/30/26

Report Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk

Flow Rates-

Cordell Hull Dam- average outflow of 5,000 cfs per day

Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland)- average outflow of 4,500 cfs per day

Dale Hollow Dam- average outflow of 800 cfs per day.

Roaring River- average flow of 11.35 cfs

Reservoir Conditions-

The reservoir elevation is currently sitting at 503.4’ and is projected to slowly drop in the coming days. Surface water temperatures are in the high 70’s, except far upstream where temperatures are still in the low sixties when the upstream tailwaters are releasing flow. Water clarity is still good, 3-5’ of visibility reservoir wide. The moon phase as of this writing is 79% waning, with the full moon scheduled around Oct. 26^th.

Bass- Fishing is slow.

The best bite has been on main channel banks. Especially with current on them. Anglers are targeting these transition banks and bluffs with consistent success, especially near high percentage areas like points at creek mouths, throughout the mid-reservoir. Whether that be fishing deep and slow with jigs, Texas rigs or shakyheads or power fishing with crankbaits or topwater. The flipping bite in the creeks and main channel flats is still good, especially around isolated cover like wood or grass patches. Once again, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers is in a holding pattern with the water levels on Cordell Hull. So, all the grass in the intermediate zones that had topped out nicely all summer are submerged by a few inches, this may be the case until the fall drawdown.

Crappie- Fishing is slow.

Some crappie have been caught this week while fishing TWRA structures in 7-12’ on flats near a channel. Lots of crappie have been reported to be caught this year 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. 

A few anglers are targeting walleye/sauger by trolling plugs through deep pools on the upper river between Celina and Gainesboro. You may have some luck throwing jerkbaits or plugs along creek mouths or islands/points at night with the full moon going.

Striped Bass- Fishing is decent. The upper river bite is starting to slow, you can still target Stiped Bass in the Celina area into October but as the water temperatures cool they will be making their way back downlake. In the meantime, keep targeting creek mouths, eddies and large laydowns by trolling livebait like shad or trout in this area.

Whitebass- Fishing is decent. Some nice whitebass are being caught schooling on baitfish around main channel flats or around bridge mouths close to the main channel. Any shad imitation bait like spinners, spoons, crankbaits, or small topwater will do fine.

Catfish- Fishing is good. I have had some consistent reports of all three species of catfish being caught this past week. Anglers are targeting creek channels in the back of creek arms. They are fishing baits like live bluegill or shrimp near the bottom around the drops of creek channels with a shallow flat and baitfish present. The best bite windows are in the morning and evening.   

Hiwassee River – 10/01/2026

Forecast Contributor – Justin Spaulding, Region 3 Trout Biologist

River Conditions- Summer drought operations from TVA led to some of the coolest tailwater conditions we have seen in several years. We are still warmer than back in the 1990s before rec flows and reservoir improvements were made, but it was encouraging to see cold water so late into the summer. TVA is still drawing down upstream reservoirs, so expect near constant generation for the next few weeks. Weekend mornings should still have minimum flow, but always check the TVA website before you leave the house.

Water temperatures have been hovering around 68F near the Powerhouse in late September. In early September, we had temperatures near 65F. Most years, we top 68F by late August.  The rain and cold front moving in this weekend might make fishing soggy but will go a long way to turn over upstream reservoirs and bring about the cooler conditions we need.

Trout- We did stock ~4,000 Rainbow Trout to kick off the Delayed-Harvest season, but marginal temperatures will keep the fish somewhat tight-lipped. We did holdover more trout than normal this summer, but overall very few compared to most tailwaters. Try shady areas or the first 1-2 hours after daylight to take advantage of the coolest water available. Once temperatures finally break, we have tens of thousands of Brown and Rainbow Trout scheduled for October and November.

Currently, the Delayed-Harvest goes from Apalachia Powerhouse downstream to L&N Railroad Bridge from October 1 through the end of February. During the catch-and-release season, only artificial lures are permitted, and the use or possession of bait is prohibited. Downstream of Reliance, trout are managed with statewide regulations of seven trout per day and bait is allowed year-round.

Watts Bar Reservoir - 9/25/26 - 9/27/26

Forecast Contributor – Nathan Rogers, Region III Creel Clerk

Reservoir Conditions and Weather:

The weather was much cooler with lows in the lower 50s and highs throughout the day warming up to 78. Water temps are still steady throughout the reservoir but should drop with these colder temperatures. The main lake is now around 82 degrees, although below Ft. Loudon Dam is ~ 76 degrees. Water clarity is still around 3-4 feet and fluctuates with precipitation events. The water levels are still at full pool; average discharges for dams are recorded 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.

Average Discharges: (as of September 27^th)

-  Ft. Loudoun Dam: ~ 16020 cfs

-  Melton Hill Dam: ~ 1222 cfs

-  Watts Bar Dam: ~ 15830 cfs

Observed Species Information

Walleye: Many anglers are finding success targeting walleye in shallower areas of the main river channel, mostly a few miles downstream of the dam. Many are jigging smaller spoons or trolling these areas with crankbaits. Walleye migrate to other areas of the reservoir during warmer months seeking thermal refuge, so targeting areas with cooler water is beneficial.

Striped Bass: Fishing for stripers has been slow. These fish have started to congregate below dams in current, these areas have a higher concentration of baitfish for these fish to target. Early morning bites are reported to be good in these areas, as well as when dams are generating. Recently, there has been a decline in the amount of current, which could explain the fishing being tougher. Anglers found the most success using live bait (shad/skipjack) on or adjacent to the current below the dams. Large swimbaits and large spoons were some of the artificial lures observed as well.

Catfish: Many anglers that were targeting striped bass were finding great success on catfish bites in these same areas as stated above. Others were finding success down river in deeper holes of the main channel with live/cut bait, positioning the boat upstream and letting the current carry the bait down to the desired area.

Bass: Many anglers targeting any Black Bass species are finding better success in the lacustrine (Middle and Lower) areas of the reservoir. Anglers are finding more success in earlier morning hours using Texas rig, wacky rig, and ned rigs up shallow around woody debris or rocky structure. Once the sun gets high, many anglers convert to offshore fishing. Areas like offshore flats/humps and channel ledges are mostly targeted. 

Trout Reports

TWRA biologists recently completed annual electrofishing surveys on Tennessee’s tailwater trout fisheries. You can read the TWRA summaries of individual lakes below.  For more information about the great trout fishing opportunities, tips, and techniques to ensure a great fishing trip, check out the TWRA Trout Fishing Stocking and Forecast.

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