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) – 7/16/26

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: https://www.tva.com/environment/lake-levels/center-hill

We are in the heat of the summer and conditions are looking great. The spring drought means we were able to retain a lot of cold water rather than generate it for flood control. Compared to last year, we have significantly higher dissolved oxygen and water temperatures are cooler. The reservoir is also in great shape which means, barring a hurricane, we should have decent water quality throughout the summer. It’s still too early to make any assessments about the fall.

Throughout the week we have been seeing orifice only (great for wading) in the morning and the generators turning on in the early afternoon through the early evening. On the weekend you can expect mostly orifice but a handful of hours of generation in the afternoon and low water in the morning. Be sure to check before you leave because sometimes on particularly hot days, they will need additional generation to meet power demand. Water temperatures are still 48F coming out of the dam.

Trout- Fishing has been excellent. The big fish are chewing during generation and it’s a numbers game during low flow. I was on the river this week cleaning water quality sensors and everyone I spoke to was catching fish. We are sending a truck with a few thousand Rainbow Trout four times a month (usually weekly) throughout May-August. The Brown Trout went in during the spring and winter months and can be found just about everywhere. 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.

Cordell Hull – 6/30/26

Report Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk

Flow Rates-

Cordell Hull Dam- average outflow of 4,500 cfs per day
Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland)- average outflow of 3,000 cfs per day
Dale Hollow Dam- average outflow of 680 cfs per day.
Roaring River- average flow of 11.5 cfs

Reservoir Conditions- The current elevation is 503’ and rising from the recent storms. Most of the muddy water and floating debris was around Gainesboro as of this writing. Surface water temperatures in the creek arms and on the lower end is in the low 80’s. From Celina to Gainesboro the river channel is anywhere from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies depending on the flow. All the coontail grass lines have started to mat out and thicken up throughout the reservoir. The shoreline vegetation is still thick on the upper end of the reservoir. The latest full moon was this week, and the next scheduled full moon is at the end of July.

Bass- Fishing is slow. The fishing in the creek arms is still tough. The best bite is still fishing shade lines on channel transition banks with rock and wood on the main river with finesse jigs or shaky heads. The grass on the main flats around the channel is the best bet for a quality bite. Target these grass flats with wood mixed in with topwater, swim jigs, Texas-rigged worms, and dropshots on the grass lines.

Crappie- Fishing is slow. The post spawn crappie can be caught around deep brush near creek channels or suspended with baitfish in creek channels and creek mouths. Better quality crappie can be caught one or two at a time on shallow isolated wood in shallow sloughs and the backs of creek arms. Lots of crappie have been 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. Fish are being caught trolling plugs around the deep pools on the river between Celina and Gainesboro. With the lack of current compared to this time of year historically, anglers can get away with trolling worm harness rigs near the bottom. Fish these harness rigs or just nightcrawlers on the bottom in general near creek mouths.

Striped Bass- Fishing is slow. Some anglers are having inconsistent results around Celina. Anglers are trolling live bait on planner boards around creek channels and flats near the channel in creek arms on the mid and lower end of the reservoir. I’ve also heard of some fish being caught near creek mouths or off the channel near the bottom with cut skipjack.

Douglas Lake 7-9-26

Forecast Contributor Brad Burkhart –  Follow on Facebook

The summer doldrums have finally set in. The days of beating the bank on Douglas have come to an end till fall. This is the time that you are your electronics should be best buds.

The offshore bite has waned a bit, but the bass can still be found. The major player is water depth. As everyone knows our water levels are not where they normally are, so you have to think outside the box. The areas where they have always migrated to are still key, you just have to adjust the depth at which you’re looking/fishing. Still, channel drops and river channels are still key as well as the generation schedule.

If you are struggling and would like to cut your learning curve in half give me a call or email, you can also message me on social media.

God Bless!! See you on the water!

Brad Burkhart
KILLER BASS BAITS & PRO GUIDE SERVICE
@bradburkhartprofishing
brad.killerbassbaits@gmail.com

Fall Creek Falls – 7/15/26

Report Contributor – Region 3 Fisheries Staff

Lake Conditions- Fishing has slowed compared to previous months with hotter weather. Try fishing in the morning or evening or on overcast days. Surface water temp is currently hanging around 80°F, and water clarity is 3ft. Ten automatic fish feeders are currently in use. Feeders are located near the dam, the lakeside cabins, the lodge, and the boat dock. All feeders are set to go off at 6 am and 7 pm (Central Time). Fall Creek Falls has announced their All-Night fishing days for the year. Night fishing is allowed, and the boat dock will remain open until 9 pm on these dates: July 31, August 8, August 28, September 12, September 25, October 17.

Largemouth Bass: Fishing is fair. Bass have been caught on wacky-rigged plastic worms in a variety of colors. Use of dark colored crank baits has also been effective, possibly due to the low water clarity. Most bass are being caught from more remote banks in boats, but some larger bass have been seen around the boat dock. Bass are targeting Bluegill around the boat dock and fishing cabins. 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 fair. Anglers are mostly catching Bluegill, and a few Redear. Anglers have been using worms, bread, and cheese, and are catching good numbers of Bluegill along the bank and near feeders. Fishing bait with a bobber has seen the most success but rooster tails have also been effective. Fishing more remote banks with boats, fishing the bank along the walking trail, and fishing by feeders as they disperse feed has seen the most success. Most fish caught from the fishing cabins have been Bluegill. Daily Bluegill/Redear (in combination) creel limit is 10 per day, no length limit. 

Catfish: Fishing is good. Catfish were recently stocked into the lake. Most catfish are being caught around the fish feeders when they are going off and from the fishing cabins. Anglers have seen success using chicken liver, chicken meat soaked in Kool-Aid, Bluegill, hotdogs, worms, and Slim Jims. Daily catfish creel limit is 5 per day, 16-inch minimum length limit. The Bluegill creel limit still applies when using Bluegill as bait.

Crappie: Fishing is fair. Most crappie caught this month have been caught from the boat dock in the evening using minnows. There is no creel or length limit on crappie at Fall Creek Falls Lake.

Fort Loudoun Reservoir – 7/16/26

Report Contributor – Sydney Feistner, Region 4 Creel Clerk

Fishing on Ft. Loudoun remains steady as water temperatures sit in the high 80s. Bass are being caught around main lake points, shoreline cover, and offshore ledges using topwater baits early, then soft plastics, jigs, and deep-diving crankbaits later. Crappie are holding around deeper brush piles, docks, and bridge pilings in 10–20 feet of water, while catfish anglers are finding success along channel edges with cut bait and nightcrawlers. As summer temperatures continue to rise, fishing has slowed during the heat of the day, making early mornings and evenings the most productive times to be on the water. With increased recreational boat traffic this time of year, be sure to stay safe.

Kentucky Lake - 7/22/26

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

ANGLERS FACE HEAT; LAKE LEVELS DESCEND

Fishermen recently got a short reprieve on sweltering temperatures out there on Kentucky Lake, but it was a short honeymoon. Anglers best make the most of it. Dog days return early next week and the forecast is sultry. Lower humidity and daytime highs dipped a bit and that perked up mid-summer fishermen for a few days. Then, they got the long-range forecast. That took the wind out of their sails.

After the brief cool spell our area resumes the battle with heat and humidity beginning Sunday, Daytime highs are forecast to rebound to the mid-90’s. If you’re watching the long-range outlook best to shut your eyes and take a big sip of iced tea! Highs next Monday are expected to reach 98 degrees. Tuesday’s forecast says a 100-degree day could be coming! After that there was a slight decline to the low 90’s for a few days. It has been an endurance test out there for most mid-summer anglers.

As temperatures were rising, lake levels have fallen in the last few days. Elevation was 358.7 as this report was posted, which is down several inches since last week. TVA has been pushing a large volume of water through Kentucky Dam lately---several days have seen in excess of 50,000 cubic feet per second---as abundant thunderstorms have dropped a lot of water in the region.

Surface temperatures are holding on to the 88-degree range. Watercolor remains clear. Current has been flowing in the main Tennessee River channel as drenching rains delivered runoff across the entire TVA valley lately.

Catfishing has held up well despite the heat. Anglers are hitting the lake early and surrendering to it by midday if not sooner. The heat takes the fun out of the equation by midday. Decent stringers are being caught by dedicated anglers braving the conditions. Depths of 35 to 50 feet have yielded decent numbers of blue and channel catfish.

With the current comes plenty of activity from schools of shad meandering about hot on the trail of threadfin and gizzard shad. The big balls of baitfish are attracting the cats. Find the forage and you’ll find the fish. Most anglers continue to rely on nightcrawlers as the bait of choice. They’re the most consistent producers during the summer months by far. Chicken livers, cut bait, big minnows and several commercial stink baits are worthy of consideration. Homemade concoctions consisting of red Kool Aid supplemented by big doses of garlic are the cat’s meow for scores of veteran cat fishermen.

Not many anglers can find catalpa worms anymore but there was a time when this natural bait was considered one of the best choices. It appears herbicides and pesticides have had a negative impact on the once popular natural fish bait. Meanwhile, best to keep your catch on ice in big coolers instead of relying on the live well during summer trips. Fish will not last long in the live well regardless of aeration when it’s this hot.

Night fishing has been in the cards for bass fishermen in their futile attempt to beat the heat. Tossing big spinnerbaits along rip-rap levees and out near main river channel sandbars usually pays dividends when current is in the equation. Main lake ledges have attracted a few boats tossing big crankbaits, huge Texas rigged worms, big spoons, twister tail grubs and some finesse baits as they target smallmouth.

White bass have been taken along the main river channel up and down the reservoir whenever big schools of shad are present. On calm days the shad roam the surface, attracting the attention of schooling white bass. Surface activity can easily be spotted. Anglers best keep rods armed with Rooster Tails, silver spoons and anything that mimics a swimming shad. Chrome colored topwater plugs that tear up the surface will get the attention of aggressive white bass too. The white bass think the sound and action of a rapidly retrieved surface bait signals a feeding frenzy and they’re attracted to it.

There are a few folks who night fish beneath main lake area bridges using floating lights that attract baitfish. Sometimes this is a great technique to lure white bass, especially during the peak of a mayfly hatch. Mayfly hatches are still underway. They’re hatching throughout the summer months, especially during thunderstorms. The storms seem to trigger the hatches..

Melton Hill Reservoir – 7/16/26

Report Contributor – Sydney Feistner, Region 4 Creel Clerk

Fishing on Melton Hill has remained pretty good, with water temperatures in the high 80s and fish settling into summer patterns. Bass anglers are finding success around rocky banks, bluff walls, and offshore structure with soft plastics, crankbaits, and early morning topwater presentations. Crappie continue to hold around deeper brush piles, docks, and submerged timber. During these summer months, fishing has slowed during the middle of the day, so anglers are having the best luck fishing early mornings or evenings. As recreational boat traffic increases, remember to use caution and stay safe on the water.

Nickajack 7/16/26

Report Contributor: Tristan Owenby, https://www.facebook.com/tristan.owenby  

Tough week this week on the river the ledge bite died of a lot for us this week we had a lot of following fish and a lot of “floaters” suspended fish so it made it a little tougher to get the fish out deep so we made a turn and focused on grass fishing The frog bite was lack luster during the really hot parts of the day but from early more till 12 and late in the evening the fish was chewing good we also go on the punching bite this week and hit them good. Water temps are high on the river and pressure is up but on the bright side little old Nickajack made the top 25 south bass lakes in America so that will just bring in more folks the fishing is still good and it’s starting to get into that late July/August lull but take advantage of the good fishing you got right now and spend it up shallow getting some awesome topwater action.

If you want to come out and learn a little about the lake and get a fast track on one of the greatest bass lakes in the south give me a call. 931-314-1951

Normandy 7/20/26

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

Reservoir Conditions

Elevation Avg: 876ft
*Summer pool: 875ft
*Winter pool: 864ft
Avg. Discharge: 725 cfs
Water Temp Avg: 87℉
Water Visibility Avg: Approx. 4.3ft / 1.3M
Moon Phases:
*New Moon: 08/12/2026
*Full Moon: 07/29/2026

Fishing Conditions:

BLACK BASS: (Largemouth, Spotted, Smallmouth)

Bass fishing has been slow for a few weeks continuing into this week. Low light conditions seem to be a better time to catch them. Anglers have been fishing at around 10ft of water off the points. Anglers have also been able to find bass on the flats as well. Many use soft plastics on a Texas rig or a Carolina rig. Some have used crankbaits or Alabama rigs. Urchin baits have been seen to work as well for some anglers.

CRAPPIE: (Black Nose, Black, White)

Crappie has seemed to slow down this week. They have been found suspended in about 10ft of water around docks and over brush piles. You can also fish near the bridge pylons. 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 fishing has been slow. They have been found down the channel edge in main lake, or you could try your luck in Caroll Creek. They are most often found in 10ft – 15ft of water usually on rocky banks and 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)

You may have some luck in creek mouths, brush piles, or near bluff walls around 10-15ft deep. The best times to fish in summer are cloudy days, from sunset through midnight, while most can be found deep, at night they may move up shallow. Most People fish with shrimp, chicken livers, live and cut bait, leaving the bait to sit on the bottom.

Norris Tailwater – 7/8/26

Report Contributor – Scott Dalton, Wildlife Tech 1

Fishing along the tailwater has been a little tough the past couple weeks.  However, there have been some really nice brown trout caught along with a few nice rainbows the past week. These fish are smart and really dialed into the bugs that are in the river. Match the Hatch for you fly anglers!  Worms and rooster tails have been working good for the spinning anglers.

Make sure to check TVA's website https://www.tva.com/environment/lake-levels/norris for generation schedule, and flow rates on the river. 

Reelfoot Lake 6/17/26

Report Contributor-Reelfoot Lake Tourism Council - www.reelfoottourism.com

Reelfoot Lake is looking favorable for upcoming Reelfoot Lake Ultimate Crappie Challenge June 27,28 more information and registration see this link: Reelfoot Challenge: Join the Ultimate Fishing Event - Reelfoot Challenge

Watts Bar Reservoir – July 17^th & July 19^th, 2026

Report Contributor – Nathan Rogers, Region III Creel Clerk

Reservoir Conditions and Weather:

The weather was hot with lows in the lower 70’s with highs throughout the day warming up to 89. Thunderstorms impacted the area most of the weekend. Water temps are steadying throughout the reservoir with the main lake staying around 86 degrees, although below Ft. Loudon Dam is ~ 81 degrees and Melton Hill Dam is around 70 degrees when generating. Water clarity is still around 3-4 feet and fluctuates with precipitation events. The water levels are now 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 July 19^th)

-                      Ft. Loudoun Dam: ~ 10000 cfs

-                      Melton Hill Dam: ~ 2170 cfs

-                      Watts Bar Dam: ~ 11920 cfs

Observed Species Information

Bass: Most anglers found success on offshore flats, ledges, and ends of long points impacted by current and adjacent to main river channel (in roughly 18-25 feet). Shallower fish are in areas with rocky substrate and shaded banks. Popular baits used were Texas rigs as well as ned rigs, dropshots are very successful in these areas. Some anglers are finding success fishing docks on days with little to no cloud cover as well. The urchin baits that are wildly popular currently were also quite successful. Fish are holding on these areas due to higher concentrations of bait fish where current is higher. Thermal refuge is another reason these fish are sticking to deeper areas near the main river as well.

Striped Bass: Fishing for stripers has been slower than usual. These fish have started to congregate below dams in current, these areas have a higher concentration of bait fish for these fish to target. Although, there has been a lower amount of current this season, causing the fishing to become more difficult. Anglers found the most success using live bait (shad/skipjack) on or adjacent to the current below the dams. Large swimbaits 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. Catfish should be in post spawn stage now which implies many fish will be moving deeper.

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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