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.  

Boone Lake – 3/20/26

Report Contributor – Colton Chambers – C and C Outfitters

The good word is fish are biting!  Bass are good and about any way you want to catch them. 

Alabama rigs in 6-10 ' of water I would say are the best bite with some good quality as well. Jerk baits in the same water column are doing well. There is a decent spinner bait bite in the back half of pockets and fish are biting a pig & jig on shallow limestone ledges and days with lots of high pressure and little wind. As far as area, from the Dam up the Holston side seems the most consistent.

Good news on Crappie. They are quickly moving shallow and holding around brush in 5-8 ' of water. The area around Boonies Marina seems best. 

We had some really nice Striper and Hybrids with an occasional Brown Trout mixed in on live bait and planer boards in the 10-15 ' range. The fish migrating up the Holston side seems to be the easiest targets.

Chip and Colton Chambers 

C & C Outfitters -423-707-8821

Facebook -C & C Outfitters 

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

Center Hill Lake

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

Cordell Hull – 4/29/26

Report Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk

Flow Rates-

·         Cordell Hull Dam- average outflow of 6,700 cfs per day

·         Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland)- average outflow of 7,000 cfs per day

·         Dale Hollow Dam- average outflow of 400 cfs per day.

Reservoir Conditions-

The reservoir elevation is currently sitting at 502’ and is slowly rising. The surface water temperatures on the lower end of the reservoir are consistently in the low 70’s. The water temperatures on the main river channel on the upper reservoir are cooler but mostly depending on flow rates. Water clarity on the river channel and upper end is good, 4-8’ visibility. The clarity on the lower end is poor, 2-4’. The current moon phase of this writing is the 95% Waxing; the next full moon phase is predicted to be May 1st. The shad spawn has been good for the last two weeks but should be wrapping up on the mid-to-lower end of the reservoir.

Bass- Fishing is good.

Most of the bass should be post-spawn in the accelerated spring we have been experiencing. There could be some stragglers defending beds on the upper end of Cordell Hull. You may start seeing some fry guarders on the lower end starting this weekend. With most post-spawn patterns, fish will start moving their way out of their spawning pockets and creeks. Look for stopping points like points, ditches, brush piles, or grass they may hang around on their way to the channel. Topwater, big worms, square bills, vibrating jigs and jigs will all be at play this time of year. Also with the water level rising, keep in mind the grass lines that used to sit off the bank that are now in sitting in 3-5 FOW. You can also find some quality fish around bluegill beds, fishing around the perimeter of the beds with wacky rigs or glide baits.

Crappie- Fishing is good.

The crappie spawn is still hanging on throughout the reservoir. Anglers are catching good quality fish around brush and laydowns in creeks and sloughs off the channel. Fish are being caught anywhere from 2-8’ deep. 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 decent.

Sauger are still being caught around Gainesboro, but the bite is very inconsistent. Post-spawn walleye are being caught by trolling plugs on the upper end of the reservoir near Celina.

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.

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 - 4/16/26

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

CATFISH AND BLUEGILL/SHELLCRACKER SPAWNING TIME

Bobbers are disappearing in the blink of an eye. Spawning phases are underway as the first full moon of May arrives and that triggers spawning for two of the most popular panfish what swim these waters.

Surface temperatures climbed into the low 70’s this week and that heated up the gills and red ear sunfish (shellcracker) that were already biting pretty good over the last two weeks. Now the bite is even better. Once warmer surface temps team up with a full moon in early May it triggers the first full phase of spawning for these feisty rascals. Right now, they have an attitude to go with an appetite.

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene is alive and well for a variety of species and about the only thing missing is you! Waiting for a good time to go fishing? Wait no longer. Aggressive bluegill and shellcracker, stubborn catfish and feisty bass are awaiting your arrival. Peak spawning is now underway for congregating bluegill, shellcracker and catfish. That spells fast fun for anglers of all ages.

Water levels remain somewhat below average as normally the reservoir is reaching summer pool (359) elevation by now. Presently lake levels are resting around 358 elevation, which is about a foot below summer pool and a bit shy of the buck bushes and weed beds in some areas. Watercolor has been clear.

Overall, the bite has been good, but bass fishermen are yearning for higher lake levels to inundate shallow shoreline structure such as buck bushes and endless weed beds. Bass anglers love to pitch or flip a Texas rigged craw around the abundant bushes where fish are hanging out. They need more water right now. Some weed beds are holding fish but just a few more inches in lake levels make a big difference this time of year. Still, anglers are tossing topwater jerk baits and floating fluke style worms to entice bites and it’s working pretty well.

Some dandy smallmouth were coming in the last week or so as boaters that backed off the banks are finding them on humps and secondary points and ledges. They’re casting jigs and finesse baits plus crankbaits at times. Carolina and Alabama rigs are producing too.

Hopefully TVA will allow the reservoir to rise to normal summer pool soon as that inundates a multitude of shallow structure that aids the survival rate freshly hatched fry. These microscopic pin minnows such as shad, bluegill and all sorts of fish need cover to hide from predators. Their survival rate depends on the weeds and bushes to hide from predators. The schools of pin minnows provide an abundant food source for lots of different fish. However, at the same time they need to cross the threshold in order to later become the hunter instead of the hunted. It’s a dynamic food chain out there and water levels play a vital role.

Meanwhile, crappie have transitioned to the post-spawn phase, which is normal for late April and early May time frame. Anglers are still catching but the fish are a bit more scattered. Depths of 9 to 14 feet have been holding crappie. Anglers are fishing both live minnows and tipping jigs with minnows while vertical fishing stake beds and brush piles. A few scattered fish have been caught in 4-to-7-foot depths. Crappie are displaying a somewhat thinner profile since spawning is pretty much in the rearview mirror. Most indicate they’re having to make a lot of stops and knock on several doors to accumulate decent stringers.

As May moves April off the calendar warmer days now pull catfish to the rocky banks as their spawning is now underway. Nice stringers have been taken lately by anglers targeting the rocky banks as they toss nightcrawlers and a variety of commercial and homemade concoctions. Look for the catfish bite to be good for the next few weeks as the fish move up to shallow water.

Bluegill anglers fishing the shallow beds with light tackle are frequently tying into some hefty catfish too. The catfish love to feed on the bluegill fry hatching off so that’s a thrill and a bonus for Kentucky Lake fishermen right now. Now is a good time to wet a hook on Kentucky Lake. A variety of species are biting and the weather is great.

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 – 4/15/26

Report Contributor – Scott Dalton, Wildlife Tech 1

Fishing has been really good along the tailwaters. Lots of brown trout are being caught along with some very nice slot rainbow trout. The smaller presentation seems to be working better. Please check TVA for your 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 foot of water out of brush piles. 

Striper: Folks coming up a little early to Striper fish were struggling some 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 foot 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 that 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 4/29/26

Report Contributor-Reelfoot Lake Tourism Council

It is now prime fishing conditions at Reelfoot Lake.  With several months of little rain, our lake is lower than normal spring conditions use caution and slow down or hire a guide service who will get you on the fish! Our lodging owners are always happy to provide tips for where to fish and what bait to use and guide service recommendations. The upcoming forecast looks favorable for fishing with partly cloudy skies and high temperatures in the 60-70’s.

Watauga Lake – 3/20/26

Report Contributor – Colton Chambers – C and C Outfitters

Bass fishing continues to be really good. We had lots of 4' plus fish caught last week.  Jerk baits like a Berkeley Stunner or Rapala Maverick will definitely get you some bites. The area known as the " Forks of the Rivers " seems to be best. Also, some nice ones being caught on a jig head and minnow twitching it in the 6-8' range and just cast towards steeper banks, no live scope needed.

Trout remains slow, a few Lakers being caught trolling in the Butler Bridge area, but very scattered.

Crappie are starting to move shallow, try targeting brush and trees with minnows in the 8-12' range. 

Snow water runoff is a death blow to Walleye fishing, but we hope for a better report next week.

Stay safe on the water!

Chip and Colton Chambers 

C & C Outfitters -423-707-8821

Facebook -C & C Outfitters 

Watts Bar Reservoir – April 24^th-27^th, 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 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 of 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 of main river as well in current breaks.

Watts Bar 3/19/26

Report Contributor - Captain Wallace Sitzes – Follow on Facebook

The pre spawn and spawn have been ahead of schedule this year. The water was dropped so low that a lot of fish pulled out of the shallow docks and structure. This past cold front set us back a little also. Now that the weather is stabilizing the water temps should be back in the low to mid 60's.

I primarily fish deep structure for white crappie but this time of year I go shallow for black crappie. Literally any dock or piece of structure in 1 - 4 feet of water could hold a school of slabs. You don’t need any sonar at all or a fancy boat to catch them. You could literally use a cane pole and just dip your jig around structure. I carefully pick apart every limb and dock piling until I find them. I start out just close enough to cast to them without spooking them. You can also use a 12 - 14' jigging rod and just dip the baits right into the structure. I prefer a 1/16 jig head with a curly tail grub. I throw a natural baitfish color or if the water is murky, I'll use a dark body with a bright tail. If you have trouble feeling the bites you can use a small float as a strike indicator.

The bass are ranging anywhere from bluffs and channel swings all the way into just a couple feet of water. Fallen trees along the banks in secondary coves and cuts have been holding a lot of bass. Stump beds are great also when the baitfish are balled up around them.

The catfishing is good here all year long but right now those big flatheads will get hungry and start to roam around. It's hard to beat fresh cut shad or yellow bass this time of year. If you just want to get the kids or grand kids out to catch fish this is a great time for it! The drum and yellow bass are packed into shallow coves gorging on baitfish and are very easy to catch. A small white jig is all you need to keep those rods bent.

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