TWRA Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports

NOTE - The 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 

Cordell Hull – 4/15/26

Report Contributor – Will Schibig, Region III Creel Clerk

Flow Rates-

·         Cordell Hull Dam- average outflow of 6,000 cfs per day

·         Wolf Creek Dam (Lake Cumberland)- average outflow of 5,000 cfs per day

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

Reservoir Conditions-

The reservoir elevation is currently sitting at 500’. The surface water temperature is sitting in the mid-to-high sixties in the creeks and sloughs off the river channel. Temperatures on the Man River are 63-68 degrees. The water clarity has been relatively poor on the lower end, with visibility being 2-4’ in creek arms. The main channel clarity is a bit better, 3-5’, with the best visibility being found from Gainesboro to Celina. The current moon phase of this writing is the new moon; the next full moon phase is predicted to be May 1st. Most fish species are currently spawning or wrapping up their spawn.

Bass- Fishing is good. 

Largemouth are on bed throughout the reservoir. On the lower end, the bass are wrapping up their spawn with males guarding beds. Fish shallow wood or rock in creeks and pockets with slow tapering banks. Slow down in these areas with shaky heads, Texas rigs, or wacky rigs and pick apart any cover or areas bass may bed. Later this week, target points, brush piles, or any stopping points that fish may stop on their way to post spawn areas.

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.

Saugers 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 has produced some quality fish.

White bass- Fishing is slow. With the unusually low water levels and flow rates, the usual white bass run has been a bit wacky this year. On the upper end of the reservoir, the usual creeks that produce white bass spawns are mostly empty. Some white bass are being caught near the bottom of the river channel in holes or near creek mouths. You can target big slack eddies on the river channel banks with swimbaits, spinners, or small crankbaits from Gainesboro to Celina.

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)

BLUEGILL/SHELLCRACKER BONANZA ABOUT TO BEGIN…CRAPPIE/BASS BITE GOOD

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene this week delivered another good one for bass and crappie anglers as bluegill and shellcracker (biologically known as red ear sunfish) transition toward shorelines in their prespawn phase. April has been kind to Kentucky Lake anglers lately and numerous reports are coming in from a variety of successful anglers.

Seems the biological clock has been somewhat ahead of normal, a likely result of unusually warm weather. Just this week, temperatures have been several degrees above normal and knocking on the door of record highs some days. However, long range forecasts indicate a significant drop in temperatures will arrive on Sunday and Monday but rapidly rebound early next week. Temps will dip down into the low 40’s beginning Saturday night and slowly start to rebound by Monday. Looks like fishermen will need jackets and long sleeve shirts for a couple of days before a warm spell returns.

Surface temperatures have climbed to 68 to 69 degrees this week. Some anglers have already found 70-degree water in shallow pockets. Watercolor remains clear across the reservoir. Lake levels are still slightly above the norm on TVA’s schedule and were resting at 358.1 as this report was posted. Under normal conditions TVA’s target date for summer pool level (359) is May 1 each year.

Nice stringers of crappie have been coming in around the Paris Landing and Big Sandy sector as well as from West Sandy. Several anglers are reporting 20-fish limits on days when the wind allows them to get out and about. High winds have been a factor this spring for fishermen. Despite some high hurdles at times anglers have managed to find decent numbers of crappie in the 4-to-8-foot range lately. No doubt the fish are up there spawning. Male crappie are sporting a magnificent dark color as their hormonal change is underway.

Females are showing bulging egg sacs and eggs are bloody and mushy, a stage that indicates spawning is underway. Normal for Kentucky Lake is the variety of techniques and methods that are producing fish. Some boats are catching good stringers as they long line Road Runner style lead heads and assorted twister tail or tube skirts. The slow trolling method always seems to be popular this time of year. Also producing have been slow moving spider rigs as boaters meander their multipole presentation over submerged stump fields, brush piles while also catching suspended crappie. Live minnows have worked well at times in addition to jig color buffets.

Vertical fishing jigs over manmade fish attractors such as brush piles and stake beds has paid dividends too. And hefty stringers have been reported by those casting jigs in shallow water and along gravel shorelines using both live minnows and jigs fished beneath slip bobbers. Both bank fishermen and those casting from boats are landing enough fish to keep them enthused. The approaching cold front may bring a short hiatus to the bite but watch for it to resume quickly once winds shift from the northerly direction and get back to a southerly flow by early next week.

Bluegill and shellcracker have improved since last week and continue to move up shallow. Nice coolers of shellcracker have been taken by anglers casting wax and meal worms plus red worms and nightcrawlers. Some dandies have been lingering slightly out from shorelines at times. Shallow grass lines and bushes need a little more water on them but that will happen by next week. Already biting good have been bluegill that moved up shallow over the last two weeks in response to the early warm spells. Most folks agree the timetable across the lake has been a week to ten days ahead of normal as to both surface temps and movement of fish.

It’s not unusual to see shellcracker a bit ahead of the bluegill spawn. And, with surface temps on the threshold of 70 degrees, we are already looking for a significant transition to take place in the next week to ten days. A full moon arrives on May 1 so that will trigger an early spawning phase for both bluegill and shellcracker. Best get the light tackle ready and dust off the cricket boxes. The shallow show for aggressive panfish is about to begin!

Bass fishermen have been scoring nice stringers as they experiment with some early arriving bass to shallow shoreline areas. Casting some topwater jerk baits have worked but deadly has been Texas rigged craws, worms and lizards on the edges of shallow grass beds. Smallmouth had been showing up good too in their early spawning phases. Tossing finesse baits plus suspending crankbaits and curly tail and hair jigs have worked well.

Spinnerbaits are worthy of consideration too as anglers fan cast shallow shorelines while parallel casting the banks where bass are staging just out from the grass beds. Water levels are not quite summer pool so that means a lot of the grass and bushes are just on the verge of holding more bass.

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 4/16/26

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

Great time to be on the water the water temps are pulling on up to right at if not above 70 for most of the lake the water clarity this week as been insane which makes the fishing a little tougher on highly pressured river so we are hoping for some rain in the future and some good current coming through the dam systems.

The crappie are pulling up fast and it sure is a lot of fun to go catch 50-60 of them things a day just strolling a minnow around grass lines. The bass are still shallow for the most part, but they are getting close to pulling out to their summer haunts and leaving the fry guarders behind in the shallows. If you want to get in on some early summer action or late spawn or even want to go catch a mess of crappie, give me and call and we will get out there and catch em! 9313141951

Normandy 4/13/26

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

Reservoir Conditions

Elevation Avg: 870 ft

*Summer pool: 875ft

*Winter pool: 864ft

Avg. Discharge Hourly: 60 cfs

Water Temp Avg: 64℉

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 been off and on the past week. The bass have been found in less than 5ft of water near the mouth of creeks and near gravel banks. 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)

Anglers were catching Crappie last week, but it has slowed down this week. The second bridge to mile marker 6 has been a hotspot for anglers, and with those colder mornings, Crappie have typically been found in 10-15ft deep in and around brush piles. There are anglers having luck in shallow water under 5ft as well. With 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. Since they are in their spawning period, they tend to group closer together, this can make these fish easier to locate. During peak spawn period walleye feed less and you may not have as much luck catching them. Late April – May should be a better time to find these fish immediately after spawn. 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)

Catfish can still be found in deep channels during the springtime. You may have some luck in creek mouths, brush piles, or near ledges around 15ft – 30ft deep, and they should be moving up as temperature rises. On warmer days in the afternoons, they might move up shallow. They should be feeding more than in the winter months, but it is still early. 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, 4/13/26

Report Contributor – Noah Cartwright, Region II Creel Clerk

Water temps through the weekend hovered in the mid-60°s.

Bass: Still dreaming about the fish folks were catching over a month ago, I haven’t seen a bass over three pounds caught this week. This time of year, a lot of fish are beginning to stage in shallow water, many of them upstream above flippers. Most folks are catching their fish up shallow, ~3-4ft, though few are right up on the bank just yet. I’ve been seeing a lot of plastics, though not much else stood out otherwise. 

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

Crappie: Crappie fishing on OH is still a struggle for most but I did see the most getting caught that I’ve seen in a while. Further up from the dam in creeks and small coves I was seeing folks able to catch decent numbers. Most folks I saw were getting their fish in around 8-13ft of water jigging. While it’s still certainly very slow for Springtime, the crappie are still there. It’s just a matter of finding what they want to bite and when they want it.

White Bass: I got some good reports of folks fishing for white bass in Carthage and up in the Caney Fork. Everyone I talked to, that was or had been up in river fishing for them, were having great days with them.

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

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. 

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. 

*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, 4/13/26

Report Contributor – Noah Cartwright, Region II Creel Clerk

The water temps after the weekend on Priest are sitting in the mid-high 60°s, and the water is sitting just under four feet below full summer pool. 

Bass: Bass angling has not improved a ton since the previous report. I’m still seeing folks catch fish, but fewer and fewer that I’ve seen have been slaying monsters. Folks that are catching fish are still doing it up shallow, though I have seen some folks getting some decent fish in a little deeper water along drop-offs. A jerk bait was about the only thing that stood out to me amongst people really doing well. I was unable to attend a tournament weigh-in this weekend, so I’m unsure how those folks fared. 

Crappie: The struggles among crappie anglers persist through another week. The constantly changing weather fronts, water temperatures, and lower-than-average water levels have hit crappie harder than probably any other species this season. Folks have continued to struggle as the crappie have played hard-to-get all March and now into April. I’m seeing a lot of folks who are catching fish get them in shallow water, 3-10ft, but some are finding them a little deeper and having fair success, 12+ft. More than anything, changing colors or spots frequently will give you the best chance of success right now. If a school isn’t wanting to play, change your rig or find another pile.

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. 

*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 4/15/26

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! Your lodging owners are always happy to provide tips about where to fish and what bait to use and guide service recommendations.

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 – 4/13/26

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 78. Current throughout the reservoir is low due to a lack of rain throughout the area. Water temperatures are slowly increasing with the warmer weather. 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: 69.7 degrees Fahrenheit

-                      Clinch/Emory Rivers: 68.7 degrees Fahrenheit

Water Clarity:

-                      Tennessee River (River Channel): 3 feet

-                      Clinch/Emory Rivers: 4 feet

Water Level: (as of April 13^th)

-                      Reservoir elevation: 737.94 feet

-                      Headwater (Ft. Loudoun) elevation: 738.06 feet

-                      Headwater (Melton Hill) elevation: 738.02 feet

Water Flow: (as of April 13^th)

-                      Ft. Loudoun Dam: ~ 7197 cfs

-                      Melton Hill Dam: ~ 0 cfs

-                      Watts Bar Dam: ~ 6215 cfs

Observed Species Information

Middle Section of Reservoir:

Bass: Many anglers are finding success throwing umbrella rigs over shallow flats around structure. Many others are fishing banks due to fish pulling up to spawn, throwing Texas and Carolina rigs as well as crank baits and jerk baits. Also, weightless soft plastics such as Senkos and trick worms around any visible cover like rocks, docks, and laydowns is effective.

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.

Clinch/Emory Rivers:

Bass: The most successful method was umbrella rigs and crankbaits along main channel ledges near confluence area. Others found success on banks and treetops in shallower inlets. As water temperatures continue to warm, fish will begin to pull up shallow to spawn in this area of the reservoir. When that happens, slower soft plastic presentations like creature/craw baits and worms will be dominant.

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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