Here is the TWRA fishing report for April 16:

Center Hill: Fishing is slow.  Water temperature is about 69 degrees; lake is stable.  A few bass are being caught on Carolina rigs on shallow points in 10-to-15 feet of water.  A few walleye are being caught while trolling near Floating Mill in 10 feet of water.  Several bluegill are being caught with crickets and nightcrawlers on gravel banks in 5-to-8 feet of water. 

Dale Hollow:  Fishing is fair.

  Water temperature is 69 degrees. Lake is falling.  A few smallmouth are being caught on swimbaits, on gravel banks, in 10 feet of water.  A few crappie are being caught around the willows with minnows, in 2-5 feet of water.  Lots of bluegill and shellcracker are being caught on nightcrawlers in 5 feet of water on gravel pockets.  A few walleye are being caught while trolling crankbaits and bang-o-lures in 15 feet of water on the flats.

Chickamauga: The water temperature is near 70 degrees. The lake is slowly rising.  Crappie can be caught in areas adjacent to the spawning areas. Blowdowns can be tightlined with jigs or fished with minnows in these areas to catch crappie. Some trolling fish can be caught in these adjacent areas in water depths of 5 or 6 feet in the upper portion of the reservoir and slightly deeper downstream. These areas are the bullseye where the greater reward can be reaped. Smaller rewards can be obtained in other areas deeper or shallower. Sunfish anglers are looking for bedders. Some bedding bass can be caught. Tubes and wacky worms are being used by many anglers to catch the bedding fish. Lipless crankbaits are being used as often as any other lure to catch prespawn and postspawn bass. Points or drops in areas near spawning areas are areas some anglers are targeting. Catfish are being caught by channel drifters. The Sequoyah area of the Tennessee River is a popular meeting place for catfish enthusiasts. Many baits are being used by those targeting catfish. Shad and nightcrawlers are two baits commonly used to catch catfish. Striped bass and white bass are being caught in the upper end of the lake. Jigs and spoons are favorite lures for many that chase stripers.

Cordell Hull:  Fishing is fair. Water temperature is 66 in the creeks.  A few bass are being caught on jigs and spinnerbaits, while fishing shallow cover in the creeks.  Crappie fishing is fair on jigs and minnows around shallow cover in the creeks.  Sauger fishing is still good between Celina and Gainesboro while trolling bang-o-lures in 25 feet of water. 

Dale Hollow:  Fishing is fair.  Water temperature is 69 degrees. Lake is falling.  A few smallmouth are being caught on swimbaits, on gravel banks, in 10 feet of water.  A few crappie are being caught around the willows with minnows, in 2-5 feet of water.  Lots of bluegill and shellcracker are being caught on nightcrawlers in 5 feet of water on gravel pockets.  A few walleye are being caught while trolling crankbaits and bang-o-lures in 15 feet of water on the flats.

Chickamauga: The water temperature is near 70 degrees. The lake is slowly rising.  Crappie can be caught in areas adjacent to the spawning areas. Blowdowns can be tightlined with jigs or fished with minnows in these areas to catch crappie. Some trolling fish can be caught in these adjacent areas in water depths of 5 or 6 feet in the upper portion of the reservoir and slightly deeper downstream. These areas are the bullseye where the greater reward can be reaped. Smaller rewards can be obtained in other areas deeper or shallower. Sunfish anglers are looking for bedders. Some bedding bass can be caught. Tubes and wacky worms are being used by many anglers to catch the bedding fish. Lipless crankbaits are being used as often as any other lure to catch prespawn and postspawn bass. Points or drops in areas near spawning areas are areas some anglers are targeting. Catfish are being caught by channel drifters. The Sequoyah area of the Tennessee River is a popular meeting place for catfish enthusiasts. Many baits are being used by those targeting catfish. Shad and nightcrawlers are two baits commonly used to catch catfish. Striped bass and white bass are being caught in the upper end of the lake. Jigs and spoons are favorite lures for many that chase stripers.

Nickajack: The tailwaters below Chickamauga or the area called the "Riverpark" has been busy. Bass catches have been good. Live bait, jigs, and crankbaits have been the most used baits. Bluegill caught in the dead area below the dam have averaged .6 and .7 pounds. Worms and small jigs have been used for bait. Catfish anglers have been few, but those that were targeting them were not disappointed. The numbers have been good. The average size fish being caught has not been great. I suspect the lower end has been good, but I have nothing to report from that area.

Watts Bar: The lake is rising and the water is warming. The water temperature is around 70. White bass and striped bass are being caught in the tailwaters below Ft. Loudon and below Melton Hill Dam. Saturday morning at the launch below Melton Hill Dam there were not many parking lanes available and license plates from all the surrounding counties and states including North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama were present. The river flow was zero and the catch rate was only slightly better with a few exceptions. A boat in the safe area next to the dam was minnow dipping and they used 72 minnows and caught a white bass on every minnow. There were only a very small number of rockfish and white bass caught by the other anglers. Previous days were a lot better. Striped bass, catfish, and white bass are being caught by the tailwater anglers in the other arm of the lake. Jigs and/or shad are being used by the majority of anglers. Crappie anglers have caught fewer this week than in previous weeks. Those that were caught have been deeper and around blowdowns or brush. 12 feet of water seems to be the starting depth while trying to locate some fish. It seems the white crappie may be easier to catch than the black crappie. Minnows and/or jigs are not equal opportunity baits. Both are being used, but minnow dippers caught the greater number of fish this week. Catfish are being caught near rocky banks in the river or in the deeper bays. Bass are being caught in different spawning stages. They can be caught in prespawn and postspawn areas. Jigs and plastic worms are as good a choice for bait as anything. Most fish in the postspawn stage can be caught in 4 to 8 feet of water around wood.