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BOONE RESERVOIR, July 29
Bass- Largemouth are shallow and on top water early in the morning and late evening. As the water warms, the fish are going deeper. Some Largemouth are still hanging near brush in the back of shaded pockets. White/blue or solid white spinner baits and white flukes are catching fish around brush. Buzz baits, Pop R’s, and bone color Spooks are good also.
Smallmouth are on points and steep banks. Shaky head worms in watermelon or green pumpkin are still catching the most fish. Plastic craws with 1/8oz sinker work well on rocky banks. Spinner baits, Flukes, Pop R’s, and Spooks have been good when fished early morning and late evening on top water. Crawfish pattern crank baits are catching some fish along bluffs along with a black/blue 3/8oz flipping jigs.
Striped Bass/Cherokee Bass- Most of the hybrids and stripers are being caught near the Misty Water boat ramp and Davis Dock early in the morning and late in the evening trolling alewife, spoons, or umbrella rigs. Bait is up shallow in the early morning and just before sunrise. On the Watauga side there have been stripers caught from Pt.19 down to Jays Boat Dock on live shad and around 20-25 ft. and from the 11E Bridge, Knob Creek bridge on chicken livers from the bank.
Catfish- Channel Catfish are being caught on the Watauga side around Knob Creek/11E Bridge and Pickens Bridge using chicken livers fishing from the banks.
Bluegills are bunched up around trees and bluff’s. Crickets, redworms and mealworms are best bait to use. The bigger fish are 5-10 ft.
CENTER HILL
NO RECENT REPORTS
CHEROKEE LAKE, as of Aug. 25
LARGEMOUTH BASS: Moderate. Best times to fish are very early morning or sun up and late evening to night. Fish are close to rocky banks and bridge piers at these times and top water is likely to produce fish.
10 to 15 feet morning and evening. 15 to 25 feet afternoon
Crank baits lipped properly for the desired depth. Green lizards fished on the bottom. Small spinner baits worked around underwater boulders and through deep drop offs..
Fish rocky embankments, rocky points, bridge piers and sharp drop offs
SMALLMOUTH BASS: Moderate. Smallmouth action tapers off mid morning through the afternoons with early morning and late evening best times.
10 to 15 feet early morning and evening. Deep to 25 feet afternoons
Small crank baits set for five to ten feet early in mornings. Six inch red plastic worms Carolina rigged fished very, very slowly on the bottom of points and back wash areas.
Fish bridge piers, rocky points and steep drop offs.
SPOTTED BASS: Moderate
10 to 15 feet morning and evening and go deep in afternoon.
Pan fish baits have been catching Spotted Bass early mornings as they share the same habitat as crappie and bluegill. Small silver spinner baits tipped with a green tailer are working well as are two and a half inch shad colored crank baits. Spots are holding to the boulder covered, shaded shorelines. They appear to hold closer to the shoreline than do largemouth and smallmouth
CHICKAMAUGA, as of Aug. 25
The surface water temperature is cooler than it was last week. Bass are being caught near the main channel grass beds. Plastic worms are being used more often than other lures. Some early and late day anglers are catching fish on topwater lures. Crappie are being caught while using jigs or minnows near deeper piers, bluffs, and main creek ledges. Some main creek crappie are being caught suspended near shad minnows. Catfish anglers are catching fish while drifting in the main channel with all the stuff generally used to target catfish. Some white bass are being caught in the tailwaters and areas downstream from there. Jigs, surface lures and spoons will be all the lures necessary to catch white bass. Bluegill are being caught everywhere. Bank anglers and those anglers in a boat are catching bluegill deep, shallow, near rocks, on river humps, and in current diversion holes. Crickets, worms, and a few other baits can be used. One angler caught over one hundred bluegill on a slice of bacon. Small slices were taken from the slice of bacon to be used for bait.
CORDELL HULL, as of Aug. 25
Fishing is good. Surface temperature is 80 degrees. Several bass are being caught on soft plastics, crankbaits and topwater baits, while fishing stumps in 5-to-10 feet of water. A few walleye are being caught near Gainesboro, while trolling 5-to-15 feet of water. A few white bass are being caught on spoons, while chasing minnows.
DALE HOLLOW, as of Aug. 25
Fishing is fair. Water temperature is 84 degrees; lake is falling. A few walleye are being caught while trolling flats in 29-to-32 feet of water, using nightcrawlers. Bass fishing is fair at night, with spinnerbaits, jigs and soft plastics, on points, in 15-to-20 feet of water. A few trout are being caught near the dam, while trolling with downriggers in 45-to-65 feet of water.
DOUGLAS LAKE
The creel clerk that alternates between Cherokee and Douglas has retired. It has not been determined when that position will be filled. At this time there are no reports available.
FORT LOUDON
NO RECENT REPORTS
MELTON HILL, as of Aug. 25
The heat seems to be improving somewhat. Early morning and evening are still the two best times to fish right now. Shaded coves and shaded banks, especially rocky banks seem to drawing most types of fish for now. Deep water fishing is another option right now. Deep diving crankbaits along with jigging spoons are catching a few nice bass. The white bass are still chasing schools of minnows, and are breaking over most of the reservoir. If you see the white bass breaking, which means they are splashing and jumping out of the water. Cast a small minnow imitator or small spinner like a rooster tail or even a small crankbait close to where you see the fish swirling. There is a good chance you will catch some of these spunky good tasting fish. There is no size limit, but a creel limit of 15 on white bass. Early morning and late evening are the two best times to beat the summer heat. Night fishing is another option for some anglers. The bass are still biting and should continue to improve as the water temperatures continue to cool. Catfish are starting to bite really well. Bluegills and all other types of sunfish are showing up in huge numbers. The crappies are very scattered and hard to find. You may have to go as deep as 20 feet to find some of the bigger crappies. As always the float and minnow is the top bait choice for finding and catching the bigger crappies. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting everywhere on the reservoir. Topwater lures like zara spooks and creek chubs and also buzzbaits are doing fairly well in the early morning. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are also catching quite a few nice bass. A green pumpkin jig with the same color crawdad trailer is a good lure to start with in ¼ to ½ oz. Another good tip is to dye the claws on the trailer chartreuse green, which makes the claws a lighter color and easier for the bass to see. Some dyes come in different flavors such as garlic. Scent doesn’t always help but sometimes it triggers slow moving bass.
NICKAJACK, as of Aug. 25
The surface water temperature is cooler than last week. Many schooling bass are being caught. Most of the schoolers are falling for topwater lures. These fish are being caught near large schools of shad located in grass beds along flats adjacent to the main channel. Some crappie are being caught near deep water ledges on the lower end. The most promising crappie water currently is near the Riverpark. Still water, shad, and shade will be a combination in the tailwaters where a few crappie can be found. Catfish are being caught by those drifting in the main channel with all the baits typically used by those that target catfish. White bass, striped bass, and an occasional smallmouth are being caught on jigs, topwater lures and crankbaits in the area near the Riverpark.
NORRIS, as of Aug. 25
BLUEGILL: Good. Bluegill are hitting at 20 feet on the shady, rocky banks and on the surface at dawn for those using popping bugs.
REDEAR (SHELLCRACKER): Fair. Near the bottom. 25- to 30-feet during the daytime, with some being caught on flats which are close to much deeper water. Red worms, night crawlers, wax worms, crickets, small crankbaits, Beetle Spins.
CRAPPIE: Slow on the lower end, moderate farther up. Best at night under lights on the upper half of the lake.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: Moderate but improving at dawn on the flats where they’re feeding on schools of baitfish.
SMALLMOUTH BASS: Moderate. Most are being caught on deep running plugs at 25 to 35 feet, near the bottom. Some on the flats, especially in the upper river sections early in they day.
A reminder: From June 1-Oct. 15, there is a 20-inch minimum length limit on smallmouth bass with a creel limit of one. The change replaces the 17-22 inch slot limit. The daily creel limit for largemouth/smallmouth in combination remains five per day on Norris Reservoir.
SPOTTED BASS: Moderate in early morning, then slow throughout the day. Small spinners (Beetle spin equivalent), small doll flies, 4-inch Slider worms on Carolina or Texas rigs.
STRIPED BASS: Moderate at dawn, but the locations are scattered. The most productive depth has been 30- to 35-feet. Improving on the Powell side, Point 10 vicinity, and from Sequoyah Marina to Norris Dam.
WALLEYE: Moderate. 30- to 35-feet on the bottom. Trolling small, nickel plate spinner/nightcrawler rigs (#2 Hildebrandt or equivalent), Bombers, RedFins, or DD20’s at 30 to 35-feet, on the bottom during the day.
SOUTH HOLSTON, July 29
Bass- Smallmouth are on steep banks and bluff’s containing “grayish color shale”. Most smallmouth are being caught using green, pumpkin, or watermelon colored, Texas-rigged, Shaky head worms or with deep diving crankbaits. Night time fishing is slow but suspended fish are in 25-35 ft. of water and around bridge piers spoons and ½-3/4oz jigs are best bait to use.
Largemouth are being picked up on ½ oz spinner baits in brush piles on secondary points and in the back of pockets containing brush or trash piles. One should also try top water early in the morning using buzz baits, Wake baits, Pop R’s, Spooks, and Long A’s along bluffs or steep banks with brush on them.
Trout- Rainbows are being caught from the 421 Bridge to Riddle Creek in 30-50 ft. of water trolling with spoons. Lake trout have been caught anywhere from 70-90 ft. around Browns Bottom trolling medium/ large spoons.
Walleye- Walleye are being caught trolling during the day from Observation Knob to Avens Bridge along the bluffs. Troll night crawlers and Catpaw spinners using a bottom bouncing set up at about 15-20 ft. or deep running crank baits on the lower end of the lake most fish are coming from pt.4 to pt 3 along the bluffs using lead line at 2-3 colors with night crawler and spinner.
TELLICO, as of Aug. 25
Early morning and evening fishing is picking up slightly. The heat of the day is still a little uncomfortable, unless you can find some shade. The fish also seem to like the shade and are congregating on or near the shaded side of the reservoir. Early morning the shade is mostly on the east side with evening shade mainly on the west side. There are also some coves that stay shaded most of the day. There are a few anglers that are braving the heat, but not catching much after the sun gets high in the sky. So, early morning, late evening and into the night seems to be the most productive times. All species seem to bite fairly well at night, especially bass and catfish. Walleyes are much more active at night. Fishing is still fair over the entire reservoir, but not in the heat of the day. There are still some crappies being caught, but they have slowed way down. Most crappies are down around 18-22 feet. Jigging or trolling is still the best two methods for finding crappies. Bass are still biting fairly well. The best bass seem to be suspending down around the 30 to 40 ft. level. Big jig and pigs in root beer and watermelon colors are catching some nice sized bass. The deep sides of points near the river channel are holding some nice sized bass. Big, thumper blade spinnerbaits are a good night fishing choice for bass. Small hair jigs tipped with minnows seems to be the best choice in lure and bait combination for crappies. Blue or silver hair jigs in the 1/16 to 1/8 size tipped with a tuffy minnow, either trolled slowly or cast under a float set at about 15-22 feet is a good choice. Around the Clear Creek area the boat docks and boat houses are still holding a few crappies. The walleyes are a little hard to find, but your best bet right now is around the area of the bridge trestles just below Chilhowee Dam on the hwy.129 side. Night fishing is the top choice for best results on walleye right now.
WATAUGA
MO RECENT REPORT
WATTS BAR, as of Aug. 25
The surface water temperature has cooled from the previous week. The fish are in the patterns typical for summer for the species targeted. This generally means the primary lake and upper river areas are targeted more often than other areas. Generally the major creek headwaters will have a few fish trolling these waters because of moving water that occurs after thunderstorms. Plastic worms cast around humps, points and bluffs located in the big water are the locations most anglers are targeting. Jigs and crankbaits are alternative weapons that will generally pick up an additional bite from bass that may need some additional encouragement. Crappie are being caught by only a few drifters and crankbaits trollers. These anglers have sharpened their skills and can normally catch a few fish when most others have given up. Primary creek channel breaks are typical locations where the crappie hunt begins. Electronics become an essential element during these crappie expeditions. Bluegill can be caught in numbers near docks and primary bluff walls. Worms can be used for bait with a high success rate almost anytime. White bass and striped bass can be caught in all parts of the lake from the surface to the bottom. Schooling fish have been more dependable in the evening hours.
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Area Fly Fishing Report, from David Newsom - Choo Choo Fly and Tackle
as of August 4
By: David Newsom- Choo Choo Fly and Tackle
Well summer is here, and the weather is hot. The bass fishing is still good right now and trout fishing is excellent on most of the local tailwaters. The flows on almost all of the tailwaters have made for good wade fishing this entire month. I have added a “Go-To” fly selection for the rivers listed below. These flies are tried and true favorites that will bring success any day of the week.
Trout Tailwater “Go-To” Fly Selection
1. Pheasant Tail Nymphs (szs. 12-18)
2. Zebra Midges (szs. 18-22)
3. Rubber-legged Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear (szs. 12-18)
4. Orange and Green Soft Hackles ( szs. 12-16)
5. Turk’s Tarantula (szs. 8-10)
6. Elk Hair Caddis (szs. 14-18)
7. Griffith’s Gnat (szs. 18-22)
Bass “Go-To” Fly Selection
1. Popping Bug (szs. 2-6 colors: black and yellow)
2. Swimming Baitfish patterns (szs. 3/0-1)
3. Half and Half Clousers (szs. 3/0-1)
4. Crawfish and Crawdad patterns (szs. 1-6)
5. Frog Patterns (szs. 1/0-1)
Elk River- Throughout the month of August, TVA will be been spilling between 200 to 350 cfs on the river, which is still good for wade fishing. During August, terrestrial patterns work excellent. I would go with a Turk’s Turrantula, Parachute Hopper, or a Madame X in sizes 6-10. I have had a lot of success lately with fishing weighted soft hackles in green and red colors, and prince nymphs. I normally do not fish prince nymphs on the Elk, but they have seemed to work well lately. August is one of the best times out of the year to fish the Elk, so take advantage of this good fishing time.
Toccoa River- The fishing on the Toccoa has been decent as officials have begun to stock the river again, and dam work has ceased. TVA has been keeping the flows anywhere between 150-500 cfs. The water is still cold, but it is a little off color. Larger than average fish have been caught, as well as the usual 10-12” fish. This river should begin to fish a lot better in the coming months. The fish numbers still might not be present yet, but the river is worth checking out this summer.
Hiwassee River- The Hiwassee River has been fishing great this summer. Access to the river is abundant, and can be wadeable up to 1 generator. If two generators are running, the river should be fished from a boat. During the summer time, the Isonychias are one of the premier hatches on the river and will last until the fall. Standard mayfly and streamer patterns will also work any day of the week. Expect to catch fish in the 10-12” size, but bigger fish can be caught. Fishing prince nymphs, pheasant tails, soft hackles, and A.P. nymphs is always productive. I would leave the midge patterns in the fly box.
Tellico River- Is our main freestone river nearby, located in Cherokee National Forest. Nymph patterns, such as the Tellico nymph, Pheasant Tail, and any yellow stonefly pattern are great selections any time of the year. It is also worth fishing the tributaries of the Tellico, such as the Bald River and North River. All of these waters hold a nice brown, rainbow, and brook trout population, and they provide seclusion from the crowds of people. With warmer temperatures, dry fly action will increase, and key dry flies to use this time of the year are: Royal Wulff, Adam’s Irresistible, the Humpy (Red, Yellow, Green), and Stonefly Stimulator patterns. Fish the pools of this river with a fast approach. Make a few casts to a hole and if you don’t get a take, move to the next hole. Bigger flies will typically work better in the faster moving water as the trout have less time to check out their food.
Tennessee River- The best fishing will be in the early morning, the evenings, and when there is good flow on the river. The milfoil that has shown up along the river banks provides great cover for bass. A frog pattern fly will prove to be deadly along these grass lines. This time of the year the bass are going to be in deeper water. Therefore, fish deeper structure and grass lines. Minnow streamer patterns, Barr’s Cat flies, and frog patterns will work the best during August.
I hope all this information will be helpful and good fishing!