Fishing Report From The TWRA

  • Thursday, April 17, 2014

Chickamauga Reservoir:  Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 682.0 feet. Winter normal elevation: 676.0 feet. Current elevation: 681.4 feet. The water surface temperature is 62 degrees.
Largemouth Bass: Mid-lake anglers are not catching many fish. Lower lake anglers are catching a few fish. The “Tennessee Rig” and lipless lures being used in 6 feet of water seems to be the better pattern.
Smallmouth Bass: A few fish are being caught while using crank baits around rocky river banks and deeper secondary banks.
Spotted Bass: Smaller baits and rocky secondary water is the best pattern.
Crappie:
Use minnows or jigs around brush in sloughs. The action is slower than normal.
Striped bass: Upper reservoir anglers are catching a few while using live bait.
Bluegill: Most bluegill are being caught by crappie anglers in 5 to 10 feet of water.
Catfish: Drifters are catching catfish in the river and sloughs while using meaty baits.

Dale Hollow:  Fishing is great. Water temperature is 57; lake is slowly rising.
Smallmouth:
  Lots of smallmouth are being caught on jerkbaits, slimbaits and A-rigs in 5-to-15 feet of water on gravel banks.
Largemouth:  Fishing is excellent on jigs and swimbaits and A-rigs while fishing in the creeks around cover in 2-to-5 feet of water.
Walleye:
  Several walleye are being caught on points using jerkbaits and A-rigs in 5-10 feet of water.
Crappie:
 A few crappie are being caught on minnows in the back of the creeks in willow bushes in 2 feet of water.
Great Falls:
 Fishing is fair.  Water temperature is 58 degrees; lake is fairly stable. 
Bass:
  A few largemouths are being caught on spinnerbaits and jigs and jerkbaits around shallow, wooded cover.
Crappie:
 Fishing is fair with a few fish being caught on jigs and minnows around fallen trees in 10 feet of water.
Musky:
  Musky fishing is fair.  A few fish are being caught on jerk baits and large spinners in the heads of the river.

Watts Bar:  Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 740.5 feet.  Winter normal elevation: 736.0 feet.  Current elevation: 738.9 feet. The water surface temperature is 61 degrees.
Largemouth Bass: Only a few anglers are catching a lot of fish. Bays near the main channel are just one type of area where bass are being caught.
Smallmouth Bass: Gradual sloping rocky banks that lead into the shallow water is the target area and the crankbait is the bait. 
Crappie: A lot of crappie are being caught in shallow water in the mid lake. The larger creeks downstream such as Whites Creek is where open water drifters are catching fish while using minnows or jigs in 20 plus feet of water.
Catfish: River drifters are catching fish.
Striped bass: Upper reservoir anglers near the tailwaters are catching just fish using live bait.

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