Fishing Report Archives

Yet another good week of stable weather and lake levels greeted fishermen. The fall parade of wonderful colors continues as well along the hillsides of Kentucky Lake, a beautiful background to the late October fishing scene.

Above average temperatures welcomed anglers lately as well. Most days have also delivered light winds.

Lake levels have dropped slightly since last week and are now holding around the 355 elevation mark at Kentucky Dam and elsewhere in the reservoir. Water color is clear.

Surface temps reflect the warming trend and have now rebounded back to the 69 to 70 degree range.

With the reservoir back down to the low ebb of winter pool fishermen, pontooners and all boaters should be cautious running around and pay close attention to channel markers. Avoid taking shortcuts in the backwater areas. It’s easy to run up on shallow sandbars this time of year.

Crappie fishing has been fair across the area as of late with some anglers doing good while targeting midrange to deeper depths. Others trying to find fish in shallow areas of 4 to 8 feet have found the bite somewhat challenging, especially on the bright days.

Depths of 9 to 14 feet have given up a few fish. Some anglers have credited their catches to 14 to 18 foot depths at times.

Both live minnows and jigs are producing. On the still stagnant wind days it seems tipping a jig with a minnow enhances the presentation. At times the fish have shown a finicky mood and a very light bite.

And, the early morning and late afternoon hours have delivered the best bite. No doubt the crappie have been somewhat sensitive to the bright sunny days, especially when it’s bearing down at midday.

Other techniques producing a few finicky crappie have been slow strolling jigs and minnows on spider rig methods as pushing the buffet of baits slowly over stakebeds and brushpiles has enticed bites.

There’s always a few anglers opting to cast jigs or slip-bobber rigs loaded with minnows. A slow retrieve over submerged structure is yet another technique that produces results during late fall.

Meanwhile, the deep water anglers are using vertical techniques and tightlining minnows or jigs while bumping bottom and through structures. Jig colors producing are blue/chartreuse, Monkey’s Milk, Threadfin shad, Mayfly and clear skirts with metal flake just to name a few.

A few boats have been testing the main river channel bank areas and picking up some catfish in the 30 to 40 foot depth range. The current had dropped to the 30,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) range but that’s pretty good for bumping along the bottom out there.

Still earning their bites are bass fishermen tossing mostly shad colored crankbaits out on main lake sandbars and also along gravel banks. More baitfish have moved up to the shallow rocky shorelines the last week or so and the topwater bite is pretty good in the early morning and later afternoon hours if you locate the shad.

Some are still throwing swim baits and Rattle Trap style lures in main lake sandbars and up in the backs of bays if schools of baitfish are present.

Scattered schools of white bass are busting the surface now and then, which spell fast action if you toss a Rooster Tail or shad colored crankbait n their locale.

Both the gulls and white bass jumps will help lead you to fast action at times!