Fishing Report Archives

Kentucky Lake anglers know not to put their coveralls, overcoats and rain suits too deep in the closet this time of year.

Early March has many different moods when it comes to weather. Warm one day; cold the next. And the wind can be unforgiving.

Best prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It has always been that way here as winter waves goodbye and spring says hello. March is a month with a little bit of both mixed in the soup.

The roller coaster for anglers has been a wild ride recently but it’s calming down. Both temperatures and lake levels have fluctuated the last week or two, keeping fishermen off balance.

Things improved rapidly as rising temperatures greeted falling lake levels once the nasty storms of mid-February paid their respects. Cold temps and floods. Snow and ice.

Late February felt like spring was slipping in the door early. Warm sunshine and above average temperatures. What a change from the week before.

Things have indeed improved. The overall fishing scene has rebounded. Stability was long overdue.

Fishermen have rapidly bounced back to active duty, returning in force to their favorite fishing holes. Boat ramps have seen increased activity from anxious anglers yearning for a return to normalcy.

Lake levels are back down near normal winter pool levels. TVA really pulled the plug last week after the rapid rise in elevation in the aftermath of flooding conditions over a week ago. Elevation at midweek was 354.7, which is about normal for late February and early March.

Water color continues to clear and is in good shape for winter crappie and bass anglers. Surface temps were rising when a daytime high at midweek reached 75 degrees. Since then slightly cooler conditions have returned. Water temps were in the mid 40’s but rising fast when sunny days take over.

Things can change quickly this time of year. Both the bass and crappie bite has bounced back as surface temps warmed and stability in lake levels returned.

Tossing crawfish variations of crankbaits have been productive as have shad variations too. Anglers are targeting gravel banks and big rock points, especially in the bays off the main lake.

Some bass fishermen are playing the current that’s still moving in the main Tennessee River area. The current will have some influence for both smallmouth and largemouth whereabouts as they move about in their prespawn phase.

No doubt professional anglers in the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) tournament here on Kentucky Lake March 6-8 out of Paris Landing State Park will figure out the patterns.

Water color in the main river channel area had some dingy color but elsewhere it’s clearing rapidly.

Crappie fishermen are stalking some deep main lake ledges and focusing their efforts on the 16 to 20 foot depth range and finding action there. No doubt the fish fell back to some deeper water when lake levels fell drastically during the cold spell.

Look for that to change daily as fish respond to not only slightly warmer surface temps but stability in lake levels. That should see more fish enter midrange depths of 9 to 14 feet.

Brushpiles and stakebeds in that depth range should be holding decent numbers of crappie.

Some fish could be taken in the 4 to 8 foot depths if surface temps warm into the low 50’s in the coming days.

A few days crappie were scattered and suspended and not relating to structure. Sometimes the fish are roaming when lake levels are changing but will return to cover quickly when stability returns.

As the schools of baitfish move up so will the crappie. Shad will respond quickly to the warming trend and likely continue moving toward shallow to midrange areas.

The long range weather forecast indicates mild to moderate weather so watch for crappie to respond favorably for fishermen if the wind will cooperate. This time of year the sudden warm ups are often accompanied by strong southerly winds so it’s a trade-off at times.

March is crossing the threshold with all its different faces and mood swings. Anglers know they will have some nice days but the month has a reputation for unstable weather and wind. March Madness is in the process of arriving on the local fishing scene.