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This page brought to you by:
Roger Binkley and Chase Binkley from TN
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
LAKE LEVELS BACK TO NORMAL…ANGLERS ANXIOUS TO GET GOING
Kentucky Lake’s elevation is back to normal winter pool after a long run
of roller coaster levels that had the reservoir off on quite a tare!
Anglers are chomping at the bit to get the show on the road too.
Jane and Tom from TN
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Spring officially arrived last Tuesday but it wasn’t much fanfare as
snowflakes were falling in the aftermath of a brisk northwest that
dropped temperatures back to winter range.
Not to worry as warmer days are fast approaching as the weekend ahead
and well into next week will see a nice warm up. Is there anyone who
doesn’t have spring fever?
Both bass and crappie anglers have battled crazy weather and water
conditions lately. March is a month known for unstable weather and it
has certainly lived up to its reputation thus far.
Surface temperatures started the week out around 54 degrees and lost
ground once cold nights descended. By this weekend, however, look for
surface temps to rebound to the 55-degree range and perhaps even warmer
by early next week.
Water color is good across the reservoir. The falling lake levels last
week really pulled the dingy and muddy water out of the upper Big Sandy
and West Sandy plus all the big bays across the reservoir.
Lake levels are now slightly below winter pool and down some ten feet
from two weeks ago. TVA projects readings of 354.5 this weekend in the
Kentucky Dam area. Further south lake stages will be slightly lower in
the New Johnsonville area with a forecast of 354.3. Normal winter pool
is 355.
Seems strange to go from one extreme to the other these last two week
but that’s exactly what’s happened. Anglers and pleasure boaters now
need to be cautious about low lake levels and pay close attention to
channel markers.
Resist the temptation to take those shortcuts across main lake flats and
sandbars where shallow obstacles await.
Kentucky Lake will sleep around the winter pool mark until April 1 when
TVA begins its annual reservoir filling curve. The target dates for
summer pool elevation, which is 359, is May 1 each year.
Bass fishermen have been putting up some pretty good numbers lately
despite changing lake levels and inclimate weather patterns. Several
lunker bass are coming in with another 9 pound, 9-ounce largemouth taken
by Ohio angler Cole Floyd last weekend in the LBL division of the FLW.
The winning stringer (5-fish) caught by Indiana’s Kayne Hackemack tipped
the scales at whopping 29.8 pounds!
Most anglers are tossing Rattle-Trap and Red-Eye Shad style baits or
regular shallow and deep running crankbaits fished around rip-rap banks,
rocky points and gravel shorelines or roadbeds. Spinnerbaits have worked
too as anglers fan cast out over flats and parallel shorelines in an
attempt to cover a lot of water in their quest to locate bass.
Shad colored variations are popular this week as most of the dingy water
has moved out. In addition to crankbaits and spinnerbaits some anglers
continue to toss a jig and craw combination at times.
With lower lake levels present there are a few exposed crappie beds
offering some visible structure but stick-ups are a bit sparse. Some
fish are holding around boat houses and piers now too.
Crappie anglers are beginning to rebound. Warmer surface temperatures
are on the horizon as are stable lake levels. That should work in favor
of fish moving up toward shallow to midrange depths in the days ahead.
Several fish were taken this week from the deep sides of main lake
ledges where the 18 to 22 foot depth range was holding them. No doubt
fish pulled back to deeper water late last week as lake levels were
falling fast.
Watch for more fish to transition toward 4 to10 foot depths in the days
ahead. The fish should really be on the move as they respond to warmer
days that trigger their desire to seek prespawn structure. Fish will be
staging in the main lake area and back in big bays too waiting for
rising surface temps.
Kentucky Lake crappie usually spawn when surface temperatures reach the
62 to 66 degree range with some stability in weather. Their biological
clock is indeed ticking!
We’re not there yet but watch for significant improvement the first week
to ten days of April. The timetable could see surface temps heating up
and crossing the 60-degree threshold by then.
More fish should show up this upcoming week in stakebeds and brushpiles
that had been void of fish last week. Those midrange depths are now very
appealing to roaming crappie as they slowly work their way out of deep
water and head toward spawning sites.
Slow trolling techniques will pay dividends next week as will vertical
presentations over manmade fish attractors. In fact, a lot of different
depths and techniques are about to break loose and produce results.
Although a lot of crappie apparently moved out of the upper Big Sandy
and West Sandy areas this past week during the falling lake levels watch
for them to return soon once that surface temps heats up.
For Kentucky Lake crappie anglers their finest hour is fast approaching.
Hopefully the weatherman will deliver some warm days and light winds as
anglers deserve it. March Madness has been pretty tough on fishermen
this year.
Start your engines!
Also check out our past:
Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
Steve McCadams is one of the nation's best known Crappie Fishermen
and a full time resident of Paris, Tennessee. Steve is also a
professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area.
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