Fishing Report
Hybrids: The bite is very good for hybrids in the daytime on live bait or trolling Umbrella rigs or big crankbaits like Red Fins. Hybrids can be caught at daybreak near Suggs Creek on live bait or by tossing soft plastic baits like Flukes.
Bluegill: Still biting pretty good around shorelines and shallow.
Crappie: A few being caught over fairly deep structure.
Catfish: The bite is good day and night with shrimp, nightcrawlers, and chicken liver being among good baits for rod and reel anglers or for jug anglers.
CENTER HILL ? Fishing is good. The water temperature is 84 degrees; lake is stable. Bass fishing is good at night on jigs and spinner baits and worms while casting points and ledges in 8-to-14 feet of water. Some good catches of walleye are showing up between Sligo and Pates Ford, while trolling nightcrawler rigs in 10-to-15 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is excellent, using crickets near willow bushes around banks.
CHICKAMAUGA ? Water temperatures are warming substantially and this is allowing more fish to be caught more consistently on summer patterns. At times, the deeper humps can be fished with crank baits and plastic worms for a load of bass and the very next day, it will be hard to get a bite. Some shallow fish are still being caught. These shallow water areas are either very close to deep water or are located in shallow areas with a flow of cooler water from some source. Humps, ledges, and sunken islands are a few key areas where most anglersare concentrating their efforts in the deeper locations. The larger percentage of bass being caught will be in water deeper than 12 feet of water. These deeper water fish are easily marked with electronics. As stated in the Watts Bar report, if the electronics doesn’t show fish then there is a good chance you will not catch any. Crappie anglers are still catching plenty of fish along the river drops near heavy cover and in the lake areas near brush in water deeper than 12 feet deep. Current flow will allow for a more shallow bite. The dead or still water will cause the crappie to move a little deeper. Minnows and jigs will both work as long as they are fished in the brush instead of close to the brush. Bluegill can still be caught in shallow water, but the numbers have moved to the river ledges. Catfish are being caught by drifters in the main channel. All the normal stuff is being used by catfish anglers. White bass are being caught most often along the deeper river ledges in the southern end of the lake. If you’re not sure what to use to catch white bass, use a roostertail. The heavier than normal version should be purchased to help catch the deeper fish. Rockfish can be caught in the tailwaters below Watts Bar. The bigger fish can be caught a little later in the hotter months of July and August one hour after daylight and one hour before dark. The best fishing will occur when the bait gets the hardest to catch.
DALE HOLLOW ? Fishing is great. The water temperature is 82 degrees; lake is stable. Lots of smallmouth are being caught at night on jigs and spinner baits on rocky points in 8-to-15 feet of water. Walleye fishing is great at night and daytime, while trolling stick baits and nightcrawler rigs in 15-to-22 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is still good using crickets and nightcrawlers around willow bushes around bushes. Lots of trout are being caught at night under the lights while using nightcrawlers and corn in 25-to-40 feet of water. Some good strings of walleye and crappie are being caught, while fishing under the lights with shad or fishing with minnows in 10-to-15 feet of water.
(Information from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; Compiled by Dale Stubblefield.)