Southern Standard Fishing Report

CENTER HILL ? Fishing is fair. The water temperature is 85 degrees; lake is falling. Some good catches of walleye are showing up on the lower end of the lake while trolling hot’n’tots, nightctrawler and spinnerrigs in 17-to-22 feet of water. Bass fishing is fair at night on soft plastics and spinnerbaits on drops and points in 15 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is fair on crickets and nightcrawlers, while fishing gravel banks in 15 feet of water.

CHICKAMAUGA ? The water surface temperature is as high as 89 degrees on the warmer days. Eighty-four degrees is as cool as it has been in some time. A good stringer of fish of almost any species can still be caught if the right conditions all come together. Current or moving water is a key factor needed to increase your odds on these hot, stagnant days. Bluegill can be caught on river ledges and in the creeks close to the river. Roostertails, crickets, and worms are all good choices. Catfish can be caught in all areas of the river. All the typical catfish baits, such as Ivory soap, wieners, nightcrawlers, and chicken livers will work. The odds of bigger and better catches of catfish will increase with cut bait. Bass anglers are catching a lot of deep fish on the lower end of the lake. Crank baits and plastics fished deep seem to be the best strategy. The topography of the upper-end of the lake is allowing anglers to catch bass a little shallower. Plastic frogs, fished on top of the grass and weeds, is just one early and late technique that has been productive. Some river point and creek point fish are also being caught on plastics in the deeper water on the upper end of the lake. White bass activity has been better in the tailwaters than other parts of the lake. Spoons, roostertails, and jigs are just a few lures that anglers are using. The rockfish bite has been tough to get, but a few really heavy fish are being caught in the dim light early and late. Jerk baits are working as well as anything else. A few fishermen are catching several crappie in the deep, brushy areas of the lake.

DALE HOLLOW ? Fishing is good. The water temperature is 84 degrees; lake is falling. Lots of walleye are being caught in the mid-section of the lake while trolling nightcrawlers and spinners in the daytime and at night. Most fish are caught 23-to-26 feet deep. Bass fishing is good at night and early and in the mornings, while fishing jigs and spinnerbaits on points and grassbeds in 15 feet of water. Trout fishing is good near the dam while trolling with down riggers in 40 feet of water.

(Information from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; compiled by Dale Stubblefield.)