Here is the fishing report from the TWRA:
Chickamauga Reservoir: Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 682.0 feet. Winter normal elevation: 676.0 feet. Current elevation: 682.3 feet. The water surface temperature is 83 degrees in many areas.
Largemouth Bass: Some evening tournaments are being won along grass edges on the river. 20 plus pounds is winning some of these tournaments. Plastic worms is thought to be the best bait. Most anglers reservoir wide are struggling.
Smallmouth Bass: Few caught in the previous week.
Crappie: Most crappie anglers were missing in the last week. No observations and no reports.
Striped bass: The number of interested anglers in recent days has been low. A party from North Carolina is catching some fish almost everyday they are there. Most fish being caught are under 20 pounds. Shad, jigs and spoons are being used for bait.
Bluegill: Many bluegill with a mix of shell crackers are being caught by those using worms or crickets in the main channel. Upper reservoir is the better area.
Sauger: A few sauger and walleye have been caught while trolling crankbaits. No observations but reliable sources confirm this. Tailwaters is the location.
Catfish: A lot of catfish reservoir wide are being caught. The size of fish caught is directly related to the bait being used. Any meaty concoction will work. Shad is better. Large baits catch fewer but larger fish.
Dale Hollow: Fishing is slow. Water temperature is 82 degrees; lake is falling fast.
Bass: A few bass are being caught at night on jigs and soft plastics and spinnerbaits while fishing points and drops in 15-to-20 feet of water.
Walleye: A few walleye are being caught near Willow Grove while trolling at night on flats.
Dale Hollow tailwaters: Fisherman are having great success on Fridays after stocking has occurred. A few nice trout are being caught downstream in periods of no flow on flies.
Great Falls: fishing is slow. Lake is at summer pool. Water temperature is 82 degrees.
Bass: A few bass are being caught early in the morning and laste in the evening on topwater baits while chasing shad.
Bluegill: A few bluegill are being caught around docks on nightcrawlers and crickets in 10 feet of water.
Watts Bar: Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 740.5 feet. Winter normal elevation: 736.0 feet. Current elevation: 740.8 feet. The water surface temperature is 83 degrees in many areas.
Largemouth Bass: Most anglers are not catching a lot of fish. Summer patterns prevail. Crankbaits, plastic worms, and jigs are being used more often. Night, early and late in the day is the best time to fish.
Smallmouth Bass: Most anglers are not catching many. Most smallmouth are caught by those targeting largemouth or just bass.
Walleye: No observations. A report from an angler suggest a few may be caught in the tailwaters below Ft. Loudon Dam at night while using jigs or crankbaits.
Crappie: No observations. Reports of a few night lighters catching some crappie using minnows or jigs. Large secondary waters or bluff walls in the large secondary areas will increase the odds of catching a few.
Catfish: Anglers using the right bait in the right area can catch all the catfish they want to catch. Smaller meaty baits will catch more and larger baits catch larger fish. Worms, crawlers, shrimp, “Ivory” soap, shad, bluegill, chicken parts, frankfurters, and cheese are just a few suggestions.
Striped bass: Some days are better than others. 35 being caught was the largest number reported this week. Shad or jigs were used. Bucktail jigs green and white in color were being used.